The ATP Tour might have been sailing into choppy political waters in 2009 as it tried to tighten up its elite schedule by declaring eight of its prime sub-Grand Slam events mandatory for the world's leading players.

However, there was no doubting the rude health the men's game's governing body found itself in with the sporting world in general waiting with bated breath for the next chapter of the rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

As if Federer's all-consuming dominance was not good enough to lift the sport back on to the back pages, along came Nadal to provide a challenge culminating in his astounding Wimbledon final success in 2008.

The trickle-down effect the rivalry had on the ATP's own premier tournaments was not to be under-stated. Leading sponsorship was not proving hard to find and prize money was continuing to increase exponentially.

Even behind the top two, the strength of the men's game was at an all-time high and the character quota was being fulfilled at the same time.

Relative youngsters Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic jostled for the world number three position, while the emergence of the likes of Juan Martin Del Potro and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga suggested the future for the Tour may be brighter still.

Still, however, the ATP had a pressing need to get their own house in order, to placate those elite players who expressed disappointment with recent scheduling changes and to govern in such a way as to make the most from their good fortune.