For Dominic Thiem, the title clash at this year’s Nitto ATP Finals could be a preview of what’s in store for next season.

The Austrian narrowly fell to Tsitsipas in a third-set tie-break, with the Greek completing his transformation from Thiem’s London hitting partner three years ago to his conqueror on Sunday. Both men delivered a gripping match in what has quickly emerged as one of the most compelling rivalries on the ATP Tour.

Thiem now leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 4-3, with all of their meetings taking place in the past two seasons. Neither player has asserted dominance in the rivalry, giving him confidence that he’ll turn the tables in the near future.

“He played great today. He played great throughout the whole tournament. He’s the champion and he deserves it 100 per cent,” Thiem said. “I also think that he’s great for tennis because he has a very attractive game style, one-handed backhand, comes in a lot. Very beautiful technique, as well. It’s great that he’s up on the top and he’s going to fight for the big titles in the future.

“I’m also very sure of the fact that I can challenge him in every single match we’re going to play. I really hope that we’re going to have a lot of big matches coming [between] the two of us.”

Head up, Domi ❤️

You’ve had an unforgettable year ?#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/zcKDhslGmy

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 17, 2019

Thiem isn’t ruling out one of those big matches taking place in a Grand Slam final. With Thiem defeating Djokovic on Tuesday and Tsitsipas eliminating Federer in Saturday’s semi-finals, they both proved once again that they can upset the Big Three when they’re playing at their best. Having faced off in last month’s Beijing final and then raised the stakes with a title match at The O2, a championship clash in a Grand Slam would be the next logical step in their rivalry.

But it’s not just Thiem and Tsitsipas who have emerged as threats to the Big Three. With half of the Top 8 comprised of players ages 26 and under, the Austrian believes it’s only a matter of time before a new Grand Slam champion emerges.

“I think that for sure we can do it next year,” Thiem said. “We are all playing great tennis. Sascha, Stefanos, me, some other guys. I’m pretty sure that we’re going to see a new and young Grand Slam champion next year.”

Thiem has always excelled on clay, but his success on faster surfaces this year showed that he’ll be a threat anywhere he plays. He’s won 16 of his past 20 hard-court matches, including titles in Beijing (d. Tsitsipas) and on home soil in Vienna (d. Schwartzman). Although he scored his first ATP Masters 1000 title this March on the hard courts of Indian Wells (d. Federer), the Austrian felt his recent run of form is even more telling of his progress.

”Since the US Open, I’m super happy [with] how my game developed. Indian Wells, honestly, it’s a very slow hard court. It suits my game because it’s almost like a clay court,” Thiem said. “But here or in Vienna, Beijing, Shanghai, where I played really great tennis, they were surfaces where I was struggling big time in the past.

”Especially playing here in the final of [London] is an amazing result for me. Even though it’s a big and tough loss today, I still have in my head that I developed my game very good since a few months [ago].”

His current form isn’t the only thing that has helped him gain confidence. Thiem admitted struggling with illness at the start of the week and doubted if he could play at his best. But after producing four big wins at The O2, he said that discovering his ability to play through pain will remain with him for the rest of his career.

“I woke up on Tuesday morning feeling like crap and thinking about the worst stuff because I was feeling really sick. And then on Tuesday [night], I played this legendary match against Novak Djokovic and I got way better again with my body,” Thiem said. “That’s a big thing I’m taking away. Even in very tough situations, I can still play great tennis. It’s an amazing result for me, indoors, one of the fastest hard courts all year. I’m taking away a lot.”

For Dominic Thiem, the title clash at this year’s Nitto ATP Finals could be a preview of what’s in store for next season.

The Austrian narrowly fell to Tsitsipas in a third-set tie-break, with the Greek completing his transformation from Thiem’s London hitting partner three years ago to his conqueror on Sunday. Both men delivered a gripping match in what has quickly emerged as one of the most compelling rivalries on the ATP Tour.

Thiem now leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 4-3, with all of their meetings taking place in the past two seasons. Neither player has asserted dominance in the rivalry, giving him confidence that he’ll turn the tables in the near future.

“He played great today. He played great throughout the whole tournament. He’s the champion and he deserves it 100 per cent,” Thiem said. “I also think that he’s great for tennis because he has a very attractive game style, one-handed backhand, comes in a lot. Very beautiful technique, as well. It’s great that he’s up on the top and he’s going to fight for the big titles in the future.

“I’m also very sure of the fact that I can challenge him in every single match we’re going to play. I really hope that we’re going to have a lot of big matches coming [between] the two of us.”

Head up, Domi ❤️

You’ve had an unforgettable year ?#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/zcKDhslGmy

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 17, 2019

Thiem isn’t ruling out one of those big matches taking place in a Grand Slam final. With Thiem defeating Djokovic on Tuesday and Tsitsipas eliminating Federer in Saturday’s semi-finals, they both proved once again that they can upset the Big Three when they’re playing at their best. Having faced off in last month’s Beijing final and then raised the stakes with a title match at The O2, a championship clash in a Grand Slam would be the next logical step in their rivalry.

But it’s not just Thiem and Tsitsipas who have emerged as threats to the Big Three. With half of the Top 8 comprised of players ages 26 and under, the Austrian believes it’s only a matter of time before a new Grand Slam champion emerges.

“I think that for sure we can do it next year,” Thiem said. “We are all playing great tennis. Sascha, Stefanos, me, some other guys. I’m pretty sure that we’re going to see a new and young Grand Slam champion next year.”

Thiem has always excelled on clay, but his success on faster surfaces this year showed that he’ll be a threat anywhere he plays. He’s won 16 of his past 20 hard-court matches, including titles in Beijing (d. Tsitsipas) and on home soil in Vienna (d. Schwartzman). Although he scored his first ATP Masters 1000 title this March on the hard courts of Indian Wells (d. Federer), the Austrian felt his recent run of form is even more telling of his progress.

”Since the US Open, I’m super happy [with] how my game developed. Indian Wells, honestly, it’s a very slow hard court. It suits my game because it’s almost like a clay court,” Thiem said. “But here or in Vienna, Beijing, Shanghai, where I played really great tennis, they were surfaces where I was struggling big time in the past.

”Especially playing here in the final of [London] is an amazing result for me. Even though it’s a big and tough loss today, I still have in my head that I developed my game very good since a few months [ago].”

His current form isn’t the only thing that has helped him gain confidence. Thiem admitted struggling with illness at the start of the week and doubted if he could play at his best. But after producing four big wins at The O2, he said that discovering his ability to play through pain will remain with him for the rest of his career.

“I woke up on Tuesday morning feeling like crap and thinking about the worst stuff because I was feeling really sick. And then on Tuesday [night], I played this legendary match against Novak Djokovic and I got way better again with my body,” Thiem said. “That’s a big thing I’m taking away. Even in very tough situations, I can still play great tennis. It’s an amazing result for me, indoors, one of the fastest hard courts all year. I’m taking away a lot.”

Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas are contesting the first set of the title match at the Nitto ATP Finals on Sunday evening.

Tsitsipas came close to the first breakthrough, but Thiem came up with a powerful backhand at 1-2, 30/40. As rallies began to get drawn out, Thiem began to make inroads, but Tsitsipas – who saved 11 of 12 break points in his semi-final win over Roger Federer on Saturday – held firm in the seventh game, saving two break points with gutsy net play for a 4-3 advantage.

The 21-year-old Tsitsipas is the youngest tournament finalist since Juan Martin del Potro (21) in 2009 (l. to Davydenko) and the youngest player to make his debut and reach the final since Jim Courier (21) in 1991 (l. to Sampras). Thiem is guaranteed to finish a year-end best No. 4 in the ATP Rankings.

Infosys ATP Scores & Stats Comparison (Bold=Tournament Leader)

After squandering a championship point in last year’s Nitto ATP Finals, the pure joy on the faces of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut was palpable as they walked off centre court at The O2 as champions in London.

Friends and family gathered in the locker room and waited for the Frenchmen to arrive. The vast entourage surpassed the number of champagne glasses available for everyone. When Herbert and Mahut entered, the group cheered in unison as the champions raised their fists in triumph.

Mahut leapt into the arms of his coach and Herbert kissed his fiancée, Julia. The champagne flowed freely as they gave toasts thanking their loved one for supporting them throughout the year, with each speech earning a rousing reception. Having suffered painful defeats in each of their past three appearances at The O2, they were eager to make the most of their celebration.

“We’ve been through a lot of emotions on this court. The first three years were catastrophic,” said Herbert. “Last year, one point was missing. Now we’ve managed to win it, so it’s just amazing.”

Prevailing at the season finale was particularly meaningful because it wasn’t a guarantee that the Frenchmen would be back. After winning the Australian Open in January (d. Kontinen/Peers) and becoming the eighth men’s doubles team to complete the career Grand Slam, Herbert shifted his focus to singles. They only teamed up five more times leading into the Rolex Paris Masters in October, posting a 4-5 record.

But after Roland Garros champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies clinched their spot in the season-ending championships, Herbert and Mahut qualified in accordance to the Grand Slam rule. Buoyed by earning their fifth successive appearance at The O2, the Frenchmen found their groove and took the title in Paris without dropping a set (d. Khachanov/Rublev).

They matched that effort in London by winning another five matches without dropping a set, becoming the first team to achieve the feat since Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau in 2015.

“It’s an amazing feeling. Last year was a little bit painful,” Mahut admitted. “The first goal was to qualify and the second goal was to go through to the end. We played an amazing week and the final was our best match.

”It’s a privilege. We had a tough year, but we came back stronger, so it’s a nice way to finish the season.”

Herbert vowed that their end-of-season reunion wasn’t a mere nostalgia moment. The Frenchmen will team up again next season and already have an eye on defending their title at The O2.

“We’re going to play, for sure!” Herbert said. “We’re going to try to be as competitive as we were this week. That’s the goal.”

One year ago, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut came within one point of lifting the Nitto ATP Finals trophy for the first time. When presented with a second chance on Sunday, the Frenchmen finally claimed the crown at The O2 with a 6-3, 6-4 victory against Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus.

“It is pretty special [to win this trophy]. Maybe, for doubles, it is one of the toughest tournaments to win,” said Herbert. “After our story in London — we had three really tough years and last year we had a match point in the final — being able to win here is an amazing feeling.”

The seventh seeds notched their ninth straight victory to lift the trophy after 70 minutes, saving all four break points they faced. Mahut and Herbert have won all 18 sets they have contested since arriving at the Rolex Paris Masters last month. The career Grand Slam winners are the first team to lift the trophy at The O2 without dropping a set since Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau in 2015.

“We had a great week in Bercy and we really played well in the group stage,” said Mahut. “The final was maybe the best match we played during the week. It is fantastic to finish with this high-quality tennis.”

2018: ?
2019: ?
@p2hugz & @nmahut have won the #NittoATPFinals without dropping a set!

?: @TennisTV pic.twitter.com/ANrwxqG2un

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 17, 2019

Herbert and Mahut become the first French team to capture the season-ending crown since Michael Llodra and Fabrice Santoro, who triumphed in 2005 in Shanghai. This is their 15th tour-level trophy as a team, adding to 2019 crowns at the Australian Open and Rolex Paris Masters. With their Australian Open trophy in January, Herbert and Mahut became only the eighth men’s doubles team to complete the career Grand Slam.

“Thank you for sharing the court with me, for having so much enjoyable moments and giving me so much joy when I am with you on the court,” said Herbert, on playing with Mahut. “You played an unbelievable final, so thank you for that.”

With their 10th victory in 18 matches at this event, Herbert and Mahut improve to 19-5 this season. The Frenchmen collect 1,500 ATP Doubles Rankings points for their unbeaten title run in London and share $533,000 in prize money.

The Frenchmen broke for a 3-1 lead in the first set, as Herbert attacked Klaasen with a series of low backhands to extract errors from the 37-year-old. The seventh seeds maintained their advantage through to 5-3, when Herbert fired an ace out wide to clinch the opener after 33 minutes.

After Mahut saved break point at 2-3 in the second set with a powerful body serve, the Frenchmen made their move in the following game. In the first two points, both players fired return winners before Klaasen double-faulted to concede the break. Mahut used a familiar serving tactic on championship point, firing into the body of Venus to clinch the title.

“Thank you Julia for saying yes!” ?@p2hugz announces on court he and his girlfriend Julia will be getting married ❤

?: @TennisTV #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/WuaCCLlPOm

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 17, 2019

Two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion Max Mirnyi carried the trophy on court for the doubles trophy presentation ceremony. The Belarusian had the honour, alongside Jonas Bjorkman, of having one of two round-robin groups named after him at this year’s event. Mirnyi was joined on court by ATP Executive Chairman and President Chris Kermode, Nitto ATP Finals Event Director Adam Hogg, AEG Europe President and CEO Alex Hill and Nitto President, CEO and COO Hideo Takasaki.

“We won the Max Mirnyi group and today we won the final in front of you, Max, so it is a priviledge,” said Mahut. “You are such a legend and we are really happy to win in front of you. Thank you, Max, for coming.”

After saving two match points in their semi-final win against Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, Klaasen and Venus were attempting to capture their third title of the year. The fifth seeds lifted ATP 500 trophies in Halle and Washington, D.C and also reached finals in Auckland and Rome. Klaasen and Venus leave London with 800 ATP Doubles Rankings points and will split $289,000.

Ridiculous angle from Michael Venus ?

Watch finals day at the #NittoATPFinals on @TennisTV. pic.twitter.com/3x2XPczoz8

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 17, 2019