Battle of the Brits: Andy & Jamie Murray answer Christmas questions
Brothers and British tennis stars Andy and Jamie Murray reveal the worst Christmas gifts they have got for each other in BBC Sport’s festive quiz.
Brothers and British tennis stars Andy and Jamie Murray reveal the worst Christmas gifts they have got for each other in BBC Sport’s festive quiz.
The fans have spoken, and for the 19th straight year, Roger Federer has been voted as the winner of Fans’ Favourite in the 2021 ATP Awards.
More On 2021 ATP Awards
Federer, who celebrated his 40th birthday in August, made his comeback to the ATP Tour this past March in Doha after undergoing two arthroscopic right knee surgeries in 2020. He enjoyed a run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals, where he showed his continued appreciation for the fans.
“[The] crowds were amazing,” said Federer. “The ovation was fantastic. I loved it. That’s why I play. That’s why I still play now.”
After 18 months of rehabbing and performing behind closed doors, playing on Centre Court to a passionate crowd makes it all worth it. Thank you ??? pic.twitter.com/7TjQbrxioR
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) July 2, 2021
The Swiss adds to his record haul of ATP Awards, now at 40. In addition to his 19 Fans’ Favourite Awards, Federer has been voted by his peers as the recipient of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award 13 times and Comeback Player of the Year (2017). He has also been crowned ATP No. 1 presented by FedEx five times and is a two-time winner of the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award.
In doubles, the French duo of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut have been selected as Fans’ Favourite for the first time.
Jenson Brooksby has been rewarded for his standout season by being voted Newcomer of the Year in the 2021 ATP Awards. The 21-year-old is the first American to win this award since Taylor Fritz in 2016 and the third overall American since 2000 to earn newcomer honours, also joining Andy Roddick (2001).
“I am extremely grateful to win the ATP Newcomer Player of the Year award,” Brooksby said. “Thank you to all the players who voted for me. It means a lot. It was definitely a fun season and I would like to thank the fans for cheering me on throughout the year. Lastly, thanks to my team, who supported me through the tough times and the good times.”
Brooksby had earned just one tour-level win before the 2021 season and sat outside the Top 300 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. However, following a series of standout results, the 21-year-old soared up the rankings this year, ending the campaign at No. 56 — the youngest of an ATP Tour-high 12 Americans in the year-end Top 100.
Congratulations Jenson ?#ATPAwards pic.twitter.com/FDeO9FpqrF
— ATP Tour (@atptour) December 16, 2021
The Sacramento-native reached his maiden ATP Tour final in Newport, before he advanced to the fourth round at a major for the first time on home soil at the US Open, defeating Aslan Karatsev and Fritz before losing to Novak Djokovic in four sets. He additionally reached tour-level semi-finals in Washington and Antwerp and captured three ATP Challenger Tour trophies.
“It was great to experience a lot of the success I had this year. I won my first few Challenger titles, made an [ATP] 250 final, the semis of D.C. — the [ATP] 500 — and made the Round of 16 at a major [for the first time]. [Those] were all good accomplishments for me,” Brooksby said. “I want to take it a step further next year.
“I know what it takes to win titles and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to. I want to win titles next year, that’s the ultimate goal and I believe the process that I’m doing will see me through to those results that I want.”
There are a few things Brooksby is most proud of from his breakthrough season, and they are not necessarily his biggest victories on paper.
“First, after the adversity I’d faced in 2020, not being able to play any matches and just knowing what it takes to win… fighting through that adversity to win the title in my second week in South Africa. Secondly I was proud of how well I adjusted to big moments and how well I consistently did in the Challengers after winning that first title, especially in Tallahassee and Orlando during that time of the season,” Brooksby said. “I’m proud of how I’ve been committed to my process and doing the things I need to do. I know there’s still work to do in that, but I’ve made good strides this year.
“Third, I’m proud of how well I translated my game and my belief into the ATP Tour tournaments. I translated my game really well and I had good results starting with my first ATP tournaments.”
Brooksby also acknowledged countryman Mackenzie McDonald, another winner in the 2021 ATP Awards. “Shout out to Mackie for winning the Comeback Player of the Year award,” he said. “You deserve it.”
Four other #NextGenATP stars – Sebastian Baez, Juan Manuel Cerundolo, Hugo Gaston and Brandon Nakashima – were also nominated in this category.
Rafael Nadal does not have big expectations for the Australian Open as he prepares to play for the first time since being ruled out of the final months of 2021.
Aslan Karatsev has been voted Most Improved Player of the Year in the 2021 ATP Awards, after rising from No. 112 in the FedEx ATP Rankings at the start of the season to a career-high No. 15 in November.
“I am really happy to win this award,” Karatsev said. “It means a lot to me and I am really happy to get this. Thank you very much.”
Karatsev’s season began against Brandon Nakashima in the first round of qualifying at the Australian Open when the Russian was No. 114. Fast forward one month and he had reached the semi-finals at the first major of the season, defeating Diego Schwartzman, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Grigor Dimitrov before losing to Novak Djokovic.
It was a run that gave Karatsev a renewed sense of belief and confidence, which he showcased in Dubai, where he soared to his first tour-level title, defeating Lloyd Harris in the championship match.
In a breakthrough season, the 28-year-old also triumphed on home soil in Moscow, reached the final in Belgrade and scored Top 2 wins against Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev, finishing the year in the Top 20 of the FedEx ATP Rankings.
“It’s not just happening right now, there is [a lot of] work that was done before [to get here],” Karatsev said in April. “I had some injuries before and some troubles, and now we’re doing a good job with my coach. It’s been two and a half years and it’s just paying off in 2021… It’s coming from the hard work every day, and it’s a long process. You have to be there every day and work hard.”
Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champion Carlos Alcaraz, BNP Paribas Open titlist Cameron Norrie and 2021 Nitto ATP Finals semi-finalist Casper Ruud were also nominated in this category, having all reached a significantly higher FedEx ATP Ranking by the year’s end.
After concluding the ATP Tour season by winning the Nitto ATP Finals, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut have yet another reason for celebration. The Frenchmen have been voted as the Fans’ Favourite doubles team in the 2021 ATP Awards.
“Just want to thank all of you who voted for us,” said Mahut. “Winning on the court is a personal accomplishment, but receiving the Fans’ Favourite Award is a different kind of pride. Pierre-Hugues and I are very touched and hope to share some great moments next year together and with you. Thanks again and see you next year.”
Herbert added: “It’s the first time we’ve won this award. We had an amazing year and we’re so happy and so proud about it. We hope to be back next year, enjoying on the court and on the ATP Tour.”
<!–
More On ATP Awards
–>
Herbert, 30, and 39-year-old Mahut claimed three team titles in 2021, including their second at Roland Garros and third at Queen’s Club.
They have won 20 titles together since 2015 and are one of eight teams to have completed the career Grand Slam in doubles. In 2016, Mahut and Herbert respectively finished as the top two in the FedEx ATP Doubles Rankings.
One Moroccan tennis player is banned for life as a total of six men are suspended after being found guilty of match-fixing charges.
American Mackenzie McDonald, who underwent right hamstring surgery in June 2019, has been named the Comeback Player of the Year in the 2021 ATP Awards following a season in which he climbed to new heights.
Despite the physical toll of recovering from his hamstring injury, McDonald ascended to a career-high No. 54 in the FedEx ATP Rankings in 2021.
“It’s extremely rewarding. For me it’s a massive accomplishment, honestly. At the end of the year I was hoping I was going to be nominated, I got that and then actually winning it is really cool for me,” McDonald said. “It was a really big comeback and I feel like I put in all the hard work. When I was going through the rehab process I did everything I possibly could to get myself back.
“Doing [the] extra [work] and playing good tennis this year paid off. It is very rewarding for me.”
See you in 2022 ?#ATPAwards pic.twitter.com/KkVhNOtQsK
— ATP Tour (@atptour) December 14, 2021
Following his surgery, rehab was a slow process. Last year, McDonald fell as low as World No. 272.
“I came back and had maybe two months of playing last year until right before Indian Wells. I really didn’t find my groove at all during that time and that was a little disheartening,” McDonald said. “Over the course of the COVID-19 [pandemic suspension of the Tour], it gave me a chance to keep practising, playing and working on my body and my game. I felt like I was slowly getting it back once the Tour started [last August].
“With COVID there were a lot of challenges for me with the comeback, because climbing the rankings was so difficult. I was in such a weird position not having points from 2019, so honestly it was a big uphill battle to really break in and even get to the Top 100.”
The American began 2021 at World No. 194, but he showed good form early on when he advanced to the fourth round at the Australian Open for the first time. McDonald won an ATP Challenger Tour title in Nur-Sultan and qualified for Roland Garros and Wimbledon, but he had still not returned to the Top 100.
“I was sitting at No. 120 for months… it was a really difficult time,” McDonald said. “What it took this year was a lot more, I feel, than normal, which makes me even prouder that I was able to fight through all that adversity as well.”
McDonald’s biggest result came at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., where he advanced to his maiden ATP Tour final. The Californian battled through tough opponents — including Nick Kyrgios, Ilya Ivashka and Kei Nishikori — to make the championship match, where he pushed Jannik Sinner for nearly three hours before falling in three sets.
“I feel like it was a great end of 2021 for me, having that be my start for 2022. Now I feel like I’m back,” McDonald, who reached World No. 54 in November, said. “I really feel like I’ve come back, so now I can do some damage this next year. That’s what I want to do, capitalise even more. I want to accomplish a lot for next year as well.”
Photo Credit: Peter Staples/Citi Open
The 26-year-old is aiming to become a seed at the majors, win ATP Tour titles, and make various improvements in his game that he is working on with his team. For now, as McDonald continues preparing for next season, he is happy to celebrate being recognised as Comeback Player of the Year.
“There were some difficult times with it and obviously I had to go through that with my team,” McDonald said. “But having this now as a reward is pretty cool.”
New Zealand’s Marcus Daniell receives the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award in the 2021 ATP Awards, joining an illustrious list of recipients that includes Ashe himself, former South African President Nelson Mandela, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Daniell wrote a My Point essay for ATPTour.com about how much the award means for him, how he became involved in the charity world, why he is so passionate about philanthropy, his organisation, High Impact Athletes, and more.
* * * * *
Photo Credit: ATP Tour/Getty Images/Nora Stankovic
When I was told I was this year’s Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award recipient I was blown away. It is incredibly humbling to look down the list of previous recipients and see who has received this honour. Their many accomplishments both on and off the court are staggering.
My journey in philanthropy began in 2015. It was the first year I focussed on doubles and it was also the first year I made money playing tennis. I was able to put some savings away in the bank at the end of the year and with that little bit of financial security came this really strong urge to give back.
It never sat perfectly with me how self-absorbed professional sport can be. You take from the world, especially as a tennis player, where everything is about defeating the people around you. I’m a competitive person, but that isn’t all of who I want to be off the tennis court. I really wanted to give back and balance the scales, I just didn’t know how.
“The larger we make this snowball, the more positive impact we can have in the world” – @MarcusDaniell ?#ATPAwards pic.twitter.com/MljcbCQKNW
— ATP Tour (@atptour) December 14, 2021
I had the same doubts that pretty much everyone has about the charities I’d grown up around. I didn’t know how they were using my money or how much good my donations were doing. So I jumped on Google to search how I could best give back, and that’s where I first came across the effective altruism movement. One of the ways EA taught me how I could make a positive impact in the world was by earning to give. Essentially, the more money I earned playing tennis, the more I could give away to people who needed it 50,000 times more than I do. It was a light-bulb moment. Pair that with giving to the most cost-effective and impactful charities in the world and you have a winning combo.
I made a donation that year, but it didn’t feel like quite enough. So early in 2016 I decided to pledge one per cent of my annual income to charity, and it added a whole extra world of meaning to my tennis life. You always want to win more matches, but with this pledge I now wanted to win more matches, not only for personal progress, but also because I knew that with every extra win I would be helping the world more. Each year since then I’ve bumped up my pledge and it has really given back to me. It’s one of the beautiful paradoxes of charity – helping others makes us happy.
Now I’m committed to donating at least 10 per cent of my earnings to the most effective charities in the world for the rest of my life, and I have never felt better. I am giving what for me is a pretty significant amount of money each year, but I feel like it pays back and then some. I don’t need a fancy car or an expensive watch or even an extra barista-made coffee each day to be happy. Donating that 10 per cent is not going to decrease my happiness, but it is going to make thousands of lives a whole lot better. I take deep pleasure in knowing that every success I have in my working life will ultimately end up changing or even saving lives.
Photo Credit: Fiona Goodall/Getty Images
There were times in my career when being able to do that seemed highly unlikely. In 2013, when I was 23, I was playing some Futures events in Asia. I was winning matches here and there, but I was absolutely miserable. I remember winning a match in a third-set tie-break and feeling absolutely nothing. No joy, no triumph, just numb. The next day there was a big earthquake about 100 kilometres away and people died. I was just in a really dark space and was thinking, ‘Why am I doing this? Why am I doing something that I don’t enjoy?’
That was one of the lowest points of my career. I came very close to quitting then and there. A few weeks later, after losing a close match on the grass, I sat down in England with my coach, David Sammel, and he gave me a chat that has become known at his academy as the Chapel of Bullshit. He told me that I was just a tourist on the tennis court because I thought that I was trying, but because my mind wasn’t 100 per cent there, it was fake trying. I was worshipping at the Chapel of Bullshit because I would use a variety of excuses to explain why I wasn’t 100 per cent there. He bollocked me for two hours straight, and it worked. The talk landed really hard but really well, especially after that recent experience where I was a tourist in my own body.
I’ve had bad injuries and those have been low points, but this wasn’t an injury. I just had zero love for tennis at that point and then was on the receiving end of this bollocking that made something click resoundingly in my head. I realised that if I was not going to be 100 per cent there mentally, there was no point in being on a tennis court at all. This realisation led to a pretty rapid improvement.
This year I had the biggest victory of my life, winning the Olympic bronze medal for New Zealand in men’s doubles with Michael Venus. But these days there is far more to me in life than just winning and losing. Last year when the tour paused for COVID-19 I had more time to think than I’d ever had. I was thinking about my place in the world, the impact I wanted to make and the legacy I wanted to leave. I took an effective altruism course online through Coursera and it reinvigorated my passion for how I could make more impact as an individual. That led to the realisation that I could be a better advocate, and I thought that the best way to do so would be to start an organisation that could help educate others and bring them along on the journey of giving effectively.
Daniell poses with High Impact Athletes Advisor Peter Singer. Photo Credit: Marcus Daniell.
So on 30 November 2020, I founded High Impact Athletes. I didn’t know any athletes who had heard of the effective altruism movement before and I believed it was an extremely powerful and compelling message. We should think extremely carefully about where we donate to, because some charities can be literally 1,000 times more impactful than others. The idea is to get as many people in professional sports — and the world — on board as possible and use our platform to spread the message that where you give matters immensely.
HIA already has dozens of donors, pledgers and ambassadors, from world-heavyweight boxing champs to Olympic figure skaters, from race walkers to tennis players. And we’re growing faster and faster. After all, the more people you can bring with you on the giving journey, the more good is done in the world.
Learn More About High Impact Athletes
Most importantly, I’d like to truly thank all of the athletes who have come on board High Impact Athletes. It’s the group, the collective that’s really making an impact. If I could, I would split this award among everyone who has gotten involved and showed such extraordinary generosity and support.
I am deeply passionate about High Impact Athletes and what we’re building. I hope that I can use whatever recognition comes from this award to really grow HIA and bring more athletes on board, because the larger we make this snowball, the more positive impact we can make in the world.
Here’s to doing good.
In tennis you always have to win the last point to claim victory. Until then, your opponent is always in with a chance, even if they are heavily trailing. With the margins in the sport so small, the tempo of matches can quickly change.
Yesterday we looked at three of the best ATP Tour comebacks of the season. Now, we will complete the top five with the two best ATP Tour match comebacks of 2021, before turning attention to the best Grand Slam comebacks of 2021 from Wednesday.
2) BNP Paribas Open, Round of 16, Grigor Dimitrov d. Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
Grigor Dimitrov had not reached the quarter-finals at an ATP Masters 1000 event all season, and the drought looked set to continue in Indian Wells. Daniil Medvedev was cruising towards a comfortable straight-sets fourth-round victory in California against the Bulgarian.
The Russian was the more consistent of the pair as he dictated from the baseline with his flat groundstrokes to march to a 6-4, 4-1 lead. But with Medvedev within touching distance of a meeting against Hubert Hurkacz, Dimitrov changed up tactics, swinging more freely and hitting powerful and precise backhands to force his opponent into errors.
The Bulgarian also capitalised on Medvedev’s serving struggles — the World No. 2 made just 34 per cent of his first serves in the second set — to roar back, winning five straight games to level.
With momentum now on his side in the decider, Dimitrov, who hit 25 winners in the match, continued to play aggressively and frustrate an out-of-sorts Medvedev by approaching the net effectively to close out points and seal victory.
“He is such a tough player and competitor,” Dimitrov said. “Over the past year, I have played him a few times and haven’t been able to find a way. But today, I just felt something at 1-4 and I calmed myself down and started to make better decisions and started to control the pace of the game, which I really believed helped me. In the end it was just very solid and smart play.”
1) Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Round of 16, Rafael Nadal d. Denis Shapovalov 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3)
It is an unfamiliar sight to see Rafael Nadal trailing on clay. It is even rarer to see the 13-time Roland Garros champion being dismantled on it. But that was exactly what was happening in the third round at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, where Denis Shapovalov led Nadal 6-3, 3-0 on Campo Centrale.
The Canadian flew out of the blocks and stormed to take the opening set, dictating with his heavy forehand as he outmanoeuvred Nadal. Shapovalov then gained a break to march into a 3-0 lead in the second set, with the finishing line now seemingly in sight.
However, defeating Nadal on clay was never going to be so simple and it proved so as the 35-year-old held firm to fend off another break point and hold for 1-3. It marked a turning point in the match as the Spaniard rolled off four consecutive games, eventually letting out a roar as he clinched the set.
While many expected Nadal to race away to victory in the decider, Shapovalov had other ideas, moving 3-1 ahead before he was again pegged back. At 5-6 down, Nadal was in bigger danger than ever, with Shapovalov fighting his way to two match points. However, a missed backhand from the 22-year-old and a forehand winner from Nadal kept him alive, and he used his experience in the tie-break to secure his epic victory after three hours and 27 minutes.
“[It] is an important victory for me [to] be able to win matches like today, three hours and 27 [minutes], in the Barcelona final three hours and 38 [minutes], long matches,” Nadal said. “To be able to win these kinds of matches against young players gives me confidence with my body.”
Nadal would go on to defeat Novak Djokovic in the final to earn his 10th trophy in Rome.
