2013 saw Indian players finally find a voice

Indian tennis made its voice heard in 2013 with the formation of the Indian Tennis Players Association. Born out of a revolt for better rights and more involvement in team affairs, the movement led by Somdev Devvarman and top Indian players who refused to play South Korea in their Davis Cup tie early this year, took baby steps to address issues faced by players. A body that aims to emulate the ATP, the ITPA held their first camps for youngsters in Hyderabad and Mumbai in December with the promise of bigger things to come next year.

Indian doubles ace Leander Paes has made a pastime of defying age, and the 40-year-old did so again by becoming the oldest man to win a Grand Slam in the Open era. Partnering Radek Stepanek, the evergreen pro clinched his 14th overall doubles title at the US Open in September. Even as the win, his third US Open title, put an exclamation point on his legendary status, Paes has already begun plotting the script for participating in a record seventh Olympics at Rio 2016.

Mahesh Bhupathi might not have had his best season but that didn't stop the businessman in him from hitting the big-time. The seasoned campaigner, apparently looking to kick-start his 2014 season after mulling retirement, put together plans for the International Premier Tennis League while also bagging the right to manage Brit star Andy Murray.

Retrieving lost ground was Somdev's mantra for 2013 as the 28-year-old fought back from a shoulder injury that laid him low in 2012 to build up a decent head of steam and re-enter the top 100 of the world rankings.

In a start-stop year that saw him partner seven different players, Rohan Bopanna found his groove mid-season with Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin and made the Wimbledon semifinals. The 33-year-old Bangalorean rose to No.3 in the individual rankings, with two titles in Marseilles and Tokyo with Colin Fleming and Vasselin.

Hyderabadi Sania Mirza broke back into the top 10 of the women's doubles charts. Shuffling between partners, Sania won five doubles titles in 2013 - admittedly her best finish to a year - with successes at Dubai and Brisbane with Bethania Mattek-Sands and New Haven with Jie Zheng. The feisty 27-year-old capped her season with wins in Tokyo and China with the experienced Cara Black.

Elsewhere, former junior World No. 1 Yuki Bhambri, who has been striving to establish himself on the senior circuit, won himself a 2014 Australian Open wildcard for the doubles event after an inspired show in the play-off in Shenzhen, China.