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Djokovic Honoured With Serbian Stamps

  • Posted: Dec 17, 2021

Novak Djokovic can add another accomplishment to his long list of accolades. The World No. 1 was recognised this week with his own Serbian postage stamps — one each for mailing letters domestically and internationally. He is the first athlete from his country to be placed on a stamp with his name on it.

“[It is] an honour to receive my very own Serbian stamp. Thank you to my generous country for this rare gift! I’m humbled!!” Djokovic tweeted. “Excited to share we’ll partner with the Serbian National Postal Service on Novak Djokovic Foundation projects for every child to have the opportunity to attend preschool.

“Gratitude for everyone that brought this together. Now Jelena Djokovic and I will take some stamps home for the kids to write to Santa.”

The artwork was done by Boban Savic, with references to some of Djokovic’s greatest accomplishments, including his 37 ATP Masters 1000 titles and 20 major triumphs.

”Thank you to the Post of Serbia for this initiative, which I experienced as an effort to revive the tradition of writing letters and postcards, and I am glad to be able to contribute to that,” Djokovic said according to the Novak Djokovic Foundation’s website. “Our Foundation receives many letters every day from children and their teachers throughout Serbia, who need help and support in early development and education.

“We want, and we are committed to that every day, that in the next 10 years, every child in Serbia has access to kindergarten and the conditions to dream and realise their dreams. Together we will try to get the results as soon as possible, and we are glad that more and more partners are joining us, including the Post of Serbia.”

Zoran Djordjevic, the acting general manager of the Post of Serbia, said it is an honour to dedicate a stamp to Serbia’s “best athlete of all time”.

“The Post, as a national institution, in this way made an appropriate homage and a sign of gratitude from the people of Serbia to Novak Djokovic, for his sport achievements, and everything he is doing for the well-being of the citizens of our country and its reputation in the world with his public and humanitarian work,” Djordjevic said. “We believe that this unique postage stamp will not only record and preserve his successes for future generations but also encourage young people to give their best in all fields of life.”

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Djokovic & Murray Thrillers Feature In Best ATP Matches Of 2021

  • Posted: Dec 17, 2021

Earlier this week, ATPTour.com looked at the best ATP Tour and Grand Slam match comebacks of 2021. Now, we will reflect on the best ATP Tour matches from another pulsating year on the circuit. (The Top 5 Grand Slam matches of 2021 will follow soon.)

From a final classic in Paris between the Top 2 players in the FedEx ATP Rankings, to thrillers in Serbia and Antwerp, these are three of the top five ATP Tour matches of the season.

5) Rolex Paris Masters, Final, Novak Djokovic d. Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
Tennis, at the highest level, is a game of adjustments. Seemingly slight tweaks in strategy can have a huge impact, as Novak Djokovic illustrated in the final of the Rolex Paris Masters back in November. In the seven weeks after his crushing defeat by Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final – that cost him a rare Grand Slam – Djokovic obsessively watched the video of his downfall.

“I tried to read the patterns of his serve and the ball toss,” he said in a Tennis Channel interview. “I tried to look for the small details, because it was a match of small margins. I thought it was only a matter of time when I was going to read his serve better, and start to make some plays.

“You can’t go through him. You have to find a way to play with controlled aggression, play the right shots at the right time and make him come in.”

Indeed, the 6’ 6” Medvedev, according to former Grand Slam champion Jim Courier, moves better than any big man he’s ever seen. This enabled him to play deep behind the baseline, giving him the time to attack Djokovic’s backhand, pinning him in the Ad side corner. The Serb’s solution was to serve and volley in critical moments, to open up the court with some wide serves and follow them to net. He would win 19 of 22 points by employing that element of surprise – and despite faulting on another 17 serve-and-volley points, this kept Medvedev off balance.

That’s how the World No. 1 defeated the World No. 2 in a two hour, 15-minute match that brought him a record-breaking 37th ATP Masters 1000 title. And this came just one day after he had secured a record seventh year-end No. 1 finish in the FedEx ATP Rankings. It was his sixth Bercy crown and he celebrated by hugging his children, Stefan and Tara.

4) Serbia Open, SF, Aslan Karatsev d. Novak Djokovic 7-5, 4-6, 6-4
Home … it’s where the heart is, and there’s no place like it. In so many ways, this was Novak Djokovic’s tournament. After a nine-year hiatus, the player’s family organised the event in his home town of Belgrade, with brother Djordje serving as director. The venue was Djokovic’s training facility, the Novak Tennis Centre.

Thing is, no one informed Aslan Karatsev that the host was supposed to win. The 27-year-old Russian had come whistling out of obscurity at the Australian Open, qualifying his way into the main draw, then advancing to the semi-finals, where he fell to Djokovic in straight sets. He was the first man in the Open era to reach the semi-finals in his major debut.

It was no surprise when Djokovic opened the first two sets with a 2-0 lead, but Karatsev broke back immediately each time. The Russian took the first set and was up 4-2 in the second before Djokovic took the last four games to force a third set. While his aggressive play came with unquestionable risk – Karatsev faced an incredible 28 break points – ultimately, he was rewarded with a stunning victory. In the end, Karatsev saved 23 of those break points, all 10 in the decisive third set.

The rousing match required 3 hours, 25 minutes, at the time, the longest ATP match of the 2021 season.

“It was a long, tough match,” Karatsev said afterward. “You have to put [in] like 200 per cent to beat this guy, it’s like playing against a wall. I stepped on the court to win. I was believing, and I said to myself that I would play every ball no matter what.”

Karatsev would lose the final to Matteo Berrettini in a third-set tie-break. The win against Djokovic was, Karatsev said, the biggest of his career.

“Definitely, it’s the World No. 1,” he said. “I’m really happy, I put everything on the court.”

3) European Open, First Round, Andy Murray d. Frances Tiafoe 7-6(2), 6-7(7), 7-6(8)
For three-time major champion Andy Murray, the long comeback from two hip surgeries, in 2018 and 2019, required a level of patience he didn’t possess in his early playing days. In his first tournament of 2020, the Western & Southern Open, the wild card defeated Frances Tiafoe in the first round and No. 7-ranked Alexander Zverev in the second – his first Top 10 victory in more than three years.

It was a notable peak in a series of peaks and valleys along the way. Back in August, in Winston-Salem, there was a distinct valley, when Tiafoe knocked him out in the first round. They met again, two months later in the first round of the European Open.

The 23-year-old American had put together a solid season, winning the title in Nottingham and advancing to the fourth round of the US Open, as well as Miami and Toronto. Murray, at 34, was coming off a respectable third-round showing at Indian Wells. Still, nothing could have prepared either player for what followed. In an epic match that featured three tie-breaks, Murray prevailed when he converted his second match point with a clever backhand drop shot that eluded Tiafoe.

Already on Murray’s side of the net, the American gave him a heartfelt hug and congratulated him on his effort.

“I think that’s the first time in my career I’ve played a 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 [match],” Murray told the crowd afterward. “I think it’s the longest three-set match I’ve played by quite a distance. I’m tired right now.”

The 3-hour, 45-minute match was the longest best-of-three-set match of 2021, snapping by seven minutes the standard set by Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Barcelona final.

“Nowadays obviously my body is old now,” Murray added. “I’ve played a lot of matches on the Tour. I don’t mind playing long matches, but that was taking it to another level,” Murray said. “Brilliant match, amazing atmosphere, thanks to everyone who came and supported.”

Next Up: The Top 2 ATP Tour matches of 2021. 

Coming Soon: The Top 5 Grand Slam matches of 2021.

Read more from our Best of 2021 series here.

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2021 ATP Awards: And The Winners Are…

  • Posted: Dec 17, 2021

Americans Jenson Brooksby and Mackenzie McDonald join Roger Federer, Aslan Karatsev and Rafael Nadal as winners in the 2021 ATP Awards.

Brooksby, 21, and the 26-year-old McDonald win respectively in the Newcomer of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year categories. Brooksby rose from outside the Top 300 at the start of 2021 to a career-high No. 56 by November, highlighted by his runs to the Newport final and fourth round at the US Open. McDonald, who fell as low as World No. 272 after undergoing right hamstring surgery in 2019, similarly rose to a career-high No. 54 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. McDonald’s best result also came on home soil when he reached the ATP 500 final in Washington, D.C.

In the two other player-voted categories, peers have selected Nadal as recipient of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for the fourth year in a row and fifth time overall, and Russia’s Aslan Karatsev as the Most Improved Player of the Year. Karatsev, 28, broke through to reach the Australian Open semi-finals as a qualifier and won two ATP Tour titles, in Dubai and Moscow.

Cameron Norrie’s coach Facundo Lugones takes home Coach of the Year honours after helping to guide the Briton to two titles from six finals, highlighted by the ATP Masters 1000 trophy in Indian Wells.

Federer has been voted as Fans’ Favourite for a record-extending 19th straight year, while French duo Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut – the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals champions – win the fan-voted award for the first time.

The 2021 ATP Awards also honours Novak Djokovic and Nikola Mektic/Mate Pavic, who received their trophies as the ATP No. 1 presented by FedEx during the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. Djokovic celebrated a seventh finish in the top spot, breaking the record he previously shared with Pete Sampras. Mektic and Pavic won nine tour-level titles in the first year of their partnership.

The Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award goes to New Zealand’s Marcus Daniell, who founded High Impact Athletes last November and announced at the start of 2021 that he would donate at least 10 per cent of his annual winnings to effective charity organizations for the rest of his life.

Tournament of the Year honours have been awarded to the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells (ATP Masters 1000), the Erste Bank Open in Vienna (ATP 500) and the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha (ATP 250). Meanwhile, Prajwal Hegde, the Times of India’s tennis editor, receives the Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award.

2021 ATP Awards Winners

ATP No. 1 presented by FedEx
(Determined by FedEx ATP Rankings)
Novak Djokovic: This is the seventh time the Serbian has earned this honour, passing Pete Sampras for the most year-end No. 1 finishes in the history of the FedEx ATP Rankings (since 1973). Djokovic also achieved the feat in 2011-12, ’14-15, ’18 and ’20. The 34-year-old, who extended his record as the oldest man to finish year-end No. 1, eclipsed Federer’s all-time mark of 310 weeks at No. 1 on 8 March. Djokovic came within one victory of completing the Grand Slam in 2021, winning titles at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon – drawing level with Federer and Nadal at 20 major titles – before finishing runner-up at the US Open. He also triumphed at the Belgrade Open and clinched a record-extending 37th ATP Masters 1000 title in Paris.

ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by FedEx
(Determined by FedEx ATP Rankings)
Nikola Mektic & Mate Pavic: The Croatian duo tallied nine tour-level titles in their first season together, beginning their partnership on a 12-match winning streak. They won 56 of their first 61 matches in 2021, including Masters 1000 triumphs in Miami, Monte-Carlo and Rome. Mektic and Pavic made history at Wimbledon, where they became the first all-Croatian team to win a men’s doubles Grand Slam title, and they proceeded to clinch the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Pavic finished in top spot twice before, partnering Oliver Marach in 2018 and Bruno Soares last year.

Comeback Player of the Year
(Voted by ATP players)
Mackenzie McDonald: The American underwent right hamstring surgery in June 2019 and fell as low as World No. 272 last year. Starting 2021 at No. 194 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, McDonald showed good form early on when he advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open — his best performance at a major since Wimbledon in 2018. He also won an ATP Challenger Tour title and qualified for Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The former UCLA Bruin’s most impressive result came in Washington, D.C., where he eliminated defending champion Nick Kyrgios and former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori en route to the ATP 500 final. McDonald ascended to a career-high No. 54 in November. Thanasi Kokkinakis, Andy Murray and Jack Sock were also nominated in this category.

Most Improved Player of the Year
(Voted by ATP players)
Aslan Karatsev: The Russian’s season began in the first round of qualifying at the Australian Open when he was World No. 114. He strung together eight straight wins to reach the semi-finals at the first major of the season, including victories over Diego Schwartzman, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Grigor Dimitrov before losing to Djokovic. One month later, he clinched his first tour-level title at the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai. The 28-year-old also triumphed on home soil in Moscow, reached the final in Belgrade and scored top two wins against Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev. Karatsev reached a career-high No. 15 FedEx ATP Ranking in November. Carlos Alcaraz, Cameron Norrie and Casper Ruud were also nominated in this category.

Newcomer of the Year
(Voted by ATP players)
Jenson Brooksby: The American had earned just one tour-level win before the 2021 season and sat outside the Top 300 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. He finished his campaign at a career-high No. 56 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Brooksby reached his maiden ATP Tour final in Newport, before he advanced to the fourth round at a major for the first time on home soil at the US Open, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in four sets. Brooksby also reached tour-level semi-finals in Washington and Antwerp and captured three ATP Challenger Tour trophies. Four other #NextGenATP stars – Sebastian Baez, Juan Manuel Cerundolo, Hugo Gaston and Brandon Nakashima – were also nominated in this category.

Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award
(Voted by ATP players)
Rafael Nadal: Fellow players have once again recognised Nadal for his fair play, professionalism and integrity on and off the court, selecting the Spaniard as the winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for a fourth straight year and fifth time overall. Nadal also received this honour in 2010. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Casper Ruud and Frances Tiafoe were also nominated in this category.

Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award
(Awarded by ATP)
Marcus Daniell: The Kiwi announced at the start of 2021 that he would donate at least 10 per cent of his annual winnings to effective charity organisations for the rest of his life. Daniell became involved with the effective altruism movement, which focusses on using one’s resources to do the most good, in 2015. Last year, he launched High Impact Athletes, an organisation whose purpose is to channel charitable donations to the most effective, evidence-based charities in the world, specifically in the fields of extreme poverty and environmental impact.

Fans’ Favourite Award (Singles)
(Voted by fans)
Roger Federer: The Swiss has been selected as Fans’ Favourite for a record 19th straight year, taking his record haul of ATP Awards to 40. Federer, who celebrated his 40th birthday in August, made his comeback to the ATP Tour this past March in Doha after undergoing two arthroscopic right knee surgeries in 2020. He concluded his 2021 campaign with a run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals.

Fans’ Favourite Award (Doubles)
(Voted by fans)
Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut: The Frenchmen have been voted as the Fans’ Favourite doubles team for the first time. Herbert, 30, and 39-year-old Mahut claimed three team titles in 2021, including their second at Roland Garros and third at Queen’s Club. They capped off the ATP Tour season by winning the Nitto ATP Finals, their 20th title together since 2015.

Coach of the Year
(Voted by ATP coaches)
Facundo Lugones: The Argentine helped Briton Cameron Norrie, his former college teammate at Texas Christian University, to a career-best season. Norrie claimed his first tour-level title in Los Cabos before battling to the ATP Masters 1000 trophy in Indian Wells. He was an alternate at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he played two matches. Norrie finished 2021 with a 52-25 record. Lugones was selected as the winner from a shortlist that included Craig Boynton (Hubert Hurkacz), Gilles Cervara (Daniil Medvedev), Juan Carlos Ferrero (Carlos Alcaraz) and Christian Ruud (Casper Ruud).

Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award
(Awarded by ATP)
Prajwal Hegde: Hegde, who played tennis at national level when younger, has been the Times of India’s tennis editor since 2005. She began her career with Mid-Day in Mumbai, covering a range of sports including tennis, cricket and field hockey, and then spent nine years with Deccan Herald, Bangalore, where her focus shifted largely to tennis. Hegde has also written books, with her debut novel ‘What’s Good About Falling’ published by Harper Collins in 2018.

ATP Masters 1000 Tournament of the Year
(Voted by ATP players)
BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells): The BNP Paribas Open wins in the ATP Masters 1000 category for a record-extending seventh time. Held amidst the natural beauty and backdrop of the desert landscape, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden offers top-notch player facilities and amenities; plentiful practice courts that allow fans to watch players up close; and unparalleled dining options.

ATP 500 Tournament of the Year
(Voted by ATP players)
Erste Bank Open (Vienna): ATP 500 Tournament of the Year honors goes to a first-time winner, the Erste Bank Open. First held in 1974, the indoor hard-court regularly attracts the world’s best players to Vienna in October. Even during COVID-19-impacted times nearly 60,000 fans visited the Stadthalle and the new, second match location “Tennis 2 Go” on the premises of the Wiener Eislaufverein in the city centre of Vienna for the 2021 edition.

ATP 250 Tournament of the Year
(Voted by ATP players)
Qatar ExxonMobil Open (Doha): The Qatar ExxonMobil Open repeats as winner in the ATP 250 category, claiming the Tournament of the Year award for the fourth time overall (2015, 2017, 2019). Doha has set high standards since its inception in 1993 and under the guidance of former player Karim Alami, the tournament continues to build its reputation for its superb facility, world-class hospitality and welcoming fans.

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Indian Wells, Vienna, Doha Named 2021 ATP Tournaments Of The Year

  • Posted: Dec 17, 2021

The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells (ATP Masters 1000), Erste Bank Open in Vienna (ATP 500) and Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha (ATP 250) have been named as Tournament of the Year in their respective categories in the 2021 ATP Awards. The tournament awards, voted by ATP players, recognise the leading standards set across events on the ATP Tour.

The BNP Paribas Open wins in the ATP Masters 1000 category for a record-extending seventh time. Held amidst the natural beauty and backdrop of the desert landscape, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden offers top-notch player facilities and amenities; plentiful practice courts that allow fans to watch players up close; and unparalleled dining options.

ATP 500 Tournament of the Year honors goes to a first-time winner, the Erste Bank Open. First held in 1974, the indoor hard-court regularly attracts the world’s best players to Vienna in October. Even during COVID-19-impacted times nearly 60,000 fans visited the Stadthalle and the new, second match location “Tennis 2 Go” on the premises of the Wiener Eislaufverein in the city centre of Vienna for the 2021 edition.

“We are very pleased that the Erste Bank Open were voted the ATP 500 tournament of the year for the first time in our long history,” said Tournament Director Herwig Straka. “We take this as an award for the entire team, which prepares and implements the event with great motivation every year. We consistently try to improve and innovate the Erste Bank Open, like this year’s launch of the ‘Tennis 2 Go’ project, to offer both, players and fans world-class tennis and entertainment at the highest level.”

The Qatar ExxonMobil Open repeats as winner in the ATP 250 category, claiming the Tournament of the Year award for the fourth time overall (2015, 2017, 2019). Doha has set high standards since its inception in 1993 and under the guidance of former player Karim Alami, the tournament continues to build its reputation for its superb facility, world-class hospitality and welcoming fans.

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Nadal Earns Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award: 'I Can't Be Happier'

  • Posted: Dec 17, 2021

Rafael Nadal has been selected by fellow players as the winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for the fourth straight year in the 2021 ATP Awards. The 35-year-old has now received this honour five times, first triumphing in 2010.

The award recognises the Spaniard’s fair play, professionalism and integrity on and off the court.

All ATP Awards Winners

“I can’t be happier to receive one more time the Sportsmanship Award from my colleagues on the Tour,” Nadal said. “It means a lot to me, so thanks a lot to every player that thinks that I am the right one to receive this award.

“Honestly, it means a lot to me because I try to be always correct on court. Thanks for believing in me and I wish all the very best for the 2022 season to all my colleagues on the Tour and I hope to see you soon.”

 

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The Spaniard has won an ATP Award in each of the player-voted categories: Newcomer (2003), Most Improved (2005), Comeback (2013) and Sportsmanship (2010, 2018-2021). He was also named Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year in 2011 and crowned ATP No. 1 presented by FedEx five times (2008, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019).

Nadal won titles on clay in Barcelona and Rome this year and reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros, before concluding his season in August due to injury. The 35-year-old finished at No. 6 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, his 17th straight season in the year-end Top 10, breaking the record he previously shared with Jimmy Connors. 

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Del Potro Sets Sights On February Return

  • Posted: Dec 17, 2021

Juan Martin del Potro provided fans with a positive update on Thursday.

The former World No. 3 declared that he is hoping to make his return next February at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires and the Rio Open presented by Claro in Rio de Janeiro. The ‘Tower of Tandil’ has not competed in two-and-a-half years due to multiple right knee surgeries.

“I’ve been training really hard. Some days are better than others, but always with the hope of coming back to compete early next year,” Del Potro said. “It would be very special to come back in Buenos Aires and then play in Rio. As you can imagine, I’m giving my all every day so we can meet again very soon. I’ll keep you all updated with my progress. Take care ?.”

 

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The Argentine star last played a tournament at the 2019 cinch Championships at Queen’s Club. Del Potro has battled back from injury on multiple occasions during his career, earning Comeback Player of the Year in the ATP Awards in 2011 and 2016.

The 33-year-old is No. 755 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. He has won 22 tour-level titles, including an ATP Masters 1000 triumph at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open and a major victory at the 2009 US Open.

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Berrettini Best Under Pressure On Serve

  • Posted: Dec 17, 2021

Matteo Berrettini conquered adversity better than any server on tour in 2021.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of players holding serve when trailing in the point score up to Deuce identified Berrettini as the only player to feature in the leading three positions in all six point scores. The data set is focused on holding from 0/15, 0/30, 0/40, 15/30, 15/40, and 30/40. It includes players who competed in a minimum of 10 matches in the 2021 season.

Berrettini impressively led the Tour in three of the six serving categories and ended the season fourth best in Service Games Won at 89.6 per cent. Below is an analysis of holding serve in 2021 when trailing in the point score up to Deuce.

Holding From 0/15 (Tour Average = 62.3%)
1. J. Isner – 84.3% (113/134)
2. M. Berrettini – 80.4% (176/219)
T3 N. Djokovic – 76.0% (171/225)
T3 R. Federer – 76.0% (38/50)

John Isner performed best when trailing 0/15, holding 84.3 per cent of the time. Berrettini was second at 80.4 per cent, and Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer tied for third place at 76.0 per cent. There were only 14 players who managed to win more than 70 per cent of their service games from 0/15.

Holding From 0/30 (Tour Average = 36.9%)

1. N. Djokovic – 61.5% (48/78)
2. M. Berrettini – 61.3% (38/62)
3. S. Tsitsipas – 59.1% (52/88)

Djokovic (61.5%) and Berrettini (61.3%) were the only two players to push above the 60 per cent threshold holding serve from 0/30. Stefanos Tsitsipas came in third place, powered by his strong clay-court season. The Greek held serve from 0/30 a stunning 65.6 per cent (21/32) on clay in 2021 from 28 matches. That performance was notably higher than Rafael Nadal, who was in second place on clay holding from 0/30 at 59.5 per cent (25/42).

Holding From 0/40 (Average = 15.3%)
1. M. Berrettini – 38.1% (8/21)
2. J. Isner – 36.4% (4/11)
3. G. Dimitrov – 35.7% (5/14)

Berrettini fell behind 0/40 21 times in the 2021 season and managed to hold on eight (38.1%) of those occasions. Isner (36.4%) and Grigor Dimitrov (35.7%) came second and third. Cameron Norrie fell behind 0-40 56 times in 2021, which was the most of any player on tour. He was only able to come back and hold serve four times.

Holding From 15/30 (Average = 55.7%)
1. M. Berrettini – 73.3% (99/135)
2. R. Federer – 72.5% (29/40)
3. J. Isner – 72.5% (58/80)

Berrettini was the Tour leader holding from 15/30 this season, holding 73.3 per cent of the time. Roger Federer and Isner were tied for second at 72.5%. The other two players to hold from north of 70% were Kevin Anderson (72.2%) and Milos Raonic (70.4%).

Holding From 15/40 (Average = 27.2%)
1. D. Shapovalov – 51.4% (37/72)
2. A. Popyrin – 46.7% (28/60)
3. M. Berrettini – 46.3% (25/54)

Denis Shapovalov was the only player on Tour to drop into a 15/40 hole and hold serve more than he lost it. The 22-year-old Canadian held an astounding 51.4 per cent (37/72) of the time. In second place was another 22-year-old player in Aussie, Alexei Popyrin, who held 46.7 per cent of the time from 15/40. Berrettini rounded out the top three, holding 46.3 per cent. The other five players to reach the 40 per cent threshold were Federer (45.0%), Thiago Monteiro (44.7%), Dominic Thiem (43.3%), Philipp Kohlschreiber (42.3%), Raonic (40.0%) and Isner (40.0%).

Holding From 30/40 (Average 44.8%)
1. M. Berrettini – 61.8% (63/102)
2. D. Shapovalov – 59.8% (76/127)
3. R. Federer – 58.8% (20/34)

Berrettini was the only player to hold serve above the 60 per cent threshold when trailing 30/40, holding 61.8 per cent of the time. Shapovalov, who led the 15/40 category, came in second at 59.8 per cent, with Federer finishing third at 58.8 per cent (20/34).

Berrettini finished the 2021 season at No. 7 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, which is also his career-high ranking. Serving his way out of trouble was a big part of his 2021 success and will also form as a foundation to keep climbing the FedEx ATP Rankings in 2022.

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