There are signs that Denis Kudla is getting back to his best.

After reaching a career-high No. 53 in the ATP Rankings on 23 May 2016, Kudla saw his ranking slowly drop until falling outside of the Top 200 towards the end of 2017. But, after a strong final run in Knoxville (l. Peliwo) on the ATP Challenger Tour, Kudla ended his season with great cause for optimism.

In 2018, Kudla has already built on that strong showing in Tennessee, qualifying for his first Grand Slam main draw since the 2016 US Open, winning four matches and forcing No. 5 seed Dominic Thiem to five-sets in a second-round loss at the Australian Open. This week, he is into the quarter-finals at the RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas, a $125,000 Challenger. The American has not dropped a set thus far.

After working with Dustin Taylor in the off-season and spending his time between the Harry Hopman Tennis Academy in Tampa and the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Kudla is confident about the state of his game moving forward in 2018.

“I worked a lot in the off-season,” said Kudla. “I worked really hard to find a little bit more consistency, work on my serve and bring back high energy tennis which I ran away from a little bit.

“I am a guy that brings a lot of energy and wins with fitness and tangibles, so right now… I feel fit and the game is where it needs to be.”

The 25-year-old, who turned professional back in 2010, has plenty of ideas on how he can improve his game and get back into the Top 100 this year with one key factor as the main focus.

“Finding more balance,” said Kudla. “I did a lot more cardio… so I could sustain a higher level of tennis for a longer period of time. That was a big thing. I knew the game was there but I kept dying at a certain point and I realised I just wasn’t in good enough shape. I thought I was but I wasn’t. So that was the biggest thing, when I know I’m in shape, the game is there. It has always been there.”

That extra work in the gym was certainly evident in his five-match run in Melbourne and he was back at work at Challenger level in Newport Beach last week where, despite losing to Reilly Opelka in first-round singles action, he made the doubles final with partner Treat Huey (l. Cerretani/Paes) .

Playing his opening match in Newport Beach just five days after his last match in Melbourne is no easy matter, but for Kudla, with determination to climb the ATP Rankings in 2018, the motivation to succeed is stronger than ever.

“I am incredibly motivated,” said Kudla. “I do believe I am going to have a good year this year as long as I continue to do the right things, but I have a great team around me, playing well. As long as I don’t lose focus and get satisfied, I think I’m going in the right direction.”

Kudla managed to win four matches in Melbourne from first round qualifying, with three of his wins coming against higher ranked opposition, before falling to Dominic Thiem in a bruising five-set encounter. Reflecting on his great efforts at the first Grand Slam of 2018, Kudla expressed his delight at the start he has made to the new season.

“It was a great week for me to qualify and win a round, especially against Steve Johnson who is a good friend of mine and had my number, so it was nice to get that. Then to push (Dominic) Thiem to five sets, I put myself in a good position to win. I was just happy that I was able to bring my game around for five consecutive matches; I haven’t been able to do that for a long time,” admitted Kudla.

“I was up two-sets-to-love against a Top 5 player in the world… I can play right now, with top guys. I need to transfer that into the next couple of tournaments and start this year on a high note… and carry it over for as long as I can and hopefully get back in the Top 100,” said Kudla.

That confidence will surely help Kudla this week as he competes in Dallas on the Challenger circuit once more. The American also emphasised his desire in 2018 to focus on the process, rather than setting a specific numerical goal in the ATP Rankings.

“I tried not to set a ranking goal this year,” said Kudla. “Obviously in the back of my mind I want to be Top 100 and back in the Grand Slams but [my goal] is to be consistent, learn from my mistakes and stay fit, not losing my shape throughout the year. If I can do that, I can play at a high level and I’ll get the match wins that I need.”

Former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori continues his comeback on Wednesday evening at the RBC Tennis Championships, an ATP Challenger Tour event, in Dallas. The top seed faces German Matthias Bachinger in the second round. The match will begin at 8 p.m. ET, and you can watch it live below. Nishikori missed the final four months of the 2017 season after having surgery on his right wrist.

Spain’s Guillermo Olaso thought it was never going to end.

Olaso and Russian Evgeny Karlovskiy played a 42-point tie-break during the opening set of their qualifying match on Monday at the RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas, an ATP Challenger Tour event.

Both players had a number of set points; Olaso saved 10 and clinched the set on his seventh. The tie-break is the longest for an ATP Challenger Tour qualifying match.

“Normally a tie-break never lasts that long,” Olaso said. “It feels like we played another set almost, because it took so long and it took a lot of energy out of both of us.”

Perhaps the tie-break took too much out of him. He eventually lost 6-7(20), 6-1, 7-6(5).

After last year’s US Open, Sam Groth had every intention to gear up for a strong finish to 2017 and start 2018 on the best note possible in Australia.

But something changed inside Groth. The 6’4” Aussie, who possessed one of the biggest serves on the ATP World Tour, lacked the same desire to improve as he had shown throughout his career.

So after talking with Lleyton Hewitt and others close to him, Groth decided that he would retire in 2018, and he’d do it at home, at the Australian Open.

“I just don’t think my heart was in it to keep going,” Groth said. “I wanted to be able to go out at home as well.”

The 30-year-old partnered with his friend and former World No. 1 Hewitt in doubles at the Australian Open earlier this month. Groth/Hewitt upset third seeds and reigning US Open champions Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau in the second round.

But the Aussies’ run ended in the quarter-finals against eventual finalists and 11^th seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah.

Among his career highlights, Groth counts his 2015 season, which saw him reach the third round at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, where he took a set off Roger Federer, and at the US Open. Groth also achieved his career-high ATP Ranking of No. 53 that year and received Australia’s Newcombe Medal, which is given annually to the country’s most outstanding tennis player.

“That year 2015 was really special for me,” Groth said.

The right-hander celebrated two ATP World Tour doubles titles during his career as well, winning both 2014 Bogota and 2016 Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open with countryman Chris Guccione.

In a way, this is Groth’s second retirement from tennis. He picked tennis instead of Aussie Rules football when he was 16. But in 2011, Groth switched back to football and played for the Vermont Eagles in Melbourne, before returning to tennis for good in 2012. The Aussie is engaged to be married in November.

Before he reached the Australian Open semi-finals last week, it had been the breakout week of his career. South Korea’s Hyeon Chung sped through the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan in November, going 5-0 to claim the 21-and-under title.

But Chung, who turns 22 in May, won’t be able to defend his crown come 6-10 November 2018. Who might hoist the Next Gen ATP Finals “X” trophy instead? ATPWorldTour.com takes a look at some of the possible candidates.

TWO POTENTIAL RETURNERS

Andrey Rublev (Rank: 35; Age: 20): Tennis fans across the world should know Rublev’s name after his 2017. The Russian won his first title at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag in July and became the youngest US Open quarter-finalist (l. to Nadal) since Andy Roddick in 2001.

Rublev has impressed early in 2018 as well, reaching the Qatar ExxonMobil Open final in Doha (l. to Monfils) and beating Spaniard David Ferrer en route to the third round of the Australian Open (l. to Dimitrov). Rublev, will, without a doubt, be one of the favourites to return to Milan. He was the top seed at the 2017 edition.

Denis Shapovalov (Rank: 48; Age: 18): Like Rublev, Shapovalov’s stock soared in the second half of 2017. In August, the Canadian became the youngest ATP World Tour Masters 1000 quarter-finalist at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal. The left-hander knocked off Juan Martin del Potro and Rafael Nadal before falling to eventual champion Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals.

Shapovalov proceeded to reach the fourth round of the US Open, beating then World-No. 8 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga en route. This week, the Canadian is at a career-high ATP Ranking of No. 48.

16 WHO COULD MAKE THEIR DEBUT

Taylor Fritz (Rank: 76; Age: 20): The California native was a trendy pick to make Milan in 2017, but the American struggled with injuries in the second half of 2016 and made the unique decision to take three months off during the 2017 season to work on his strength and fitness.

The start of 2018 has been more like what Fritz fans will expect to see throughout the year. The 6’4” right-hander won his fourth ATP Challenger Tour title on Sunday to move up to third place in the ATP Race To Milan.

Read More: Fritz Fires To Fourth Challenger Title

Stefanos Tsitsipas (Rank: 83; Age: 19): The Greek right-hander was an alternate in Milan last year, and was only matches away from making the inaugural field. Tsitsipas surged into contention at the European Open in Antwerp in late October, when he upset eventual Nitto ATP Finals runner-up David Goffin to reach his first ATP World Tour semi-final. The 19-year-old Tsitsipas qualified a tour-leading eight times in 2017. To start 2018, he made the quarter-finals in Doha, falling to top seed Dominic Thiem.

Read More: Tsitsipas Shares His 2018 Goals

Watch Now: The Family Behind #NextGenATP Tsitsipas

Frances Tiafoe (Rank: 93; Age: 20): The American, like Tsitsipas, was a few wins away from playing in Milan last November. Tiafoe finished one spot away from qualifying in the ATP Race To Milan, which determined seven of the eight finalists. But expect Tiafoe, who nearly upset Roger Federer in the first round of the 2017 US Open, to continue making gains in the ATP Rankings in 2018.

Read More: Federer’s Encouragement Spurs on Tiafoe

Watch Now: Tiafoe Returns To His Roots  

Casper Ruud (Rank: 121; Age: 19): Ruud rose 86 spots in the year-end 2017 ATP Rankings after finishing No. 225 in 2016. The 2017 season was his debut year on the ATP World Tour, and it was highlighted by a semi-final showing at the Rio Open presented by Claro in February (l. to Carreno Busta). Ruud has already earned a career milestone to begin 2018. He picked up his maiden Grand Slam victory in Australia (d. Halys).

Watch Ruud Uncovered

Alexander Bublik (Rank: 131; Age 20): Off the court, Bublik conducted one of the funniest interviews of the 2017 season. The 6’6” right-hander posed some playful questions to some of the game’s best, including Andy Murray and Roger Federer.

Watch Bublik Interview Murray, Federer: 

On the court, Bublik won two ATP Challenger Tour titles (Aptos, U.S.A.; Morelos, Mexico) and made his second ATP World Tour quarter-final (l. to Berankis) at the VTB Kremlin Cup in Moscow in October (also Moscow 2016).

Alex de Minaur (Rank: 139; Age: 18): For the second consecutive season, de Minaur was one of the best stories of the Australian summer. The 18-year-old Aussie, who won his first two tour-level matches last year Down Under, made the semi-finals at the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp (l. to Harrison) and reached his first ATP World Tour final at the Sydney International (l. to Medvedev) earlier this month.

Read More: Belief, Hewitt’s Advice, Propel de Minaur To Early Success

Akira Santillan (Rank: 148; Age: 20): The Aussie, who used to play under the Japanese flag, appears ready to continue his success from 2017. The right-hander won his first ATP Challenger Tour title in Winnetka, U.S.A., and picked up his first tour-level win at the Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open in Newport. Santillan also learned a valuable lesson: How to best schedule his season.

Read More: Six Things To Know About #NextGenATP Santillan

Tommy Paul (Rank: 149; Age: 20): Paul is one of a number of American up-and-comers who have the red, white and blue dreaming of a return to the top of the ATP World Tour, a la the days of Sampras, Agassi, Courier and Chang. Paul showed promised in 2017, earning his first Top 20 win against then-World No. 17 Lucas Pouille and reaching the quarter-finals of the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.

Watch Uncovered: Paul Finds His Way On The ATP World Tour

Corentin Moutet (Rank: 150; Age: 18): French tennis fans have enjoyed a winning stretch with the generation of Gilles Simon, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet and Gael Monfils. Will Moutet lead the next great generation of French tennis players?

The left-handed teenager was the second-youngest player in the year-end Top 200 of the ATP Rankings. He won his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in Brest, France (d. Tsitsipas) in October.

10 ATP Challenger Tour Players To Watch In 2018

Stefan Kozlov (Rank: 155; Age: 19): The American celebrated the biggest win of his career in 2017, beating compatriot and then-World No. 25 Steve Johnson at the The Queen’s Club Championships in London. Kozlov, a former junior World No. 2, thrives on the grass, where he has earned all five of his tour-level wins.

Read More: Kozlov Claims Second Challenger Crown In Las Vegas

Felix Auger-Aliassime (Rank: 163; Age: 17): The 6’3” Auger-Aliassime was the youngest player to finish inside the Top 200 of the ATP Rankings in 2017, doing so on the back of two ATP Challenger Tour titles (Seville, Spain; Lyon, France). Only three players have made their Top 200 debut at a younger age than Auger-Aliassime (17 years, 1 month, 5 days): Richard Gasquet (16 years, 1 month); Rafael Nadal (16 years, 6 months); and Lleyton Hewitt (16 years, 10 months).

Read More: Felix Joins Elite Company With Top 200 Breakthrough

Watch Now: Fun In London With Auger-Aliassime

Michael Mmoh (Rank: 175; Age: 19): Mmoh, another American scaling the ATP Rankings, captured his second ATP Challenger Tour title in August, beating Aussie veteran John Millman in Lexington, U.S.A. The 6’1” right-hander secured his first tour-level win earlier this month in Brisbane (d. Delbonis) before reaching the quarter-finals (l. to de Minaur).

Watch: Mmoh Reflects On First Tour-Level Win

Soonwoo Kwon (Rank: 178; Age: 20): Kwon of South Korea will try to follow in Chung’s footsteps and make his way to Milan. The 5’11” right-hander went 27-17 on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2017, including two finals (Yokohama, Japan; Seoul, South Korea).

Jaume Munar (Rank: 182; Age: 20): “Jimbo” picked up his play in the second half of the 2017 season, winning the ATP Challenger Tour tournament in Segovia, Spain, in August, defeating de Minaur. In the final week of the year, the Spaniard, who trains at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, reached the final of the Rio de Janiero ATP Challenger Tour event (l. to Berlocq).

Read More: Courtside and Beyond, Nadal Supports #NextGenATP Munar

Carlos Taberner (Rank: 188; Age: 20): Taberner, Munar’s countryman, broke into the Top 200 on 25 September after reaching his second clay-court ATP Challenger Tour final in Sibiu, Romania (l. to Stebe). Earlier that month, Taberner reached the title match at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Reilly Opelka (Rank: 197; Age: 20): Opelka, who is 6’11”, is one of the tallest players on the ATP World Tour, and he brings a lethal serve like the other flamethrowers of the ATP World Tour, including 6’11” Ivo Karlovic and 6’10” John Isner. Opelka reached the semi-finals of the Newport Beach Challenger last week, falling to eventual champion Fritz.

Read More: Triple Towers Dish On Life As Big Men

ONE-AND-DONES
The following players qualified for the inaugural tournament but will turn 22 in 2018: Chung, second seed Karen Khachanov, fourth seed Jared Donaldson, fifth seed Borna Coric, seventh seed Daniil Medvedev and Italian wild card Gianluigi Quinzi.