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.

The ATP has announced prize money levels for the 2020 ATP Tour season as well as the release of its 2021 ATP Tour calendar.

The 2020 season will see player compensation on the ATP Tour hit US$ 158.7 million, an increase of 13% on 2019*. The season will kick off on 3 January with the inaugural ATP Cup, taking place across Brisbane, Perth and Sydney. The new 24-country season launch event will offer prize money of US$ 15 million, becoming the biggest prize money ATP event on the calendar.

The ATP has also released its 2021 calendar, comprising 64 ATP tournaments in 30 countries, in addition to the four Grand Slams and the Davis Cup. The 2021 ATP season will launch on 1 January with the ATP Cup and will culminate in November with the first edition of the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, where the season finale will be hosted through to 2025.

The 2021 calendar provides a continuation of the existing tournament structure and schedule, including nine leading ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, 13 ATP 500 events, 38 ATP 250 tournaments, as well as the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan and the Laver Cup.

The ATP Tour has attracted record audiences on site, on television and online in recent years, with a record 4.82 million fans attending tournaments in 2019.

The 2020 and 2021 ATP Tour calendars can be viewed here.

* Calculation based on Euro to US Dollar exchange rate of 1.15 for 2019, and 1.10 for 2020.

Ready for the new season? Brush up on your tennis knowledge and get information about the year ahead with your own copy of the 2020 ATP Tour Media Guide.

Now available for purchase at Tennis Warehouse, the combo ATP Tour / WTA Tour Media Guide includes tournament information, player profiles, statistics, historical data and more.  

Buy Media Guide 

The 2020 ATP Tour season gets underway on 3 January with the inaugural ATP Cup, featuring 24 countries competing across Brisbane, Perth and Sydney over 10 days. 

Continuing ATPTour.com’s Best of 2019 series, we look at some of the most noteworthy stats from the season, and how they contributed to how the year played out. 

Singles Title Leaders In 2019
There was no runaway leader for most singles titles in 2019, with Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem each lifting five trophies. In Dubai, Roger Federer, who claimed four titles on the season, became the second player to crack the 100-title mark, and he is now within six triumphs of Jimmy Connors’ record 109 tour-level trophies.

Most Singles Finals In 2019
One of the most impressive runs of 2019 came when Daniil Medvedev reached the final of six straight tour-level events he played in, a stretch that included his first ATP Masters 1000 final (Montreal), Masters 1000 title (Cincinnati) and Grand Slam final (US Open).

Doubles Title Leaders
Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah followed up their breakthrough campaign in 2018 by finishing year-end No. 1 in 2019, winning five tour-level titles together along the way.

Players who were trying to win their first ATP Tour title went 15-22 in finals in 2019. The 15 champions is the most first-time winners in a season since 1999 when there were 16 (13-20 in 2018 finals). This year’s first-time titlists were Alex de Minaur (Sydney), Tennys Sandgren (Auckland), Juan Ignacio Londero (Cordoba), Reilly Opelka (New York), Laslo Djere (Rio de Janeiro), Radu Albot (Delray Beach), Guido Pella (Sao Paulo), Cristian Garin (Houston), Adrian Mannarino (‘s-Hertogenbosch), Taylor Fritz (Eastbourne), Lorenzo Sonego (Antalya), Nicolas Jarry (Bastad), Dusan Lajovic (Umag), Hubert Hurkacz (Winston-Salem) and Denis Shapovalov (Stockholm).

Youngest Champions

Youngest Finals 
Stuttgart: Matteo Berrettini (23) d. Felix Auger-Aliassime (18)
Atlanta: Alex de Minaur (20) d. Taylor Fritz (21)
Rio de Janeiro: Laslo Djere (23) d. Felix Auger-Aliassime (18)

Oldest Champions

Oldest Finals
Pune: Kevin Anderson (32) d. Ivo Karlovic (39)
London/Queen’s Club: Feliciano Lopez (37) d. Gilles Simon (34)
Miami: Roger Federer (37) d. John Isner (33)

Lowest-Ranked Champions
One of the most memorable moments of the season came in October at the European Open, where Andy Murray won his first ATP Tour singles title since February 2017. The Scot emerged victorious from a captivating three-set final against former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka, who was seeking his first crown since May 2017.

Finals Between Top 10 Players: 12
Finals Between Top 5 Players: 5
Titles Won Without Losing A Set: 18
Champions Who Saved Match Point During Tournament: 10

Titlists Who Saved Championship Point

Longest Best-of-Three Match: Lorenzo Sonego def. Federico Delbonis, Kitzbühel R1, 3:36
Longest Final: Radu Albot def. Daniel Evans 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(7), Delray Beach, 2:51
Shortest Final: Taylor Fritz def. Sam Querrey 6-3, 6-4, Eastbourne, 1:01

Repeat Champions

Most Titles By Country
Spaniards led the way in the titles department, lifting eight trophies this season. There were three all-countrymen finals in 2019, taking place in Cordoba (Argentines), Montpellier (Frenchmen) and Eastbourne (Americans).

Most Wins Against The Top 10: Dominic Thiem, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas (9)
Most Decisive-Set Wins: Guido Pella, Borna Coric (17)
Most Wins After Losing First Set: Borna Coric (13)
Most Fifth-Set Wins: 5 (Kei Nishikori, Alexander Zverev 

Longest Winning Streaks

Biggest ATP Rankings Risers Into Top 100
This season, the two biggest risers in the ATP Rankings came from two opposite experience levels. Jannik Sinner, who turned 18 on 16 August, had never played a tour-level match before 2019. But he won 11 matches, including a season-ending triumph at the Next Gen ATP Finals. The youngest player in the Top 100 is up to a career-high World No. 78, one of eight Italians inside the Top 100.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has climbed as high as World No. 5, but he began this year at No. 259 due to a left knee injury that kept him out for seven months. The Frenchman bounced back, winning titles in Montpellier and Metz this year to finish the season at No. 29.

Did You Know?

The childhood bond between Dennis Novak and Dominic Thiem has taken them from junior tournaments in Austria to representing their country at the inaugural ATP Cup. But their close friendship wasn’t always seamless. When the pair first became acquainted, their relationship got off to a rocky start.

“When we were 11 or 12 and I didn’t know him very well, I thought he was really arrogant,” Novak said with a smile. “He won almost every single Austrian under-10, under-12 tournament. He was the clear No. 1. I didn’t think he was very sympathetic.”

Novak’s frosty feelings likely didn’t change after Thiem “kicked my [butt]” in their first match at an under-14 tournament. But the armor came down when Novak moved to Vienna at age 14 to train at Gunter Bresnik’s tennis academy, where Thiem had already spent years under Bresnik’s tutelage.

“After we played and spent a lot of time together, I realised that I saw it from the wrong position,” Novak said. “He’s so down to earth and really nice.”

Novak began training with Dominic’s father, Wolfgang, a longtime coach at the academy who has remained part of his team. The two juniors had only exchanged pleasantries during tournaments, but quickly became inseparable. They attended classes together in school, shared the same facilities for their practise sessions and spent much of their free time together. 

“At the beginning, we were almost like the same personality. We were thinking the same way and became really good friends right away,” Novak said. “We were together almost every week until we were 18 or 19, playing junior tournaments and then practising together at the same academy. We were together all the time on the court and in school. We would hang out together when we had time as well.”

Both players turned pro in 2011 and began working their way up the ATP Rankings. The pair even teamed up on home soil at 2016 Kitzbühel and delighted the crowd by advancing to their first ATP Tour doubles final.

But while Thiem cracked the Top 50 just three years after turning pro, Novak’s rise has been a slower burn. The 26-year-old currently sits at No. 109 and has minimal points to defend in the first three months of next year, putting him in prime position to crack the Top 100 for the first time.

Even though Thiem is now part of the highest echelon in the sport, he hasn’t forgotten about his friend. The pair still keep in close contact and spend time together when they’re at the same tournaments. Thiem even sat in the stands to cheer Novak on during his second-round qualifying win this year at Wimbledon.

“It’s unbelievable. He’s No. 4 in the world… It’s not usual for a guy like this to go to Roehampton and watch some players,” Novak said. “He has no reason to do that because he has a lot of stuff to do before Wimbledon, so it was very nice of him. It shows that he means it in a good way.”

Novak and Thiem will now get to join forces as they face Croatia, Argentina and Poland in Group E action in Sydney. Although Thiem is Austria’s only Top 100 singles player, he’s confident that Novak can take out higher-ranked opponents in their group.

“Dennis is a great player,” Thiem said. “If he’s on fire, he can play way better than his ATP Ranking and he can beat anybody.”

Novak demonstrated last year that he can punch above his weight by scoring his first Top 20 win against Lucas Pouille at Wimbledon. The Austrian also has a proven track record of raising his level in team competitions. With plenty of support from Team Austria in his corner, he’s eager to kick off next season on a strong note.

“I like to be on a team more than on my own,” Novak said. “These are all good matches for me at the beginning of the year, to play Top 30 and Top 40 guys. I think it helps me a lot because I’ve played people at that level before, so it’s nothing new for me, but it will be a different atmosphere being on a team.”

Rafael Nadal entered this decade as one of the best players in the Open Era, but the current No. 1 in the ATP Rankings is now considered one of the greatest of all-time after a whirlwind of unforgettable moments over the past 10 years.

The Spaniard continued his dominance on clay and established clay-court records in the 2010s that may never be broken. Nadal’s jaw-dropping accomplishments include 34 tour-level titles on clay, including eight Roland Garros crowns and 15 ATP Masters 1000 trophies.

In 2010, he became the first player to complete a clay sweep by winning all three clay-court Masters 1000 events (Monte-Carlo, Rome and Madrid) and Roland Garros in the same year. Nadal closed this decade with a 255-23 (91.7%) record on clay and lifted the trophy in 34 of his 58 (58.6%) events on the surface.

But Nadal’s success is hardly limited to one surface. In addition to a 2010 Wimbledon crown, he’s also the most successful player of the decade at the US Open with four titles (2010, 2013, 2017, 2019). The Spaniard’s maiden victory in New York made him the first man to win Grand Slam crowns on clay, grass and hard courts in the same year.

“My goal all my life is the same: to keep improving and feel myself playing better next year than what I felt this year,” Nadal said after his first triumph in New York. “Being a better player doesn’t mean you’re going to win more than you did because winning or losing is part of the moment and part of the confidence.”

The Spaniard’s tireless desire to improve is reflected in how his game has evolved. His backhand was once vulnerable to strong attacks, but is now just as potent as his forehand. With the help of former World No. 1 Carlos Moya, who Nadal brought on as a coach at the end of 2016, he started finishing points off at the net more frequently. A new service motion established this past off-season resulted in Nadal winning more second-serve points (59.6%) than anyone on Tour this year.

Fans have been equally impressed by his continued resilience in bouncing back from difficult moments. Knee tendonitis shut down his 2012 season after Wimbledon and a myriad of physical issues limited him to three events in the last five months of the 2014 season. Nadal only played five tournaments in the second half of 2016 due to an ongoing left wrist injury, while right knee and abdominal injuries curtailed his 2018 campaign after the US Open.

The Spaniard remained unflappably positive and picked up 48 tour-level titles throughout the decade, cementing his reputation as an expert in the art of the comeback. Instead of focussing on critics who questioned if his body could withstand his physical playing style, Nadal brought himself back to the winners’ circle time and again through hard work and mental toughness.

“You work mentally when you go on court every day and you don’t complain when you play bad, when you have problems, when you have pains,” Nadal said this year in Rome. “You put [on] the right attitude, the right face, you are not negative about all the issues that happen… That’s why I had the chance to always be back.”

Nadal will be rewarded for his perseverance by kicking off the new decade as World No. 1. At age 33, the Spaniard shows no signs of slowing down. If he maintains his current form, he’ll only add to his legacy in the coming years.

Players Of The Decade
Novak Djokovic
Roger Federer
Andy Murray
Rafael Nadal
Stan Wawrinka (Friday)

Australia will participate in the inaugural ATP Cup in 2020, receiving a wild card into the 24-country event. One of the two players who has committed to participate is #NextGenATP Australian star Alex de Minaur, who won his first ATP Tour title earlier this year at home in Sydney, where he was born.

De Minaur has reached his first tour-level quarter-final, semi-final, championship match as well as earned his maiden trophy in Australia. The 20-year-old greatly enjoys competing at home, and De Minaur spoke to ATPCup.com about his expectations for the new event, what it means to represent his country and more.

What are some of your first tennis memories from Australia?
I started hitting tennis balls when I was four years old and got signed up to a little tennis centre with three or four synthetic grass courts at the time in Carrs Park, in Sydney. That’s where it all started for me.

Do you have any memory in particular from when you first visited that centre?
I just loved going to practice. My parents originally signed me up to see how I would like it and from then on I just wanted to come back and play more and more.

You’ve spoken about watching guys like Lleyton Hewitt from your country growing up and how important that was to you. Were there any matches that stick out in your mind and why?
I remember watching a lot of matches, especially Lleyton growing up. He had a lot of epic matches and I used to stay up and watch. He had that late one at the Aussie Open against Baghdatis that finished at like 4am. It was pretty cool because then I get to ask him about how he felt the next day and all the behind the scenes stuff. 

Has he told you anything that caught your attention from that match?
Yeah of course. A couple things here and there. It’s pretty funny. He told me that he went and had McDonald’s afterwards, so there’ve been some pretty funny stories.

One of the interesting things for you is that this team competition will actually be a home event for you. So how special will it be to not just represent your country, but to do it at home?
It’s going to be really cool. I can’t wait. I love playing at home and I think in team competition you can feel the support even more. It’s exciting times and I know at least for the time being, me and Nick, we’re really pumped to play at home.

Have you spoken to Nick about the ATP Cup yet?
Sure. We’ve been speaking about it for a while now. We both can’t wait for the moment to come so we can be side by side and represent Australia in the ATP Cup. I think we’ve got a good team and we’re pumped.

We don’t have the teams finalised yet, but out of all the Aussie guys, if you could take one shot from all of the Aussie guys, what would it be and why?
Serve I would take Nick’s. Forehand I would take Popyrin’s. Backhand I would take John Millman’s. Volleys I would take Jordan Thompson or John Peers. They both have great volleys.

It’s no secret that a lot of the Aussie guys spend a lot of time together on the ATP Tour? What are some of the funniest memories you have from your time together?
A lot happens behind closed doors, so probably should not mention them. But all I can say is it’s great to have them and every tournament where we’re in the same week together, we try to hang out together. The chemistry between us all is great. We all want the best for each other. Honestly, we would do anything for each other.

What are three things you love most about Australia?
I love the Aussie crowd. I love the beaches in Sydney. I love the food as well. There’s such a variety. I love a good Chicken Parmi at the pub. That’s probably my favourite meal.

When you’re on the road, what reminds you of Australia?
I feel like everyone is so nice. Just the way they speak, how you doin mate, good on ya mate. It just feels like everyone is close and I love that about Australia. It just reminds me of being close with everyone.