The new ATP Player Council, as voted by players, was announced on Saturday evening at the general player meeting at Wimbledon.

The Council, elected for a two-year term, includes the world’s top two ranked singles players Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, as well as the likes of Gilles Simon, Kevin Anderson, Rajeev Ram and Sergiy Stakhovsky.

World No. 1 doubles player Jamie Murray is also elected, alongside his doubles partner Bruno Soares, meaning it will be the first time that two brothers are to serve on the Council at the same time.

Members elected by their peers to serve on the ATP Player Council through June 2018 are:

* 1-50 Singles: Kevin Anderson, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Gilles Simon
* 51-100 Singles: Yen-Hsun Lu, Rajeev Ram
* 1-100 Doubles: Jamie Murray, Bruno Soares
* At-Large: Marcelo Melo, Sergiy Stakhovsky
* Alumni: Colin Dowdeswell
* Coach: Claudio Pistolesi

The new ATP Player Council will have its first meeting in New York prior to the US Open, where the President and Vice President will be elected.

Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman & President, said: “Congratulations to all those that have been elected to the new Council. It’s great news to have such a strong group of players involved as we look to take the ATP World Tour to new heights in years ahead. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing Council members, led by Eric Butorac as President, for all their hard work and dedication over the past two years.”

Djokovic said: “I am humbled to be elected by my colleagues to be on the Players Council. It is a big responsibility and I know how much all of us players care for our sport to thrive and grow. I see this as an opportunity and I hope to fulfil the expectations of my colleagues.”

Andy Murray said: “It’s the first time I’m getting involved in something like this and I’m looking forward to getting started with the rest of the guys on the Council. We’ve seen a lot of growth on the ATP World Tour in recent years and hopefully we can continue that.”

Bruno Soares said: “I’m very happy to be elected for a second time. These past two years were a great experience. We were able to learn a lot and see the sport from a different perspective. I hope I can keep contributing. The players have been very committed to helping to improve our sport, and I’m happy to be a part of that.”

Jamie Murray said: “I’m excited and looking forward to working hard and putting across our points of view and get some good things done for the Tour over the next two years. I’ve been around the Tour for a while now, and thought it was time to put my name forward. I think it’s important the top players get involved and it makes the voice of the Council stronger.”

Sergiy Stakhovsky said: “I really appreciate the support of the players and hopefully we can continue some of the things we’ve achieved with previous Councils. I think it’s important for us to have a very strong Council and it’s great that we have Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic coming on. I believe there’s greater things ahead of us, not only with this Council but in the future with the new generations coming up.”

The ATP Player Council meets several times a year and makes recommendations to ATP Management and the ATP Board of Directors through the three Player Board representatives, whom the Council elects.

Earlier this week, Justin Gimelstob was re-elected by the outgoing Player Council as Player Board representative from the Americas Group region. Gimelstob will serve another three-year term starting January 1, 2017. The ATP Board of Directors comprises three Player Representatives, three Tournament Representatives, and ATP Executive Chairman and President Kermode.

When Andy Murray lifted the trophy at Wimbledon in 2013, ending the 77-year British title drought, Ivan Lendl was his coach. Lendl had a significant impact as an integral part of Murray’s team, and the Scot is looking to rekindle the magic in their second run together.

The relationship is already paying off, having clinched a record fifth title at the Aegon Championships at Queen’s Club a week ago. Murray hopes to carry his strong run of form to the All England Club.

“Obviously we’re working together because I feel like he can help me,” said Murray. “He wants to do the job. I think the last weeks have gone extremely well. The time I spent with him beforehand was very good. I don’t feel any added pressure working with him again. I think it gives me a bit of extra confidence, because I know the last time we worked together it was very successful. I trust in what he says.

“This last week’s been very good. I enjoyed having him back as part of the team. He’s very clear in what he thinks and where my game needs to go if I want to keep improving and winning the major events again.”

For the seventh time in his career at the tour-level, and the first at Wimbledon, Murray will square off against a fellow Brit. The 29-year-old, who defeated countrymen Aljaz Bedene and Kyle Edmund last week at Queen’s Club, is slated to battle wild card Liam Broady in the first round. He admits it will be a strange encounter.

“It will be interesting,” Murray added. “It has never happened before here for me. So it will be interesting. I know Liam fairly well. We practised a bit earlier this year, around February and March, after the Aussie Open.

“He’s a good guy and works hard. I would imagine we’d probably play on one of the big courts. It’s a big experience for him. I look forward to it.”

With nine Brits in the main draw (first time since 2006), Murray also commented on the successful run through qualifying by Marcus Willis. At No. 775 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, the 25 year old is making his tour-level main draw debut.

“It was great for him to qualify. I remember, it was a couple of years ago, he was trying to get some funding together because he wanted to try to play a full year on the tour. I remember retweeting something he was doing to try and raise money online to keep playing because he wasn’t getting any funding anymore.

“It’s just a really cool story. He pretty much stopped playing, then was coaching. To then go to pre-qualifying at the last minute, get through the pre-qualifying and then to the qualifying. There are no guarantees he wins his first match, but with the potential to play Roger, it would be an amazing story.”

Murray will face Broady on Tuesday, with a potential Round of 16 clash against Nick Kyrgios looming large. Frenchmen Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga potentially await in the quarter-finals.

The first half of the ATP Challenger Tour season has seen several players achieve breakthrough tournament wins and reach career highs in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

Nine players produced career-high Emirates ATP Rankings after winning ATP Challenger Tour titles this season, with five of them breaking through to the Top 100. All of them have won at least one ATP Challenger Tour title this year and many have finished as runner-up in several other events.

Take a look at their best results of the season:

Gerald Melzer, 25, kicked off the year by winning three $50,000 Challengers in seven weeks. He first prevailed in January in Mendoza, Argentina, and Bucaramanga, Colombia, then won in February in Morelos, Mexico. Melzer also finished as runner-up at two other ATP Challenger Tour events.

Daniel Evans, 26, prevailed at the $50,000 event in March in Drummondville, Canada, then won again two months later at the $75,000 event in Taipei, Taiwan. He’s also finished as runner-up at two $100,000 tournaments this year.

Jordan Thompson, 22, won his first ATP Challenger Tour title in February at the $50,000 event in Cherbourg, France. He then prevailed in May at the $100,000 tournament in Anning, China.

Gastao Elias, 25, has excelled in Italian Challengers. He won the $50,000 event in April in Turin, then followed that up a month later by winning another $50,000 tournament in Mestre.

#NextGen star Karen Khachanov, 20, won his second ATP Challenger Tour title this May at the $50,000 event in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. He also finished as runner-up at the $50,000 tournament in Jonkoping, Sweden.

Thiago Monteiro, 22, won his first ATP Challenger Tour title in May at the $100,000 event in Aix-en-Provence, France, then finished as runner-up a month later at the $75,000 event in Blois, France. He also caused the upset of the year by defeating then-Top 10 player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the ATP World Tour 500 event in Sao Paulo.

Konstantin Kravchuk, 31, won his first ATP Challenger Tour title in seven years at the $100,000 event in Busan, Korea. He’s also finished as runner-up at two other Challenger events in the past two months.

Rogerio Dutra Silva, 32, won the $100,000 event in May in Bordeaux, France, and also had a runner-up finish in March at the $50,000 event in Santiago, Chile.

Adam Pavlasek, 21, prevailed at home this month by winning the $50,000 event in Prague, Czech Republic. He’s also finished as runner-up at three other $50,000 ATP Challenger Tour events this year.

Marcus Willis has spent much of this year coaching tennis, but his employers at the Warwick Boat Club will be looking for someone to cover his lessons next week as he continues an improbable run into the main draw of Wimbledon.

The plucky Brit, ranked No. 775 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, was the last player to receive entry into the pre-qualifying draw for Wimbledon. He earned a wild card into the qualifying draw through his performance at that event and continued to produce inspire tennis this week. In his final-round qualifying match on Friday, he outlasted Daniil Medvedev of Russia in four sets to complete his emotional journey into the main draw.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I’m delighted,” he said. “I’ve always believed in myself and believed I could play really good tennis. I’ve worked hard, got in the gym and got myself in good shape.”

His previous results hadn’t indicated he would be ready for his Grand Slam main draw debut next week. Willis excelled in Futures events, winning eight titles over the past three years, but struggled to replicate that success on the ATP Challenger Tour. He won just one main draw match in the eight Challengers he played last year, which included four losses in the qualifying rounds.

Willis endured an injury-filled start to 2016, which limited him to just one tournament in January. His earnings for reaching the quarter-finals in singles and doubles at that Futures event was just $356. He took up a coaching job while continuing to train, but questioned whether he would be happy doing something else.

“I was adamant I was going to go to America and coach [in Philadelphia]. I even called up someone about the visa,” said Willis. “But I met a girl, Jennifer, who basically told me that I was an idiot and that I should keep going. I’m very grateful for her.”

He began to compete in German and French tennis leagues, working hard to put aside money so that he could make another run on the tour in January. Even though he hadn’t competed in a pro tournament in five months, he was able to sneak into the pre-qualifying draw after David Rice dropped behind him in the rankings just before the entry list closed.

“I was unbeaten in all competitions in the German and French tennis leagues, so I thought I was playing well and it wouldn’t be embarrassing,” said Willis. “I didn’t expect to qualify for Wimbledon, though.”

The £30,000 paycheck he’s guaranteed, win or lose after his first-round match against Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania, will go a long way towards funding his comeback. But for Willis, money isn’t the motivating factor for him to make another run at fulfilling his tennis dreams.

“It’s certainly the biggest pay day I’ve ever received. I can pay off a couple of credit cards I used to fund my tennis the last couple of years,” said Willis. “It’s great, but I’m not here for the money. I play for the love of competing.”

Steve Johnson survived Uruguayan veteran Pablo Cuevas 7-6(5), 7-5 for the Aegon Open Nottingham title on Saturday, his first on the ATP World Tour.

The 26-year-old American is the third first-time winner this year, joining Nick Kyrgios (Marseille) and Diego Schwartzman (Istanbul). It marks the second straight year an American has lifted his first trophy, following Jack Sock’s victory in Houston in 2015.

How does it feel to be holding your first ATP World Tour singles trophy?
It’s special. There’s no doubt about that. It makes it even more special to have my dad, girlfriend, coach, trainer and agent here. To share that moment with everybody is definitely something I’ll never forget.

Was this a goal of yours as a junior and in college and how did you envision it?
You’ve always hoped to be lifting the trophy at the end. Up until today, it hasn’t been a reality. To play a very solid final, I’m very happy to win my first title. Hopefully there will be many more to come.

You reached the quarter-finals last week at Queen’s Club and posted your first Top 10 win over Richard Gasquet. Did that give you confidence going into this week?
Absolutely. Beating Gasquet, who is such an accomplished player, and to come back from 4-0 down in the first, definitely gives you confidence to beat anybody out there. When things start to click on your side of the net like it did, it’s very beneficial.

You beat top seed Kevin Anderson and No. 2 Pablo Cuevas this week. What do you think you did well?
I served well and I played tie-breaks well. On grass, it comes down to that. Against Vasek Pospisil, I squeezed out a couple tie-breaks. Against, Anderson I played great after a rain delay. The next day against Andreas Seppi and today against Cuevas the tactics were different. They play so different, but today I was lucky enough to win the tie-break in the first set and get the break in the second.

Did you go in with a different approach to your second final after Vienna last year?
Yes, I felt more comfortable out there. It’s just another match and I’ve been there once before. In Vienna, Ferrer was the overwhelming favourite and it was a surprise for me to be in a 500 level final. Today, on grass, it was 50/50 against Pablo. Today, I’m happy to ease those nerves and serve it out at 6-5.

In your college career, you won four NCAA team titles and two singles titles at the University of Southern California. How does this compare?
It’s completely different. The relief that I felt after winning in college as a senior was something I’ll never forget, because that chapter of my life was over and I had something else to look forward to. They’re such highs. You play tennis for these moments and I’m lucky to be on the winning side today.

You finished in the Top 40 in the Emirates ATP Rankings the past two years. What were your goals coming into this year?
Just to continue getting better. I didn’t want to set a ranking goal, because I could have a great year and miss my goal by maybe two or three spots. Then, I’d spend November and December doubting what I’m doing and I just want to try keep getting better and better.

Who were the players you looked up to and admired growing up?
I was always watching Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras and their US Open finals growing up. Then it was Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish and James Blake and the next group of American guys. They were so fantastic. To be on the tour with those guys for a short time was special. It’s nice to now be able to call and text and get advice. It’s definitely a blessing to watch those guys on TV and now be in similar spots as them.

Tell us something about yourself that the majority of fans don’t know. What do you do for fun away from the court?
I love playing golf when I’m at home in L.A. I live pretty close to the beach, so I love to ride my bike down there just get away from tennis and enjoy the California lifestyle. Nothing crazy. I like to relax and am a pretty easy going guy.

Who has helped you throughout your career to get you to where you are today?
So many people. It’s hard to really narrow it down. My parents first and foremost. My dad was my coach growing up and my mom was the rock for whatever I needed. Then you transition to college and my coaches got me from a talented kid to a legitimate tennis player. Now, my coaches, particularly Craig Boynton, have believed in me and gotten me to the next level. Hopefully the sky’s the limit.

Steve Johnson earned his moment in the spotlight on Saturday at the Aegon Open Nottingham, winning his maiden ATP World Tour title 7-6(5), 7-5 over Pablo Cuevas.

Johnson, who was appearing in his second final on the ATP World Tour, following a three-set defeat to David Ferrer on the indoor hard courts of Vienna last year, is the third first-time winner in 2016. The American has enjoyed great success in Nottingham, having notched the ATP Challenger Tour crown on the same court in in 2013, before the tournament moved to the ATP World Tour 250 level.

ATP World Tour First-Time Winners In 2016

The first set was a server’s paradise, with neither player facing a break point. Johnson would claim 75 per cent of total service points in the opener, before clawing back from a mini-break deficit in the ensuing tie-break. Trailing 3-1, the American reeled off six of the next eight points to take a one-set lead. He struck a sublime winner off a Cuevas drop volley, barely avoiding the net post and ball girl, to give himself his first set point and would claim the opener a point later.

Johnson would carry the momentum into the second set, converting the first break of the match for 2-1 when Cuevas fired a backhand long. But the experienced Uruguayan would not go down quietly, breaking back for 4-all with a stunning backhand cross-court pass on the run. Despite the hiccup, Johnson would regain his composure, breaking once again in the 11th game and converting his second match point with a stellar drop volley a game later.

Sixth seed Johnson had a strong week in Nottingham, knocking off four seeded opponents, including No. 1 Kevin Anderson in the quarter-finals. He takes home €86,850 in prize money and 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points. He is projected to match his career-high position of No. 29.

Cuevas was vying for his sixth title and first on grass. The last South American to win a tour-level grass-court crown was Venezuela’s Nicolas Pereira in Newport 1996.