#10: Tatiana Golovin

Officials at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club were seeing red this past July when a 19-year-old Frenchwoman and rising star, Tatiana Golovin, walked onto Centre Court wearing red knickers.  The scandal was dress code red: British tabloids had a field day; and, ultimately, umpires declared Golovin in violation of the tournament’s predominantly white dress code.  Before her opening round match, Golovin was forced to make a change to something less colorful, only to later be informed that the chair umpire had been mistaken.  The shorts that women wear beneath their tennis skirts aren’t actually underwear, of course, but they are above the hemline and therefore are not subject to Wimbledon’s traditions.  Once the ruling was reversed, Golvin proudly sported her red drawers during a second-round defeat.  All was not lost, however, as the red panties appeared again at the U.S. Open later in the summer.  Golovin may not have won the All England title, but she unapologetically wore the panties that rocked Wimbledon.  In doing so, she stole our hearts.  

#9: Andy Roddick

World No. 5 Andy Roddick has an on-court attitude that leaves something to be desired.  His overplayed machismo can induce vomiting, but fortunately the Top Ten Hotties List doesn’t have a gag reflex.  The American is spoiled and whiny in defeat, pompous and arrogant in victory. In fact, one might say that Andy is a big Roddick.  We complain about it during tournaments, but now is the time to come out of the closet and confess our crush on the man with one of the most punishing serves in tennis. After all, who doesn’t love a bad boy?  Roddick struts around the baseline with his muscular chest poking out; he stares intensely while teasingly tugging at his crotch; and he pounds ace after ace after ace until we beg him to stop. Andy’s all-American good looks and self-satisfied grin are just as lethal.   

#8: Elena Dementieva

Chronic double-faulting might have booted her out of the WTA Tour’s Top 10, but one look at the statuesque Elena Dementieva’s long legs and cascading blonde hair and it’s obvious that this is one Russian who never hears the word nyet.  Dementieva can trade baseline blasts with the best of ‘em and she works a pair of hot pants better than anyone else on the WTA tour. Rather than keeping track of how many times Dementieva loses serve, the Top Ten Tennis Hotties list prefers to track the number of hearts she breaks. Elena’s only fault here comes for being doubly delicious, because that notorious serve is the one and only ugly thing about her.

#7: Olivier Rochus

Is that a Belgian in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?  Adorable and talented, Olivier Rochus plays a beautiful brand of tennis.  In fact, his game is almost as gorgeous as he is.  The 5’5” tall Rochus would surely be a Top 10 player if you could award ranking points pound-for-pound, but his lack of stature has kept him out of the game’s upper echelon.  The big boys constantly overshadow Little Oli, and oh how we love to watch!  Let the debate end here, as Olivier Rochus proves once and for all that size doesn’t matter.

#6: Sania Mirza

Like a little backtalk with your backhand?  India’s best player, Sania Mirza, is sassy, political and hot.  Mirza hails from a country ruled by a conservative culture where some extremists have criticized contemporary athletic attire as too revealing, and at one point protests were staged and her effigy burned when it seemed as if she advocated pre-marital sex.  Do not trifle with Mirza, however, because the exotic beauty is nobody’s fading flower.  She may wear a skirt on court, but she wears the pants off of it. Sania is youthful and defiant, refusing to apologize for her personal choice of clothing or for playing doubles with an Israeli partner. It seems that Mirza’s every move is controversial in her homeland, a factor that can negatively impact her on-court success, but she is a rebel with a cause.  She is breaking down barriers by simply excelling in the sport she loves.  Mirza’s passion is strong enough to promote world peace, and that’s hotter than New Delhi in the summertime. 

#5: Rafael Nadal

One asset alone garnered the King of Clay a spot in our Top Ten, and it wasn’t his ferocious topspin or monstrous biceps. (Admittedly, the latter didn’t hurt.  At least not in the bad way.)  It is impossible to look at Rafael Nadal and not stare at the junk in his trunk.  The man himself has made public reference to his “famous ass,” so who are we to disagree?  As far as the Top Ten Hotties list is concerned, that butt has enough star power to earn separate induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame! There is so much to admire about Rafael Nadal.  He is as likeable a young man as you could ever meet without compromising his competitor’s spirit in any way.  Nadal the tennis player never gives up.  Similarly, Nadal’s ass just won’t quit. 

#4: Nicole Vaidisova

Two years ago, Vaidisova was considered for this list but was ultimately eliminated from contention because she was under age.  Since turning 18, the WTA’s age restrictions have come off and so have ours.  It’s a numerical strip tease! Vaidisova’s power game rocketed her into the world’s top ten and now she joins the Hottie elite as well.  Get ready, world, because Nicole Vaidisova is legally blonde and unafraid to slap you around in court. Vaidisova is the new Sharapova.

#3: Janko Tipsarevic

Athletic up-and-comer Janko Tipsarevic could use a bath, because the dark, pierced, hairy and beautiful Serbian is dirty hot. Tipsarevic looks like the kind of guy who could shower with you for hours and never come clean, but do not mistake Tipsarevic for your average rough trade. He has a mind as wicked as his body.  Janko is passionate about classic literature and has tattooed himself with quotes from Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky and German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer.   A man that beautiful and that intelligent makes grown men sink to their knees.

#2: Ana Ivanovic

Ana Ivanovic is returning to the Hotties list for a second time. The Serbian’s stunning run to the French Open final in late spring announced her arrival among the women’s best; however, the dark-skinned beauty is an established and perennial stunner.  Ivanovic’s beauty is at once simple and unattainable:  her long, dark brown hair invites lusty thoughts, regardless of whether it falls softly in her face or is pulled back into a pony tail to illuminate her near-perfect facial features; her eyes are thoughtful, confident and deep, and they intimidate as surely as they entice; and her skin glows golden like the final moments of sunlight at dusk that leave men and women alike praying for the next day’s light.  Goddess-like to behold, Ivanovic carries a natural splendor so powerful that it is neither boastful nor burdensome.  As surely as sport itself has the power to attain moments of bliss, Ana Ivanovic is possessed of a rapturous countenance that is definitive in its perfection.  She is undoubtedly the most beautiful woman in tennis. 

#1: Novak Djokovic

He’s not ranked No. 1 on the ATP Tour yet, but ballsy Serb Novak Djokovic fulfills everyone’s fantasies by topping our list of the Top Ten Hotties in Tennis.  Djokovic made his move in 2007, shooting towards the top of the rankings and finishing a solid third behind Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.  Novak promises to give good chase and make men’s tennis a ménage-a-trois in the months to come. Federer and Nadal should watch their backs, because Novak Djokovic is coming. Cocky and engaging (he shows some skin here), the Serbian phenom is as talented a shotmaker as you’ll find among the players below Federer.  Luckily for gay tennis fans, when Djokovic shoots, we all score.