“I still feel that my best years are ahead,” said Andy Murray this summer, during a sponsor appearance at the Thruxton race track in Hampshire. History and precedent were against him, because only one man in the modern era – Andre Agassi – has won multiple Grand Slam titles after his 30th birthday. Murray turned 29 in May.

Yet from that moment in early June when he made his claim, standing alongside the WWII aircraft hangars at the side of the track, Murray produced the most dominant sequence of his career. The statistics were extraordinary. Going into next week’s Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, he has lost just three matches since Roland Garros. In a twist that no one would have predicted, he wiped out the 8,035-point lead held by Novak Djokovic at the start of the grass-court season, and on Monday, 7 November moved to No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

For a man who had spent the last decade in the slipstream of three even more successful players – in Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic – this was a gratifying and long-awaited moment. “It’s something I never expected to do, never thought I was going to do,” said Murray. “When you’re behind the guys that I was behind, it’s difficult to keep believing, keep working to try to get there. I think that’s the most satisfying thing, because of how good the guys around me have been.”

The magical run started when Murray notched his fifth Queen’s title in June – an achievement that nobody else has matched after more than a century of competition. Then he cantered through Wimbledon, beating Milos Raonic in a one-sided final, and topped the whole thing off with an Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. Surging through the autumn, he has won his last four tournaments, in Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna and Paris, so taking his portfolio for 2016 to eight titles, which is a personal record for one season.

How do we explain this avalanche of success? Amateur psychologists identified his newfound status as a doting father (of Sophia Olivia, born on 7 February) as a spur for success.

Pure tennisheads, meanwhile, were more inclined to credit Ivan Lendl, the Czech hard case who had overseen the previous blossoming of Murray’s full potential in 2012 and 2013. Had it not been the announcement of Lendl’s return, the day before Queen’s, that set off that extraordinary second half of the season? At the same time, though, don’t we sometimes ascribe too much importance to coaches? Wasn’t there an element of truth behind Murray’s sly comment, in his speech after the Wimbledon final, that Lendl had just been “lucky” in the timing of his return?

After all, it was the player himself who had spent the 2015-16 off-season rebuilding his service action – a key ingredient of his mid-season surge. As a result, Murray was clocked at 141mph during his fourth-round match against Grigor Dimitrov at the US Open, which is believed to be the fastest of his career. Even more crucially, he can regularly approach 100mph on his second delivery, eliminating the one weakness that most of his opponents have targeted over the past decade.

Murray has many strengths as a player but this constant thirst for improvement, even at this mature stage of his career, is a trademark. His mastery of tactics applies not only to patterns of play, but to the way he has constructed his own career. Just look at his bold decision to travel to Spain at the age of 15, where 18 months at the Sanchez-Casal Academy taught him to fend for himself. Or at his pursuit of Lendl. Many players would have shied away from engaging the ruthless taskmaster with the basilisk stare. Murray has done so twice.

The true measure of his progress this year was the sheer consistency that he produced on the ATP World Tour. As Murray said himself: “Getting to No. 1 is about 12 months of work. I have never done that before. In my career, I have had periods where I have been consistent for a few months at a time and then drop-offs. Whereas, this year, barring the month in March, I couldn’t have done much better.”

So what of Murray’s prospects at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals? As a local who can drive into North Greenwich from his Surrey home in less than an hour, he might be expected to prosper at this tournament. As well as home fans, it offers a rock-and-roll vibe. Yet his record, since the tournament moved to London in 2009, has been curiously intermittent.

There was the great semi-final against Nadal in 2010, which Nadal took 8-6 in the deciding tie-break. And another semi-final against Federer two years later. Otherwise, though, Murray has returned a moderate win-loss record of 11-11, and has also struggled physically at this late stage of the season.

One of Murray’s most memorable moments at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals came two years ago. He was lounging on his sofa, lost in a round of the Mario Kart video game, when he received a phone call from Chris Kermode, the ATP Executive Chairman and President. Could he sub in for Federer, who had been forced to pull out of his final against Djokovic with back trouble? Murray jumped straight in the car and performed exhibition singles and doubles without asking for payment.

That fine gesture showed Murray’s true colours. Perhaps this will be the year when he claims the giant octagonal cup – that would be a belated reward for the man whose best years could still be ahead of him.

Two years on from gritting his teeth through compulsory military training in Austria, Dominic Thiem is now among the elite eight, who are set to compete on the illuminated blue court, at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

“In 2014, it was difficult for me to have a decent off-season, but last year I watched it and thought the [Barclays ATP World Tour] Finals was so difficult to amass so many [Emirates ATP Rankings] points, to compile so many good results,” Thiem told ATPWorldTour.com. “So to have qualified is a big dream.”

Watch: The Story Of Thiem

The youngest player in the field at The O2 in London is also the first Austrian to compete at the year-end championships since former World No. 1 Thomas Muster, who competed in 1990, 1995-1997.

“I had a very good off season in 2015, then my body got a lot better,” said 23-year-old Thiem. “I think that was very important, and I kept improving my game on the faster surfaces. The first half of the year was really great.” 

Victories over Rafael Nadal on the Buenos Aires clay and Roger Federer on Stuttgart’s grass this year, in addition to reaching the Roland Garros semi-finals (l. to Djokovic) and lifting four ATP World Tour trophies, developed his confidence immeasurably. “For sure beating Nadal was a turning point, overcoming a leading figure in all sports, a special athlete. It was so tough to beat him.”

Under the guidance of Gunter Bresnik, who once coached Boris Becker, Thiem has won 57 matches in 2016 (tied third-best on the ATP World Tour) and later this week he will compete in Group John McEnroe at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, alongside Novak Djokovic (0-3 FedEx ATP Head2Head), Milos Raonic (0-1) and fellow debutant Gael Monfils (1-0).

“I’m really lucky to have come to Gunter, aged nine, when he had a lot of experience, and had coached a lot of players,” said Thiem. “It was not really difficult for him to see my weaknesses and for him to try to help me improve my chances every day. I am lucky to be one of his class players and have him put in his experience.

“I want to develop my game and compete for the really big titles. I still have to prove myself in the big tournaments, I am still far off from it. But not too far. The tough times come when you exit tournaments early, or if you don’t practise well. The key is to be patient.”

INFOSYS ATP SCORES & STATS – 2015 & 2016 SEASON COMPARISON

Thiem played 15 more matches this season (79) than in 2015 (64), when he finished at a year-end No. 20 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. Infosys ATP Scores & Stats indicates that World No. 9 Thiem has made major improvements in return categories – particularly on break points converted and return games won.

Roger Federer, Juan Martin del Potro and Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan have been honoured in the 2016 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon. While the ATP World Tour No. 1 presented by Emirates award is still to be decided in singles between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic and in doubles between Pierre-Hugues Herbert/Nicolas Mahut and Jamie Murray/Bruno Soares, the other award winners have been announced today.

Federer has been selected by fellow players as winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for a 12th time and by fans as the ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favourite presented by Moët & Chandon for a 14th straight year. Since 2003, Federer has won a record total of 33 ATP World Tour Awards.

The Bryan brothers also extend their reign in the doubles category for ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favourite presented by Moët & Chandon to a record 12th straight year.

Visit the official ATP World Tour Awards section

Juan Martin del Potro reclaims honours in the player-voted Comeback Player of the Year category, joining Sergi Bruguera and Tommy Haas as the only individuals to win this award twice. Lucas Pouille has been voted as the Most Improved Player of the Year, edging fellow nominees Daniel Evans, Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev, the recipient of last year’s ATP Star of Tomorrow Award presented by Emirates. American Taylor Fritz, 19, succeeds Zverev in this category this season as the youngest player ranked in the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings.

Marin Cilic has been honoured with the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award for off-court philanthropy through his foundation, which supports educational projects and aspires to give young people improved access to education.

Magnus Norman, Stan Wawrinka’s coach, has been chosen by his peers as the winner of the first ATP Coach of the Year Award, which honours the coach who helped guide his player to a higher level of performance during the season.

The trophy ceremonies for the 2016 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon will take place during the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Official Launch on Thursday night.

Mike Dickson from the Daily Mail is the recipient of the Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award while the ATP Tournament of the Year awards will be announced in 2017.

2016 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon

ATP World Tour No. 1 presented by Emirates
(determined by Emirates ATP Rankings)
Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic will battle for the year-end No. 1 Emirates ATP Ranking at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Murray rose to the top spot for the first time on Monday after winning his tour-best eighth title of the season, becoming the 26th player in history to be ranked World No. 1. Djokovic has clinched this award four times and this week looks to win his eighth title of the season and sixth at the season finale.

ATP World Tour No. 1 Doubles Team presented by Emirates
(determined by Emirates ATP Doubles Team Rankings)
A new team will win this award, with Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert & Nicolas Mahut taking a slim lead over Jamie Murray & Bruno Soares into the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Herbert & Mahut have won five titles this season, including Wimbledon and three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles, while Murray & Soares claimed a pair of Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and US Open.

ATP Star of Tomorrow Award presented by Emirates
(determined by Emirates ATP Rankings)
Taylor Fritz: This category in its fourth year, replacing the player-voted Newcomer of the Year, is awarded to the youngest player in the Top 100 of Emirates ATP Rankings as of 7 November. Fritz, who celebrated his 19th birthday at the end of the October, became the youngest ATP finalist since 2008 when he finished runner-up at the Memphis Open. The California native won 15 tour-level matches and reached a career-high No. 53 in the Emirates ATP Rankings in August. Two other contenders in this category, 18-year-old Frances Tiafoe and 20-year-old Jared Donaldson, finished behind their countryman at No. 102 and No. 108 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

Comeback Player of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
Juan Martin del Potro: The 28-year-old Argentine was previously voted by his peers as the Comeback Player of the Year in 2011 following a successful return from right wrist surgery. He finished back in the Top 10 in 2013, only to be sidelined again – this time by a left wrist injury requiring multiple surgeries. Outside the Top 1000 of the Emirates ATP Rankings early in 2016, del Potro made his return in February with a semi-final effort at the Delray Beach Open and rose to No. 38 by November with a 30-match win effort. Among his season highlights, del Potro beat then-No. 1 Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal en route to a silver medal at the Rio Olympics, made the quarter-finals of the US Open and won his first tour-level title since 2014 at the If Stockholm Open, securing his return to the Top 50. Julien Benneteau, Ivo Karlovic and Florian Mayer were also nominated in this category. Read More

Most Improved Player of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
Lucas Pouille: The 22-year-old Frenchman continued his steady improvement in his fifth professional season, climbing from a No. 91 Emirates ATP Ranking in February to a career-high No. 15 by the end of 2016. Pouille clinched his first ATP World Tour title in September at the Moselle Open, five months after reaching his first tour-level final at the BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy in Bucharest. In between, he reached consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the US Open and an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. Pouille compiled a 34-22 match record, nearly tripling his match wins total from last season (12-14). Read More

Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award
(voted by ATP players)
Roger Federer: Fellow players voted the Swiss as the winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for the 12th time and sixth year in a row. He also won the award six straight years from 2004-09. Andy Murray, 2010 winner Rafael Nadal and Stan Wawrinka were also nominated in this category.

Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year
(awarded by ATP)
Marin Cilic: The Croatian established the Marin Cilic Foundation this year. With a goal of supporting educational projects around the world, the foundation has a special emphasis on giving youth in Croatia improved access to school and university education. “The main focus is to try to help kids as much as we can,” Cilic said upon the Foundation’s formal launch in June. “I want to give something back and also give some opportunities for some people and some kids that don’t have as many possibilities to pursue their dreams.”

ATP Coach of the Year
(voted by ATP coaches)
Magnus Norman: Stan Wawrinka’s coach since 2013, the 40-year-old Swede won in this new category over fellow nominees Gunter Bresnik (Dominic Thiem), Ivan Lendl (Andy Murray), Emmanuel Planque (Lucas Pouille) and Mikael Tillstrom (Gael Monfils). Norman, a former World No. 2 and winner of 12 ATP World Tour titles, guided Wawrinka back to a No. 3 Emirates ATP Ranking and four titles, including his third Grand Slam title at the US Open.

ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favourite presented by Moët & Chandon (Singles)
(voted by fans)
Roger Federer: The 35-year-old Swiss has been voted ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favourite presented by Moët & Chandon for a record 14th straight year, receiving 56 per cent of all votes cast. Andy Murray finished second, followed by Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Kei Nishikori.

ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favourite presented by Moët & Chandon (Doubles)
(voted by fans)
Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan: The 38-year-old American twins received 25 per cent of votes to be named the ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favourite presented by Moët & Chandon for a record 12th time, edging Jamie Murray & Bruno Soares. Spaniards Feliciano Lopez & Marc Lopez, Frenchmen Pierre-Hugues Herbert & Nicolas Mahut and the Canadian-American duo of Vasek Pospisil & Jack Sock rounded out the top five.

Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award
(awarded by ATP)
Mike Dickson: Dickson has been a tennis correspondent for nearly two decades with the Daily Mail, which has the most visited newspaper website in the world. He has also covered golf, football, rowing and four Olympics Games, and served as the chief cricket writer for nine years. He came up to ‘Fleet Street’ via working as a general news reporter on local newspapers and local radio.

This has been a good year for the man who styles himself “the CEO of Milos Raonic Tennis” (for those who aren’t aware, that’s the Wimbledon finalist himself). In addition to a wicked serve and blistering forehand, this chief executive officer has also brought some idiosyncrasies to the task.

That was most evident with the sleeve he had on his right arm for a couple of years – he first wore that at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells in 2014 to protect a heat rash, and he then didn’t take it off until this season’s European clay-court swing. And he has since appeared to be just fine without it. Something new that he believes could be helping him – and this is highly unusual for a non-contact sport – is a gum shield. “The mouth guard has been there since the beginning of this year,” he has said. “I struggled with my back last year for about six months and it cut my season short. So I ventured to see what I could do to deal with that pain. Maybe I won’t be able to solve my back issue completely, but at least I can keep it under wraps. The mouth guard is a way of aligning my spine.”

Away from the courts, Raonic has been enhancing his status as the renaissance man of the ATP World Tour by indulging his passion for art. He visited Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s installation while in Melbourne, has acquainted himself with pop artists such as the late Andy Warhol and is a keen student of prominent names in American art circles such as Rashid Johnson, Jeff Elrod and Dan Colen.

Much of this has been done alongside his girlfriend Danielle Knudson, a model based in New York. They share a Canadian citizenship – he is from the Toronto suburb of Thornhill while she is originally from the western Canadian city of Red Deer, Alberta.

While resident in Monte-Carlo, Raonic spends a lot of time in Manhattan with Knudson. That allows him to follow his other sporting passion – basketball. A fan of the Toronto Raptors and the Oklahoma City Thunder – at least until superstar Kevin Durant left the team as a free agent last summer – Raonic participated in the 2016 NBA All-Star weekend celebrity game in Toronto. He memorably ‘dunked’ – something that became a social media hit – while playing for a team that included fellow Canadian player Eugenie Bouchard and that was coached by hometown music mogul Drake.

Throughout his career Raonic has been a driven individual – carefully minding the minutiae of his profession whether it be his diet (including being a teetotaler), training regimes, equipment or coaching arrangements to try to maximise his ability as a player.

The latter was never more obvious than when he brought John McEnroe on board as a consultant during this year’s grass-court swing. That collaboration, as well as his other coaches Riccardo Piatti and Carlos Moya, helped Raonic to reach his first Grand Slam final when he was the runner-up to Andy Murray at Wimbledon.

“I take everybody’s consultations very personally,” he said. “I know everybody I have around me wants to help me to the fullest. I’ve looked to other people to try to get the most out of me. That would be my biggest regret if I didn’t do everything I could.”

Notable in the evolution of Raonic’s tennis in 2016 were his improved movement and a quantum leap in his volleying. Few players have ever improved their net play so dramatically when in the middle of their careers. That, combined with his awesome serve and pulverising forehand, enabled him to finish points more quickly, which is smart strategy for someone whose physique – he is 6′ 5” – isn’t best-suited to long, baseline battles of attrition.

Raonic, who aspires to becoming the World No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, got off to an inspired start in 2016 by beating Roger Federer in the Brisbane final. He carried that form into the Australian Open where he had a two-sets-to-one lead on Murray in the semi-finals before a right adductor problem scuttled his chances.

Other highlights this year have included reaching the finals of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells, The Queen’s Club and Wimbledon. This has been a comeback year for Raonic, who last season suffered from a painful nerve condition in his foot, as well as back spasms, and who didn’t make the cut for the 2015 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

“That slip in the rankings was hard to accept and also very motivating,” he has said. Raonic knows that, if he is to ever become the World No. 1, he will have to play great tennis for 30 weeks of the year. That won’t be easy. But that’s not going to stop him from trying. Or innovating.

Break points are the kingmakers in a tennis match.

They are the moments in time that carry the most weight, the most influential points to the final outcome. Saving break points when serving will once again go a long way in anointing the king of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals this month.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of saving break points for the Elite Eight during the 2016 season identifies three critical areas to watch: percentage of break points saved behind a first serve, behind a second serve, and the percentage-point gap between between the two, which highlights just how critical it is for players to make their first serve in this crucible of the 2016 season.

Focus No. 1: Percentage Saving Break Points Behind A First Serve

As you may expect, the tall timbers of Milos Raonic and Marin Cilic lead the way in saving break points behind a first serve, at 80 per cent and 75 per cent, respectively. Interestingly, Novak Djokovic is tied for third with 74 per cent, backing up his first serve with a ferocious “first-strike” baseline game that stops returners from extending the rally. The Serbian is tied with Stan Wawrinka. Raonic, Cilic, Djokovic and Wawrinka are the only players above the Elite Eight average.

Saving Break Points: Starting With A First Serve

Focus No. 2: Percentage Saving Break Points Behind A Second Serve

Wawrinka surges to the top of this important list, winning 64 per cent of break points behind a second serve. Japanese star Kei Nishikori jumps from sixth best in saving break points behind his first serve to second best in saving break points behind his second serve, which is a major reason he has successfully navigated his way back to London this year. A warning sign for both Dominic Thiem and Gael Monfils is that they occupy the last two spots in this critical list. The two London newcomers are also last in saving break points behind first serves.

Saving Break Points: Starting With A Second Serve

Focus No. 3: Percentage-Point Gap Between Saving Break Points Behind First Serve vs. Second Serve

The lower the number in this category the better, minimising the effect of missing a first serve in such an important moment in a match. The big guns, Cilic and Raonic, who did so well behind their first serve, fall to the bottom of this list.

Percentage-Point Gap Saving Break Points Behind First Serve vs. Second Serve

We conclude with the current No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Andy Murray. The Scot is a model of consistency in these three categories, finishing fifth in all of them. Maybe that’s the secret – stay solid while others rise and fall around you.

Only five men have done it, and it’s been almost 20 years since the last player making his debut at the ATP World Tour season finale won the tournament at the first attempt.

But Alex Corretja, who triumphed at the season finale in 1998, says fans shouldn’t count out Gael Monfils and Dominic Thiem when they make their debuts at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London next week.

Sure, other players – namely, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic – have more experience at The O2 and will likely be favoured to reach the semi-finals and final. But Monfils and Thiem have proven all year that they belong among the Top 8, winning ATP World Tour titles and advancing deep into Grand Slam championships and ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events.

The key for the Frenchman and Austrian, though, Corretja said, will be convincing themselves that they belong among the best in the world at one of the game’s biggest tournaments.

“You know what, why not?” Corretja told ATPWorldTour.com. “If any of them win the tournament, no one should be surprised, because they’re good players, they’re very good players. Of course, the other ones have more experience, but they’re good players.”

Thiem and Monfils both have plenty of reason to be confident at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, which starts Sunday. They’ve both put together career-best seasons that have landed them in London.

The 30-year-old Monfils has at last balanced his colourful flair with on-court consistency. He reached finals in Rotterdam, Monte-Carlo and won the biggest title of his career at Washington. At the US Open, Monfils matched his career-best Grand Slam result by reaching the semi-finals (l. to Djokovic). “I’m very happy. I had a lot of success this season. Many people said 30 years old is late, but I’m happy. I made it. I’m not thinking about the past. I’m thinking about the present, the future,” Monfils said.

The 23-year-old Thiem has also excelled all season long, capturing four titles – Buenos Aires, Acapulco, Nice and Stuttgart – on three different surfaces – clay, hard and grass – and achieving his best Grand Slam result at Roland Garros (semi-finals, l. to Djokovic). “It’s a big, big dream come true… I was probably the happiest guy in the world when it happened,” Thiem said of qualifying for London.

He and Monfils will try to join Corretja, John McEnroe, Guillermo Vilas, Ilie Nastase and Stan Smith as the only players to win the season finale during their debut year. (Smith won the tournament the first year it was held, in 1970). “Monfils’ and Thiem’s self-belief will be key in London,” Corretja said.

Watch Now: The Story of Dominic Thiem

“It can be intimidating debuting at the season finale, a tournament you’ve wanted to reach for much of your career but only the Top 8 players get invited to,” Corretja said. He, like Thiem, had tuned in to the event for years before he qualified, watching the likes of Boris Becker and Ivan Lendl compete at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“For the first time, you feel like, ‘Wow, I’m one of the big names in my sport’,” Corretja said. “You feel special when you qualify for that because you’ve been fighting so hard.”

But Monfils and Thiem can’t let the bright lights of The O2 blind them; they’d be wise to focus on playing aggressive from the start. With its round-robin play, the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals pits top players against top players on day one, unlike other tournaments where players might face the World No. 60 in the first round and not face a top player until rounds later. The format especially benefits players who can focus right from the start.

“You know you’re going to play with the best players in the world,” Corretja said. “But that also helps to raise your level because every player is very good. Everyone feels very aggressive… That makes you feel like you have to be brave the very first day.”

That’s how he felt when he opened against World No. 4 Andre Agassi in Hanover, Germany, the site of the 1998 ATP Tour World Championship. Corretja had gained confidence from his coach, Javier Duarte, who wisely stated before the event, “If you believe in yourself, you can win this thing.”

Corretja, like Thiem and Monfils, had achieved positive results earlier in the year – including four ATP World Tour titles – and the Spaniard relied on those results to inflate his confidence in Hanover. “I felt that I was physically very strong and mentally I was quite fresh,” he said.

But winning the season finale during his debut year against the likes of Agassi, Carlos Moya, Tim Henman and World No. 1 Pete Sampras, who was trying to finish year-end No. 1 for the sixth consecutive season? Corretja wasn’t so sure. “OK, let’s go day-by-day,” he remembers telling his coach.

But Corretja won his first round-robin match when Agassi retired down 5-7, 6-3, 2-1. The 5’11” Corretja then fell to Brit Tim Henman but dismissed countryman Albert Costa to reach the semi-finals.

There, he faced Sampras, whom Corretja had fallen to in the US Open quarter-finals two years prior, losing 7-6(7) in the fifth set. But he upset “Pistol Pete” and outlasted countryman Carlos Moya in the final to make history and prove his coach right.

If he could tell Monfils and Thiem one thing before they make their London debuts?

“I would pretty much say go for it. Don’t wait, don’t wait for it. Go for it,” Corretja said. “And then just believe. You’re there because you’re good enough to be with these guys.”

Combine a massive serve with gargantuan groundstrokes, sound volleys and an ability to produce your best on the biggest occasions, and what do you have? In Marin Cilic, someone none of the other seven competitors at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals will enjoy seeing on the other side of the net.

This is the second time Cilic has qualified for the season-ending tournament. On his debut in 2014 – the same year he won his first and, to date, only Grand Slam title at the US Open – he lost all three of his group matches in London, hampered by a niggling arm injury, and he left hugely disappointed, determined to return.

Motivation, then, will be high for the 28 year old, who booked his spot thanks to a strong second half of the season, which included a first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title, in Cincinnati in August, where he beat Andy Murray in the final, and then a first ATP World Tour Masters 500 title, in Basel last month. Just a few days ago he registered his first victory over Novak Djokovic to make the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Paris. With a Davis Cup final against Argentina to come the week after London, this could be a big month for a man who, in many ways, has underachieved, given the huge talent he possesses.

When he won his US Open title, blowing away Roger Federer in the semi-finals and then outplaying Kei Nishikori in the final, there were many who saw his win as a changing of the guard. Seemingly nerveless in the latter stages in New York, he had the power to hit through the very best and the game to prosper. But, for a number of reasons, Cilic found it tough to reproduce that standard of play on a consistent basis.

“Even last year I was having some good tournaments but searching still for my game,” Cilic has said, not the first player to find it difficult to cope with the increased expectations that often follow a first Grand Slam win. “The first part of 2015, I missed because of injury. I was a little bit up and down with the game, trying to find that kind of a balance that I had at the US Open and that I had that second part of 2014 when I played really, really good tennis, the tennis that I need to play.

“Since then, I was on and off with that kind of style, so I feel just now, the last few months, that I found myself in a really good position and feeling good on the court.”

Temperamental as a junior, Cilic is calmer on court these days and softly-spoken, thoughtful and sensitive, which is not always the ideal combination for a tennis player for whom raw aggression is often a necessity. “I’m trying to be obviously focused on what I have to do on the court,” he said of his even-tempered disposition. “I see also some guys that show more emotions, that are more into fan communication. Obviously that’s a good thing, as we need to have different kinds of players.”

Until he won Cincinnati in August, Cilic had never made it beyond the quarter-finals of an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event. His win over Murray gave him great confidence, as did his dominant performance in Basel.

It is almost seven years since Cilic first came to general attention, when he reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open. Hovering around the Top 20 for a few years, he flattered to deceive for a while, with outstanding performances accompanied by poor losses and it wasn’t until he joined forces with a Croatian hero, Goran Ivanisevic, that he really figured himself out. The pair began working together midway through 2013 and the following year, they peaked with Cilic’s US Open triumph.

In what was something of a surprise, the pair split midway through this year, with Cilic hiring Sweden’s Jonas Bjorkman, the former World No. 4 who enjoyed a successful stint in Murray’s coaching team last year. Together, the two men have been working on helping Cilic make even more of his monstrous serve by improving his understanding of how to play at the net.

“The idea in the background was to try to find somebody who could help me with my transition from the baseline to the net,” said Cilic. “I  felt that he might be really the person that could help me the most with that, as he was great in singles and also great in doubles and obviously knows the game really well.”

One of his most memorable encounters of the season was a five-set thriller in his Wimbledon quarter-final against Federer. “I was close there with Federer and I played great at Wimbledon,” he said. “Had three match points, didn’t convert on those. But I feel that when I’m playing well and playing the right way, that definitely the [big serving] game is always going to give me a chance and that I am always going to have good results with that.”

And Cilic is probably at his best indoors – eight of his 16 titles have come under a roof. If his serve functions as it can then, together with his improving net game, he will be a huge danger to his rivals this week.

Novak Djokovic will bid to win an unprecedented fifth successive title at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals next week, and a record-equalling sixth crown overall.

Over the past four years, the Serbian has often produced his best performances on the blue court at The O2 in London, including a 15-match winning streak. His only loss came in a 2015 round-robin defeat to Federer, whom he went onto beat in last year’s final.  In his four recent visits to the Greenwich peninsula, he has put together a 18-1 record and lost only eight sets.

By comparison, fellow five-time season finale titlist Ivan Lendl, who reached nine straight finals between 1980-1988, put together a 15-match winning streak at the event between 1985-1988. Federer, who has reached a record 10 finals, compiled a 14-match winning streak between 2003-2005 and won 10 consecutive matches between 2011-13.

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In Djokovic’s first banner year, 2011, incredibly, he went 1-2 in round-robin play and exited the tournament with a 70-6 (.921) match record on the season and 10 titles from 11 finals. During 2011, he went 6-5 in indoor matches, but since then he’s compiled a 47-3 overall record in controlled conditions.

With year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings on the line, Djokovic will next week attempt to improve upon his 2016 61-8 match record, with his eighth title of the season. He’ll also do all in his power to fight Andy Murray and earn his fifth top-spot finish in the past six years (except 2013).

Read Jon Wertheim’s Djokovic 2016 Programme Profile

To be the best, you have to beat the best. It’s not hyperbole, rather a fact of life on the ATP World Tour.

The competitors at next week’s Barclays ATP World Tour Finals have done just that, battling through a gauntlet of fierce competition throughout the 2016 season. This year, 12 players claimed at least four wins over Top 10 opposition. It’s no surprise that six of them will be appearing at The O2 in London for the season finale.

World No. 2 Novak Djokovic has consistently been the top performer against the Top 10 in the FedEx ATP Win-Loss Index, posting a ruthless 18-3 record (.857), including a 14-match win streak to open the year. The Serbian’s career index of .680 is also the best among the elite eight in London.

“I have been managing to win most of the big matches against Top 10 players,” Djokovic said during his streak. “I have a certain routine and certain preparation for these big matches that works for me.”

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In addition, Djokovic owns the best combined record against the seven other players to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. He is 14-3 this year, with his lone defeats coming against Andy Murray in the final of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Rome, Stan Wawrinka in the US Open title match and Marin Cilic on Friday at the BNP Paribas Masters.

Year-to-Date vs. Top 10

Coming in second in the year-to-date FedEx ATP Win-Loss Index is new World No. 1 Andy Murray, who is 11-5 (.688). Marin Cilic rounds out the trio entering London with a record above .500 against the Top 10. The Croatian won six of nine such encounters (.667), including a milestone victory over Murray for the Western & Southern Open crown in August.

“You have to keep improving week after week, and obviously to play consistently well on these tournaments and big tournaments,” Cilic, who arrives in London with a 4-4 mark against fellow season finale contenders, said last week. “Staying in the Top 10 is extremely challenging. There are a lot of obviously great players that are not in Top 10, as well.”

Debutantes Gael Monfils and Dominic Thiem know firsthand what it takes to compile a consistent campaign on the ATP World Tour. The charismatic Frenchman will be looking to notch his 30th career Top 10 win next week in London. While he has only claimed two such victories thus far in 2016, beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters and Milos Raonic at the Rogers Cup, the quality of his performances against the Top 10 has significantly improved.

“Among the Top 10, the players are a lot better, but I never thought I was far from them except Novak,” said Monfils in Paris. “Maybe I have a psychological block when I play Novak. Maybe I believe it’s so difficult, but we are working on that. And for the other Top 10 players, I didn’t feel I was that far from them. I had match points against Milos and I beat him once and I went to four sets against Novak.”

Year-to-Date vs. Rest Of London Field

For Thiem, the Austrian has enjoyed a breakthrough season against the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings. He entered 2016 with just one victory in his young career and proceeded to amass a 4-7 (.364) mark, earning significant wins over former World No. 1’s Rafael Nadal on clay (Buenos Aires) and Roger Federer on grass (Stuttgart).

Rounding out the elite eight are Milos Raonic, who owns the fourth-highest year-to-date FedEx ATP Win-Loss Index among the contenders (.462), followed by Stan Wawrinka (.400).