Stefanos Tsitsipas closed out his 2018 with his biggest win yet, triumphing at the Next Gen ATP Finals. Now, after beginning 2019 by reaching the Australian Open semi-finals, lifting the trophy at the Open 13 Provence and this week cracking the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings for the first time, fans believe that the Greek may be on his way to this year’s Nitto ATP Finals.

Fans have been provided with an opportunity to pick the eight players they believe will qualify for this year’s season finale. So far, Tsitsipas is the sixth hottest pick of the entire slate of ATP Tour stars.

Pick the eight players you think will qualify for the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals and you could win the ultimate trip for two to London to attend this year’s season finale.

From the votes that have come in, 51.2 per cent of fans believe that Tsitsipas will qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. While it is early in the year, the 20-year-old is second in the ATP Race To London, trailing only World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who 98.9 per cent of fans believe will make his 12th appearance at the season finale.

The Fans’ Top 8 Picks For London

Tsitsipas might have fallen short against World No. 4 Roger Federer in the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, but they may clash again in London. So far, 45.6 per cent of fans have selected Federer and Tsitsipas as two of their eight choices to reach The O2. They have split their first two FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings this season, with Tsitsipas upsetting the 37-year-old Swiss in the fourth round of the Australian Open.

If Tsitsipas maintains his pace and earns his spot at the Nitto ATP Finals, he will become the first player to compete at the Next Gen ATP Finals and then make the Nitto ATP Finals the next year. Karen Khachanov and Borna Coric were close to accomplishing the feat in 2018, finishing 11th and 12th in the ATP Race To London, respectively.

World No. 3 Alexander Zverev earned his biggest title in London last year on just his second appearance. The fans overwhelmingly believe the German will have a chance to retain his trophy, with 89.2 per cent of voters selecting Zverev to qualify. World No. 2 Nadal is a nearly unanimous pick to compete at the Nitto ATP Finals for the ninth time, with 95.4 per cent of voters selecting the Spaniard.

The Most Popular 2019 London Combination As Voted By Fans Thus Far: Kevin Anderson, Juan Martin del Potro, Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, Kei Nishikori, Dominic Thiem, Zverev. 

Roger Federer heads to Indian Wells once more on the doorsteps of history. The five-time BNP Paribas Open champion can break a tie with Novak Djokovic for the most titles won at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

Federer reached the final last year and had three match points, but Juan Martin del Potro saved them all and won his first Masters 1000 trophy. ATPTour.com looks back at Federer’s five Indian Wells triumphs.

1. 2004: No. 1 Federer d. No. 10 Tim Henman 6-3, 6-3
Federer had won 28 of his past 30 matches, dating back to the 2003 Rolex Paris Masters, heading into the final against Tim Henman. Federer won titles in Houston, Melbourne (his second Grand Slam title) and Dubai.

The only two matches the Swiss had dropped during that stretch before his trip out west were indoors against Henman. Under controlled conditions, the Brit upset Federer in straight sets both times, in Paris and Rotterdam, and he had six reasons to believe it’d happen again in the California desert. Henman led their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 6-1.

But the No. 1 player in the ATP Rankings didn’t face a break point and won his second Masters 1000 title. He’d go on to win two more and the Nitto ATP Finals that season.

2. 2005 Final: No. 1 Federer d. No. 2 Lleyton Hewitt 6-2, 6-4, 6-4
A repeat at the Australian Open eluded Federer in 2005, when he fell to eventual champion Marat Safin in the semi-finals. But the Swiss still hoisted three titles en route to Indian Wells, wearing Sunday smiles in Doha, Rotterdam and Dubai.

All three times Federer beat one of his current coaches, Ivan Ljubicic, during the event, and he made it four out of five tournaments to start the year by eliminating the Croatian in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open.

Hewitt, the 2002-03 Indian Wells champion, was riding a tsunami of confidence. The Aussie won the Sydney International, reached the Australian Open final and beat then-No. 3 Andy Roddick in three tie-break sets to make the Indian Wells title match.

From 1999-2003, Hewitt had won seven of his first nine FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings against Federer. But in 2004, the Swiss began his domination against Hewitt, and it continued in the best-of-five final. Federer didn’t drop a set all tournament, and he’d win 16 of his 18 final matches against the Aussie.

Federer was beginning another magical season. He’d finish with 11 titles, including four Masters 1000s.

Watch Hot Shot: Hewitt Wins Unreal Point Against Federer In Indian Wells

3. 2006 Final: No. 1 Federer d. No. 14 James Blake 7-5, 6-3, 6-0
A BNP Paribas Open three-peat eluded Roscoe Tanner, Boris Becker, Pete Sampras, Michael Chang and Hewitt, but Federer, fresh off his second consecutive year-end No. 1 finish in the ATP Rankings, breezed into history.

He dropped only one set – against Olivier Rochus in the third round – bringing his total number of sets lost from 2004-06 in Indian Wells to a whopping two. Blake was on his way to reaching a career-high ATP Ranking of No. 4 and had beaten Nadal in the semi-finals. But the American, after taking an early lead in the first, couldn’t pester Federer. Neither could anyone else on the ATP Tour 13 years ago.

Federer’s 2006:

• Sunshine Double for second consecutive season

• Three Grand Slams – Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open

• Four ATP Masters 1000s – Indian Wells, Miami, Canada, Madrid

• 12 tour-level titles, including his third Nitto ATP Finals crown

• 92-5 record

Watch Highlights: Federer Beats Blake For Three-Peat In Indian Wells

4. 2012 Final: No. 3 Federer d. No. 11 John Isner 7-6(7), 6-3
Federer hadn’t been back to the BNP Paribas Open final since 2006, but he did not lack titles. The Swiss again swept Rotterdam (d. Del Potro) and Dubai (d. Murray), and although Nadal halted him from playing for his fifth Australian Open title, revenge would soon be Federer’s.

He knocked out Milos Raonic, Juan Martin del Potro and Nadal to reach his fourth Indian Wells final. John Isner saved him from having to beat two of the Big Four in one tournament by upsetting Novak Djokovic, the World No. 1 and defending champion, whom beat Federer in the 2011 semi-finals.

The American had beaten Federer one month earlier on clay in Switzerland during a Davis Cup tie, but he couldn’t touch him in Indian Wells. The Swiss dropped only two first-serve points and saved all three break points faced. Federer tied Nadal’s then-record of 19 Masters 1000 titles, and he’d go onto win six titles overall in 2012, his most since 2007.

Watch Highlights: Federer Beats Isner For Fourth Indian Wells Title

5. 2017 Final: No. 10 Federer d. No. 3 Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 7-5
Two years ago, Federer was living his fairytale comeback season. He missed the second half of the 2016 season to rest his left knee, and all he did in Melbourne, during his first tournament in six months, was win seven matches in a row and capture his first Grand Slam in almost five years, beating Nadal in the final.

Indian Wells was another test, and the draw gods could have been accused of first-degree conspiracy against the Swiss. Federer, the ninth seed, had been drawn in the “Group of Death”. In the same quarter sat Federer, Nadal, Nick Kyrgios, Alexander Zverev, Del Potro and Djokovic.

Read & Watch: Federer Wins Fifth Indian Wells Title

But the Swiss navigated the early rounds successfully, beating Stephane Robert and Steve Johnson to face Nadal in the fourth round. The Spaniard led their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 23-12, but Federer used the same aggressive plan – hitting through the backhand – that helped him beat Nadal in Australia, and he slid into the quarter-finals in straight sets.

The four-time champion received a walkover in the last eight and sailed past American Jack Sock before meeting countryman and friend Stan Wawrinka in the final.

Wawrinka beat Federer during their only prior Masters 1000 final at the 2014 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, but Stan has never been ‘The Man’ against Federer on hard courts, and Federer (35) became the oldest Masters 1000 champion since Andre Agassi at the 2004 Western & Southern Open.

Watch Highlights: Federer Beats Wawrinka For Fifth Title

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No. 10 (Career High) Stefanos Tsitsipas, + 1
The 20-year-old, who started 2019 at No. 15 in the ATP Rankings, became the first Greek player to break into the Top 10 today (at No. 10) as a result of reaching his fifth ATP Tour final (2-3) at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (l. to Federer). Tsitsipas won three three-set matches — against Matthew Ebden (first round), Hubert Hurkacz (quarter-finals) and Gael Monfils (semi-finals) — one week on from clinching the Open 13 Provence trophy (d. Kukushkin). Read More & Watch Dubai Final Highlights 

No. 4 Roger Federer, +3
The 37-year-old Swiss became the second player in the Open Era to capture 100 career titles on Saturday with his eighth trophy at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (d. Tsitsipas). Federer, who follows in the footsteps of Jimmy Connors (109 titles), rose three places to return to the Top 4 in the ATP Rankings for the first time since the 14 January (No. 3) rankings. Read More & Watch Dubai Final Highlights

No. 19 Gael Monfils, +4
The 32-year-old Frenchman, who saw his eight-match winning streak come to an end against Tsitsipas in the Dubai semi-finals, moved up four places to No. 19. It is the first time Monfils, this year’s ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament titlist, has been among the Top 20 since 24 July 2017 (at No. 16).

No. 33 Nick Kyrgios, +39
The 23-year-old Australian completed a remarkable week by beating his third Top 10 opponent of the week  — Alexander Zverev — en route to the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC crown. Following a straight-sets win over Andreas Seppi, former World No. 13 Kyrgios defeated No. 2-ranked Rafael Nadal — in one of the matches of the year — Stan Wawrinka and No. 9 John Isner in three sets before his final win over Zverev. Kyrgios vaults 39 places to No. 33 in the ATP Rankings. Read More & Watch Acapulco Final Highlights

No. 34 (Career High) Guido Pella, +14
Having lost his first four ATP Tour finals, the Argentine lifted his first trophy at the Brasil Open in Sao Paulo (d. Garin) on Sunday. The 28-year-old Pella moved up 14 places to a career-high No. 34 in the ATP Rankings. Read More & Watch Sao Paulo Final Highlights 

Other Notable Top 100 Movers This Week
No. 23 Kyle Edmund, +4
No. 39 Philipp Kohlschreiber, -8
No. 48 (Career High) Cameron Norrie, +16
No. 51 Sam Querrey, +6
No. 60 Malek Jaziri, -15
No. 67 (Career High) Hubert Hurkacz, +10
No. 72 (Career High) Christian Garin, +20
No. 73 Pablo Cuevas, -14
No. 81 Tomas Berdych, +7
No. 86 Nicolas Jarry, -19
No. 92 (Career High) Lloyd Harris, +7
No. 94 (Career High) Casper Ruud, +14
No. 95 Ricardas Berankis, +18

Novak Djokovic could take over yet another record at this year’s BNP Paribas Open. The World No. 1 is tied with Roger Federer for most titles won at this event with five, but another big fortnight in the desert could see him own the record solo with a sixth championship.

In his first tournament back from elbow surgery, Djokovic bowed out in his opening round last year to Taro Daniel of Japan. It’s safe to say the Serbian will be eager to erase that memory in 2019.

ATPTour.com looks back at Djokovic’s five Indian Wells titles.

1. 2008: No. 3 Djokovic d. Mardy Fish 6-2, 5-7, 6-3

Two months after he clinched his first Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open, Djokovic continued to soar in the desert. He raced into the final without dropping a set and produced a nearly perfect performance to topple second seed Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals 6-3, 6-2, a rematch of the previous year’s final.

Fish was playing in only his second ATP Masters 1000 final and his first in five years, but the American wasn’t awed by the occasion. He pushed Djokovic to the brink, but the third seed broke Fish in the second game of the deciding set with a backhand winner. The slight advantage was all Djokovic needed and he clinched his first title in the desert after Fish sent a backhand long.

Watch Highlights: Djokovic Topples Fish For Maiden Indian Wells Crown

2. 2011: No. 3 Djokovic d. No. 1 Rafael Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 6-2

Djokovic proved to be untouchable at the start of the tournament, dropping just 12 games to reach the semi-finals. He then defeated second seed Federer in the semi-finals 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, marking his third victory over the Swiss star in three months.

In the final against Nadal, the Serbian overcame a slow start and poured it on at the halfway mark. Djokovic took 10 of the last 13 games for this third Indian Wells title. The victory extended his unbeaten run that season to 20 matches and marked his first win against Nadal in an ATP Tour final in six attempts.

Watch Highlights: Djokovic Defeats Nadal For Second Indian Wells Title

3. 2014: No. 3 Djokovic d. No. 7 Roger Federer 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3)

Djokovic didn’t have it easy during his fortnight in the desert. The Serbian was pushed to three sets against Alejandro Gonzalez (R3), Marin Cilic (R4) and John Isner (SF) en route to the championship match.

In an Indian Wells classic against Federer, Djokovic fought back against the inspired play from the Swiss in the early stages of their championship match. The Serbian served for the title at 6-5 and was broken, but regrouped to win his first ATP Tour title of the season. 

Watch Highlights: Djokovic Outlasts Federer For Indian Wells Hat Trick

4. 2015: No. 1 Djokovic d. No. 2 Roger Federer 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2

The defending champion that year, Djokovic continued his Indian Wells dominance by powering into the final without losing a set. In the semi-finals, Djokovic dismantled fourth seed Andy Murray 6-3, 6-2. The win marked his sixth straight victory over the Brit, five of which had come in the previous six months.

Federer had won three of his four most recent FedEx ATPHead2Head meetings with Djokovic going into the final, but had an off day and finished the afternoon with 43 unforced errors. Djokovic sensed the opportunity and raced through the last four games to successfully defend his championship.

“I am at the prime of my career,” said Djokovic afterwards. “I’m going to try to use every part of this fact to stay where I am and to fight for as many major titles as possible.”

Watch Highlights: Djokovic Defeats Federer To Defend Indian Wells Title

5. 2016: No. 1 Djokovic d. No. 12 Milos Raonic 6-2, 6-0

The two-time defending champion got his title defense off to a shaky start when he dropped the first set of his opening-round match against qualifier Bjorn Fratangelo. It would be the Djokovic’s only hiccup for the rest of the tournament.

Rounding into form with each match, the Serbian defeated fourth seed Nadal in the semi-finals 7-6(5) 6-2. The match marked his sixth straight win over the Spaniard, all of which had come in straight-sets.

Djokovic saved his best for last against Raonic. He won the first four games of the match and finished with a seven-game run, dropping just three points on serve in the second set for his fifth Indian Wells title.

Watch Highlights: Djokovic Routs Raonic For Indian Wells Three-Peat

When Kyle Edmund entered the week in Indian Wells, he remained in search of his first match win of the 2019 season. The British No. 1 achieved that and then some, notching five wins in five days to capture the title.

Edmund turned in a ruthless display in Sunday’s final of the Oracle Challenger Series – Indian Wells, dominating Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-2 in just 54 minutes. Edmund fired nine aces and won an impressive 82 per cent (36/44) of total service points to triumph.

The 24-year-old is just four months removed from capturing his maiden ATP Tour title in Antwerp, but fell victim to a knee injury in the subsequent weeks. In search of match wins and an injection of confidence, he entered the ATP Challenger Tour stop in Indian Wells and the decision would pay dividends. 
The World No. 27 streaked past Tommy Robredo and Lukas Rosol, before rallying past eighth seed Yannick Maden and overcoming fifth seed Lloyd Harris in Saturday’s semis. And in his first meeting with Rublev in nearly four years, he blitzed the Russian star without dropping serve.

It was Edmund’s sixth Challenger title in total, having dominated on the circuit in the early stages of his career. He kicked off his successful start with a title in Hong Kong in 2015 as a 20-year-old, followed by victories in Binghamton, Buenos Aires, Dallas and Rome.

Rublev, meanwhile, enjoyed the best week of his fledgling career in reaching the final. An ATP Tour champion in Umag in 2017, he also won a Challenger title in Quimper, France the year prior. The 21-year-old, a former World No. 31, is pushing towards a Top 100 return after battling a back injury last year.

Both Edmund and Rublev are gearing for a deep run at next week’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the year. The Brit will appear in the main draw for the fourth straight year, while Rublev is poised to battle through qualifying.

Fifteen years ago, Rafael Nadal competed at Indian Wells for the first time. In 2019, the Spaniard returns for his 14th appearance as he pursues a fourth trophy at the BNP Paribas Open. 

Nadal has shown good form in 2019, advancing to the Australian Open, only to be stopped by the red-hot World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. While Nadal lost in the second round of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, he played impressively to push eventual champion Nick Kyrgios to a final-set tie-break, giving him positive momentum heading into Indian Wells.

Fast Facts
– Nadal has won more BNP Paribas Open titles (3) than all other Spaniards combined (2). Jose Higueras lifted the trophy in 1983, and Alex Corretja triumphed at the tournament in 2000.

– In Nadal’s three victories at the ATP Masters 1000 event, he has lost a combined three sets. The first time he lifted the trophy in the desert, in 2007, Nadal did not drop a set. 

– Indian Wells is one of three Masters 1000 events at which Nadal has won 50 matches. Nadal, who holds a 50-10 record at the BNP Paribas Open, owns 68 wins in Monte-Carlo and 56 in Rome.

– In terms of titles, Indian Wells is Nadal’s second-most successful hard-court Masters 1000 event. The only other tournament at this level that the Spaniard has won more times is the Rogers Cup, which he has been victorious at four times.

Five Nadal Stats From Indian Wells
First Match: 2004, Nadal def. Lars Burgsmuller 6-2, 6-3 

First Title: 2007, Nadal def. Novak Djokovic 6-2, 7-5

Record: 50-10

Top 10 record : 9-6

6-0 Sets Won: 5

Watch Nadal Spend Time With Former World No. 1 Golfer Fred Couples At Indian Wells

Most Recent Appearance: 2017
Nadal missed the 2018 BNP Paribas Open due to a right hip injury. On his last appearance, in 2017, the Spaniard advanced to the Round of 16 before losing to Roger Federer in straight sets. It was the 11th time that Nadal made it that far at the Masters 1000 event.

Seed at the 2019 BNP Paribas Open: No. 2 

Did You Know?
Nadal has also lifted the doubles title at Indian Wells twice, partnering compatriot Marc Lopez on both occasions. The Spaniards triumphed in 2010 and 2012. In 2011, the pair lost a blockbuster semi-final against Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka.

It’s no surprise that the ‘Big Four’ of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray hold the four best hard-court records among active players at ATP Masters 1000 events. The quartet has also captured 13 of the past 15 titles at the BNP Paribas Open, which begins this week at Indian Wells.

The FedEx ATP Performance Zone shows the fifth player on the list is former World No. 3 Milos Raonic. The 28-year-old Canadian, currently ranked No. 14, has won 66.4 per cent of his Masters 1000 matches on hard courts. That ranks 13th overall among all players who have played 20 or more matches at this level. The eight-time ATP Tour champion has performed especially well at Indian Wells.

Raonic has advanced to the semi-finals or better on his past three appearances in the desert. At the year’s first Masters 1000 event he holds a 19-7 record, equating to a 73.1 winning percentage.

Best Hard-Court Masters 1000 Records (Active Players)

“I just have a personal calm at this event maybe compared to others. It’s a little bit quieter here. It’s easier to be around the tennis. You don’t have to fight through traffic to get here. You get here with ease, so I think that gives me a personal calm,” Raonic said at Indian Wells last year. “I think the conditions help. Obviously this year it’s quite a bit slower than it has been in the past, but the ball still moves through the air, even though the court slows it down a bit, but it’s always bounced high. So I think there have been a lot of things that have contributed to me feeling comfortable here.”

Raonic also owns 14 wins at Miami and Cincinnati, Masters 1000 events that are also played on hard courts. Overall, Raonic has advanced to the quarter-finals or better at hard-court tournaments at this level 17 times. 

The big-serving right-hander has made three Masters 1000 finals: 2013 Canada, 2014 Paris and 2016 Indian Wells. Fittingly, all of those efforts came on hard courts.

‘Big Three’ & American Legends Lead The Pack Overall
Djokovic and Federer, who have won 83.5 per cent and 80.0 per cent of their Masters 1000 hard-court matches, respectively, are Nos. 1 and 2 in the category for all players, not just those who are active. Two American former No. 1s Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras are right behind.

Agassi, who triumphed at Indian Wells in 2001, won 77.8 per cent of his Masters 1000 hard-court matches, while two-time champion Pete Sampras was victorious 77.2 per cent of the time. Nadal rounds out the Top 5 at 76.4 per cent.

Best Hard-Court Masters 1000 Records (Overall)