British number one 10th in ATP world rankings

History is filled with people who have been at the top of their game only to do something colossally dumb — or illegal — leading to a mighty fall or even disgrace.

But instead of disappearing quietly after their 15 minutes of infamy, some one-time giants have come roaring back. For a select few, the second act is more successful than the first. What’s more, society has embraced and celebrated these comeback kings, their previous transgressions all but forgotten.

Why do humans have such short memories? Psychology has the answer. People love a comeback story, said Simon Webley, research director at London’s Institute of Business Ethics.

“It’s part of us,” he said. “It’s about not giving up.”

Psychology also has some insights into why people fall from grace in the first place. It often comes down to a combination of bad judgment and feelings of superiority, said Hugh Arnold, a professor of organisational behaviour at Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.

“People get big jobs, make a lot of money, they’re well known, they’re written up in the press, so they feel as if they’re beyond the rules,” Arnold said. Many times, they don’t realise they’ve adopted a cloak of ‘above it all’.

These characteristics often lead to a fall — and are also instrumental in why many people stage successful comebacks. In some cases, those smarts and charm allow them to become even more successful than they were before their grand collapse.

“It’s the same DNA that propelled them to these tasks that are helping them again,” said Joanne Henry, executive vice-president at Neuger Communications Group, a Northfield, Minnesota-based public relations firm. “There’s nothing in that DNA that says ‘let’s find a little corner and stay put’. They want to get back out there.”

Here’s a look at the comeback kings of industry — and a fallen food maven who might just be on her way back. (Getty Images)