CONTROVERSY....! A word that draws more attention than the best things in life one could ever possibly imagine. We wonder, sometimes, whether there is any walk of life where there is any dearth of it. Throw in a pinch of the 'controversial spice' in your recipe and it will be good enough to even the most 'hard-to-please' connoisseurs of the world.

So what is it that makes us all so fond of it. Is it our constant need to have an opinion about anything and everything happening in the world. Sports arena is somehow one of controversy's favourite destinations. And when we talk about tennis, things take an extreme angle.

In terms of drama and excitement, both on court and off it, the year 2009 became a monumental season. Although, it was for more negative reasons than positive. Let's take a look at some of those stories which created quote a stir all year round .

5. Wimbledon Centre court allotment controversy -The famous All England Lawn Tennis Club, venue for the prestigious Wimbledon Championships came into the limelight during the 2009 event when the Centre Court roof was unveiled for Dinara Safina-Amelie Mauresmo match.

However, this wasn't the only reason the centre court was in headlines. It was noticed by players and media alike that several high seeded female players were not scheduled to play their matches on the centre court as opposed to the lower ranked players with great looks and glamour getting them a chance to showcase their talent and beauty on the best court in the world. Defending champion Venus Williams was scheduled to play on Court No.1 and Serena Williams on Court No.2.

The most surprising aspect of the entire controversy was that the AELTC spokesperson Johnny Perkins did not even bother denying it - "Good looks are a factor." An unknown source from the BBC, on the other hand, went a step ahead and openly released a statement, according to 'The Mail' stating - "No one has heard of many of the women now, so if they are pretty it definitely gives them an edge.

Our preference would always be 'a Brit or a babe' as this always delivers high viewing figures." The truth is, despite a landmark year in the AELTC's golden history, 2009 will remind the fans across the world how beauty and glamour was given an edge over 'sheer brilliance' on court.

4. Shahar Pe'er denied entry in Dubai Dubai, one of the biggest and popular cities in the world, hit the headlines in the tennis arena last year when an Israeli player Shahar Pe'er was denied a Visa to play at Dubai Tennis Championships. The Israeli star had the necessary WTA points to qualify for the main draw and despaite her qualification, the refusal for visa stirred quite a controversy.

The United Arab Emirates government stated that due to the protests against her at the recently held ASB Classic in Auckland, the government has decided not to allow her to play in their country. The major reason behind the refusal was the absence of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the 2008-09 Israel-Gaza conflicts.

Players around the world condemned the decision and came out in support of Pe'er. Eventual champion Venus Williams openly criticized the refusal during the trophy presentation, and 2008 men's champion Andy Roddick chose not to defend his title due to the inadequacy.

WTA chief Larry Scott also issued a statement about reviewing Dubai as the venue for future tournaments. In addition to all this, primary tournament sponsor The Wall street Journal, dropped their sponsorship from the event immediately. The issue remained in the memory of everyone for the rest of the year and finally the UAE government decided to grant Pe'er visa for the 2010 event.