Tennis News

Kyrgios-Tsitsipas Classic Among Best ATP Matches Of 2020

Last week, ATPTour.com looked at the best Grand Slam matches, comebacks and upsets of 2020. Now, we will reflect on the most memorable matches, comebacks and upsets from ATP Tour events this year, starting with the best matches.

From two classic showdowns in Australia at the inaugural ATP Cup to a bruising battle of contrasts on Rome’s red clay, these are three of the top five ATP Tour matches of the season.

5) Nick Kyrgios def. Stefanos Tsitsipas, ATP Cup, Brisbane, RR, 7 January 2020 (Match Stats)
Team Australia had already booked its spot in the Final Eight of the inaugural ATP Cup, and Team Greece was eliminated. But Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas still put on one of the most intense matches of the season — in a fun way — at the ATP Cup.

In 2019, the pair met for the first time at the Citi Open, where Kyrgios won in a final-set tie-break, so it was no surprise that this match was a cracker. There were no service breaks, just a combined 43 aces, jaw-dropping shotmaking, tweeners and, most importantly, a memorable atmosphere.

It felt like a football match in Australia, with both players not just showing great skill, but plenty of emotions. Kyrgios, who never shies away from a show, was leaving everything on the court. At one point he even dropped to his back in exhaustion after chasing down several shots in the second set.

Tsitsipas got a point penalty for hitting a ball into the Team Greece Team Zone, as members of his team tried to calm him down. The Aussie fan section “We The People” banged its drums as Greek fans chanted in unison for Tsitsipas. Both players used the raucous crowd to push themselves forward and play some sensational tennis.

There was no discernable difference in level between the two stars, and there was never a doubt that a point here and there would make the difference. With the final-set tie-break still on serve, Kyrgios crushed a backhand return winner to seal a 7-6(7), 6-7(3), 7-6(5) victory.

“I served really well in big moments,” Kyrgios said. “But the atmosphere was awesome.”

4) Novak Djokovic def. Daniil Medvedev, ATP Cup, Sydney, SF, 10 January 2020 (Match Stats)
Perhaps Serbian Novak Djokovic most succinctly summed up his ATP Cup semi-final classic against tricky Russian Daniil Medvedev in January: “Exciting, exhausting, joyful, dreadful all at once.”

Entering the match, Medvedev had some confidence having won two consecutive clashes against Djokovic. The unorthodox righty quickly dropped the first set with an uncharacteristic 12 unforced errors, and then he changed his strategy. Medvedev became a mirror.

Medvedev began putting ball after ball into play, making for an abundance of grinding rallies in which neither man was willing to make a mistake. Djokovic is not often bent over from exhaustion. Usually it’s his opponents who are gasping for air and solutions, but this time it was the Serbian.

“At one point we both refused to miss from baseline, so it was a lot of rallies and it was very exhausting,” Djokovic said. “[It was a] very physical battle, but also [a] mental battle.”

One advantage Djokovic had was the crowd, which was pro-Serbian throughout the tournament. It was as if the atmosphere gave the World No. 2 an extra boost to overcome the physicality of the match and find a way to win the big points. Djokovic was able to summon his reserves in the critical moments, ultimately triumphing 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.

“[It was] definitely one of the most exciting matches I have played against him or any other top player [the] past few years,” Djokovic said.

3) Diego Schwartzman def. Denis Shapovalov, Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome, SF, 20 September 2020 (Match Stats)
Styles make matches, and high stakes make those clashes even more gripping. Diego Schwartzman and Denis Shapovalov’s Rome semi-final duel had all of that and more.

Schwartzman entered the match fresh off a stunning upset of Rafael Nadal. The Argentine called that performance his “best match ever”, but the 28-year-old still was trying to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 final, which would come with a chance at cracking the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time. Shapovalov, a dynamic lefty, knew if Schwartzman did not win the title, he would be the one making his maiden appearance in the Top 10 after the tournament.

This became a classic battle between Shapovalov’s unrelenting offence and Schwartzman’s unbreakable defence. Against Nadal, the Argentine played aggressively and came out on top in cat-and-mouse points. But Shapovalov showed no interest in allowing that, swinging away and trying to bulldoze through the Italian clay.

As the gruelling rallies went on towards the end of the second and third sets, both men barely mustered enough energy to celebrate. Schwartzman simply stared at his team as he caught his breath. The Argentine appeared like a dam ready to break, as Shapovalov’s blows proved difficult to fend off indefinitely. But after failing to serve out the match, the Canadian began misfiring with his forehand, while Schwartzman remained in “lockdown mode” to emerge victorious 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(4) after three hours and 15 minutes.

“I’m very, very happy. I think today was a crazy match, it was really tough for us,” Schwartzman said. “On my side I’m very happy because I have the win.”

Schwartzman was unable to complete his dream run, losing against Novak Djokovic in the final. But while Shapovalov cracked the Top 10 the next week, the Argentine also accomplished the feat later in the year following a career-best Grand Slam run at Roland Garros, where he reached the semi-finals.

Read Our ‘Best Of 2020’ Series

Tomorrow: The best two matches of 2020 at ATP Tour tournaments.

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Dennis Ralston, 1942-2020

Dennis Ralston, the 1966 Wimbledon finalist and five-time major doubles champion, passed away on Sunday due to brain cancer aged 78. The American, who dedicated his life to the sport, was a Davis Cup captain, a coach to former WTA Tour No. 1 Chris Evert, Yannick Noah, Gabriela Sabatini and Roscoe Tanner, and an inspirational figure, who overcame hardship later in his life.

Ralston was adjudged to be World No. 5 in 1966 by the doyen of tennis correspondents, Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph. He turned pro aged 24, for what was believed to be $100,000 over three years, and in 1967 signed on with the World Championship Tennis Tour as part of the ‘Handsome Eight’, alongside John Newcombe, Tony Roche, Cliff Drysdale, Earl Butch Buchholz, Nikola Pilic, Roger Taylor and Pierre Barthes.

During a 20-season playing career, which began as an amateur in 1958, Ralston battled back from 16 knee operations. A decent basketball guard growing up, his parents didn’t permit him to continue as an American Football quarterback, fearful of injuries. Ralston won three consecutive NCAA titles with the University of Southern California between 1962-64 and also two doubles titles in 1963 (w/Rafael Osuna) and 1964 (w/Bill Bond). He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987.

Having started playing tennis against a garage door and an eight-foot high brick wall in Bakersfield, two hours north of Los Angeles, Ralston rose through the ranks of southern California tennis and caught the attention of Perry T. Jones, one of the sport’s most powerful officials, and Richard Pancho Gonzales, who was an early coach. Like many, right-hander Ralston struggled with his serve if he didn’t toss the ball correctly, and worked hard with Gonzales after hitting 22 double faults in a Davis Cup tie against Mexico in August 1961. Gonzales helped Ralston become more offensive on his second serve and slice the stroke with greater efficiency. He also hit a powerful forehand and was also a world-class volleyer.

He first travelled to England after his childhood club, Bakersfield Racquets Club, raised $900 of the $1,400 for the 17-year-old to play on the 1960 summer circuit. Staying in a cheap Earls Court hotel, Ralston and 21-year-old Osuna, his future college roommate, needed to walk 232 steps up to their top-floor room, but the extra exercise helped them become the first unseeded team to win the Wimbledon doubles title (d. Michael Davies/Bobby Wilson). Ralston would also team up with Chuck McKinley for the 1961, 1963-64 US Championships at Forest Hills and Clark Graebner for the 1966 French Championships at Roland Garros.

It’s a sad day as my former coach of six years, Dennis Ralston, has passed away. A deeply religious man, a devoted family man, and a superb player and coach…. he will be missed. RIP Dennis ???

— Chris Evert (@ChrissieEvert) December 6, 2020

So sad to hear the passing of Dennis Ralston, greatfull to have received his knowledge, dedication and passion on the tennis court. But most of all his integrity and great values as a person. My condolences and all my love to his family #RIP #DennisRalston pic.twitter.com/xxRITenmFL

— Gabriela Sabatini (@sabatinigabyok) December 6, 2020

Favoured to win the 1966 Wimbledon singles final, having beaten Manolo Santana a few weeks earlier at The Queen’s Club, sixth seed Ralston lost 6-4, 11-9, 6-4 and later admitted he felt flat, unable to get fired up. Shortly afterwards, Ralston partnered his father to the National Father & Son title in Boston. He also reached semi-finals at the 1960 US Championships (l. to Neale Fraser) and the 1970 Australian Open (l. to Arthur Ashe).

Ralston, dubbed ‘Dennis The Menace’ by the press, also played 34 singles and doubles rubbers for the United States, including victory over Australia in the 1963 Challenge Round. He served as coach from 1968 to 1971 and captain from 1972 — the year Stan Smith won the title-winning point over Ion Tiriac in Bucharest — to 1975.

Tactically astute, Ralston was soon in high demand as a Tour coach and he helped Tanner reach the 1979 Wimbledon final (l. to Borg in five sets) and taught the big-serving American how to volley. It was also a stroke he worked on with Evert, who sought out Ralston at a time when she was on a 13-match losing streak against Martina Navratilova. In a six-year partnership, Ralston also helped Evert to hit a topspin lob — coached over a five-month period from his Dallas home — and when to attack the net. He also assisted John Lloyd and Pat Dupre, and taught Noah how to hit a backhand return and wait for the ball. He developed Sabatini’s serve, with a half swing motion, relaying exactly what Gonzales had told him almost 30 years earlier.

Ralston also served as men’s coach at Southern Methodist University between 1981-89 and 1991-93 (split when he helped Noah in 1989-90). He was named NCAA Coach of the Year in 1983, when SMU finished second nationally, and was the Director of Tennis at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs in the 1990s. For the past decade, Ralston was on the teaching staff at Grey Rock Tennis Club in Austin, Texas.

Ralston underwent double knee replacement surgery in the 1990s and in 2009 experienced a bad fall in the Dallas airport that injured both shoulder rotator cuffs. By then, his ankles and left foot had also seen better days. One year later, at a time of financial hardship that led Ralston to melt down his silver trophies, a series of infections forced the amputation of his left leg below the knee. With the support of his family, he returned to the court 12 months later and wore a prosthetic to play and coach tennis once again. He also underwent hip replacement surgery in 2017.

Ralston, a religious man of great integrity and compassion, passed away in Austin, Texas. He is survived by Linda, his wife of 56 years, and their three children, Mike, Lori and Angela.

International Tennis Hall Of Fame President Stan Smith, who was coached and captained by Ralston when competing for the US Davis Cup team, including the team’s historic 1972 championship win over Romania, paid tribute to his countryman.

“Dennis Ralston lived his whole life in tennis. He was a terrific champion, but he contributed to every part of the sport really, and with a real passion for it,” Smith said. “To me, he was a fellow USC Trojan, my coach, my captain, and a great friend. I, along with so many in the tennis world, will greatly miss his friendship and kindness.

“Dennis had an incredible mind for tennis, and he wanted to share what he knew to help others. He really prepared us for that battle in Romania. It was the most challenging and satisfying of all my Davis Cup campaigns. Dennis knew what it would take for us to compete, and he was a tremendous leader for me and the team.”

Richard Dennis Ralston, tennis player, captain and coach, born 27 July 1942, died 6 December 2020

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Rublev, Schwartzman New Names In Year-End Top 10; Djokovic Continues No. 1 Reign

The ATP today published the 2020 year-end FedEx ATP Rankings on ATPTour.com. Despite a tour suspension of more than five months, a number of milestones were reached, including two new players in the year-end Top 10, while Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal continued their battle for No. 1.

Djokovic earned a record-tying sixth year-end No. 1 finish (joining Pete Sampras), while Nadal finished No. 2 for the seventh time and in the Top 2 for a record 12th time.

There were two new faces in the year-end Top 10: No. 8 Andrey Rublev, who led the ATP Tour with five titles, and No. 9 Diego Schwartzman.

Five players 24-and-under finished in the Top 10 for the first time since 2009, led by World No. 4 Daniil Medvedev (24), who won the Nitto ATP Finals. Other Top 10 players under the age of 25 were No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas (22), No. 7 Alexander Zverev (23), No. 8 Rublev (23) and No. 10 Matteo Berrettini (24).

View Full 2020 Year-End FedEx ATP Rankings

2020 Year-End FedEx ATP Rankings Quick Facts
* France led all countries with 11 players in the Top 100, followed by Spain with 10 and the U.S. with nine. Italy had eight for the second straight year, their most in FedEx ATP Rankings history. France had the most players in the Top 50 with five followed by Italy, Serbia, Spain and the U.S. with four.

* Federer, at 39 years and 3 months, was the oldest player to finish in the Top 100 followed by Feliciano Lopez (39y, 2m) at No. 64. Including Milos Raonic, who turns 30 later this month, there were 41 players 30-and-over in the year-end Top 100, the most since a record 43 in 2017.

* There were three Russians in the year-end Top 20 for the first time in the history of the FedEx ATP Rankings (since 1973) with No. 4 Medvedev, No. 8 Rublev and No. 20 Karen Khachanov.

* World No. 25 John Isner finished in the Top 25 for the 11th straight year and he was the top American in the year-end FedEx ATP Rankings for the eighth time in the past nine years (except 2017). It was the first time in FedEx ATP Rankings history that an American did not finish in the Top 20.

* There were 14 players 24-and-under in the year-end Top 30, the most since 2006, when there were 16.

* Vasek Pospisil made the biggest jump (89 spots) into the Top 100 from No. 150 at the end of 2019 to a year-end No. 61 in 2020. The 30-year-old Canadian returned from back surgery, which sidelined him for six months in 2019, and reached two finals (Montpellier, Sofia). He is a leading candidate for ATP Comeback Player of the Year.

* #NextGenATP Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime, 20, and Denis Shapovalov, 21, along with No. 1 Aussie Alex de Minaur, 21, were the youngest players to finish in the Top 25 for the second straight year. Shapovalov broke into the Top 10 for one week before finishing a year-end best No. 12. Auger-Aliassime was No. 21 for the second year in a row and De Minaur was No. 23. Overall there were eight #NextGenATP players (born after 1998) in the Top 100 of the year-end FedEx ATP Rankings.

* For the second season in a row, Jannik Sinner, 19, was the youngest player in the year-end Top 100. Sinner, who made the biggest jump into the Top 100 in 2019 (685 spots from No. 763 to No. 78), made the biggest improvement in the Top 50 this season (41 spots from No. 78 to No. 37). Sinner was one of six first-time ATP Tour champions in 2020 and he was followed by Casper Ruud (No. 54 to No. 27) and Ugo Humbert (No. 57 to No. 30), who both jumped 27 spots from last season. They also were first-time champions.

* Overall there were 37 countries represented in the year-end Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings (36 in 2019).

* Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares finished No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings. Pavic finished No. 1 two years ago (w/Oliver Marach) while Soares was No. 1 in 2016 (w/Jamie Murray).

* Shapovalov was the only player to finish in the Top 50 of both singles and doubles. Shapovalov ranked No. 12 in singles and No. 49 in doubles.

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Cerundolo's Title Treble Caps Breakthrough Season

Who was the ATP Challenger Tour’s hottest player in the final months of the 2020 season? There is only one answer: Francisco Cerundolo.

In October, Cerundolo introduced himself to the tennis world with a maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in Split, Croatia. The Argentine told us the story of how he studied for three exams while battling through the Split Open draw.

In November, Cerundolo received a special honour after taking his second title in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Competing in his first tournament as a Top 200 player, the 22-year-old was presented with the trophy by former World No. 4 and tournament director Andres Gomez.

And in December, Cerundolo completed an unforgettable title treble. On Sunday, he triumphed on the clay of Campinas, Brazil, defeating World No. 102 Roberto Carballes Baena 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 for his third crown in three months. The Argentine joins Carlos Alcaraz as the most decorated players on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2020.

“The truth is that it feels incredible,” said Cerundolo. “It was a great tournament for me. Two win a second title in three weeks is amazing. I’m very happy with what I achieved and the way I finished the year. To finish the year in the Top 150  is crazy.”

Photo Credit: Joao Pires/Fotojump

Cerundolo was made to work to lift the trophy after nearly being bounced from the tournament in second round. The Buenos Aires native was forced to save a match point against countryman Facundo Mena, reeling off 10 straight points to prevail in a deciding tie-break. He would then defeat another Argentine, Facundo Bagnis, and last week’s Sao Paulo champion Felipe Meligeni to reach the final. There, he rallied from a break down in the deciding set to defeat Carballes Baena and lift the trophy.

“In the second round, I did not play well,” recalled Cerundolo. “To win after saving a match point, holding the trophy in my hands, makes me happy. And the final was difficult too. Carballes is a tough opponent and he raised his level in the second set. But I’m very happy for what I did, to come back in the third.”

Cerundolo rises to a career-high No. 139 in the FedEx ATP Rankings with the victory in Campinas, soaring more than 100 spots since the start of the year. He finishes his 2020 campaign on a staggering 20-3 run. Moreover, his 22 match wins lead the Challenger circuit since the restart from the COVID-19 hiatus.

“Now I will go back to my home in Argentina to relax, spend some time with my family and friends  and later prepare for the next season.”

Match Wins Leaders Since Restart (17 August)

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Sousa Triumphs On Home Soil In Final Match Of 2020

The 2020 ATP Challenger Tour season came to a close on Sunday afternoon in Maia, Portugal, as one of its native sons lifted the trophy. Pedro Sousa raised his arms in triumph, celebrating the 57th – and last – title of a season no one will ever forget.

Sousa clinched the eighth Challenger crown of his career, marking the fourth straight year in which he has been the last man standing at a tournament. The 32-year-old rises to No. 105 in the year-end FedEx ATP Rankings, just six spots off his career-high position.

“It couldn’t be better,” said Sousa. “I’m a little relieved, because I had lost four finals in a row, three of them in Challengers, so I was getting a little bit worried. But fortunately today I managed to handle the pressure well and ended up winning the title.”

Sousa found himself in the winners’ circle for the first time since August 2019, defeating Spain’s Carlos Taberner 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 for the title on Sunday. He needed two hours and five mintues to earn the hard-fought championship victory. It was a historic achievement for Sousa, whose eight titles move him into a tie with Rui Machado for the all-time lead among players from Portugal. Now retired, Machado is the Davis Cup captain and National Technical Director for Portuguese tennis.

“The first set was perfect, but I knew the match was going to be tight,” Sousa added. “It’s impossible to play a final and think that things are going to go well all the time. He improved in the second set and I lost a bit of my level, with some nerves in the mix, but luckily I still had time to win the match in three.”

At the age of 32, Sousa is playing the best tennis of his career. He reached a combined four finals in 2020, including three at the Challenger level and his first on the ATP Tour. It was in Febraury that he competed for the title at the ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires, eventually falling to Casper Ruud.

“Next year I want to continue climbing,” the Portuguese No. 2 added. “I am working hard and focus every day on improving my ranking. This year was positive for me, but I want to play as many ATP Tour tournaments as I can in 2021.”

Portuguese Title Leaders – ATP Challenger Tour

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ATP Tour Season In Review: Doubles In 2020

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPTour.com looks at the headlines that shaped 2020 on the doubles circuit.

Pavic/Soares Finish Partnership At No. 1
After joining forces at the 2019 Fever-Tree Championships, Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares built on a strong start to their partnership to finish the 2020 ATP Tour season as the No. 1 pair in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings.

After struggling for form in the opening months of the year, Pavic and Soares returned from the ATP Tour suspension in August with a loss in their opening match at the Western & Southern Open. The Croatian-Brazilian tandem entered the US Open with just four wins from 10 matches in 2020, but Pavic and Soares found their best form in New York to kickstart their season and lift their biggest team title. After securing comeback wins in their first two matches, Pavic and Soares did not drop a set from the quarter-final stage to take the trophy.

The US Open champions maintained their form throughout the remainder of the 2020 season, as they finished runners-up at the Hamburg European Open, Roland Garros and the Rolex Paris Masters. Pavic and Soares completed their season with two wins from three matches at the Nitto ATP Finals, as they took their record in 2020 to 22-11. Pavic and Soares will compete with new partners in 2021. Pavic will combine with Nikola Mektic, while Soares will reunite with Jamie Murray.

“It’s a very special moment for us, finishing year-end No. 1,” said Soares. “I think it’s a massive achievement and it shows how well we played throughout the year. How consistent we were, winning big tournaments.”

“I am very happy for Bruno and myself to end the year No. 1. It was a great partnership, and a good achievement to end the partnership,” said Pavic.

Ram/Salisbury Claim Maiden Grand Slam Crown
Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury began their 2020 campaign with confidence after a consistent 2019 season. The American-British duo won two trophies from five finals last year and wasted little time adding to their collection in 2020. Following a quarter-final run at the Adelaide International, Ram and Salisbury dropped just one set en route to their maiden Grand Slam title as a team at the Australian Open. The 11th seeds held their nerves in the championship match to overcome Aussie wild cards Max Purcell and Luke Saville in straight sets.

“I don’t think I thought when I asked you to play just over a year ago that we’d be standing here now, but it’s been an honour to play with you,” Salisbury said to Ram. “It’s been so much fun to have you as my partner and as my friend. Thank you so much for being the best partner I could get.”

Ram and Salisbury came back from the ATP Tour suspension in sharp form, as they reached back-to-back semi-finals at the Western & Southern Open and the US Open in New York. The pair, which also reached the Roland Garros quarter-finals, won two of their three round robin matches to reach the semi-finals at the Nitto ATP Finals in London.

Ram and Salisbury needed to reach the championship match at The O2 to clinch the year-end No. 1 position in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings, but they fell short of the mark after losing 11/9 in a Match Tie-break to St. Petersburg champions Jurgen Melzer and Edouard Roger-Vasselin. Ram and Salisbury finished the year as the No. 2 team with a 20-9 record.

Koolhof/Mektic’s Maiden Moment
Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic made their team debut at the Adelaide International in January, but it wasn’t until their fourth tournament as a pair that they showed fans their full potential. After picking up just two wins from their first three outings as a duo, the pair finished as the runner-up team at the Open 13 Provence in Marseille.

When the ATP Tour resumed in August, Koolhof and Mektic built on that result with a quarter-final run at the Western & Southern Open. With increased confidence, Koolhof and Mektic beat Sander Gille/Joran Vliegen and Australian Open champions Ram/Salisbury to reach their first Grand Slam final at the US Open (l. to Pavic/Soares).

Koolhof and Mektic continued to show consistency on clay with semi-final runs in Hamburg and at Roland Garros. But the pair’s milestone moment came in their final tournament as a team at the Nitto ATP Finals in London. The fifth seeds topped their group with a 2-1 record and battled past Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos and Melzer/Roger-Vasselin at the season finale to lift their first team trophy. The Dutch-Croatian pair compiled a 24-13 record and finished the year as the No. 3 team in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings.

“It’s [an] unbelievable feeling. It’s not just the way to finish this year. This is something to remember throughout [our] whole lives,” said Mektic. “This is for sure my biggest achievement of my life and of my career, so this is something that I will remember forever.

“[We] managed to play some very good tennis… To play the final of the [Nitto ATP] Finals is very big and [we are] extremely happy to have won,” said Koolhof.

Krawietz/Mies Repeat In Paris
Prior to the suspension of the ATP Tour in March, Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies’ best result was a semi-final run at the Open 13 Provence in Marseille. In fact, the Germans arrived in Paris for the defence of their Roland Garros title with nine wins from 20 matches in 2020.

Krawietz and Mies recaptured their best form on the Parisian terre battue, as they charged to their second straight title in the French capital. From the quarter-final stage, the Germans beat Jamie Murray/Neal Skupski, Koolhof/Mektic and Pavic/Soares in straight sets to improve their unbeaten record at Stade Roland Garros to 12-0.

“It is hard to describe what is going through our heads right now. It is unbelievable,” said Mies. “I think this achievement is even bigger than winning last year. To win a Grand Slam title is always big, but to defend it is even more difficult. It is incredible that we did and we are unbelievably happy right now. We cannot believe it.”

Just two weeks later, Krawietz and Mies reached their second final of the year on home soil at the bett1HULKS Championship in Cologne (l. to Klaasen/McLachlan). The two-time Roland Garros champions ended the year with their second straight appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals in London (1-2).

Regular Success
During a shortened 2020 ATP Tour season, two pairs managed to capture three ATP Tour titles this year: Granollers/Zeballos and John Peers/Michael Venus.

Granollers and Zeballos won 18 of their 20 matches on clay to win three titles from four finals on the surface in 2020. The Spanish-Argentine duo picked up back-to-back trophies in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro in February and also reached consecutive finals on the dirt in September in Kitzbühel (l. to Krajicek/Skugor) and Rome (d. Chardy/Martin).

Fellow Nitto ATP Finals qualifiers Peers and Venus earned two of their three trophies this year at ATP 500 events. The Aussie-Kiwi pair claimed crowns in Dubai and Hamburg, before adding an ATP 250 trophy to their collection in Antwerp. France’s Nicolas Mahut also claimed three trophies in 2020 (with multiple partners).

Peers and Venus were not the only team to win two ATP 500 trophies this year. Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo also achieved the feat with title runs in Acapulco and Vienna. Kubot and Melo ended their four-year partnership at the Nitto ATP Finals in London. The pair won 14 tour-level team trophies, including the 2017 Wimbledon title and four ATP Masters 1000 crowns.

Bryan Brothers Bid Farewell
Just days before this year’s US Open, doubles legends Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan announced their retirement. The Americans captured an Open Era record 119 tour-level trophies as a team, including wins at all four Grand Slams, all nine ATP Masters 1000s, the Nitto ATP Finals and the Olympic men’s doubles event, in which they won the gold medal. The 10-time year-end No. 1s also finished their careers with the all-time team records for Grand Slam titles (16 from 30 finals) and Masters 1000 crowns (39 from 59 finals).

The 14-time ATP Tour Fans’ Favourite Team award winners made their final ATP Tour appearance at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com in February. Rather fittingly, the Bryans ended the event with a tournament record sixth doubles crown. The American twins finished their careers with a 1,108-359 team record.

“We’re most proud of the way we devoted ourselves completely to the game and gave our full effort every day,” said Bob Bryan. “Our loyalty toward each other never wavered and we are leaving professional tennis with zero regrets. We’ll miss the competition and camaraderie amongst the players. We’ll also miss the excitement of gearing up for a big match and playing for the roar of the fans.”

“We feel it’s the right time to walk away,” said Mike Bryan. “We’ve given over 20 years to the Tour, and we are now looking forward to the next chapter of our lives. With that said, we feel very blessed to have been able to play the game of doubles for so long. We are grateful to have had the opportunities in the beginning of the year to play and say our goodbyes to the fans. Winning our final event in Delray Beach and clinching the Davis Cup tie in Honolulu are moments we’ll forever remember and cherish.”

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Gaston's Drop Shot Bonanza Against Wawrinka Tops Slam Upsets Of 2020

Continuing our review of the 2020 season, today we look at the top two Grand Slam upsets of the year. Next week, we’ll look at the best matches, comebacks and upsets at ATP Tour tournaments.

2) Daniel Altmaier def. Matteo Berrettini, Roland Garros, Paris, R3, 3 October 2020 (Match Stats)
Daniel Altmaier has long idolised Stan Wawrinka. It makes sense — the German has a powerful one-handed backhand like the Swiss, and he also celebrates some of his best shots with a big ‘Allez!’

“’Allez’ is coming a little bit from my idol Stan Wawrinka. When I was watching him, he always says, ‘Allez, Stan,” Altmaier said. “I copy [him] a little bit because I like to say, ‘Allez, Dan.’ That’s little bit the connection.”

In the third round at Roland Garros this year, he played like his idol, too. The qualifier had only two tour-level wins (both at 2017 Antalya), but he looked like a grizzled veteran against seventh seed Matteo Berrettini. The Italian is one of the biggest hitters on the ATP Tour, and it’s not often he gets outclassed.

But Altmaier looked like the experienced star, blasting away, especially with his backhand. Berrettini hit his share of winners, too, but his German opponent was unfazed. The 22-year-old eased past Berrettini 6-2, 7-6(5), 6-4 in two hours and 15 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier to become just the fifth qualifier since 2000 to reach the fourth round at a major.

“I was always believing I can be here, I can perform good, I can play well and beat those guys,” Altmaier said. “I was working really hard with my team to be in this position, to feel stable, to really play well and compete against the top guys of the game.”

Fittingly, after clinching his victory, Altmaier pointed his index finger at his temple — a homage to Wawrinka.

Hugo Gaston def. Stan Wawrinka, Roland Garros, Paris, R3, 2 October 2020 (Match Stats)
On paper, a clash between a three-time Grand Slam champion and a 20-year-old without a tour-level win is a mismatch. But this year on the Parisian terre battue, Hugo Gaston flipped the expected script on Stan Wawrinka.

Wawrinka, the 2015 champion who was appearing in the third round at Roland Garros for the 12th time, was trying to gain momentum for another big run in France. The Swiss star breezed through the opening set 6-2 and all seemed to be going according to plan.

But while Gaston, a diminutive 5’8” left-hander, couldn’t match the consistent baseline power of Wawrinka, one of the game’s most physical players, he brought another skill that endeared him to fans watching from around the world. This match might be looked back on as the birth of the “drop shot king”. 

The speedy Gaston not only fought to put ball after ball back in play, but he pulled out his drop shot early and often. Even after it became clear that the drop shot was the World No. 239’s biggest weapon, Wawrinka struggled to deal with it.

There was a two-hour, 25-minute rain suspension at 2-2 in the third set, giving the Swiss a chance to refresh his mind and formulate a game plan against the home favourite. But Gaston frustrated Wawrinka even upon the resumption of play by confusing the Swiss. The lefty crushed a backhand winner to gain a break right away and finished off the set.

“I tried to play my game,” Gaston said. “But I didn’t know I could do it – until I won.”

Although Wawrinka battled hard and at times found his range from the baseline to force a fifth set, Gaston, buoyed by his home crowd — albeit thin due to COVID-19 restrictions — completed a shocking 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 victory. After Wawrinka failed to handle a Gaston overhead on match point, the Frenchman dropped his racquet and put his hands on his head in disbelief.

“It’s difficult to explain. It’s fantastic,” Gaston said. “It was a great match. I’m very happy today.”

Gaston was the last Frenchman in the main draw. He became the lowest-ranked player to reach the fourth round at Roland Garros since another French wild card, No. 283-ranked Arnaud Di Pasquale, in 2002. The lefty used another drop shot deluge in the Round of 16 against two-time tournament finalist Dominic Thiem, but the recent US Open champion was able to survive in five brutal sets.

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Djokovic Doubling Donations In His Foundation's Season Of Giving

The Novak Djokovic Foundation has launched a Season of Giving campaign for the third consecutive year in the hopes of raising €100,000 to help open a preschool in both Vajska and Ljubis, two villages in Serbia. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and his wife, Jelena Djokovic, will match all donations.

“Considering the current pandemic situation, this year we primarily focused on healthcare, and with our donations, tried to assist the healthcare institutions in Serbia,” Novak and Jelena said in a statement. “However, our primary goal is still to invest into children and their future.”

The Novak Djokovic Foundation focusses on early childhood development, with one of its methods being the opening and adaptation of preschools. More than 30,000 Serbian children have benefitted from the foundation’s work. Last year’s Season of Giving campaign allowed the foundation to begin the reconstruction of new preschools in three different municipalities.

Learn More About Novak’s Charity Work

This year, the foundation is inviting fans to join Team Vajska and/or Team Ljubis to support areas in need.

“Our country is full of real little gems, but unfortunately, in smaller places, they often cannot develop their full potential because they do not have access to early education,” Novak and Jelena said. “This year has further demonstrated how important it is for children to attend preschool, particularly in a situation when parents are forced to work from home, and are not able to adequately dedicate their time to children.

“However, it should not be forgotten that there are still those who are not able to go to preschool even in normal circumstances. So this year, the goal is to open new preschools in Vajska and Ljubis villages, which will accommodate a total of 105 children. Each of these places has its own story, and we want to tell it to the whole world, with the help of those who believe in our mission. That is why we have decided to double every donation you make this year again.”

The Novak Djokovic Foundation and its founding family has also done their part to support those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, the Djokovic family announced a €1 million donation through their foundation for the purchase of ventilators and medical equipment to support hospitals and other medical institutions in Serbia’s battle against COVID-19.

To learn more about the foundation’s Season of Giving and to donate, click here. More than €10,000 has been raised so far, and the campaign ends on 31 January.

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Why Losing The First Set Against Djokovic, Nadal Is A Deadly Mistake

Getting off to a slow start against the best players in the world is almost always a deadly mistake.

According to the ATP Performance Zone, the top eight players this season after winning the first set were all in the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. Combined, those eight men were 205-15 after taking the opener (93.2 winning percentage).

World’s Top 10 Players After Winning The First Set (2020)

Leading the way in this category in 2020 was World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who won all 35 matches in which he took the first set. Getting over that hump made a big difference for opponents, as the Serbian was only 6-5 when he did not win the opener.

Andrey Rublev enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2020, leading the ATP Tour with five titles. Part of the reason for his massive success was how well he did playing from ahead. The Russian was 35-1 when he won the first set. Glaringly, he was 6-9 after losing the opener. His only defeat after taking the first set came at the Rolex Paris Masters, where three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka beat him.

Rafael Nadal entered his Nitto ATP Finals semi-final against Daniil Medvedev on a 71-match winning streak after claiming the opener. The Spaniard was 24-0 on the season. But his one loss, which broke his long streak, came at an inopportune time.

Instead of advancing to the championship match and playing for his first title at the season finale, Nadal went home. Medvedev stunned the World No. 2 with a 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 victory, and he ultimately lifted the trophy.

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Trust The Math: How Tsitsipas Succeeds Going Against The Grain

Trust the math.

Traditional tennis mantra dictates second serves should be directed at the backhand return, either kicking up high with a topspin serve or jamming the returner with a slice to the body. The third option of serving to the opponent’s forehand return, which is typically viewed as being very brave or very foolish, is the antithesis of the first two.

Unless you trust the math.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers 2020 analysis of second-serve direction in the Deuce court versus right-handed opponents by the Top 10 identified second serves directed out wide to the opponent’s forehand return actually delivered the highest winning percentage. Roger Federer, ranked fifth, was omitted from this Top 10 analysis as he didn’t play any ATP Tour events, which is where this data is sourced, this year. Gael Monfils, No. 11 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, was added to the data set.

The 10 players served down the T the most, utilising a kick second serve up high to the returner’s backhand. But where did they win the most? Out wide to the forehand.

2020 Season: Top 10 Second Serves In The Deuce Court vs. Right-Handed Opponents

Monfils was one of only three players that served wide to the forehand as the primary location.

Primary Location = Wide To The Forehand Return
Gael Monfils = 48% (59/123)
Novak Djokovic = 44.0% (118/268)
Daniil Medvedev = 41.9% (95/227)

On the surface, serving to the returner’s forehand seems like a fatally flawed strategy – until you do the math. Eight of the 10 players enjoyed their highest winning percentage when serving wide to the forehand, with one scoring highest at the body and another winning the highest rate of points serving down the T.

The eight players who won the most out wide to the forehand return were:
1. Stefanos Tsitsipas = 75.0% (21/28)
2. Alexander Zverev = 66.7% (4/6)
T3. Dominic Thiem = 67.5% (27/40)
T3. Rafael Nadal = 67.5% (27/40)
5. Daniil Medvedev = 64.2% (61/95)
6. Gael Monfils = 62.7% (37/59)
7. Matteo Berrettini = 62.5% (10/16)
8. Diego Schwartzman = 60.6% (40.66)

There are two main advantages to serving wide to the right-hander’s forehand return in the Deuce court.

1: Element Of Surprise – In this data set, 75 per cent (1323/1754) of second serves were directed at the body and down the T. Mistakes flow when the returner is anticipating the serve going to their backhand and they have to quickly adjust to hit a forehand return on the other side of their body.

2: Over-Hitting – Forehand returns are a more powerful shot than backhand returns. When returners are surprised with the direction to the forehand, they instantly want to be on offence and swing big. The problem is that the wide serve is now stretching them off the court into a defensive posture. Return errors flow from playing offence when on defence.

A statistics table clearly shows the benefits of directing second serves wide to the forehand in the Deuce court. Without the math, we would never know just how good this gem of a strategy really is.

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