Tennis: ATP Tour Head Games

Okay readers, in the second installment of 'He Says, She Says' Theresa and I, both avid amateur tennis players, will breakdown which top ATP Tour players have the 'mental fortitude' to either, remain or become a Grand Slam champion, either during the 2009 or 2010 season.

Now, my wife and I are both in agreement that it can be a bit tricky to define what mental toughness is, but we are also both in agreement that it is also self-explanatory in the sense that clearly, some players possess it, while others don't have one iota of it in their entire beings.

Theresa and I quickly defined 'mental toughness' for this article's sake as three things.

1.Being able to overcome adversity
2.Being able to handle the 'Big Stage and Bright Lights'
3.Performing under pressure

With that said, we've agreed to dedicate this first 'He Says, She Says' column to our favorite family pastime, the fine art of tennis.

As both, huge viewers, readers, players and followers of the sport and myself a national sports columnist, my wife and I feel as qualified to comment on the state of professional tennis and its players as anyone in the nation.

With that long-winded spiel out of the way, here is a look at which Sony Ericsson WTA Tour players have the 'mental fortitude' to become a Grand Slam champion.

Rafael Nadal
He Says
Rafa's got more mental toughness than any player on the planet right now!She Says
He's going to go down with Federer and Sampras as one of the all-time greats.

Roger Federer
He Says
He's shown some chinks in his mental armor, but I say he's clearly not done yet!
She Says
He's definitely got it (mental toughness) and I think he'll back on top soon!

Novak Djokovic
He Says
I'm disappointed in Djokovic and think his mental toughness needs to improve.
She Says
He has mental toughness and I more grand slams in his future.

Andy Murray
He Says
Murray's got the game to beat anyone, but his head needs to catch up in order to beat the 'Big Three.'
She Says
I think he needs a couple of more years to get his mental toughness together.

Andy Roddick
He Says
I like Andy and believe he's got the game to beat anyone - too bad he's a bit short on brain-power.
She Says
No mental toughness whatsoever.

Stanislas Wawrinka
He Says
Clearly this guy has learned something from playing alongside compatriot Roger Federer.
She Says
He's improved a lot, but still has a ling way to go.

Fernando Gonzalez
He Says
I like him, but he seems to fade in the most important matches.
She Says
He's got game, just not quite enough mental toughness.

Marin Cilic
He Says
I love this kid and believe he'll be a grand slam champ one day soon.
She Says
I love his court coverage - and his game.

Thomas Berdych
He Says
Big game, no brain - or heart for that matter!
She Says
No mental toughness at all!

Marcos Baghdatis
He Says
'Big Smilin' Baghdatis has got plenty of mental toughness if you ask me, but I'm not sure if he has enough game.
She Says
I think he has the mental ability, he just needs a little more on the game side.

Gael Monfils
He Says
For a guy that Roger Federer deemed the fastest player on tour, Monfils is totally weak in the head. Unless something miraculous happens - it's not gonna' happen.
She Says
Maybe after a couple of years of maturing, maybe he'll be ready for the mental side of the game.

Richard Gasquet
He Says
Gasquet was deemed 'Baby Federer' a while back, but only because his game looks good. It's a damn shame he's got no mental toughness whatsoever.
She Says
He's got game but not enough mental toughness to be on top.

James Blake
He Says
Blake is a really good player and has plenty of mental toughness. Too bad he doesn't have enough game to beat the big boys.
She Says
He's got a good game, but not enough mental toughness.

Donald Young
He Says
The kid clearly has got a bright future ahead of him but he's way behind on the mental toughness scale.
She Says
I think he's too young right now. As he gets older, his mental toughness will increase.

Mardy Fish
He Says
Fish is definitely a gamer that comes to play every time he steps on the court. I think there is a possibility he could win a slam at some point.
She Says
I like Mardy Fish, I just think he needs some fine tuning on his game.

Ernest Gulbis
He Says
Gulbis has got a huge game and should be able to win a slam at some point if he can keep his wits about him.
She Says
Gulbis has a very nice game but needs at least another year or two to put it all together.

Marat Safin
He Says
Safin is a slam winner already, but has never truly fulfilled his total potential because he's a total head case.
She Says
He's not mentally prepared to hang with the big boys anymore.

Juan Martin Del Potro
He Says
He's gonna win one at some point soon - no doubt about it.
She Says
Give him a couple of more years and he'll prove his abilities.

Sam Querrey
He Says
Once Querrey improves his movement a bit, it should happen for the big American.
She Says
I think he'll win some grand slams in the future.

Lleyton Hewitt
He Says
I love Lleyton, but the end is near because of his bad hip - like probably following this season.
She Says
Hewitt was a fine player in his prime, but no one can do it forever.