Another captivating decade of tennis has come and gone. And perhaps fittingly, the three players who began the decade in the top three spots of the ATP Rankings — Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer — finish the 2010s in the top three places.
Continuing our Best of the Decade series, ATPTour.com looks at some of the biggest records and achievements from the past 10 years.
Rafael Nadal
The Spaniard was the only player to finish inside the Top 10 of the year-end ATP Rankings all 10 years this decade.
In 2010, the lefty completed the ‘Clay Slam’, winning all three ATP Masters 1000 events (Monte-Carlo, Rome, Madrid) on clay and triumphing at Roland Garros in the same year.
Nadal became the only player to win five or more Grand Slams after turning 30, winning 13 this decade.
He won 34 clay-court titles in the 2010s, more than any other player.
Nadal became the oldest year-end No. 1 this season, doing so at 33.
The Spaniard set the record for most consecutive Masters 1000 titles in 2013 when he captured four straight crowns at the elite level, triumphing in Madrid, Rome, Montreal and Cincinnati.
At Cincinnati in 2013, Nadal celebrates his fourth consecutive ATP Masters 1000 title.
Novak Djokovic
The Serbian became the first player to complete the Career Golden Masters — winning all nine Masters 1000s — doing so in Cincinnati in 2018.
Lifted 45 hard-court tour-level trophies this decade to lead all players. Only one other player, Rafael Nadal (48), won that many titles on all surfaces in the 2010s.
Djokovic held all four Grand Slams at the same time, winning each of the four majors from 2015 Wimbledon through 2016 Roland Garros.
In 2015, Djokovic made the final of all four Slams, winning three of them (except Roland Garros).
Spent 275 weeks – more than half the decade – at World No. 1.
Reached seven consecutive Masters 1000 finals from 2015 Rome through 2016 Miami.
Finished atop the year-end ATP Rankings five times.
Earned the longest winning streak of the decade, winning 43 straight matches, finally losing against Federer at 2011 Roland Garros.
Set the record for most Masters 1000 titles in a season by capturing six in 2015.
Set the record for most ATP Ranking points in a season with 16,950 in 2015.
Reached a record 17 consecutive tour-level finals from the 2015 Australian Open through the 2016 Australian Open.
Roger Federer
Federer, at 36 years, 320 days, was the oldest World No. 1 in history on 24 June 2018.
Federer was the oldest titlist of the decade, winning Basel this year at 38. He is the third-oldest player to lift a trophy in the Open Era behind Pancho Gonzalez and Ken Rosewall.
Won eight tour-level grass-court titles, the most of any player this decade.
The Swiss entered the 2017 Australian Open as the No. 17 seed following a knee injury that kept him out after Wimbledon in 2016. But Federer won the title, his first Grand Slam victory in nearly five years.
Won 28 consecutive ATP 500 matches from 2014-16.
Roger Federer lifts his seventh Basel title of the decade in October 2019.
Big Three
Held World No. 1 for 480 weeks this decade (92% of the 2010s).
Won 33 of the decade’s 40 Grand Slam championships.
Captured 61 of the decade’s 90 Masters 1000s.
Appeared in 74 of the decade’s 90 Masters 1000 finals.
Andy Murray
Won Wimbledon in 2013 to become the first British man since 1936 to capture a Grand Slam singles title. He would win the grass-court major again in 2015.
Earned the men’s singles gold medal at back-to-back Olympics in 2012 and ’16.
In 2016, Murray won his final 24 matches of the season, completing his run by lifting the title at the Nitto ATP Finals. By defeating Novak Djokovic in the championship match at The O2, he also earned the year-end No. 1 ATP Ranking for the first time.
Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan
After winning Wimbledon in 2013, the American twins held all four Grand Slam titles and Olympic gold at the same time.
Won 63 tour-level doubles titles this decade, more than any other team.
Spent 139 consecutive weeks as the world’s No. 1 team from 25 February 2013 through 25 October 2015.
Captured 26 Masters 1000 titles this decade.
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Became the first player to win both the Next Gen ATP Finals and the Nitto ATP Finals.
Stefanos Tsitsipas celebrates his victory at the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals.
Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut
Completed the Career Grand Slam in 2019 by winning the Australian Open.
Milestones Reached During The Past Decade
Federer reached 100 career tour-level titles at 2019 Dubai.
Federer won his 1,000th career tour-level match against Milos Raonic in the final of 2015 Brisbane.
Federer became the first man in the Open Era to reach 20 career Grand Slam titles at the 2018 Australian Open.
The Bryan Brothers won their 100th tour-level team title at the 2014 US Open. That was also their fifth US Open trophy.
Federer, Ivo Karlovic and John Isner all eclipsed 10,000 career aces during the past decade. Karlovic did it at 2015 Montreal, Federer accomplished the feat at 2017 Wimbledon and Isner joined them at 2018 Houston.
Did You Know?
Karlovic hit the most aces in a season this decade, striking 1,447 in 2015.
Isner and Nicolas Mahut played the longest match of all-time in 2010, with Isner emerging victorious at 2010 Wimbledon after 11 hours and five minutes, with the match taking place across three days. The American won 70-68 in the fifth set.
World No. 772 Marcus Willis won six matches in pre-qualifying and qualifying to reach the main draw of Wimbledon in 2016, including victories against Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev. The Brit then thrilled his home crowd by ousting World No. 54 Ricardas Berankis in straight sets, setting a memorable match with Roger Federer on Centre Court in the second round.
Nadal, Djokovic, Federer and Isner were the only players to finish inside the Top 20 of the year-end ATP Rankings in all 10 years this decade.
