Former World No. 2 Tommy Haas recently won his first ATP Champions Tour events at the Legends Cup in Mallorca. Now, the German, who also serves as Tournament Director at the BNP Paribas Open, heads to Great Britain for Champions Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall, seeking another trophy. Haas spoke to ATPWorldTour.com in the lead-up to the tournament:

How excited are you to be heading to Great Britain for Champions Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall?
I’m very excited. I’ve heard a lot of great things about the event and obviously about the Royal Albert Hall. My former colleagues that have played there many times already have said that it’s as good of a venue you can get. Seeing the pictures, it looks amazing… I’m very much looking forward to going out and competing at as high of a level as I can. I know London during Christmas time will be a treat for me, so overall just very much looking forward to it.

Given you haven’t been retired for very long and you are still involved in tennis in various capacities, how excited do you still get to go out there and compete with the rest of the ATP Champions Tour players?
For sure, I do. I’m playing my first match against Xavier Malisse. I’ve known Xavier for many, many years. We practised a lot together in the past at the IMG Academy, we go way back and it’s obviously always nice to see other familiar faces. Whether it’s Juan Carlos Ferrero, Mark Philippoussis, Goran Ivanisevic, John McEnroe, who I practise with sometimes in Malibu, California, it’s always good to be around the tennis guys and catch up and see how everyone’s doing, and meanwhile have the excuse to try to stay in shape and go out there and play something you’re very, very passionate about and have done all your life. It’s something we will always know how to do best at the end of the day and we can go out there and play in front of people who appreciate the game and appreciate us, support us by coming to these events. It’s great for us, and I do enjoy it.

When you’re out there competing against some of your contemporaries who you’ve played on the world’s biggest stages, are there moments where you hit a shot and think, ‘Hey, I’ve still got it’?
Absolutely. I played at the ATP Champions Tour event in Mallorca where I played against all the great Spanish players from the past and when you’re playing on the third or fourth day, you’re kind of grinding. There are moments when I said, ‘Wow, I feel like I’m getting back to that level where I feel very confident and the mind and the racquet, what I’m trying to do, I’m actually doing it’, which is great. Then there are times when you play and you want to play at a certain level and maybe you haven’t played that much tennis before it or maybe you haven’t done that much physical activity, and all of a sudden you’re just a half a step or a step too slow and the ball’s not going where you normally want and it’s frustrating. The ups and downs are still there, I don’t think that will ever change.

If I’m looking at somebody who I obviously admire like John McEnroe, he’s 59 years old, but he’s obviously the best player of his age in the world by far. He’s still out there competing and he wants to play games and points. And it’s fun, that will always be the same for me. As long as my body allows me to stay active, I’m definitely going to try to play this game as long as I can. There’s absolutely nothing I enjoy doing more.

Off the court, you have a big responsibility at the BNP Paribas Open as Tournament Director. How has that experience been for you and how excited are you for the event to come around in a few months?
It’s absolutely great. Always a lot of talks and discussions and meetings about what we can do better every year, what we can improve on. It’s such an amazing team. I’m so happy to be a small piece of the team and help out and give my input and have the relationships with the players and help with the fans, the sponsors and add value to the event, which I think I do, and just keep learning more and more about it. We’re trying to keep raising the bar at this amazing Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells. It’s a two-hour drive from Los Angeles, so it’s a very convenient situation. I can’t wait… Hopefully everybody is healthy to come join us and it’s great.

Has there been anything that has surprised you in your role as Tournament Director?
You see a lot of things now from the other point of view. When you’re a tennis player and you’re on Tour, you make the decisions, you’re your own boss and everything ultimately comes down to your decisions, your dedication and you become very selfish. It all surrounds what you need and what you want. Now all of a sudden it’s more about what do the players want and need or what can I do to make sure the players feel better. It’s about the fans, what we can do to make it better for the sponsors, so it’s an all-around experience for everyone. The selfishness goes completely out the door. It’s not really about me at all anymore, which is great and I don’t need that anyway, but it’s all about everybody else and a team effort, which I love. We’ve got an amazing team of people there that have been there for such a long time, and we’re all in to make the event better and obviously with our boss — Mr. Larry Ellison, who is a great person to have in the sport of tennis and give his love to the game to everyone and complete his vision that he has for the event — it’s great to be a part of.

From a third perspective, you’ve also spent some time coaching Lucas Pouille. How has that experience been?
I didn’t think I was going to get into coaching that quickly. But when somebody asks you for your advice, maybe for a little bit of your help, you try to make everything possible. Also one of my most important jobs is trying to be a good dad to my two beautiful girls, so I don’t want to be gone for too long. I can’t do these things full-time. Meanwhile I try to do my best to keep motivating and inspiring Lucas. He’s had a couple of ups and downs this year and he’s in a phase where he has to figure out what he wants to accomplish next and with who and how. It was also nice to see the other side and what a coach has to go through, trying to keep a player in a good mood and motivated and making sure he puts in all his work and it’s very interesting. I did enjoy that. We’ll see if we continue next year or not, but it’s one of those things where the player has to figure out a lot of things as well and surround himself with the people who he thinks can ultimately help him to reach his goals. It was a great experience.

Were there any lessons in particular you tried to instill in him?
I think just constantly trying to stay motivated, keeping it fun, trying to find the right balance between hard work and being relaxed and just sharp when it comes down to playing the matches. Obviously there are always things you can work on tactically and technically, as well. And that takes time. Unfortunately you need more time sometimes to make some changes and I didn’t really have that much, but he has a good time with a lot of other coaches and physios and fitness coaches, so everything is there, really. If you want to be a permanent Top 10 player, reach the Top 5 or become a Grand Slam champion, it takes a lot. It’s basically breathing tennis all the time from the morning until the evening. The player has to ultimately be ready to do that and I think Lucas has a lot of potential. I really like his game a lot. He’s a great athlete. He’s got a lot of potential to do well in the years to come, so we’ll see if we continue or I keep helping him out a few weeks here or there, but again it was a good experience for me. I really enjoyed it and I probably should have done it a little bit earlier to see what a coach goes through from the outside, but it was fun.

George H.W. Bush, the 41^st president of the United States, has been remembered for his character, his love of family and his work in office.

But Bush, who died on Friday night, was also a passionate tennis fan. The former Houston resident attended the 2003 and 2004 Nitto ATP Finals when they were held in southeast Texas. Bush even hosted a party for players at his home.

Over the years, Bush, who loved to play the sport as well, also attended the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, first at Westside Tennis and Fitness, its former home, and then at the River Oaks Country Club, where the tournament is now held every April.

Bush enjoyed a long career in public service, including serving as United States vice president during Ronald Reagan’s two presidential terms and as United States president from 1989-1993. Bush died at his home in Houston after a lengthy fight with Parkinson’s disease. He was 94.

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPWorldTour.com looks at the key milestones that were reached in 2018.

Novak Completes Career Golden Masters
Five times, Novak Djokovic had fallen short in the championship match of the Western & Southern Open. But on 19 August, when Djokovic stepped on centre court at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Cincinnati, there was nothing that could prevent him from making history. By defeating Roger Federer 6-4, 6-4 to claim his first trophy at the event, Djokovic became the first singles player to win all nine ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events. He sits second all-time with 32 Masters 1000 titles, trailing only Rafael Nadal (33).

Isner’s 10,000th Ace
John Isner struck his historic 10,000th ace in the fourth game of the deciding set in his quarter-final in Houston against compatriot Steve Johnson. The American became just the fourth player to join the elite group, which includes Ivo Karlovic, Roger Federer and Goran Ivanisevic. He has since leapfrogged Ivanisevic and Federer, and currently sits second all-time with 10,937 aces.

Isner also finished the season atop the ATP World Tour in aces for a record-tying sixth time, hitting 1,213 of them in 2018, which is 131 more than second-placed Kevin Anderson. It is the fourth consecutive year in which he has tallied more than 1,000 aces, and the sixth time he has done so overall.

Lopez’s Grand Slam Streak
At Wimbledon, Feliciano Lopez played in his 66th consecutive Grand Slam main draw, breaking Roger Federer’s previous record of 65. The Spaniard, who will take the reins as tournament director at the 2019 Mutua Madrid Open, extended his record to 67 at the US Open.

“When I was [thinking] about breaking the record, I thought, ‘Wow, I’m going to beat Federer at something, which is a lot already’,” Lopez said after his first-round win at Wimbledon. “It’s only a number, and I’m really proud of my consistency. It’s not about the number of Grand Slams played. It’s about how many years I have been playing at the top level.”

Roger Returns To No. 1 At Age 36
By overtaking Nadal on 19 February at 36 years old, Federer became the oldest player to capture the No. 1 ATP Ranking since the Rankings were created in 1973. It had been five years and 106 days since the Swiss had previously held top spot, a record for longest time between stints atop tennis’ mountain.

Rafa Wins 11th Titles In Monte-Carlo, Barcelona & Roland Garros
Nadal made history not once, but three times this season. Entering the year, he had been the only player to win 10 titles at a single event. And in 2018, he continued to push the boundaries, lifting his 11th trophy at three tournaments: the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell and Roland Garros. Monte-Carlo was the first of three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events he would win this year (also Rome and Toronto), which extended his record for most trophies at the elite level to 33.

Roger Claims 20th Slam
Federer defeated Marin Cilic to win the Australian Open, triumphing in Melbourne in a five-set final for the second year in a row. By winning his 20th Grand Slam championship, Federer became the first man in history to win that many majors. He also equalled Djokovic and Roy Emerson’s record of six titles at the tournament. 

Rafa Claims 900th Victory
Nadal defeated German Maximilian Marterer in the fourth round at Roland Garros this year to become the fifth player in the Open Era to reach the 900-wins milestone. It was only fitting that the Spaniard accomplished the feat on the Parisian terre battue, where he has won the trophy 11 times and tallied an 86-2 record. Nadal, now 918-189, is just 30 victories from tying Guillermo Vilas for fourth place in the Open Era match-wins leaderboard.

Novak Earns 800th Win
On the surface, Djokovic’s 7-5, 6-1 win against Adrian Mannarino at The Queen’s Club seemed ordinary, a relatively straightforward 79-minute victory for the Serbian. But it meant more for Djokovic, as it was his 800th tour-level match win. Through that victory, Djokovic owned an 800-171 record, equating to an 82.4 winning percentage, fifth among that elite group, with just three more losses than Nadal, who was 800-168 when he hit that milestone.

Djokovic’s triumph against Mannarino came when he was the No. 22 player in the ATP Rankings. But after a 6-6 start to the year, the Serbian would win 47 of his final 53 matches to ascend back to World No. 1, making the biggest in-season climb to year-end No. 1 since the Rankings were introduced in 1973.

Gasquet/Verdasco Throw A 500 Party
Less than one month apart, veterans Richard Gasquet and Fernando Verdasco both earned their 500th tour-level wins. Gasquet became the first Frenchman to reach the milestone on 19 April, beating Mischa Zverev in Monte-Carlo, where he became the youngest player to win an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 match 16 years earlier. Verdasco followed that up on 8 May by becoming the ninth active player to accomplish the feat with a victory against Paolo Lorenzi in Madrid.

Mike Bryan Back To No. 1
At 40 years and 78 days old, Mike Bryan became the oldest player to top the ATP Doubles Rankings on 16 July. While the American already owned the record for the most weeks atop those standings, Bryan has not let go of the spot since, and he has now spent 475 weeks as World No. 1. 

Bryan’s victory with Jack Sock at Wimbledon not only propelled him to the top of tennis’ doubles mountain, though. It was Bryan’s record-breaking 17th men’s doubles Grand Slam trophy to lead all players in the Open Era. Bryan then claimed major title No. 18 at the US Open, also triumphing with Sock, before capping off the season with his compatriot by lifting the trophy at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Paes Reaches No. 750
Leander Paes, a 54-time tour-level doubles champion who first reached the top spot in the ATP Doubles Rankings 19 years ago, became the sixth player in ATP World Tour history (since 1973) to record 750 doubles match wins on 7 April. The Indian legend joined Mike Bryan, Daniel Nestor, Bob Bryan, Todd Woodbridge and Max Mirnyi in the exclusive club. At 45, he will finish inside the Top 100 for the 24th consecutive year. Read Tribute

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPWorldTour.com looks at the headlines that shaped 2018 on the doubles circuit.

Tale Of Two Halves: Mike Bryan Enjoys Stellar Season
Heading into their fifth tour-level final of the season at the Mutua Madrid Open, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan had compiled a 26-6 tour-level record and looked set to challenge for the No. 1 position in the ATP Doubles Team Rankings. That soon changed as Bob Bryan was forced to retire from the championship match in the Spanish capital with a right hip injury.

That injury would keep Bob Bryan out of action for the remainder of the season, leaving brother Mike Bryan without a doubles partner. The brothers’ streak of 76 consecutive Grand Slam appearances came to an end at Roland Garros. At the Fever-Tree Championships, Mike Bryan teamed up with countryman Jack Sock, reaching the quarter-finals at The Queen’s Club, before lifting their maiden team title in dramatic fashion at Wimbledon.

Bryan/Sock won three of their four matches from the Round of 16 onwards in five sets, beating Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus in the championship match 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-3, 5-7, 7-5. Posting a 1-2 record at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati, Bryan and Sock then entered the US Open short on match practice, but once again found their best level in Grand Slam play.

Bryan/Sock dropped just one set at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, in the semi-finals against Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, en route to their second straight Grand Slam title. The American duo cruised past 2017 year-end No. 1 doubles team Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo 6-1, 6-3 in the championship match to capture the trophy.

Once more, Bryan/Sock struggled to replicate their form at Masters 1000 events, posting a 2-2 record in Shanghai and Paris before making their team debut at the Nitto ATP Finals. The Americans advanced to the semi-finals at The O2 with two wins from three round-robin clashes and beat Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares to reach their third final in eight events.

Meeting Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, the team who defeated them in group play for the trophy, Bryan/Sock were once again forced to produce their best tennis in the English capital. They rallied from a set down and saved one championship point at 10/11 in the Match Tie-break before capping their extraordinary season with a 5-7, 6-1, 13-11 victory.

“This is how you want to start a partnership and end one. To win here is just an epic experience,” said Bryan. “To finish a great year off the right way, winning here, against some of the best teams in the world… [I have had] unreal memories with Jack this year. We’re closing the book on our partnership because Bob is coming back. But we’re always going to be great friends and hang out in the off-season. We’re going to spend the off-season together training.”

Marach/Pavic Finish As No. 1 Team
After ending 2017 with a victory over the Bryan brothers, as an alternate pairing at the Nitto ATP Finals, Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic continued where they left off at the start of 2018. The Austrian-Croatian duo did not drop a set en route to the title at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, beating Murray/Soares in the final to earn their second team trophy.

Marach/Pavic didn’t take long to double that total, defeating Max Mirnyi and Philipp Oswald the following week in Auckland before claiming their maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Marach/Pavic required final-set tie-breaks in both their quarter-final and semi-final clashes, before beating Cabal/Farah 6-4, 6-4 in the final to triumph in Melbourne.

Taking their 2018 winning streak to 17-0, Marach/Pavic reached the championship match at the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament. In the final, the pair’s unbeaten run was ended by Herbert/Mahut in a Match Tie-break. From there, the Australian Open champions posted consistent results throughout the following four months. Marach/Pavic reached the quarter-finals or better in each of their next nine events, winning their fourth trophy of the season at the Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open and finishing runner-up , with runner-up finishes at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and Roland Garros.

Leading the ATP Doubles Race To London, Marach and Pavic also reached finals in Hamburg and Beijing before clinching the year-end No. 1 ATP Doubles Team Ranking. Marach (Austria) and Pavic (Croatia) are the first players from their respective countries to end a season at No. 1 in any of the ATP Rankings categories (singles, doubles, team).

Nestor, Mirnyi Retire
The 2018 season saw two of the greatest doubles players of all time finally hang up their racquets. Daniel Nestor, with 91 tour-level doubles titles and 10 stints at the top of the ATP Doubles Rankings,  will forever be remembered on the ATP World Tour by partners and rivals for his incredible success and commitment to the sport.

With more than 15 years inside the Top 10 and almost 24 consecutive years, from April 1994 until April 2018, inside the Top 100 in doubles, Nestor continued to write his name in the history books throughout his career. On 11 January 2016, the Canadian became the first player in ATP World Tour history to record 1,000 doubles match wins. The only players who have captured more tour-level doubles titles than Nestor are the Bryan brothers — Mike with 121 and Bob with 116 — who have remained a pair throughout their careers. Nestor’s 91 title runs were achieved with 11 different partners.

Nestor’s most successful partnership came alongside Mark Knowles. The pair claimed 40 tour-level doubles championships together. And while the team created countless great memories, their first Grand Slam win at the 2002 Australian Open and their second at the 2004 US Open, six years after losing two match points in the final at Flushing Meadows, stick out.

“Daniel had an incredible career,” said Knowles. “He achieved everything that there is to achieve on the doubles court. He should be celebrated for his incredible success and dedication to the sport.”

Nestor earned his 1,062nd and final tour-level victory at the TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open before retiring in September, shortly after making his 30th straight appearance in front of home fans at the Rogers Cup in Toronto.

Max Mirnyi will be remembered just as fondly for his illustrious career. ‘The Beast’, after 22 years as a professional and reaching No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Rankings, announced his retirement in November.

“I have come to a decision that the 2018 season was my last year competing professionally,” Mirnyi said. “It was a very difficult choice for me to make as tennis has been my life ever since I can remember myself. I was fortunate to achieve far beyond what a little boy from Minsk, Belarus, could have dreamed of.”

Mirnyi climbed to the top of the ATP Doubles Rankings for the first time on 9 June 2003, and he would spend 57 weeks atop the doubles mountain, good enough for 15th all-time. The Belarusian won 52 tour-level doubles titles (52-46), and Mirnyi recently finished his 20th consecutive doubles campaign inside the Top 100.

The six-time men’s doubles Grand Slam winner and 2012 mixed doubles Olympic gold medalist (w/ Victoria Azarenka) qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals 10 times, lifting the trophy in 2006 with Jonas Bjorkman and in 2011 with Daniel Nestor. ‘The Beast’ most recently appeared at the prestigious season finale in 2016, at 39 years old, alongside Treat Huey. Mirnyi also captured 16 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 doubles titles, including the 2003 Miami crown with Roger Federer.

Cabal/Farah Reach The Next Level
This season proved to be a breakthrough year for Cabal/Farah. The Colombian duo, who first joined forces at the Futures level in 2004 and made their tour-level main draw debut in 2011 at Wimbledon, notched 39 wins from 62 tour-level encounters to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time.

Read More: Built To Last: Bryans, Cabal/Farah, Rojer/Tecau Take The Long Road To Success

Starting the season with a maiden Grand Slam final appearance as a team at the Australian Open, Cabal and Farah did not drop a set in Melbourne before falling in the championship match to Marach and Pavic. The Colombians continued to impress, reaching their second final of the season in Buenos Aires before lifting their biggest team title at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in May. In the Italian capital, Cabal and Farah battled through three Match Tie-breaks in four matches, beating Pablo Carreno Busta and Joao Sousa to capture their maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown.

Another Masters 1000 final appearance soon followed in Cincinnati (l. to Murray/Soares) before three consecutive semi-final runs at the US Open, China Open and Rolex Shanghai Masters. After reaching the last four at the Nitto ATP Finals, Cabal and Farah’s season ended with a tight 3-6, 7-5, 5-10 loss to Roland Garros titlists Herbert/Mahut.

Herbert/Mahut Continue To Find Success
After consistent success in their previous three ATP World Tour campaigns, Herbert/Mahut only combined at 12 tour-level events in 2018. But that did not stop the Frenchmen from lifting titles and making history in the process.

Herbert/Mahut became the first team to overcome Marach/Pavic to clinch the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament title in February and, three months later, faced the duo once again in the Roland Garros championship match. Bidding to capture their third Grand Slam crown, Herbert/Mahut dropped just one set en route to the final. The French pairing edged Marach/Pavic in a second-set tie-break and became just the third all-French team to lift the Roland Garros doubles title in the Open Era. Herbert/Mahut ended their season with a fourth consecutive appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals, reaching their first final at the season-ending event.

‘The Beast’ is hanging up his racquet. After 22 years as a professional, Max Mirnyi, former No. 1 player in the ATP Doubles Rankings, has announced his retirement.

“I have come to a decision that the 2018 season was my last year competing professionally,” Mirnyi said. “It was a very difficult choice for me to make as tennis has been my life ever since I can remember myself. I was fortunate to achieve far beyond what a little boy from Minsk, Belarus, could have dreamed of.”

Mirnyi climbed to the top of the ATP Doubles Rankings for the first time on 9 June 2003, and he would spend 57 weeks atop the doubles mountain, good enough for 15th all-time. The Belarusian won 52 tour-level doubles titles (52-46), and Mirnyi recently finished his 20th consecutive doubles campaign inside the Top 100. As a singles player, he ascended as high as No. 18 in the ATP Rankings, and won 244 tour-level matches, including 16 victories against Top 10 opponents.

The six-time men’s doubles Grand Slam winner and 2012 mixed doubles Olympic gold medalist (w/ Victoria Azarenka) qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals 10 times, lifting the trophy in 2006 with Jonas Bjorkman and in 2011 with Daniel Nestor. ‘The Beast’ most recently appeared at the prestigious season finale in 2016, at 39 years old, alongside Treat Huey. Mirnyi also captured 16 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 doubles titles, including the 2003 Miami crown with Roger Federer.

Mirnyi completes his illustrious career with a combined 1,024 match wins in singles and doubles, and he did not slow down in his final season. The 41-year-old, alongside Philipp Oswald, captured titles at the New York Open and the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship.

Many will look back on Mirnyi’s standout career and think of his doubles success, but the Belarusian also performed well on the singles court before exclusively focusing on doubles in 2009. Mirnyi won the 2003 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, moving through a daunting set of opponents in Federer, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic before defeating Raemon Sluiter in the final. Mirnyi also advanced to the final at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Stuttgart in 2001, defeating three players — Gustavo Kuerten, Pete Sampras and Yevgeny Kafelnikov — who reached the No. 1 ATP Ranking in their career, as well as former World No. 2 Goran Ivanisevic, along the way.

“Throughout my whole career I always did the best I could and treated my profession with honour and respect. Now it’s time for me to move on with my life and accept new challenges,” Mirnyi said. “I will miss the game greatly but for certain I will continue to follow it closely and love it from the sidelines. I thank everyone who took part in my development as a tennis player and as person.”

Did You Know?
Mirnyi won at least 25 tour-level doubles matches in 19 of his final 20 seasons, including 2018.

Max Mirnyi Statement
I would like to announce today that I have come to a decision that the 2018 season on the ATP World Tour was my last year as a professional player.

It’s been a very tough choice to make considering that the game of tennis has been my life ever since I can remember myself. I am absolutely thrilled to have had a chance to enjoy this game for so long!

While competing for myself or representing my country I have always treated my profession with the highest honour and respect, worked at it as hard as I could and now, stepping away from the game, I have no regrets and feel nothing but joy. I have achieved far beyond what a little boy from Minsk, Belarus could dream about at the beginning of the road.

My journey would not be possible without the continued support of my family. I owe it to my mother and father for teaching me life and sports from a young age. Very early my father became a key figure in my life, advancing with me through all levels of the game as my coach, manager and a friend. My wife and my kids gave me tremendous support and always inspire me to keep going forward.

Also, along the way I was very fortunate to meet outstanding coaches who helped me shape my game and character. Here I would like to acknowledge them and show my love to them once again:

My junior coaches Valeriy Lavrenov and Arcadi Edelman from “MAZ” tennis school: Thank you for building a good foundation and helping me fall in love with this game!

Mr. Nick Bollettieri, your family and your staff: Thank you for providing me with a home away from home at the IMG Tennis Academy in Florida. Believing in me at the time when the wins were very tough to come by and to this day you continue to be monumental in my development as a player and as a person.

Alexandr Dolgopolov Sr: Thank you for letting me be part of your family and for all your efforts in preparing me for the physicality of this sport and life on Tour. I really learned a lot from the time together and it helped me push my limits many times throughout out my career. Your wife’s lessons on flexibility planted a very valuable seed as a result of which I avoided many common injuries of the sport.

Bob Brett: Thank you for being in my corner and always providing me with very valuable advice, introducing me to Nike Tennis, which turned out to be my only apparel sponsor during my whole career.

Fritz Don: The most positive and optimistic person I have met. You helped me look at the methods of training in a different way. Tennis was always fun with you.

Brian Teacher: You made me understand the biomechanics of tennis. Your introduction to yoga helps me to stay balanced on and off the court to this day.

Scott Davidoff: I appreciate your assistance in helping me in a tough transition from my career No. 1 to career No. 2 — doubles only. Your endless scouting reports, knowledge for the game and support off the court helped me to be on the winning end of the biggest events and get excited about making career No. 2 last.

Peter Mirnyi: You pushed me with always a good vibe and your brotherly love at the time when more losses were creeping into my records and it was very easy to get negative and stop. However, we didn’t and had some memorable moments towards the end of this song.

My fitness coaches, Anthony Blair and Yutaka Nakamura: At different stages of my athletic development you recognized the most important areas where my wide and long body needed the most attention. With your help I always felt I had a physical edge over my opponents and surely never lost a match due to lack of preparation.

My medical team that looked after me and made sure I have the best chance to compete at the highest level. At different times each one of you played a crucial role into my longevity: Igor Golovnev, Pavel Malashevich, Alexsandr Razumets and Ivan Bury-sport doctors and trainers Team Belarus. Dr. Simon Small-Philadelphia (foot supports), Dr. Di Giacomo-Rome (ankle), Dr. David Dines-NY (shoulder), Dr. Angel (Barcelona) and Dr. Christopher Sforzo-Sarasota (elbow).

I will never forget the next group of people without whom my climb would also be impossible. Around the globe friends with their financial or moral support, often providing housing that helped Nikolai and I get past some difficult times.

Krutov family (Moscow, Rus), Christopher Boyer (Greenwich CT), Dubovic family (NY), Roberman family (NY), Fisher family (NY), Skrilivetsky family (NY), Grae family (NY) Trincher family (Bradenton FL), Anna Golub (Bradenton FL), Howard Winitsky (Delray Beach FL), Robets family (Lexington KY), Alex Reichel (LA) Anne and Cathy Rossiter (Chicago IL, Binghamton NY), Dima Davidov (Chicago IL), Igor Pevzner (Israel), Samir M’biota (Paris Fra), Cleon Papadopoulos (London UK), Magidov Family (RUS), Kojia Misha and Luba (Melbourne AUS), Mizue Sato (Tokyo, Jap), Kozhevnikov Oleg and Lyudmila (Dubai UAE), Kouzmenko Sergey and Irina (Minsk BLR), Frolov Vladimir and Valeria (Minsk BLR), Sergey Stutanov (RUS), Andrei Likhachev (RUS), Dmitry Gusev (RuS), Gennadi Silin (FL), Trubeev family (Sarasota FL), Zimmerman family (Sarasota FL).

For your professional and legal guidance I would like to thank my three special friends and agents: Max Eisenbud at IMG, Lisa Somermaier from Sunset consulting and Vittorio Selmi from ATP.

I would like to also address the Belarus Tennis Federation with your CEOs Simon Kagan, Mikhail Pavlov, Vladimir Peftiev, Sergey Teterin and Aleksandr Shakutin and thank you for your trust in me, the Belarus Ministry of Sport for always attending to my needs and electing me to represent the country for this long. It was a great honour and pleasure for me to do so around the world. Being the flag bearer for Team Belarus and winning a gold medal at the Olympics in London was by far the most memorable and proudest moment in my life.

I want to thank ATP and your staff for providing me with the most incredible working environment, taking me to places where I otherwise would have never been. Caring for me and guiding me on a daily basis.

To ITF, for letting me become part of your historic events and having my most memorable experiences with you.

Nike and Wilson, you have been my biggest supporters during my whole career. I am grateful that you spotted me early and stayed with me to this day. It has been an absolute honour and pleasure to be one of your athletes. You have always responded to all of my needs and gave me the chance to use the latest equipment and newest technologies. It made it so easy to keep my focus and just on the job! Thank you.

Special acknowledgment goes to all 100 of my doubles partners from 1994 to 2018 with whom I have an individual story to tell and who helped me installed a brick, large or small, in building my career wall. Thanks again to you, guys! We had a blast!!!

Sergej Skakun, Evgeni Mikheev, Vladimir Voltchkov, Kevin Ullyett, Mark Merklein, Jaime Oncins, Martin Hromec, Lars Rehmann, Robbie Koenig, Alejandro Hernandez, Scott Humphries, Ben Ellwood, Lior Mor, Tuomas Ketola, Georg Blumauer, Myles Wakefield, Justin Gimelstob, Andrei Cherkasov, Jean-Philippe Fleurian, John-Laffnie de Jager, Peter Nyborg, Brent Haygarth, Kent Kinnear, Gabor Koves, Andrei Olhovskiy, Nenad Zimonjic, David Adams, Pavel Vizner, Gustavo Kuerten, Alexander Reichel, Daniel Vacek, Michael Sell, Dusan Vemic, Denis Golovanov, Alexander Shvec, Peter Tramacchi, Olivier Delaitre, Jeff Tarango, Martin Damm, Eric Taino, Sandon Stolle, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Jonas Bjorkman, Nicklas Kulti, Lleyton Hewitt, Marat Safin, Nicolas Kiefer, Daniel Nestor, Mark Knowles, Tommy Haas, Fabrice Santoro, Patrick Rafter, David Prinosil, Jonathan Stark, Mahesh Bhupathi, Roger Federer, Julien Boutter, Michael Llodra, Mardy Fish, Jared Palmer, Jeff Morrison, Mikhail Youzhny, Sargis Sargsian, Thomas Johansson, Jurgen Melzer, Gaston Gaudio, Fernando Verdasco, Mischa Zverev, Marin Cilic, Rohan Bopanna, Tommy Robredo, Andy Ram, Sergey Betov, Jamie Murray, Aliaksandr Bury, Ashley Fisher, Robert Kendrick, Uladzimir Ignatik, Horia Tecau, Andrei Vasilevski, Feliciano Lopez, Mariusz Fyrstenberg, Scott Lipsky, Robert Lindstedt, Sam Groth, Jerzy Janowicz, Fabio Fognini, Lukasz Kubot, Grigor Dimitrov, Mehdi Jdi, Victor Estrella Burgos, Ivan Dodig, Marcelo Melo, Treat Huey, Yaraslav Shyla, Marcin Matkowski, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Ryan Harrison, Kevin Anderson, Philipp Oswald.

And lastly, I wish to thank and hug all of my fans who gave me love and support, who cheered with me in moments of glory but more importantly those that lifted me time and time again at different part of the world when matches and tournaments were lost and times were tough. You gave me the strength and motivation to wake up and keep working.

I will never forget what it is like to play in front of you, be it on the practice court or a packed house.

Going forward, it’s time for me to move on with my life and accept new challenges.

I will miss the game greatly, but for certain I will continue to follow it closely and love it from the sidelines.