Bob Brett: Former Boris Becker and Goran Ivanisevic coach dies aged 67
Bob Brett, the former coach of Boris Becker and Goran Ivanisevic dies of cancer at the age of 67.
Bob Brett, the former coach of Boris Becker and Goran Ivanisevic dies of cancer at the age of 67.
Bob Brett, who adhered to Harry’s Hopman’s coaching philosophy in a 46-year career, passed away on Tuesday morning due to cancer aged 67. The Australian worked with Grand Slam champions such as Johan Kriek, Boris Becker, Goran Ivanisevic and Marin Cilic, as well as many national associations, and was a friendly mentor to hundreds of coaches globally. In November 2020, he was unanimously selected by his peers as the recipient the 2020 Tim Gullikson Career Coach Award.
Brett, who focused on patience, a strong work ethic and commitment to the player, was immersed in top-level tennis from an early age and became a devotee of Hopman, the legendary Australian coach, who was a mentor until his death in 1985. Brett, always thoughtful and softly spoken, was an emotionless presence from his courtside seat. The Melbourne-born coach taught his players about life, as well as how to hit a forehand, and maintained positive relationships with each of his charges well after their partnerships ended. Renowned for his lengthy counting drills, which restarted when a player made a mistake, Brett opened an academy, which bears his name, in San Remo, Italy in 2002.
Asked about his coaching style by ATPTour.com in 2008, Brett admitted, “I benefitted from my exposure to Harry Hopman. I didn’t copy him, but a lot rubbed off on me. Work and repetition is the key in a player-coach partnership. A player must be mentally tough, with the ability to execute under pressure. It’s always a battle of their character against the other player’s character. You can guide then, provide them with examples and talk about history, but in the end you need to bring out the qualities a player has. Also, you must have an all-seeing eye for detail.”
In 1965, when attending the Victorian and Australian Championships, which were both held at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Melbourne, Brett watched courtside and tried to get Hopman’s autograph. A gentleman he was sat beside asked if he wanted to meet George MacCall, who was in his first year as Davis Cup captain of the United States. Brett leapt at the chance and the next day went to meet MacCall and immediately became a ball boy to Arthur Ashe, Cliff Richey, Clark Graebner, Herb Fitzgibbon and Jim McManus during their training sessions.
“After some time, Arthur asked if I’d like to hit some balls,” Brett told ATPTour.com. “It lasted only for a few minutes before Mr Hopman came out of the clubhouse to stop it. He told Arthur off, confirming I wasn’t a member and it was unfair on other boys. The next year, I asked Mr Hopman if I could pick up balls for the Australian Davis Cup team, which he agreed.”
While Brett’s own playing career was short-lived, by 1971, upon the insistence of his father, he took two jobs: one as a postman from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., then another from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. But at the age of 20 in 1974, Brett wrote a letter to Hopman, who was working at the Port Washington Tennis Academy, located on Long Island, New York. “Hopman told me to come along whenever, but he didn’t tell me about the paperwork involved in getting a visa,” remembered Brett. “I got in on a tourist visa and worked alongside Mr Hopman for $200 per week, which I calculated to be $6.25 per one-hour lesson. He told me to watch Tony Palafox, who would be John McEnroe’s long-time coach, a young McEnroe himself, Vitas Gerulaitis, Peter Rennert, Mary Carillo and Peter Fleming.”
The Australian listened intently and watched Hopman’s every move, his technique and the two-on-one drills that sharpened a pupil’s speed, reflexes and movement. He also watched on as Hopman would feed once and if a player made a mistake, he would feed a ball to the same spot again to see if a player made a technical adjustment. Only then would Hopman, a captain-coach to 22 Australian Davis Cup winning teams between 1939 and 1967, speak to the player. “Having a conversation with him was always illuminating,” said Brett. “I initially sorted out buckets of balls for Mr Hopman, removing the dud balls, but I soon learnt that every player needs something different.”
In December 1978, upon the recommendation of Hopman, Brett took charge of the first Rossignol team: Andres Gomez, Ricardo Ycaza and Raul Antonio Viver, on a six-month trial. “Gomez was around No. 240 [in the FedEx ATP Rankings at the time] and in the next six months he got to No. 68,” said Brett, who also worked at Hopman’s academy in Saddlebrook, Florida. “Rossignol then asked me to build a full team and after consulting Hopman, who recommended six players only, I worked with Johan Kriek, who won the 1981 Australian Open, Fritz Buehning, Gomez, Tim Mayotte, Tim Wilkison, Viver, Jose-Luis Clerc and later Mats Wilander, Guy Forget and Henrik Sundstrom. No one wanted to train with each other in the first year, but when Mayotte came on board, he didn’t mind who he trained with and that changed the dynamic. Peugeot sponsored the group and gave a car to the player with the most match wins at the end of each season. So that, naturally, helped them play against each other more and more.”
Brett, who also worked with Harold Solomon, John Lloyd, Peter McNamara and Paul McNamee in their late 20s, found his star rising and when Gunter Bosch resigned as Becker’s coach after the 1987 Australian Open, a new opportunity arose at the age of 34.
Becker, explained in his 2004 autobiography, The Player, “When Bosch left I had to find a new coach, but Tiriac was against my choice, the Australian Bob Brett. ‘Him? What’s he got that you could possibly need? He’s never been in a Wimbledon final! How could you have any respect for him? But Brett was tough – exactly what I needed. He made it very clear what he expected from me: willingness, discipline, willpower, punctuality. Three hours’ training in the morning, three hours in the afternoon. ‘What you do afterwards doesn’t interest me.’ It was a pure business relationship. Brett treated me like a grown-up.”
Brett enjoyed his greatest success as Becker’s full-time coach from November 1987 until February 1991, shortly after the German won the Australian Open and became World No. 1 on 28 January 1991. Becker immediately bought into Brett’s work ethic and readjusted the German’s service grip early on. “We played golf and chess and Boris was inquisitive,” said Brett in 2008. “He was very good at being able to execute was I told him. His understanding of opponents was very good too and I encouraged him to work hard, but also the value of recovery.”
They won the first of 18 tour-level titles together at the 1988 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells (d. Emilio Sanchez) and Becker enjoyed the best season of his career in 1989, when he captured the Wimbledon (d. Edberg) and US Open (d. Lendl) crowns, and developed his powerful game on multiple surfaces. Brett, who woke at 5 a.m. each day and went for a run, was a completely different personality to Becker, but the pair fitted together to reach 26 tour-level finals (18-8 record) during their three-and-a-half-year association.
Brett was soon hired by Goran Ivanisevic’s father, Srdjan, in 1991 and fine-tuned the Croatian’s groundstrokes and volleying. “Goran was a superb athlete, he loved his country and wore his heart on his sleeve,” Brett told ATPTour.com. “He didn’t say a word in our first meeting, which I thought was odd, when I was trying to ascertain what Goran wanted to achieve. I didn’t touch his serve, but wanted to channel his energy in a positive way” In a four-year partnership, which ended at the end of the 1995 season, Ivanisevic won nine titles from 17 tour-level finals, with runner-up finishes at Wimbledon in 1992 (l. to Agassi) and 1994 (l. to Sampras). Ivanisevic got Brett a Centre Court ticket in July 2001 when the Croatian won Wimbledon with a five-set victory over Patrick Rafter in the final.
Brett then coached Andrei Medvedev to the 1999 Roland Garros final, took Nicolas Kiefer from outside of the Top 50 to World No. 4 and assisted Mario Ancic, with the Croatian’s parents driving 20 hours one-way from Split to San Remo for an initial three-day visit. In the summer of 2004, Ivanisevic bought a promising 6’3” 15-year-old to San Remo. Brett’s nine-year partnership with Marin Cilic, saw the Croatian develop technically and powerfully en route to the 2005 junior Roland Garros title and World No. 9 as a pro. When Cilic captured the 2014 US Open crown, Brett was one of the first people the Croatian called when he returned home.
The Australian coach also spent up to 20 weeks of the year working in Japan. He was supervisor of the Japanese Davis Cup team from 2003 to 2006 and coach at the ‘Shuzo Challenge Top Junior Camp’ from 2000, where most of the top male players in Japan were coached by him and Shuzo Matsuoka. Until recently, he continued with the camps and the male national junior team. He was a high-performance consultant for Tennis Canada between 2006 and 2008, and Brett played a large part in remodelling training camps and performance programmes as Director of Player Development for the British Lawn Tennis Association in 2014 and 2015. He was also the first principal of the Bob Brett/now Patrick Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in Montreuil, an eastern suburb of Paris from 1996 to 2002.
Brett, the recipient of the Tim Gullikson Career Coach Award in the 2020 ATP Awards, passed away at 2:15am on Tuesday, with his two daughters, Katarina and Caroline, by his bedside.
Bob Brett, tennis coach, born 13 November 1953, died 5 January 2021.
THE TENNIS WORLD PAYS TRIBUTE
Extremely saddened by the passing of Bob Brett with whom I have collaborated during 6 years and who has taught me so much in my early years as a coach.
One of the best coaches I have met. Rest In Peace.— Patrick Mouratoglou (@pmouratoglou) January 5, 2021
Sad to hear from his daughters that @BobBrettTennis lost his fight. One of the greatest @atptour coaches left this world to early. RIP Bob .My deep condolence to his daughters
— dirk hordorff (@dirkhordorff) January 5, 2021
John Isner will likely be blasting aces in Florida over the coming week, and the American No. 1 hopes that will help him lift his first Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com trophy.
The second seed will try to get off to a good start to the 2021 season when he plays one of two Brazilian lefties: Thomaz Bellucci or Thiago Monteiro. Isner owns a 2-2 ATP Head2Head record against Bellucci and he won his only previous clash against Monteiro in four tie-break sets at last year’s Australian Open.
The big-serving righty also has dangerous countrymen on the rise in his section of the draw. Fifth seed Tommy Paul is the other seeded player in Isner’s quarter. If Paul defeats Ji Sung Nam in the first round, he could play fellow American Sebastian Korda in the second round.
View Delray Beach Draws: Singles | Doubles
Korda will make his Delray Beach debut against consistent baseliner Soonwoo Kwon. The #NextGenATP American made a big splash at Roland Garros last year. After qualifying, Korda defeated Andreas Seppi, Isner and Pedro Martinez to reach the fourth round, in which he fell to Rafael Nadal, his idol.
The top seed at this ATP 250 is Chilean Cristian Garin, who will try to win his first ATP Tour title on hard courts.
The No. 22 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Garin will begin his season against Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry or a qualifier. The first seed the Chilean could face is sixth seed Sam Querrey.
Frances Tiafoe, the eighth seed and 2018 champion, will start his tournament against a qualifier.
Arevalo/Rojer Top Doubles Draw
The top seeds in the Delray Beach doubles draw are Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer, who will open against Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar. Second seeds Marcus Daniell and Philipp Oswald will play Andres Molteni and Hugo Nys.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and Spain’s Rafael Nadal will lead the field at next month’s ATP Cup, but Great Britain have not qualified.
What is the ATP Cup?
The 2021 ATP Cup is a 12-country team competition with a base-level prize money of 7.5 million USD*. A player can earn a maximum of 500 singles and 250 doubles FedEx ATP Rankings points. The ATP Cup is staged in partnership with Tennis Australia. (*Subject to any reductions based on permitted attendance)
When and where will it be played?
The 2021 ATP Cup will be played from 1-5 February. The five-day tournament (Monday-Friday) will take place at Melbourne Park alongside two ATP 250 events. Those three events will occupy Week 5 of the ATP Calendar, the week prior to the Australian Open.
How does the tournament work?
The 12 teams are divided into four groups of three for group stage, round-robin play. The winners of each group emerge to contest the knock-out stages, with the four remaining teams playing the semi-finals.
What is the format?
Each tie will be comprised of two singles matches and one doubles match. The country that wins two matches will win the tie. Every country will be guaranteed to play two ties in the group stages. Singles will be best-of-three tie-break sets. Doubles will feature No-Ad scoring and a Match Tie-break in lieu of a third set.
What is the order of play?
There is a day session and an evening session each day. The No. 2 players will play first in each tie, followed by the No. 1 players, with the doubles to follow. All doubles matches will be played regardless of whether the tie is decided after the two singles matches except if the final is decided after the two singles matches. In that event, the doubles will not be played.
How does a country qualify for the ATP Cup and which of its players get to play?
A minimum of three ATP-ranked players, including two members with singles FedEx ATP Rankings points, are required for a country to be eligible to qualify. A country may have up to four players.
How do entries work?
The Top 11 countries in the ATP Cup Standings gain acceptance into the event based on the singles FedEx ATP Ranking and entry of the country’s No. 1 singles player at the entry deadline. Host country Australia is granted a wild card into the event to make up the 12-team field.
Rankings to be used for entries are the FedEx ATP Rankings. A Protected Ranking can be used to enter provided the player’s Protected Ranking is valid through the entry deadline. Protected Ranking will not be used for team seeding.
What are the ATP Cup Standings?
The ATP Cup Standings is a provisional entry list for the ATP Cup, ordered by the FedEx ATP Ranking (or Protected Ranking) of a country’s highest-ranked singles player. ATP Cup Standings also show which players within each country would qualify for a place in their country’s team, subject to player entry rules.
When will the draw and seeding be made?
The draw is scheduled to take place on 20 January 2021.
Will a Team Captain be assigned?
Each team will have a captain, selected by the No. 1 singles player in consultation with their team members. The No. 1 singles player will be the captain should one not be selected. The captain must meet one of the following criteria: be a Division I ATP player member, an ATP coach member or a qualified coach of a national federation. If a captain is requested that does not fulfill either criteria requirement, a request for an exemption can be made. In 2021, due to the extraordinary circumstances related to COVID-19, the No. 1 singles player may request, subject to ATP approval, to appoint a captain of a different nationality.
Is on-court coaching allowed?
Yes. Coaching will be permitted by the team captain, the competing player’s individual coach or fellow player team members. Coaching advice is not limited to changeovers and set breaks, but it shall not interfere with the speed of play.
Can a player play singles and doubles?
Yes. The team captain decides who plays doubles. The on-site FedEx ATP Ranking order must be respected for singles matches. For example, the No. 1-ranked player on a team based on on-site FedEx ATP Rankings at the start of the competition cannot play No. 2 singles. Protected Ranking will be considered the official ranking for line-up position.
POINTS & RANKING
What is the maximum number of points a player can earn?
Singles: An undefeated player who plays and wins all possible singles matches could earn 500 FedEx ATP Rankings points.
Doubles: An undefeated player who plays and wins all possible doubles matches will earn 250 FedEx ATP Doubles Rankings points.
Who can earn points at this event?
All players who compete will have the opportunity to earn FedEx ATP Rankings points and prize money.
How will the points for each player be awarded in a team competition?
Singles: FedEx ATP Rankings points are awarded for a match win in each round. The amount of ranking points awarded depends on the ranking of the player, the ranking of the opponent and the round of the result.
Doubles: FedEx ATP Doubles Rankings points are awarded for a match win in each round. The amount of ranking points awarded does not depend on the ranking of the opponents.
How will the ATP Cup points work in a player’s FedEx ATP Ranking?
ATP Cup will be included in the player’s Rankings Breakdown as one of his best 19 results.
How much is the prize money?
Base-level prize money of ATP Cup is $7.5 million before any reductions based on permitted attendance are applied. There are three different components of total prize money awarded to players, including a participation fee, prize money for individual match wins and prize money for tie victories.
FedEx ATP Rankings Points
Singles
| Opponent Ranking | 1-10 | 11-20 | 21-30 | 31-50 | 51-100 | 101-250 | 251+ |
| Final | 220 | 180 | 140 | 100 | 75 | 45 | 30 |
| Semi-final Win | 150 | 130 | 100 | 70 | 45 | 30 | 20 |
| Group Win | 75 | 65 | 50 | 35 | 25 | 20 | 15 |
Maximum 500 points for undefeated player
Ranking as of Monday 25 January 2021
Singles Player Ranked 251+
| Opponent Ranking | 1-100 | 101-250 | 251+ |
| Final | 55 | 45 | 30 |
| Semi-final Win | 45 | 30 | 20 |
| Group Win | 25 | 15 | 10 |
Doubles
| Win vs. Any Team | |
| Final Win | 100 |
| Semi-final Win | 75 |
| Group Stage Win | 50 |
Maximum 250 points for undefeated player
*All the above information is subject to change by the ATP rules and regulations.
The field is set for the 2021 ATP Cup, to be held from 1-5 February in Melbourne. Twelve countries will battle for the prestigious team trophy, with 2020 finalists Serbia and Spain leading the way.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and World No. 2 Rafael Nadal headline the event as the top-ranked singles players for Serbia and Spain, respectively. In 2020, Serbia defeated Spain 2-1 in a thrilling championship clash, which included a tantalising match-up between Djokovic and Nadal.
Reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Daniil Medvedev headlines Russia’s team alongside fellow Top 10 star Andrey Rublev, and World No. 3 Dominic Thiem will try to take Austria to glory. The 2021 ATP Cup will feature 14 of the Top 15 players in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Each team will consist of four players per country.
Qualification for the 2021 ATP Cup is based on the FedEx ATP Ranking of each country’s top-ranked singles player, while Australia qualifies by virtue of a host wild card. Alex de Minaur, who earned two Top 15 wins at last year’s inaugural ATP Cup, will once again lead the way for Australia.
ATP Cup Managing Director Ross Hutchins said: “Playing as a team, for one’s country, is a rare privilege in tennis which brings the best out of our players. This was highlighted by the incredible matches and camaraderie on display at last year’s inaugural ATP Cup. We would like to thank our partners, Tennis Australia, for their dedication and commitment to staging this year’s tournament, which promises to deliver a strong start to the new 2021 season. We cannot wait for tennis fans around the world to again share in the excitement and energy of this special event.”
ATP Cup Tournament Director Tom Larner said: “Last year we launched the global tennis season with the inaugural ATP Cup. It was a huge success with both players and fans, and we are excited to present the second edition in Melbourne in 2021. The players are looking forward to stepping up and representing their countries again, and the field, including defending champions Serbia and finalists Spain, is strong. This is a format that shows off the passion of the players and we’re expecting some spectacular tennis action.”
This year’s ATP Cup will take place at Melbourne Park alongside two ATP 250 events, with the three tournaments being held the week before the Australian Open. The draw will take place on 20 January, when the 12 teams will be divided into four groups of three for group stage, round-robin play. The four group winners will advance to the semi-finals.
More information on ATP Cup tickets will be released in due course.
Follow the latest ATP Cup news and live updates at ATPCup.com and on Twitter and Instagram.
LIST OF QUALIFIED COUNTRIES AND COMMITTED PLAYERS
| Serbia Novak Djokovic Dusan Lajovic Filip Krajinovic Nikola Cacic |
Argentina |
| Spain Rafael Nadal Roberto Bautista Agut Marcel Granollers Pablo Carreno Busta |
Italy Matteo Berrettini Fabio Fognini Simone Bolelli Andrea Vavassori |
| Austria Dominic Thiem Dennis Novak Philipp Oswald Tristan-Samuel Weissborn |
Japan |
| Russia Daniil Medvedev Andrey Rublev Aslan Karatsev Evgeny Dosnkoy |
France Gael Monfils Benoit Paire Nicolas Mahut Edouard Roger-Vasselin |
|
Greece |
Canada |
|
Germany |
Australia Alex de Minaur John Millman John Peers Luke Saville |
ATPTour.com has looked at some of the biggest storylines ahead of the 2021 season, with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal chasing history and ascendant stars Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev chasing them. We have also examined some #NextGenATP stars who are ready to shine under the spotlight.
But who else should you keep your eyes on in the upcoming season? We look at five players outside the Top 30 of the FedEx ATP Rankings who could make an impact in 2021.
Read More 2021 Season Preview Stories
Nick Kyrgios
Dynamic Australian Nick Kyrgios has not played since the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in February, opting to remain home after tennis returned in August following a five-month suspension of play due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But a rested Kyrgios — both physically and mentally — should prove a dangerous one in 2021. The six-time ATP Tour titlist has the ability to beat anyone on his day — he has a 2-0 ATP Head2Head record against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and three wins from eight tries against 35-time ATP Masters 1000 titlist Rafael Nadal. As players look to find their footing early, if Kyrgios is able to overcome his long period without competitive tennis, he’ll put plenty of pressure on his opponents.
On paper, Kyrgios is the No. 45 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings. But keep in mind he only played nine matches in 2020. In those matches, the big-hitting righty found good form. Kyrgios earned wins in two of the best matches of the year. He battled past Stefanos Tsitsipas in an emotional tilt at the ATP Cup, in which nobody broke serve, leading to three tie-breaks. At the Australian Open, Kyrgios outlasted powerful Russian Karen Khachanov after four hours and 26 minutes.
One of Nick’s losses was a tight four-setter against Nadal in Melbourne. But any close defeat against Nadal is nothing to be ashamed of. Kyrgios will be hungry for more in 2021.
Reilly Opelka
There are few players on the ATP Tour as dangerous as Reilly Opelka. The American has won a tour-level title in each of the past two seasons, and now he’s ready to begin his push for more success at ATP Masters 1000 and Grand Slam events.
The 23-year-old has shown his potential. Case in point: last year’s Western & Southern Open. At that Masters 1000 event, Opelka dismissed Cameron Norrie, Diego Schwartzman and Matteo Berrettini in straight sets to reach his first quarter-final at the level. The 6’11” righty only lost a combined 10 first-serve points against Schwartzman and Berrettini, Nitto ATP Finals competitors in 2020 and 2019, respectively. He actually hit Berrettini with a serve on match point to end that match.
Opelka might be known for his booming serve, but he is deceptively fleet afoot. His two-handed backhand is also a steady tool in the American’s game. The World No. 39 is capable of taking the racquet out of any opponent’s hand. So what is his key for reaching his very best? Opelka has been focussing on his body.
“I have to get stronger so I can last an entire season and last for Grand Slams, and recover better in between matches and my body can hold on for an entire year,” Opelka said. “That way I can play each week at close to 100 per cent. I know it’s not realistic to be perfect, feeling great all the time, but [getting] as close as I can… that is my main goal.”
Daniel Evans
Daniil Medvedev’s strokes are unorthodox, and they helped take him to titles at the Nitto ATP Finals and the Rolex Paris Masters in 2020. Could another unorthodox game ascend towards the top of the sport in 2021? Daniel Evans hopes so.
The British No. 1 has a different arsenal of weapons then Medvedev. Instead of grinding down opponents with relentless defence and flat groundstrokes, Evans uses a wide variety of spins to create openings and drive opponents crazy. Armed with a one-handed backhand, he almost always hits a low, biting slice off that wing, baiting opponents into going for too much or changing the pace of rallies to open new opportunities in the point.
The 30-year-old earned seven victories against Top 20 players in 2020 and climbed to a career-high No. 28 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in March. Evans is only adding more experience against the world’s best. And if anyone is off their game, Evans is exceptional at keeping them from finding their top level.
Alexander Bublik
Do not blink if you’re watching Alexander Bublik play tennis in 2021, or ever for that matter. The Kazakhstani is one of the most entertaining players on the ATP Tour. Look away for a second, and you might miss an underarm serve, an out-of-the blue winner and more.
Bublik is not all show, though. He is a dangerous player who reached a career-best No. 47 in February 2020 and is currently World No. 50. The 23-year-old earned his first Top 10 victory last year against home favourite Gael Monfils at Roland Garros.
The two-time ATP Tour finalist is unpredictable, and he loves playing in the tightest moments. Bublik ranks 17th in the past 52 weeks on the ATP’s Under Pressure Leaderboard, which combines break points saved, break points converted, as well as performance in tie-breaks and deciding sets.
“I like this feeling when it’s 50-50. When I’m serving full power on a second serve at deuce, I feel fear. I feel the game, I feel nice,” Bublik said. “When I hit that ace in the third-set tie-break at five-all on a second serve, I have an adrenaline boost in my body and it’s awesome… That’s the kind of person I am.”
Kevin Anderson
Two-time Grand Slam finalist and former World No. 5 Kevin Anderson was a finalist for Comeback Player of the Year in the 2020 ATP Awards. In 2019, he struggled with elbow and knee injuries, then he had knee surgery in February 2020.
But despite falling as low as No. 147 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in 2020, the South African showed signs of a resurgence near year’s end. Anderson reached the third round at Roland Garros and then made his lone semi-final of the season at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna. At that ATP 500, the 34-year-old beat Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta and Russian Daniil Medvedev in straight sets. Medvedev did not lose the rest of the year, claiming the title at the Rolex Paris Masters and the Nitto ATP Finals.
If Anderson is able to stay healthy in 2021, he’ll continue to build his confidence. And at full strength, there is little doubt that the 2018 Nitto ATP Finals competitor has the firepower and mental fortitude to compete with some of the best players in the sport. Still motivated to push for big titles, Anderson remains as hungry as ever to make his mark.
Jamie Murray says he is undecided about competing at his fourth Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer
Every year #NextGenATP players deliver surprises, upsets and breakouts. Jannik Sinner had plenty of eyes on him in 2020 after winning the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals, but he took another step forward last season. The 19-year-old Italian spent much of 2020 notching big ‘firsts’: he reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final on the red clay of Roland Garros, captured his first ATP Tour title at the Sofia Open, and broke into the Top 50 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time to end the year at a career-high No. 37.
Who will do the honours of breaking through in 2021? Here are six #NextGenATP players to keep an eye on next season.
1. Lorenzo Musetti, World No. 128
Lorenzo Musetti completed one of the biggest upsets of 2020 with his statement first-round win over Stan Wawrinka at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. But it was the way he went about it that catapulted him into the #NextGenATP spotlight. After fighting past the qualifying rounds, the 18-year-old dropped a love set on the three-time Grand Slam winner 6-0, 7-6(2) to delight his home crowd with his first ATP Tour main draw victory.
The Italian used the win as a springboard and got a taste of victory the very next week as he lifted the ATP Challenger Tour trophy in Forli. Musetti closed out the season with his first ATP Tour semi-final at the Forte Village Sardegna Open. Now, the mission for 2021 will be to keep adding to his trophy cabinet – and keep making his mark on Tour, this time away from the red dirt of Italy.
2. Carlos Alcaraz, World No. 141
Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz joined some elite company in 2020 when he became only the fifth player in ATP Challenger Tour history to win three titles before turning 18, following in the footsteps of Novak Djokovic, Richard Gasquet, Juan Martin del Potro and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Alcaraz ended the season with 10 wins from his final 11 matches and claimed back-to-back titles – making him one to watch in the new year. Coached by former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, the 17-year-old will look to keep the momentum going as he tries to make his debut as the youngest member of the Top 100 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.
3. Thiago Seyboth Wild, World No. 116
The Brazilian came tantalisingly close to a Top 100 breakthrough in 2020 when his FedEx ATP Ranking peaked at a career-high No. 106. The 20-year-old played like a veteran as he quietly put together a breakthrough start to the season, winning his first ATP Tour title at the Chile Dove Men+Care Open in Santiago. Even more impressive? He only had one ATP Tour main draw victory under his belt going into the event, and he had achieved it the week before at his home tournament at the Rio Open presented by Claro.
Seyboth Wild will be looking to strike the right balance and build up consistency in 2021. Despite winning his first ATP Tour title and reaching a Challenger final at Aix en Provence, the Brazilian finished the season with a 10-13 win-loss record on the season (all levels), including 11 first-round exits.
4. Sebastian Korda, World No.118
While many players say that tennis is in their blood, Sebastian Korda knows a thing or two about family legacy. The son of two tennis players, including former World No. 2 Petr Korda, Sebastian made his breakthrough in 2020 and is knocking on the door of the Top 100.
Korda stunned the field in Paris during his electric Roland Garros debut, which saw him surge from the qualifying event to the fourth round of the main draw, taking down No. 98 Andreas Seppi and No. 23 John Isner along the way. The American closed out the season with a long-awaited first ATP Challenger Tour victory in Eckental, his first professional trophy in nine finals (all levels).
5. Hugo Gaston, World No. 162
The last Frenchman standing at 2020 Roland Garros, Hugo Gaston made sure that the Parisian crowd would remember his name. Ranked outside the Top 200, 20-year-old Gaston didn’t have a tour-level win to his name, but he delighted home fans with the best performance of his career to reach the fourth round.
Along the way, he completed one of the upsets of the year over three-time Grand Slam winner Wawrinka, outlasting the former World No. 3 in five sets for a statement 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 victory in the third round. Gaston also gave reigning US Open champion Dominic Thiem a scare in the next round, pushing him to the brink before falling in five sets, 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 4-6, 6-3.
6. Brandon Nakashima, World No. 166
Nakashima made a splash in his ATP Tour debut at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com. Then 18 years old, the American became the youngest quarter-finalist at the tournament since Kei Nishikori’s 2008 title-winning run and he was the fourth-youngest to make the last eight in event history.
Famously level-headed and with a growing reputation for being a problem-solver on court, Nakashima made it a mission to keep chipping away at his ranking in 2020 after starting the year ranked No. 364. The American saved the best for last as he lifted his first Challenger trophy in Orlando to close out the season at a new career-high FedEx ATP Ranking of No.166.
With the 2021 ATP Tour season fast approaching, many of the ATP Tour’s most established stars will have their sights set on reaching historic milestones. Most notably, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will look to continue to add to their stunning lists of career accomplishments.
ATPTour.com takes a closer look at the records the Big Three and other established names will be chasing in 2021.
Rafael Nadal
The Spaniard made history last year when he claimed a record-extending 13th Roland Garros title in Paris to join Federer at the top of the Grand Slam singles titles leaderboard for the first time. Nadal can overtake the Swiss and take sole ownership of one of the most prestigious records in the sport with a second Australian Open title run in February. Federer, who moved clear of former record holder Pete Sampras with his 15th major triumph at 2009 Wimbledon, will miss the opening major championship of the year as he continues to recover from two right knee surgeries.
Alongside his pursuit for major titles, Nadal will also chase numerous ATP Tour milestones. The 34-year-old is less than three weeks away from becoming the first player to spend 800 weeks inside the Top 10 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Remarkably, Nadal has spent a record 797 consecutive weeks inside the Top 10 since 25 April 2005. Nadal passed Jimmy Connors’ previous record mark of 789 weeks as a Top 10 player on 9 November 2020.
Nadal is also on the verge of joining an exclusive hard court club this year. The Mallorcan, who owns 486 tour-level hard court wins, is just 14 victories away from becoming only the fourth player to achieve 500 wins on the surface. Only Federer (782), Djokovic (604) and Andre Agassi (592) have achieved the feat.
Novak Djokovic
Nadal is not the only player aiming to surpass a major Federer milestone in 2020. Djokovic is currently 10 weeks away from breaking the Swiss’ record of 310 weeks at the top of the FedEx ATP Rankings. Djokovic, who leads longtime rival and World No. 2 Nadal by 2,180 points, will pass Federer’s mark if he can maintain his position at the top of the sport until 8 March 2021.
It is not the only FedEx ATP Rankings record the Serbian is chasing in 2021. Last year, Djokovic triumphed at the ATP Cup and claimed four trophies to tie his idol Sampras’ record of six year-end World No. 1 finishes. The 33-year-old will be aiming to take sole ownership of that record by completing back-to-back year-end World No. 1 finishes for the third time (2011-’12, ’14-’15).
Djokovic can also join the elite list of players to have achieved 1,000 tour-level victories in 2021. The 36-time ATP Masters 1000 champion enters the year with 934 victories at tour-level, just 66 wins shy of the mark Nadal recently reached at the 2020 Rolex Paris Masters. Between 2007 and 2015, Djokovic achieved more than 66 wins in six of this nine campaigns. If he can do the same in 2020, he will join Connors (1,274), Federer (1,242), Ivan Lendl (1,068) and Nadal (1,004) in the 1,000 wins club.
Roger Federer
While Nadal and Djokovic aim to surpass Federer’s records, the Swiss will have his eyes on a long-standing mark held by Connors. The American currently owns a record 1,274 victories at tour-level, 32 wins ahead of Federer’s tally (1,242).
In pursuit of Connors’ record, Federer could hit another win milestone on the way. The 20-time Grand Slam champion is currently two victories away from earning his 300th indoor win at tour-level. Federer, the only active player with more than 200 indoor wins, is attempting to become the eighth member of the indoor 300 club.
The Race To 500
Outside of the Big Three, a trio of ATP Tour veterans are on the cusp of a major milestone in 2021. Gael Monfils (493), Gilles Simon (492) and Feliciano Lopez (492) are all within touching distance of joining the 500 tour-level wins club.
Only eight active players have achieved 500 tour-level victories. Alongside Federer (1,242), Nadal (1,004) and Djokovic (934), Andy Murray (676), Fernando Verdasco (552), Richard Gasquet (548), Stan Wawrinka (530) and Marin Cilic (516) have all passed the mark. Philipp Kohlschreiber (470) and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (464) are also closing in on 500 wins.
The 20 Club
Another exclusive club may increase its number of members in 2021. Tsonga (18), Cilic (18) and Dominic Thiem (17) are all within touching distance of their 20th tour-level crowns. Only five active players have reached the mark: Federer (103), Nadal (86), Djokovic (81), Murray (46) and Juan Martin del Potro (22).
