Jamie Murray undecided about competing at Tokyo Olympics
Jamie Murray says he is undecided about competing at his fourth Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer
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).
After a difficult year on and off the court in 2020, many of the ATP Tour’s top stars were excited to welcome in the new year from around the world. With the start of the 2021 ATP Tour season just six days away, check out how your favourite players celebrated the arrival of 2021.
Novak Djokovic proved he was ready to go the distance in 2021, as he shared his Rocky spirit in snowy conditions. However, things didn’t go entirely to plan.
Go the distance 2021 ? @TheSlyStallone #HappyNewYear pic.twitter.com/xWcnWKsxsS
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) December 31, 2020
Rafael Nadal shared a heartfelt message with his Spanish and English-speaking fans.
Grigor Dimitrov shared his excitement to start a new chapter in 2021.
Felix Auger-Aliassime shared his gratitude for all the support he received in 2020.
Fabio Fognini raised a toast with his followers as he looked ahead to the new year.
Karen Khachanov enjoyed an impressive firework display in Dubai.
Cristian Garin reflected on his favourite moment of 2020: his title run at the Rio Open presented by Claro.
Alex de Minaur was happy to move on from 2020.
Jannik Sinner thanked frontline workers for their strength in 2020.
Marin Cilic shared gratitude for the birth of his son, Baldo, and the extra time he was able to spend with family in 2020.
On Thursday, ATPTour.com discussed the first five of 10 key storylines for the 2021 ATP Tour season. These included Novak Djokovic’s bid to make FedEx ATP Rankings history and Rafael Nadal’s charge to return to World No. 1.
From the rise of Jannik Sinner to Roger Federer’s return, discover the five remaining storylines to look out for in 2021.
6) How High Will Sinner Climb?
Following his run to the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals title in Milan, Jannik Sinner raised his game to new heights in 2020. The Italian soared from No. 78 in the FedEx ATP Rankings at the start of the year to finish the season at No. 37. The youngest player in the Top 100 earned three Top 10 wins in 2020 and became the first player since Rafael Nadal in 2005 to reach the Roland Garros quarter-finals on his tournament debut. In his quarter-final in Paris, Sinner pushed Nadal in the opening two sets before falling 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-1.
If his 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals triumph was a sign of things to come in 2020, Sinner has already signalled his intent for 2021. The 19-year-old ended his 2020 campaign with his maiden ATP Tour title at the Sofia Open. The Italian will be motivated by opportunities to finish the year on home soil, with both the Nitto ATP Finals (Turin) and the Next Gen ATP Finals (Milan) to be held in Italy. Sinner will open his 2020 campaign at the Antalya Open, to be held from 7-13 January.
7) Roger’s Return
When Roger Federer returns to the court, the 39-year-old will be making his first appearance since his run to the 2020 Australian Open semi-finals. The Swiss, who recently won the ATPTour.com Fans’ Favourite Award for the 18th straight year, will continue his bid to overtake Jimmy Connors in two key areas in 2021.
The American legend currently owns a record 109 crowns and 1,274 wins at tour level, while Federer holds 103 titles and 1,242 victories. In his last full season on the ATP Tour in 2019, Federer captured four trophies and earned 53 wins.
8) Murray Hopes For More Magic
Following injury and the ATP Tour suspension due to COVID-19, Andy Murray made just four appearances on the ATP Tour in 2020. The former World No. 1 recently received a main draw wild card for the Australian Open, which will be held from 8-21 February.
Murray will be making his 14th appearance at the opening Grand Slam event of the year. The 33-year-old has finished as a runner-up at Melbourne Park on five occasions and is tied with Andre Agassi and former coach Ivan Lendl in fifth position on the tournament wins list (48). Murray will look to add to his impressive resume in 2021, which includes 46 titles and 676 wins at tour-level.
9) Who Will Be 2021’s Andrey Rublev?
Andrey Rublev enjoyed a breakthrough 2020 season, as he earned a tour-leading five titles and 41 match wins. The Russian claimed 15 consecutive wins at ATP 500-level and reached back-to-back Grand Slam quarter-finals at the US Open and Roland Garros to book his place at the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. Who will follow in the footsteps of Rublev and become the breakthrough star of 2021?
Aside from rising star Sinner, four of the many young talents entering 2021 with big expectations are Denis Shapovalov, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Casper Ruud and Ugo Humbert. Rome semi-finalist Shapovalov will aim to build on his 2020 campaign and re-enter the Top 10 in the FedEx Rankings, while countryman Auger-Aliassime will continue his pursuit of a maiden ATP Tour trophy. Auger-Aliassime has finished as a runner-up at six ATP Tour events since February 2019.
Casper Ruud made history in 2020 when he became the first Norwegian player to capture an ATP Tour trophy at the Argentina Open. The Oslo native compiled a tour-leading 17 victories on the dirt in 2020 and will be a leading contender at clay events in 2021.
Ugo Humbert will also be confident of adding to his trophy collection in 2021. The Frenchman was the youngest player to win multiple ATP Tour crowns in 2020, following title runs in Auckland and Antwerp. Humbert proved his capabilities with two Top 10 wins during the year and finished the 2020 season with a run to his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final at the Rolex Paris Masters. Other players to watch include Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Hubert Hurkacz and Reilly Opelka.
Felix Auger-Aliassime travelled to the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar in December to prepare for the 2021 ATP Tour season.
10) New Year, New Teams
One of the key features of the 2021 ATP Tour season will be the large number of changes to doubles pairings. Many of the top doubles stars will start the new year with a fresh partner, including 2020 year-end World No. 1 FedEx ATP Doubles Team Ranking holders Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares and Nitto ATP Finals champions Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic.
Pavic and Mektic will form an all-Croatian partnership in 2021, Soares will reunite with Jamie Murray and Koolhof will join forces with Lukasz Kubot. Other new partnerships include Marcelo Melo and Jean-Julien Rojer, Ken Skupski and Neal Skupski, Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Henri Kontinen and Raven Klaasen and Ben McLachlan.
Want to win more matches? Hit more forehands.
An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of 38,952 groundstrokes from all completed matches at the 2019 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells identified match winners possessed a greater thirst to hit forehands from the back of the court over backhands.
Match Winners
Forehands – 57% (10,971)
Backhands – 43% (8,313)
Match Losers
Forehands – 54% (10,663)
Backhands – 46% (9,005)
Combined
Forehands – 56% (21,634)
Backhands – 44% (17,318)
The grouping of match winners totalled 57 per cent forehands from the back of the court, while match losers were at 54 per cent. The combined breakdown displayed a significant 12 percentage-point difference, with forehands totalling 56 per cent and backhands at 44 per cent.
You don’t need to look further than tournament champion Dominic Thiem to find a player who tried to upgrade to his forehands at every opportunity. Thiem defeated Roger Federer 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the final, with both players hunting as many forehands as possible to reach the last match on Sunday.
To reach the championship match, Thiem hit 61 per cent of his groundstrokes as forehands, while Federer was not far off at 59 per cent. Both players were above the match winners’ tournament average of 57 per cent forehands from the back of the court.
In the final, Thiem’s ability to find his forehand, and limit Federer’s, was a key factor.
2019 Indian Wells Final
Dominic Thiem
Forehands – 64% (164)
Backhands – 36% (92)
Roger Federer
Forehands – 51% (131)
Backhands – 49% (124)
Thiem clearly won the battle to use his forehand more, hitting it 64 per cent of the time compared to 51 per cent for Federer. This dynamic was even more of a factor in the deciding third set in which Thiem hit 67 per cent forehands (70 forehands/35 backhands) to Federer’s 51 per cent forehands (54 forehands/52 backhands).
A big reason Thiem was always looking to upgrade to a forehand was the speed at which he hit it. Thiem’s average forehand speed for the match was a lacerating 77 mph, making it by far the biggest baseline weapon on the court. Federer’s average forehand speed of 69 mph actually ended up being exactly the same as Thiem’s average backhand speed. Federer’s average backhand speed was just 63 mph.
Thiem’s Round of 16 match against Ivo Karlovic at that event may have produced one of the most uneven totals between forehands and backhands ever in an ATP Tour match. Thiem defeated Karlovic 6-4, 6-3 in 58 minutes. Only two points from the 93-point total reached a rally length of double digits.
What’s astounding is that Thiem made Karlovic hit more backhands than forehands in the match, while hitting just eight backhands himself in two sets.
Dominic Thiem
Forehands – 91% (58)
Backhands – 9% (8)
Ivo Karlovic
Forehands – 43% (29)
Backhands – 57% (39)
Our sport features a plethora of points with both players dueling it out from the baseline. If you get a chance to turn a backhand into a forehand in your own match, the metrics from the best players in the world fully support it.
There are many intriguing storylines to watch for in the 2021 ATP Tour season.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal lead the way as the Top 2 players in the FedEx ATP Rankings and both men will be chasing history in 2021, as they look to add to their extraordinary resumés. The pair was given an early warning for next season at the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals by Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev, who both earned victories against the Top 2 stars en route to the championship match.
World No. 3 Thiem and London champion Medvedev lead a growing list of challengers to the dominance of Djokovic and Nadal. That group includes former Nitto ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas and 2020 Most Improved Player of the Year Andrey Rublev. Before the new season, ATPTour.com looks at five of the top storylines to watch:
1) Novak’s Push For History
After becoming only the second man to hold the top spot in the FedEx ATP Rankings for 300 weeks on 21 December, Djokovic will have his sights set on one of the most prestigious records in tennis in the first quarter of the 2021 ATP Tour season. The Serbian is currently nine weeks behind Roger Federer’s record of 310 weeks at the top of the sport.
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 next year.
In 2020, Djokovic tied his idol Pete 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 (also 2011-12, ’14-15).
All-Time Weeks At No. 1 (as of 28 December 2020)
|
No. 1 Player
|
Total Weeks
|
Longest Streak
|
|
1) Roger Federer
|
310
|
237 weeks
|
|
2) Novak Djokovic
|
301
|
122 weeks
|
|
3) Pete Sampras
|
286
|
102 weeks
|
|
4) Ivan Lendl
|
270
|
157 weeks
|
|
5) Jimmy Connors
|
268
|
160 weeks
|
2) Does Rafa Have Another Surge In Him?
Rafael Nadal equalled Federer’s record haul of 20 Grand Slam trophies at Roland Garros in 2020 and finished the year with a record 12th Top 2 finish in the FedEx ATP Rankings. The question is, will the Spaniard be able to bounce back to the top spot in 2021? History suggests he is more than capable.
Nadal and Djokovic are the only two men to have immediately recovered the year-end World No. 1 position twice. Nadal finished 2008 and 2010 as World No. 1 and repeated the feat by finishing in the top spot in 2017 and 2019. The 34-year-old, who also finished as No. 1 in 2013, will be aiming to match Djokovic and Sampras’ tally of six year-end No. 1 finishes in 2021.
The 20-time major champion’s hopes of returning to the top position will rest on his ability to continue adding to his impressive Grand Slam and ATP Masters 1000 trophy collections. Nadal will attempt to move clear of Federer with a 21st major title next year and regain the top position in the Masters 1000 trophy leaderboard. Djokovic currently leads 35-time Masters 1000 champion Nadal by one trophy at the level.
3) Can Domi Take the Next Step?
After becoming the first player in six years to win his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2020 US Open, Thiem defeated his main rivals Djokovic and Nadal en route to his second consecutive runner-up finish at the Nitto ATP Finals in London. The Austrian is now within touching distance of a major milestone in 2021.
Thiem currently sits just 725 FedEx ATP Ranking points behind World No. 2 Nadal. The last player outside the Big Four of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Andy Murray to occupy a Top 2 position was Lleyton Hewitt in July 2005. One of the keys for Thiem to achieve that goal will be his ability to maintain his recent success against his main rivals. Since the start of the 2019 ATP Tour season, Thiem has compiled a 9-3 record against Federer (3-0), Nadal (3-1) and Djokovic (3-2).
4) Can Medvedev Maintain His Momentum?
Daniil Medvedev ended 2020 as the in-form player on the ATP Tour. The Russian claimed back-to-back titles at the Rolex Paris Masters and the Nitto ATP Finals to finish the year on a 10-match winning streak, which included seven Top 10 victories.
If Medvedev can translate his indoor form to outdoor success, he could join Thiem as a challenger to Djokovic and Nadal’s stranglehold on the Top 2 positions in the sport. The World No. 4 has started his season strong in the past. He opened his 2020 campaign with seven wins from nine matches in Australia.
5) Moving To Turin
After 12 editions at The O2 in London, the Nitto ATP Finals moves to Turin from 2021-2025. The biggest singles and doubles stars on the ATP Tour will all be aiming to finish the year by competing at Italy’s largest indoor sporting arena: the Pala Alpitour.
The season finale is moving to a nation where tennis is firmly on the rise. There are currently eight Italian men in the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings, highlighted by 2019 Nitto ATP Finals qualifier and Top 10 star Matteo Berrettini.
Italy also possesses the youngest player in the Top 100: 19-year-old Jannik Sinner. The World No. 37, who captured his maiden ATP Tour trophy at the Sofia Open in November, has already achieved success at a round-robin event on home soil. In 2019, the San Candido native charged to victory on his tournament debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.
Britain’s former world number one Andy Murray pulls out of next week’s ATP event in Delray Beach – but not because of injury concerns.
Milos Raonic and John Isner headline the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com field, which includes three former champions: Reilly Opelka (2020), Frances Tiafoe (2018) and Sam Querrey (2017).
Former World No. 1 Andy Murray withdrew from the ATP 250 hard-court tournament. “After much deliberation with my team I’ve decided not to travel to play in Delray Beach,” Murray said in a press release. “Given the increase in COVID rates and the transatlantic flights involved, I want to minimize the risks ahead of the Australian Open. I’m really thankful for the understanding of the tournament and I look forward to playing there soon.”
The Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com is typically played in February, but it is now in the first week of the 2021 ATP Tour season alongside the Antalya Open due to COVID-19. The main draw will be played from 7-13 January 2021.
The ATP Champions Tour legends event, featuring past-main draw champion Tommy Haas and six-time doubles champions Bob and Mike Bryan, will be contested between 4-6 January 2021.
Winning a three-setter to claim an ATP Tour title is an impressive accomplishment. Earning two three-set victories in a day to capture a crown is on another level, and that’s exactly what Reilly Opelka did at last year’s Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com to win his second ATP Tour trophy.
The American will compete in Delray Beach again starting on 7 January as he attempts to retain a tour-level title for the first time. He carries plenty of good memories into the first week of the season at the ATP 250.
“It was great [last year]. It’s a home tournament. I’ve been going to the event [since I was] a little kid, since I think [I was] 11, 12 years old. It was cool to win an event that I used to go watch,” Opelka said. “I beat some really good players, and especially the last day was a really unique scenario that doesn’t happen too often.”
Opelka started Championship Sunday last year by saving a match point in the semi-finals against former World No. 3 Milos Raonic, one of the biggest servers on the ATP Tour. Then the American battled past speedy lefty Yoshihito Nishioka for the title.
“I was tested a lot physically and I beat some really good players. It was just a bizarre scenario,” Opelka said. “[It is] definitely one that I won’t forget, since I obviously won the title, but also just because [I won] two matches in one day and the conditions of it were pretty crazy.”
The 23-year-old is certainly comfortable in Delray Beach. In fact, he resides in the city. At 16, Opelka watched countryman Steve Johnson upset top-seeded Tommy Haas. The next year, he recalls seeing American lefty Donald Young advance to the final. In 2018, Opelka made his tournament debut.
The home favourite believes the 2021 Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com field is an impressive one. It includes Raonic, former World No. 1 Andy Murray, American No. 1 John Isner and more.
“The field’s incredible. They have a lot of really great players,” Opelka said. “You’ve got probably one of the most high-level entry fields that they’ve seen. Isner, [Sam] Querrey, Frances [Tiafoe] has won it. There [are three] past champions, so a lot of guys that like playing there.”
Standing 6’11”, one of Opelka’s biggest priorities is taking care of his body. The right-hander came out of this year’s COVID-19 tournament suspension firing at the Western & Southern Open, defeating Diego Schwartzman and Matteo Berrettini to make his first Masters 1000 quarter-final. But a right knee injury hindered him the rest of the year.
That’s why since his final tournament of the year in Antwerp, Opelka has focussed on improving physically.
“I really think my body will be great there [in Delray Beach] because I’ve put in a lot of work and I’ve emphasised my body a lot this off-season,” Opelka said. “I want to really prioritise going into the year 100 per cent healthy.”
As far as his knee goes, the American is confident in the work he has put into getting healthy.
“My knee is doing great. We had to take a lot of time off and spend a lot of time working on it, but it was stubborn and I really needed the three months that I had off, which was nice,” Opelka said. “I’m pretty confident in it moving forward. I really hope it holds up. That is the million-dollar question for me, ‘How [is it] going to hold up?’ I’m confident that it will, but you never know.”
