After that impossibly long off-season, the 2004 season is about to commence. With only two weeks of preparation before the Australian Open, here is a brief encapsulation of some of the new developments on the pro tours.

Returning on court

- Thomas Johansson - Is scheduled to play his first tournament in more than a year next week, in Adelaide. The 2002 Australian Open champion has been recovering from knee and shoulder injuries.

- Guillermo Cañas - The Argentine appeared ready to join the elite in the summer of 2002, when he was struck down with an untimely wrist fracture. Cañas now appears ready to go, after a few false starts, and will tune up for the Australian Open in Chennai. In fact, Guillermo has already started his year, reaching the semis, as of this writing, of a Challenger in New Caledonia.

- Kristian Pless - The 22-year-old Dane was on the shelf for most of last season with a shoulder injury. He will also open the year in Chennai.

- Patrick Rafter ??? - The retired two-time U.S. Open champion is making a comeback to play Adelaide and the Australian Open, in doubles only. This will be followed by a February exhibition match, also in Australia, against former Swedish great Mats Wilander. Where will this lead?? Probably not to a full-fledged return to the tour, since Rafter is 31 and a family man now.

- Sandrine Testud ??? - The former top ten player out of France retired in 2002 to start a family. Reports out of her homeland indicate that she was encouraged by her form during club matches late last year, and she may play a limited schedule starting with the Paris Indoors in February.

Not quite yet returning on court

- Jelena Dokic - The troubled ex-world number 4 was expected to compete at a tune-up event in Auckland next week, but withdrew, giving no reason beyond a blanket ?personal reasons?. This throws in doubt her announced return to the Australian Open, where she has not played since 2001, and speculation is rampant that her controversial father Damir is reasserting control over his daughter after ?disavowing? her last year.

- Serena Williams - Pulled out of the kick-off event next week, the Hopman Cup. While Serena has given no indication that she will not contest the Australian Open, one might wonder if she will show up down under to defend her title, given that she has not played a match since last year's Wimbledon. Her sister Venus, also inactive since Wimbledon, is scheduled to play an exhibition in Hong Kong the week before the Australian Open, and at last word was still expected to compete there.

- Monica Seles - Still on the sidelines with a stress fracture of her left foot. Have we seen the last of this great champion, who will be 30 this year and has not played since last May?

- Tommy Haas - Haas had hoped to start the season in Doha (Jan. 5), but has decided that his shoulder, which was operated upon twice and caused him to miss the entire 2003 season, is not yet strong enough.

- Marcelo Rios - Despite defeating Paradorn Srichaphan and Younes El Aynaoui last month in exhibition matches in Thailand, he is still experiencing back pain, and his trainers do not think it would be wise to play five-set matches on hard courts. He may return for the South American clay court swing in February.

Some coaching changes for the new year

- Tim Henman has hooked up with Paul Annacone, formerly coach of Pete Sampras. They will reportedly work together on a part-time basis.

- Daniela Hantuchova will be guided by Harold Solomon, who has most recently worked with Anna Kournikova and Jennifer Capriati.

- Taylor Dent, having parted ways with Brad Stine, is now coached by his father Phil.

- Roger Federer may be coachless Down Under unless he surprises us with a late announcement. Recall that the Wimbledon champion surprisingly split with ex-coach Peter Lundgren after the 2003 season.

Some off-season newlyweds

- Sjeng Schalken - wife is Ricky

- Guillermo Coria - wife is Carla

- Patty Schnyder - husband is Rainer (Hofmann, not Harnecker...)

And (presumably) soon-to-be newlyweds

- Kim Clijsters - fiancé is Lleyton

- Lleyton Hewitt - fiancée is Kim

- Nathalie Dechy - fiancé is Antoine

Enjoy the season, and good luck, health and happiness to our valiant tennis warriors!