Diego Schwartzman and Guido Pella see each other every day in the off-season. But they are much more than just training partners making their joint preparations for 2020. The top two Argentine players in the ATP Rankings enjoy a friendship that goes back to the early days of their tennis dreams.

They will now kick off their respective seasons by leading Argentina in the inaugural ATP Cup. Schwartzman and Pella seek to guide Argentina past Austria, Croatia and Poland in Group E action in Sydney. Juan Ignacio Londero, Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni will complete the team.

“There are some very tough opponents in our group like Dominic Thiem, who I will have to play, and Borna Coric. I’m going to have to be ready to play and compete against them right at the start of the year,” Schwartzman said.

Schwartzman prevailed this August in Los Cabos. (d. Fritz) and followed up with his first US Open quarter-final showing. The 27-year-old also finished runner up in Vienna (l. to Thiem) and Buenos Aires (l. to Cecchinato), in addition to reaching his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final in Rome.

“[My main focus is] to take it day by day. In anything you’re doing, the most important thing is for it not to be tedious. It’s a daily mental challenge to be able to continue competing as well as possible,” Schwartzman said. “Now we have to adapt. It’s partly in teams, there are [ATP Rankings] points available and there’s a lot of prize money.

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“Knowing that there are some very big points on offer and that you are representing Argentina is a bonus… Not just playing for yourself. It’s a competition that’s going to be very good. I have no doubt.”

Schwartzman selected former World No. 5 and 2004 Roland Garros champion Gaston Gaudio to be the team captain for Argentina. However, he said it was a decision that the entire team approved of.

“We chose him between all of us,” Schwartzman explained. “We thought he was the most logical choice because it’s difficult if I choose my coach for him to also be the captain of the other players. Gaston is a good choice for everyone.”

Pella looks to continue his momentum after completing a career-best season in 2019 that saw him finish inside the Top 25. He won his maiden ATP Tour crown in Sao Paulo (d. Garin), finished runner-up in Cordoba (l. to Londero) and advanced to his first Grand Slam quarter-final at Wimbledon. He’s eager to compete alongside Schwartzman and believes they can make an impact in Sydney.

“Competing in a team at the start of the year is going to be a beautiful experience and I’m happy to be able to play for Argentina with my teammates,” Pella said. “Everyone knows Diego. He has one of the best backhands on tour and he is extremely solid. There are not many like him on Tour and he has a consistency that few can match. That’s why he’s been in the Top 30 for three years.”

Pella spoke of his own plans for 2020 and said he has one clear goal: to stay on the same path.

“I want to keep playing my best tennis, improve my ranking and validate what I did in 2019,” he explained. “To keep performing at good tournaments and beating good opponents would make me happy.”

The 2019 season for Canadians Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime might have been a preview for what tennis fans can expect for the next 10-15 years from the #NextGenATP stars. Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime, who will represent Canada along with Steven Diez, Adil Shamasdin and Peter Polansky at next month’s ATP Cup, spent the year outdoing each other.

Both players endured their highs and lows, but both also played for ATP Tour titles and finished the season inside the Top 25 of the ATP Rankings (Shapovalov, No. 15; Auger-Aliassime, No. 21).

“These two guys really have almost fulfilled every expectation, at this stage to both be where they are,” said Tom Tebbutt, a longtime Canadian tennis writer.

Four years ago, when Auger-Aliassime was 15 and Shapovalov 16, Tebbutt saw the two play for the Canadian 18-and-under boys championship. Since then, and especially in 2019, the two have been on a tear.

In February, Auger-Aliassime, younger then Shapovalov by 16 months, became the youngest ATP 500 finalist in series history (since 2009) by making the Rio Open presented by Claro final (l. to Djere). The next month, Auger-Aliassime, then 18, also became the youngest Miami Open presented by Itau semi-finalist (l. to Isner) in the tournament’s 35-year history.

At that same tournament in south Florida, Shapovalov also reached the semi-finals (l. to Federer), his third at the Masters 1000 level.

But from there, Auger-Aliassime continued climbing while Shapovalov endured a slump. Auger-Aliassime made the final in Lyon (clay, l. to Paire) and Stuttgart (grass, l. to Berrettini) and reached the third round at Wimbledon (l. to Humbert), the first time he had won a match at a major championship.

“For any player to get his first Grand Slam win is a big relief, and it’s a good achievement for me. At the same time, with the level I’m playing now and my ambitions, I look forward and I look to go even further than that,” Auger-Aliassime said.

Shapovalov, meanwhile, went 2-9 after Miami, which included a straight-sets loss to Auger-Aliassime in Madrid. The left-hander began to turn his season around at his home Masters 1000 event in Montreal, where Shapovalov beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France and pushed Dominic Thiem to three sets.

“It put a smile to my face when I walked back on the court,” Shapovalov said. “Every point, [the crowd is] so engaged. Like I’ve always said, I feel that brings the best out of me. I’m able to play more freely and just enjoy myself. I had that fire back today that I’ve been missing, especially the last couple weeks. Maybe it’s been longer than that. It’s good to get back on the right track.”

Two weeks later, he made the semi-finals in Winston-Salem, and the next week, he and Auger-Aliassime met in the first round of the US Open for the second consecutive year. Shapovalov, who won their first New York contest, beat Auger-Aliassime in straight sets.

“Denis played really, really well against him at the US Open,” Tebbutt said.

From there, Shapovalov kept rising, making the semi-finals in Chengdu and winning his maiden title in Stockholm. The Canadian saved his best for the final week of the ATP regular season, reaching his first Masters 1000 final at the Rolex Paris Masters (l. to Djokovic).

Auger-Aliassime, on the other hand, went 2-3 during the Asian swing and a sprained ankle limited his play in the final month.

At the moment, Shapovalov has surged ahead. But, as Tebbutt has seen over the years, good luck predicting who will finish higher after the 2020 season, which starts at the inaugural ATP Cup. Canada will compete in Group F in Brisbane against Germany, Greece and Australia.

The Ruud family has been putting Norwegian tennis on the global map for the past 30 years, and they’ll have their biggest opportunity yet next month at the inaugural ATP Cup, to be held 3-12 January in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney.

Casper Ruud, No. 54 in the ATP Rankings, will lead the team, and his father/coach Christian Ruud, who reached No. 39 in the ATP Rankings before retiring in 2001, will captain the team, which will face Russia, Italy and the U.S. in Group D in Perth.

The Ruuds, who will be joined by Norwegian players Viktor Durasovic, Lukas Hellum Lilleengen, Leyton Rivera and Herman Hoeyeraal, spoke to ATPTour.com about competing at next month’s ATP Cup, what it’s like to be a travelling father-son duo on the ATP Tour and how they’ve brought recognition to tennis in Norway.

Casper Ruud
On being from Norway
“It’s a little bit tough sometimes to be from a small tennis country like Norway because you don’t have too many people to practise with when you’re home and that kind of stuff. I think many people many times don’t quite understand where I’m from, because Norway is not a typical tennis country and they’re maybe thinking, ‘Norway, where is that?’

“But if I had to choose things, I would like them to think that I of course play well, and I’m a nice guy, likable. That’s my goal and why I try to stay humble all the time and try to work hard and hopefully the results will come and as the results come, more fans will eventually come.”

On growing tennis in Norway
“I’m trying, definitely. It’s one of my goals, to try to make Norway a bigger tennis country. We’ve been talking a little bit if I have a big career, we can maybe try to bring an ATP event to Norway. That would be a huge goal for me in my career, to try to do that. In Sweden, they have two events. That would be nice for Norway and Norwegian tennis.”

On being a part of the #NextGenATP, competing at the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals
“I’m not going to say that I feel old, but there are younger players that are doing better than me. It’s something to perhaps gain motivation from.

“I’m a couple of steps behind them now, but I’ve built a good base this year and will hopefully be ready for an even better season next year.”

On having his father as a coach
“I know that he cares about me and he wants everything in the best way for me. So, of course, he’s been a really big part of my success and my team, ever since I was little.

“I’m from a small tennis country, and I don’t have too many people to look up to in my home country, except for him. He’s the only one who knows how it’s been and how the life on the Tour is. I think it’s been a huge advantage, even though I’m from Norway, to have my father so close to me and helping me with my tennis.”

How his dad especially helped him when he was a teenager
“He’s always been there for me and tried to guide me… When you’re 13 or 14, it’s easy to think about other things or want to go out to parties. My dad was strict with me in those ways because he knew you have to be serious from a young age if you want to be a professional tennis player. There were some sacrifices, but it’s paid off.”

Christian Ruud
On Casper choosing tennis
“He was the one that decided at age 11, ‘OK, this is what I want to do. I’m more into individual sports than team sports.’ Since then it’s just been about the tennis.”

On separating the father-coach roles
“Maybe when he’s younger [it was harder], but now he’s a grown-up. I feel more like a coach and also a friend now because we travel and go out to dinners together. It’s not like I’m babysitting him.

“We have a good relationship. He respects that I was a player on Tour and respects me as a coach. He was the one [who] wanted me to be his coach when his other coach quit 18 months ago. I’m just trying to help him be a good player and a good person.”

On his son’s 2019 season
“I think his lowest level has come up a lot. He’s been playing a lot better at ATP events and winning a lot more matches and also beating decent players when he’s not been playing his best, so I think his high level has increased as well as his low level.”

Doubles Team Titles Leaders (2010-2019)

Americans Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan won 63 titles over the past 10 years, including 46 between 2010-2014, when they were year-end No. 1s. Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, who contested the first of their 33 tour-level finals in May 2013 (at Nice), ended the decade on a high with five trophies in 2019.

Record-Breaking Twins

• The Bryan brothers led the team game and compiled record numbers, including five straight year-end No. 1 finishes (2010-2014). They will contest their final season as a team in 2020.

• The American twins went 63-21 in tour-level finals between 2010-2019, which included winning nine Grand Slam men’s doubles championships and 26 of their record-breaking 39 ATP Masters 1000 crowns. At Los Angeles, in July 2010, the pair captured their 62nd team crown to break a tie with Open Era titles record-holders Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde (61). Additionally, in September 2012 at the US Open, the Bryans passed the Australian team with their 12th major team title.

• Between the 2012 US Open and 2013 Wimbledon, the Bryans were the holders of all four majors simultaneously in a non-calendar year and 2013 — when they won the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon crowns — marking the first time since Anders Jarryd and John Fitzgerald in 1991 (Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open) that a team had held three major titles.

• In 2013, the Bryans won 22 matches at the four major championships, clinching year-end No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Team Rankings for a ninth time as early as 19 August (a record). They earned 11 titles from 14 finals — including three majors and five Masters 1000s.

• During a record 139 consecutive weeks at No. 1, between 25 February 2013 and 25 October 2015, the Bryans won four consecutive ATP Masters 1000 titles in consecutive seasons (2013 and 2014), highlighted by clinching silverware in six of their seven Masters 1000 final appearances in 2014.

• During that historic year, the Bryans won a 16th major team crown, and a record fifth US Open title, which also marked their 100th trophy together. In March, they became only the fourth team to complete the Indian Wells-Miami title double, following in the footsteps of Woodbridge and Woodforde (1996), Wayne Black and Sandon Stolle (1999), and Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor (2002), and, later, in October, at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, the Bryans became the first team to complete the Career Golden Masters of all nine Masters 1000 trophies.
• In October 2016 at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, the Bryans became the first doubles team in the Open Era to reach the 1,000 match wins milestones.

Records of Year-End No. 1 Teams (2010-2019)

Take a closer look at the match and finals records (by season) of year-end No. 1 doubles teams between 2010 and 2019.

Nestor First To Record 1,000 Doubles Match Wins

• Daniel Nestor, who turned pro in 1991 and said farewell to the sport in 2018, became the first player in the Open Era to record 1,000 doubles match wins on 11 January 2016, when he partnered Marcelo Melo to reach the Sydney quarter-finals.
• Six months later in Nottingham, as the proud owner of his 89th career title, the Canadian also extended his record of winning at least one tour-level title for 23 consecutive years.

Paes, Herbert/Mahut Complete Career Grand Slam

• Over the past decade, three players completed the career doubles Grand Slam. India’s Leander Paes, was the first to do so since Nestor in 2008, when the Indian partnered Radek Stepanek to the 2012 Australian Open title. Paes also became the sixth player to record 750 match wins or more on 7 April 2018. Paes will retire from professional tennis in 2020.
• Seven years later, at the same championship, Frenchmen Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut became the eighth team in the sport’s history — and the first pair since the Bryan brothers in 2006 — to capture all four major titles.
• Twenty three players have won the career doubles Grand Slam since Australia’s Adrian Quist in 1939.

Perfect Weeks At Nitto ATP Finals

• Two teams over the past 10 seasons swept to the Nitto ATP Finals title without the loss of a set in five matches at The O2 in London. Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau, clinched year-end No. 1 en route to the 2015 crown, while last month Herbert and Mahut capped a memorable season with the crown.

• Max Mirnyi and Nestor (2011), Henri Kontinen and John Peers (2016) and Mike Bryan and Jack Sock (2018) also completed their title-winning weeks with 5-0 records. Mirnyi retired from professional tennis in 2018 with 780 match wins and 52 doubles crowns.

Australian No. 1 Alex de Minaur has had the first glimpse of the silverware for the newest tournament in world tennis, the ATP Cup.

The magnificent silver trophy was unveiled at Kangaroo Point in Brisbane by ATP Cup Tournament Director Tom Larner, marking 13 days until the inaugural event begins from 3 to 12 January 2020.

The bespoke ATP Cup design is both a tribute to tennis’ past and a celebration of its future.

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The traditional shape is a nod to the history of the sport, with the contemporary shard construction symbolic of the innovative new format of the ATP Cup.

“The ATP Cup will showcase the top male players from 24 countries and this is the trophy they’ll be playing for,” Tom Larner said.

“Players have embraced this new team competition and we can’t think of a better way to kick start both the global tennis season and the Australian summer.”

De Minaur, who will represent Australia alongside Nick Kyrgios, John Millman, John Peers, Chris Guccione and captain Lleyton Hewitt, said he was looking forward to competing at the first edition of the ATP Cup.

“The Aussies are pumped to be starting the season in Brisbane and standing here in front of the ATP Cup, seeing the trophy up close for the first time, really brings to life what we are playing for in just a couple of weeks’ time,” he said.

Made from sterling silver, the stunning symmetrical design of the ATP Cup consists of 24 shards, with each representing one of the 24 countries in competition. The shards support a silver stem adorned with a hand-blown glass silver sphere, replicating both a traditional tennis ball and the hemisphere logo of the event.

The trophy’s base is handcrafted from native Banksia hardwood and is finished with a silver plaque, which awaits the engraving of the first ATP Cup champion team.

The ATP Cup has been designed and handcrafted by industry leaders in precious metals, ABC Bullion, who also craft the Australian Open men’s singles trophy, the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, and the Melbourne Cup.

“With Australia hosting the inaugural ATP Cup it is only appropriate the trophy is made in Australia and from Australian silver,” Darren May of ABC Bullion said.

“It has been a true team effort to produce this team’s trophy in Australia – from the local miners, to the designers, fabricators and refinery workers.”

ABC Bullion is also the proud manufacturer of the runner up plate and medallions for the Final Eight.

The ATP Cup will tour the country, travelling to Perth next before heading to Sydney.

ATP Cup – trophy fast facts

• Made in Australia from locally sourced materials
• Contains more than six kilograms of silver, hand-blown glass and native banksia hardwood
• A team of six have dedicated more than 320 hours to designing and producing the ATP Cup
• Stands 50 centimetres tall
• As well as the ATP Cup, ABC Bullion are responsible for producing the Australian Open men’s singles trophy, the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup and the Melbourne Cup

Roger Federer has long been stylish with his game and his fashion, both on and off the court. And the Swiss superstar finished the 2010s with a big award in the style department, being named GQ’s Most Stylish Man of the Decade on Friday.

The award was decided by the fans in an Instagram-based bracket contest. Every day, fans voted between two celebrities on GQ’s Instagram stories. The winner of each ‘match’ moved on. Federer advanced past A$AP Rockey, Jonah Hill and Harry Styles before defeating Timothée Chalamet for the title. The likes of LeBron James, Kanye West and Ryan Gosling also were part of the competition.

And the Most Stylish Man of the Decade, People’s Choice Award, goes to … @rogerfederer! ? https://t.co/WJq5zdX3cX pic.twitter.com/qzOvBSigZP

— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) December 20, 2019

The editors of GQ described each of the 16 celebrities in the bracket, and this is what they wrote about Federer:

“Some of the guys on this list made their reputations on red carpets; others, in paparazzi shots. Roger Federer, on the other hand, has a case for most stylish man of the decade thanks to something as simple as this: When the guy puts on his Wimbledon whites, he stands basically alone. It’s not about his clothes so much as the righteously relaxed, preternaturally confident way he moves in them. (Also: Dude is a Bond-level tux wearer.)”

To continue our Decade In Review series, ATPTour.com completes our look at the five players of the decade with Stan Wawrinka. 

Stan Wawrinka must be viewing the passing of this decade with torn emotions. He is pleased to have recovered well from two 2017 knee surgeries and be nearing the level that won him three Grand Slam titles and an ATP Masters 1000 event during the past 10 years.

But another part of Wawrinka likely wishes this prolific and unexpected decade of on-court greatness, in which he challenged the Big Four, could go on forever.

In December 2009, Wawrinka, then 24 years old, was No. 21 in the year-end ATP Rankings. He had gone 1-5 in tour-level finals and, although he cracked the Top 10 for five weeks in 2008, consistency remained a weakness for the still-developing, yet already barrel-chested Wawrinka, who has long owned one of the finest one-handed backhands in the sport.

In April 2013, however, Wawrinka, frustrated by his inability to beat the best – before 2013, he was 7-39 against the Big Four – paired with former World No. 2 Magnus Norman, who had already helped Robin Soderling, another mid-career power hitter, ascend to the top.

Fast forward to January 2014 at the Australian Open, and “Stan The Man” had arrived. The Big Four had won 16 consecutive major titles, but Wawrinka beat Djokovic in the quarter-finals, Tomas Berdych in the semi-finals and No. 1 Nadal in the final for his first Grand Slam title.

Wawrinka’s overpowering one-handed backhand and improved mental strength, along with his willingness to not be satisfied with a Top 20 career, helped him beat the best. “I never expect to win a Grand Slam. I never dream about that because for me, I was not good enough to beat those guys,” Wawrinka said.

“I talk a lot with Magnus, who has been in that situation, to play a final. He told me it was important not to think about the result but think about the way you want to play, the way you want to win every point.”

The Swiss pulled off the unexpected three months later as well, beating Roger Federer in the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters final for his first Masters 1000 title. And more Big Title glory came on the clay in 2015, when Wawrinka, with his plaid shorts, won his second major in as many years and denied Djokovic the elusive Roland Garros crown.

In 2016, Wawrinka’s major championship streak stretched to three as he again beat Djokovic in a Grand Slam final and continued to challenge the Big Four’s reign at the biggest tournaments. The Swiss improved to 3-0 against World No. 1s in major finals; 0-16 everywhere else. 

“If you want to beat the No. 1 player in the world, you have to give everything,” Wawrinka said. “You have to accept to suffer and you have to almost enjoy to suffer.”

From January 2014 through mid-September 2016, Wawrinka won 11 consecutive finals, and from 2013-16, he qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals four consecutive times. 

The 2017 season brought another Roland Garros final (l. to Nadal), but by August, Wawrinka could no longer manage his worsening left knee. After Wimbledon, he shut down his season and underwent two surgeries.

His comeback, like most, has been loaded with stops and starts, good weeks and bad days. But in 2019, Wawrinka rekindled his glory days more than once. He made the Rotterdam final (l. to Monfils), his first title match in nearly two years, and the final in Antwerp (l. to Murray).

At Grand Slams, Wawrinka particularly showed that he’s back. He beat Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in five hours, nine minutes, the fourth-longest match in Roland Garros history, to make the quarter-finals (l. to Federer), and he made his 17th Slam quarter-final at the US Open (l. to Medvedev).

Wawrinka never stretched the Big Four to the Big Five, but he wasn’t interested in such labels and humbly deflected the notion that he belonged in the same category as Federer, Djokovic, Nadal and Murray. At 34 and with three surgeries behind him (right knee, 2007), his most consistent seasons might stay in the past. But doubt him at a big event, and Wawrinka, one of the best big-match players of this decade, might soon you have regretting that decision.

Continuing our 2019 in Review series, we take a broader look at the ATP Tour, using Infosys ATP Scores & Stats to examine which players on the entire circuit excelled in all of the key service and return categories this year, and how that helped shape their results.

All statistics are based off of Infosys ATP Scores & Stats’ Individual Match Stats Leaderboard, which includes players who competed in a minimum of 40 tour-level main draw matches in 2019.

Return Games Won
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were clearly the two best players in the world in 2019 according to the ATP Rankings, battling for year-end No. 1 until the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals. One thing that they had in common was their success on return.

Nadal has led the ATP Tour in return games won in three of the past four years. The top five players in the category are all inside the Top 15 of the ATP Rankings.

Break Points Converted
Nobody took advantage of their break point opportunities this year more than Djokovic, the World No. 2. One year ago, Djokovic only converted 39.9 per cent of the time, finishing 2018 in 27th place in this department. The Serbian significantly improved in 2019, though, breaking on 49 per cent of his opportunities.

Medvedev, who finished sixth in percentage of break points won, led the ATP Tour by breaking 270 times on the season.

First-Serve Return Points Won
It’s no surprise that Nadal and Djokovic finished in the top two spots in first-serve return points won. It is the fourth time in the past five years that Nadal has led this category.

The last time Djokovic won a higher rate of first-serve return points compared to Nadal was in 2015.

Second-Serve Return Points Won
Argentine Diego Schwartzman may stand at only 5’7″, but he has been a second-serve return giant over the past three years. Schwartzman won a higher rate of second-serve return points than anyone else on the ATP Tour for the second time this season (also 2017), finishing second last year.

Schwartzman finished at a career-high year-end ATP Ranking of No. 14, making him the top-ranked Argentine.

Service Games Won
Could John Isner’s serving be getting better with age? In 2018, his 93.6 winning percentage in service games won was the best rate of his career. But the American improved on that mark in 2019, winning more than 94 per cent of his service games.

Aces
Two players cracked the 1,000-aces benchmark for the fifth time in six seasons, with Isner standing just 31 aces from becoming the second player (also Ivo Karlovic) to hit the 12,000-aces mark.

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First-Serve Points Won
Milos Raonic led the ATP Tour in first-serve points won for the fourth time in 2018, setting a career-high mark. But Isner took the throne this season at 81 per cent.

Perhaps the surprise member of the group is German Jan-Lennard Struff (79%), who reached a career-high World No. 33 in July.

Second-Serve Points Won
Nadal may not be considered the biggest server in the world, but he has now won the most points behind his second serve on the ATP Tour in each of the past three years. Roberto Bautista Agut, ranked fifth on the list at a rate of 56 per cent, broke into the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings for the first time this season.

Break Points Saved
One of the reasons Isner was able to win a personal-best rate of service games in 2019 was that when he faced pressure, he was nearly lights-out. The American was broken only 38 times this season, saving nearly 73 per cent of the opportunities his opponents earned.

Matteo Berrettini made his breakthrough in 2019, and it helped that he saved nearly 69 per cent of the break points he faced this year.

The ATP Tour’s players make a massive impact on the tennis court, with their efforts at tournaments inspiring countless people throughout the world. But they also perform important duties off the court through philanthropy, whether through their own foundations or by helping others with their charity work. ATPTour.com looks at some of 2019’s notable charity moments.

Del Potro Hosts Open Practice Session For Tandil Food Bank
Juan Martin del Potro hosted a unique open practice session in Tandil this February in front of more than 1,000 fans to help raise food for a local food bank.

The World No. 4 practised for an hour and a half at Posta Natural on 2 February, collecting 730 kilograms of non-perishable food for Banco de Alimentos de Tandil, a food bank which helps feed 19,500 people in the Tandil area through collaborations with 132 local food service organisations.

“I love practising in front of my people in Tandil,” said Del Potro. “We had a great time and I’m glad we could do this for a good cause.”

Bryan Brothers Help Inspiring Children Foundation In Indian Wells
TEAM BRYAN organised 400 children, parents and coaches for a special experience at the BNP Paribas Open. This is the 16th year of the program.

In a partnership that was strengthened at the 2006 ATP Tour event in Las Vegas, The Bryan Brothers Foundation, The Inspiring Children Foundation and Wayne Bryan helped the children once more enjoy the experience of their year in Indian Wells with an opening night talent show, a clinic with Wayne Bryan, a doubles shootout, and getting to cheer on Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan for two sessions of the tournament.

“We are so proud to mentor and sponsor these children,” said Bob Bryan. “This is our chance to give to children what our parents gave us, an incredible life.”

Miami Open Unites 
The ATP Tour’s players lent their time to Miami Open Unites at the 2019 Miami Open presented by Itau to support a wide variety of charitable causes, dedicated to giving back to the South Florida community.

Five-time doubles champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan visited Baptist Health Children’s Hospital and Cancer Center to spend time with kids at the facility. Alexander Zverev, defending champion John Isner and Roberto Bautista Agut visited the Greater Humane Society of Miami. The players groomed the animals in order to increase their chances for adoption.

Kei Nishikori, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Marin Cilic, Nick Kyrgios and Nicolas Jarry led a community tennis clinic and Q&A at the Hard Rock Stadium for UNICEF’s Kid Power program. Indian Wells champion Dominic Thiem, Miomir Kecmanovic and Guido Pella helped repair a home by painting and landscaping. Their efforts supported the work of Rebuilding Together, an organisation that repairs and rebuilds homes for Miami-Dade County’s senior citizens, veterans and disabled individuals.

Finally, Grigor Dimitrov, David Ferrer and Borna Coric served lunch to residents living at the shelter of the Miami Rescue Mission. The organisation provides food, shelter and programming to needy South Florida residents.

Roger Federer Foundation Helps Victims of Cyclone Idai
The Roger Federer Foundation’s work in Malawi to educate children pivoted to provide critical assistance to thousands of people displaced by Cyclone Idai, which killed more than 600 people in Southern Africa.

“Cyclone Idai is a unbelievable disaster,” Federer said. “And it hit the most vulnerable ones in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. It will take years for people to recover. My thoughts and solidarity are with the thousands of displaced people and families who lost their loved ones.”

All of the Foundation’s six model preschools were converted to evacuation centres to help the thousands of families in the district that were displaced, including 77 of the Foundation’s kindergarten teachers.

Wawrinka, Thiem Lead ATP Stars In Monte-Carlo Charity Exhibition
Stan Wawrinka and Dominic Thiem took the role of team captains in a fun-filled charity exhibition at this year’s Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, held to benefit the Monaco Red Cross.

Alongside Wawrinka on his team of French-speaking players were Lucas Pouille, David Goffin and Daniil Medvedev. BNP Paribas Open champion Thiem was joined by Stefanos Tsitsipas and Karen Khachanov.

Cilic Joined By Modric & More Croatian Stars At Successful Charity Event
The Marin Cilic Foundation hosted ‘Game, Set, Croatia’ on 12 June, bringing together 30 of Croatia’s most celebrated athletes for a charity tournament at Zagreb’s Šalata Sports Complex — the birthplace of Croatian tennis — to raise funds to build a multi-functional sports playground for children from Tordinci Elementary School, who currently have neither an indoor gymnasium nor an outdoor playground.

“The idea came about last summer while I was training on Korčula. Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic were there and we joked how we were missing a fourth player for a doubles match. I posted a photo on Instagram and invited Dejan Lovren and Sime Vrsaljko to join us,” Cilic said. “A flood of messages came from athletes and that is how the story began.”

Footballer Mario Mandzukic and his doubles partner, 14-year-old Croatian junior player Patrik Jurina, beat Cilic and footballer Luka Modric in the final, which was live streamed by a Croatian national television network.

Djokovic Earns Lifetime Fan In Cancer Survivor In Cincinnati
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic won his third-round match at the Western & Southern Open before striking a single ball.

Djokovic held a boy named Joel’s hand walking onto the court. And before the usual pre-match meeting with the chair umpire, the top seed invited Joel to sit on his bench, and even opened up a water bottle for him. According to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center’s social media pages, Joel is a cancer survivor who was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma before he was born.

“I met him just before we walked onto the court. He was actually holding my hand, I was walking with him on the court and I actually heard after the first set the speaker said he survived a neuroblastoma cancer when he was a 10-day-old baby and he was wearing a shirt [that said], ‘I Am A Champion’,” Djokovic said on Friday after advancing to the semi-finals. “Those kinds of moments stay with him for a long time and I wanted to make him feel comfortable. I know what it means to him to be on the court and for me it was just a little bit of attention and a gesture to make him feel good.”

Tennis Stars Pitch In At Nowitzki’s Charity Event
Superstars from all over the sports world came together in Dallas, Texas in September at the Southern Methodist University tennis complex for the fourth annual Dirk Nowitzki Pro Celebrity Tennis Classic to raise money for the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation, which awards grants annually to organisations focusing on children’s wellbeing, health and education.

“We’re thrilled to do this event again and have the support of celebs who fly in from across the country,” Nowitzki said. “Tommy Haas actually took a redeye to be here. He landed at like 7am, so the support from everybody means the world and hopefully we can raise a lot of funds again for our project this upcoming year.”

John Isner was joined at the event by former World No. 2 Haas, former doubles World No. 1 Mark Knowles and American Mitchell Krueger.

The Rafa Nadal Foundation’s Study and Play Program Awards Grants Totalling More Than $100,000
The Rafa Nadal Foundation partnered with I-Con Sports to create its Study and Play program in 2015. And this year, they awarded grants worth $110,000 to 25 young Spanish athletes to aid in their pursuit of both high-level training and education at universities in the United States next year. year. Read More

The Rafa Nadal Foundation has donated more than 70 of these grants worth $345,000 since the program’s inception.

In 2019, the foundation created a center in Valencia, Spain, for children and teenagers who are in a vulnerable situation. The comprehensive program implemented in this center includes an educational and school support aspect as well as a sport one, where sports and games become instruments for social inclusion and the promotion of attitudes and values such as companionship, responsibility, effort, equality, and more. In an initial phase, the foundation assists 40 children from Natzaret, a district with one of the highest rates of persons at risk of social exclusion. This is the second Rafa Nadal Foundation Center, after the first one launched in 2014 in Mallorca.

Knowles, Blake, Haas, Roddick & Bob Bryan Support Hurricane Dorian Relief Efforts
Mark Knowles and fellow tennis pros raised more than US $100,000 for Hurricane Dorian recovery and relief in The Bahamas during the inaugural Baha Mar Cup this November. Tommy Haas, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Bob Bryan, Coco Gauff and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario joined in the fundraising efforts over the three-day event, held at the The Baha Mar Racquet Club.

“It has truly been an honor to be involved in this tournament, especially alongside fellow peers and close friends who answered my call when I asked them to participate and come down to The Bahamas,” said Knowles. “The Bahamas has always been my home and to play the sport I love in support of this beautiful country and my fellow Bahamians is extraordinary.”

Isner Launches The Isner Family Foundation
John Isner has openly spoken about his mother’s battle against cancer and how much that has affected his family. The American in November announced the launch of his Isner Family Foundation to provide support to hospitals in the Dallas-Forth Worth area, helping contribute towards others receiving world-class treatment to aid in their own battles.

“Cancer is something that affects a lot of people for those who get it, but it also affects their families. I think everyone knows someone who has been affected by cancer in a pretty negative way,” Isner told ATPTour.com. “But fortunately for our family, ours had a positive outcome. That’s what the foundation wants to touch on, to raise funds for incredible treatment, treatment like my mother got in North Carolina. It’s pediatric, but it’s not just pediatric care. Good, quality care in hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is what the foundation’s going to focus on.”

Nitto ATP Finals Competitor Ram Aces Kids’ Clinic In Indiana
Rajeev Ram held the third annual EntouRaj Kids’ Clinic on 23 November, doing his part to support high school players in his home state of Indiana. About 50 high school players went through various drills with local coaches — as well as Ram — at the West Indy Racquet Club.

“This is our third edition of the EntouRaj kids clinic and it went off amazingly well,” Ram said. “It’s so inspiring to see these kids bring their incredible enthusiasm and energy to the court. It shows how powerful tennis and sport in general can be.”

Bryan Brothers, Jack Nicklaus Help Raise $1.2 Million For Charity During ‘Fore Love’
Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan and golf legend Jack Nicklaus hosted the third annual “Fore Love” event in December in North Palm Beach and Jupiter, Florida, raising $1.2 million for the Bryan Bros. Foundation and the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation.

“Mike and I are are proud to have had another successful year with our Fore Love Tournament,” said Bob. “We owe so much to Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, the incredible lineup of golf and tennis pros, and the generous support of our donors. We had a great couple days competing at the Bear’s Club and Jack’s pristine grass courts. We are beyond grateful for the friendship of the Nicklaus family and the NCHCF. The proceeds from these events have and will continue to positively impact the lives of many children.”

Djokovic Launches Another Season Of Giving Campaign, To Match Donations
One year ago, the Novak Djokovic Foundation raised more than $100,000 during its Season of Giving campaign, allowing it to open two kindergartens in Serbia. And now, the World No. 2’s foundation is beginning another Season of Giving campaign, attempting to reach $100,000 again.

The goal of the campaign is to provide 200 children access to a quality preschool education by opening new kindergartens, and the Djokovic family is poised to match all donations for the second straight year.

Anderson Holds Third Charity Event, Wins 
Former World No. 5 Kevin Anderson hosted Courtside Cause — his third charity event — in December at the Boca Grove Golf & Tennis Club. The event benefitted First Serve, Dezzy’s Second Chance Animal Rescue and Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas Alliance, raising more than $90,000 for those charities.

Anderson also received the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award in the 2019 ATP Awards, joining the likes of Ashe, former South African President Nelson Mandela, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Andy Murray and 2018 recipient Tommy Robredo.

The ATP has announced the 2019 ATP Challenger Tournaments of the Year, with players voting for Puerto Vallarta (Mexico), Braunschweig (Germany), Heilbronn (Germany) and Szczecin (Poland) as their favourite stops.

The Challenger of the Year Awards recognise excellence in standards set across the global ATP Challenger Tour, comprising 158 tournaments staged in 39 countries and territories. From the cosy European clay-court confines of Braunschweig, Heilbronn and Szczecin to the sun-kissed beach paradise of Puerto Vallarta, all four are integral events on the circuit.

The Puerto Vallarta Open is fast becoming one of the top Challenger destinations, taking home the award in both of its first two editions. An oceanside oasis on the west coast of Mexico, the scenic setting has quickly become a favourite among players. The tournament burst onto the scene in 2018 and made even greater strides this year.

Once again, Germany is rising to the top of the ATP Challenger Tour, with Braunschweig and Heilbronn setting the standard. Braunschweig’s Sparkassen Open, which celebrated its 26th anniversary in July, was awarded with the top honour for the fifth time since 2014, when player voting began for the Challenger awards. The NECKARCUP in Heilbronn is honoured for the third straight season, following another impressive edition in western Germany.

The oldest of the four winners is the Pekao Szczecin Open in Szczecin, Poland. For 27 years, the tournament has welcomed tens of thousands of fans through its doors and provided players with a home away from home. After first receiving the award in 2016, the clay-court stop has been recognised once again.

ATP Challenger Tour Committee Co-Chairs, Alison Lee, ATP International Executive Vice President, and Ross Hutchins, Chief Player Officer, said: “These Challenger awards have significant meaning to promoters as they are a validation of their hard work and commitment to staging an excellent event. Players appreciate the way these tournaments are operated and how the event organisers try their utmost to ensure a fantastic player experience throughout the week. This year, there is a mix of four repeat winners, new and old. Braunschweig and Szczecin have both staged high-quality Challengers for more than 25 years, while Puerto Vallarta and Heilbronn are only a few years old, but have been committed to staging the best possible event from the very beginning.”

The ATP Challenger Tour is the launching pad for the stars of tomorrow. Players develop their skills and gain valuable experiences as they fight to take the next step on the ATP Tour. The circuit’s intimate settings provide a pressure-packed atmosphere for players to hone their craft. And for the fans, these tournaments are a unique opportunity to follow the career trajectory of a rising star from its infancy.

The Challenger circuit visits some of the most historic and scenic locales in the world. Look no further than Puerto Vallarta, Braunschweig, Heilbronn and Szczecin.

In Puerto Vallarta, it is tennis in paradise. For the second straight year, the Puerto Vallarta Open welcomed players under the radiant glow of the Mexican sun. With the Pacific Ocean glistening in the distance and the Sierra Madre mountains towering overhead, it provided the perfect setting for a tournament on the ATP Challenger Tour. Fans once again packed the Parque Parota for one big fiesta from first ball to last.

A sunset boat cruise with a live Mariachi band shuttled players around the Bahía de Banderas on the eve of the tournament. Later in the week, one of the city’s most popular dance clubs hosted a vibrant player party, providing an ideal escape for those looking to toss aside their racquets and take in the local culture.

Learn More About Puerto Vallarta

“We are honoured to have been given the Challenger Award for a second consecutive year and humbled by the support and trust bestowed on us,” said Tournament Director Javier Romero. “We are unequivocally committed to further improving our tournament in the world’s most beautiful beach resort.”

In Braunschweig, the Braunschweiger Tennis Club is steeped in history, having been founded in 1901 and partially rebuilt after the city was destroyed during World War II. More than two decades ago, the Sparkassen Open was founded with a small Centre Court and one catering tent. The main stadium has since been upgraded to hold a capacity crowd of 2,000 patrons, with a big stage for nightly concerts and over 50 concession tents for catering and exhibitions. It has boasted future Top 10 players Gaston Gaudio, Tomas Berdych and Alexander Zverev as its champions.

“Winning the ATP Challenger Award for the sixth time is fantastic and gives us new strength for the future,” said Tournament Director Volker Jaecke. “A very special thanks to the ATP and all players who have voted for the 2019 Sparkassen Open in Braunschweig.”

Learn More About Braunschweig

For three straight years, the NECKARCUP has represented the best of the ATP Challenger Tour. With the river Neckar curling around the downtown district and a vast expanse of vineyards dotting the surrounding region, Heilbronn’s tranquility provides players with a relaxed setting. Not only is the TC Heilbronn Trappensee the second-oldest tennis club in all of Germany, but it is also the third-oldest on the Challenger circuit today. The tournament has been fortunate to have a glittering list of champions, with four of the five winners going on to crack the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings.

“We are very pleased and appreciate that our long, hard work has been honoured by the ATP and the players,” said Tournament Directors Mine and Metehan Cebeci. “We are proud and happy to receive this award for the third time’ Although we do our very best, this is great motivation to work even harder.”

Tennis in Poland is enjoying a golden era on the ATP Challenger Tour, with tournaments in Szczecin and Poznan celebrating more than 25 years and former Top 10 doubles star Mariusz Fyrstenberg leading the charge in Sopot. The Challenger 125 event in Szczecin is the oldest and largest pro tournament in the country. Packed crowds are the norm in the Polish metropolis, with the locals contributing to the electric atmosphere. Former Top 10 stars Nikolay Davydenko, Nicolas Massu, Nicolas Lapentti and Richard Gasquet have lifted the trophy over the years.

“This is great news and an amazing Christmas gift for our team,” said Tournament Director Krzysztof Bobala. “We will continue to work even harder on next year’s event.”

Watch Szczecin Feature

While all four tournaments have their own unique identities that set them apart, they are similar in their passion for growing the game and devotion to creating a first-rate experience. It is a show from start to finish, both on and off the court. In addition to the world-class tennis between the lines, all successful events cultivate a vibrant culture for the players and fans. The quartet have set the bar in that respect. Their social scenes, which include concerts and other performances, as well as sponsor villages and exhibitions, contribute to the soul of the tournaments.

All winners will be presented with their awards in ceremonies during their tournaments. Puerto Vallarta is first up in late April, followed by Heilbronn two weeks later. Braunschweig takes centre stage in early July and it all culminates in Szczecin in September.