Lawn Tennis Association's 2020 income falls by 40% because of coronavirus pandemic
The Lawn Tennis Association says its income has fallen by about 40% – or £30m – in 2020, as a result of Covid-19.
The Lawn Tennis Association says its income has fallen by about 40% – or £30m – in 2020, as a result of Covid-19.
It has been another impressive year for the #NextGenATP, who made their mark both before and after the COVID-19 pandemic suspended play for more than five months.
ATPTour.com looks back at some of the #NextGenATP highlights of 2020.
Musetti’s Magic In Rome
Jannik Sinner seized the #NextGenATP spotlight by triumphing in Milan one year ago. The teen continued on his upwards trajectory this year, cracking the Top 50 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. But another #NextGenATP Italian made a big splash in 2020, too.
Lorenzo Musetti entered the Internazionali BNL d’Italia as the World No. 249, and he lost a set in two of his three qualifying matches. But once in the main draw, the 18-year-old showed why he is a star in the making.
Musetti upset former Top 5 stars Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori in back-to-back matches to reach the third round. It wasn’t just that he won, but he only lost 13 total games across the two matches.
“This kid’s backhand is incredible!” former World No. 1 Jim Courier, who broadcasted the Wawrinka match for Tennis Channel, said of Musetti.
The Italian lost in the third round against Dominik Koepfer, but he used the Rome ATP Masters 1000 event to step into the spotlight, and he has carried that momentum ever since, winning his first ATP Challenger Tour title in Forli and reaching his maiden ATP Tour semi-final in Sardinia.
Alcaraz’s Rio Marathon & More
Carlos Alcaraz first announced himself in February before his 17th birthday, defeating Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-6(2), 4-6, 7-6(2) in a three-hour, 37-minute marathon at the Rio Open presented by Claro.
“I will remember Rio forever,” Alcaraz said. “I am very happy to win my first ATP Tour match. This has been the longest and most intense match I’ve played so far. There were quite difficult conditions, but if you have the right attitude, the conditions don’t matter. You can achieve anything.”
The Spaniard’s win against Ramos-Vinolas came in his tour-level debut, which finished at 3:00 a.m. That match showed fans Alcaraz’s potential, and he has continued to improve under the tutelage of former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero.
In October, at the age of 17 years and five months, Alcaraz became the youngest player to lift ATP Challenger Tour trophies in consecutive weeks and the second-youngest to claim three titles in Challenger history. Only Richard Gasquet was younger (16 years, 10 months) when he triumphed for the third time in Napoli in 2003.
Seyboth Wild Breaks Through
Thiago Seyboth Wild will forever remember 2020. The Brazilian captured his first ATP Tour title at the Chile Dove Men+Care Open. He battled past established clay-courter Casper Ruud 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in the final.
“It’s an incredible achievement,” Seyboth Wild said. “It’s something I’ve always dreamed about.”
Seyboth Wild, who was 19 at the time, became the youngest Brazilian titlist in ATP Tour history and the youngest champion during the Golden Swing since an 18-year-old Rafael Nadal prevailed in Acapulco in 2005.
Seyboth Wild was the season’s lowest-ranked winner at World No. 182 as well as the youngest tour-level champion at 19 years, 11 months.
Gaston’s Moment In The Paris Sun
#NextGenATP Hugo Gaston arrived at Roland Garros without a tour-level win and his best result on the ATP Challenger Tour was reaching a semi-final. But the Frenchman, who turned 20 just before the tournament, went on a memorable run on the terre battue.
Gaston beat countryman Maxime Janvier and Japanese lefty Yoshihito Nishioka to reach the third round. It was there that his creative, drop shot-heavy game came to the forefront against Stan Wawrinka. The Swiss star won Roland Garros in 2015, but it was the young Frenchman who stormed through the fifth set to reach the fourth round.
World No. 239, Gaston became the lowest-ranked player in the last 16 at the clay-court major since World No. 283 Arnaud Di Pasquale in 2002. He also was the last Frenchman remaining. Gaston fell just short in the fourth round in a memorable five-setter against two-time finalist Dominic Thiem. But the 20-year-old showed that he plays an entertaining brand of tennis that fans will want to watch for years to come.
Korda Catches Fire
The surname ‘Korda’ re-entered the tennis dialogue after the ATP Tour’s restart as Sebastian Korda, son of 1998 Australian Open champion Petr Korda, made his mark. ‘Sebi’ qualified for the Western & Southern Open and pushed Denis Shapovalov in a fun four-setter in the first round of the US Open.
But the American kicked it up a notch at Roland Garros, where he qualified. Korda beat veterans Andreas Seppi and John Isner to reach the third round of the main draw, in which he defeated Spaniard Pedro Martinez. The 20-year-old, who had never won a tour-level match before the tournament, became the first qualifier to reach the Round of 16 at Roland Garros in nine years.
Next up was Korda’s idol: Rafael Nadal. The legendary lefty means so much to Korda that he has a cat named Rafa. Nadal only lost four games against the American, but it was a match Korda will never forget.
“It was definitely the best moment of my life,” said Korda, who asked Nadal for a signed shirt. “It was super awesome.”
Korda maintained his momentum by winning his first ATP Challenger Tour title in Eckental, Germany.
Jannik Sinner powered his way into his fourth tour-level quarter-final of the season on Wednesday by defeating lucky loser Marc-Andrea Huesler of Switzerland 6-3, 6-4 in 78 minutes at the Sofia Open.
The 19-year-old Italian broke once in each set — at 4-3 in the first set and at 3-3 in the second set — for his 16th match win of the season. He lost just five of his first-service points (32/37) and now takes on sixth-seeded Australian Alex de Minaur. It will be a repeat of the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals, which Sinner won 12 months ago.
[WATCH LIVE 1]“He’s a very solid player, moving very fast,” said Sinner, looking ahead to the De Minaur quarter-final. “I think he, for sure, improved a lot. He improved and I improved. It’s going to be a completely different match from last year at the Next Gen [ATP Finals].
“He’s going to change something for sure, maybe me as well. I still have to prepare how to play against him. But the basic plan is always the same: try to serve well, try to [make] him move, playing deep. Those are the basics and then you have a little bit it depends which opponent you play. For sure it’s the toughest match so far here for me. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Sinner reached his first Grand Sam championship quarter-final last month at Roland Garros, where he became the youngest major quarter-finalist since 18-year-old Bernard Tomic at 2011 Wimbledon.
De Minaur saved six of eight break points to beat qualifier Aslan Karatsev of Russia 6-4, 7-6(5) in one hour and 51 minutes. The 21-year-old, who reached the European Open final in Antwerp (l. to Humbert) last month, recovered from 3-5 down in the second set and saved two set points at 4-5, 15/40.
“I’m obviously very happy with the win today against a very, very tough opponent,” said De Minaur. “It was an incredibly tricky match and I’m very happy I was able to get the win and have a good, positive start to my Sofia Open.”
Fifth-seeded Frenchman Adrian Mannarino recorded his 13th match win of the season to overcome Egor Gerasimov of Belarus 6-4, 7-6(6) in one hour and 47 minutes and now challenges Moldovan Radu Albot, who beat top-seeded Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the second round on Tuesday.
Sixth-seeded Australian John Millman dug deep to beat Gilles Simon of France 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-2 in three hours and 15 minutes. Millman recovered from 2-4 down in the first set and could not convert two match points at 6-5 in in the second set. The 31-year-old captured his first ATP Tour title at the Astana Open in Nur-Sultan (d. Mannarino) on 1 November. He now faces Canada’s Vasek Pospisil.
“I feel tired now,” said Millman. “I’ve played with Gilles in Sydney before and hit with him a lot. He is so physical and hard to hit winners against. You know you’re going to be in a bit of a war against him. Gilles uses pace so well and you need to be patient. He feeds off people overplaying and he is so good at closing the court up.”
Have you ever dreamed of having a serve like John Isner’s? Now’s your chance to learn from the man himself.
The Nitto ATP Finals is conducting an Ultimate Prize Draw in support of Cancer Research UK, the tournament’s official charity partner. One of the four prize packages is ‘Acing Cancer’, featuring a one-on-one ZOOM serving Masterclass with Isner, a former Nitto ATP Finals competitor and winner of 15 ATP Tour titles.
VIEW & ENTER PRIZE DRAW
Isner will review your personal serving footage and provide individualised advice to take your serve to the next level. According to the Infosys ATP Stats Leaderboard, Isner currently sits atop the all-time Serve Leaders list. The American is second in the career aces standings with 12,365.
The 35-year-old will also answer any questions you have in an open question-and-answer session, providing insight into a champion’s mindset and training routines.
The Ultimate Prize Draw concludes on 12 November. Priced at £10 per entry, all proceeds will go towards supporting the critical work of Cancer Research UK, which has seen fundraising heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Nitto ATP Finals draw will take place Thursday at 4:45 p.m. GMT on BBC Radio 5 Live’s ‘5 Live Drive’ featuring ATP Supervisor Gerry Armstrong and 1970 tournament champion Stan Smith.
The eight singles players will be drawn into Group Tokyo 1970 and Group London 2020. The singles field is set, featuring Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev and Diego Schwartzman.
Seven of the eight doubles teams have qualified: Mate Pavic/Bruno Soares, Rajeev Ram/Joe Salisbury, Kevin Krawietz/Andreas Mies, Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos, Wesley Koolhof/Nikola Mektic, John Peers/Michael Venus and Lukasz Kubot/Marcelo Melo. Either Jurgen Melzer/Edouard Roger-Vasselin or Jamie Murray/Neal Skupski will take the final spot this week.
The doubles draw will not be done until the final team is known. The eight tandems will be divided into Group Bob Bryan and Group Mike Bryan.
Play at The O2 will take place from 15-22 November. This is the 12th and final year that the Nitto ATP Finals will be played in London.
Here’s all you need to know about the Nitto ATP Finals: what is the schedule, where to watch, who has won and more.
Established: 1970
Tournament Dates: 15-22 November 2020
Event Director: Adam Hogg
Official Draw: Thursday, 12 November at 4:45pm
Are You In? Subscribe To Get Tournament Updates In Your Inbox
Schedule
* Group stages: Sunday 15 November – Friday 20 November, Semi-finals: Saturday, 21 November
– Afternoon session: doubles at 12:00pm, singles not before 2:00pm
– Evening session: doubles not before 6:00pm (5:45pm on Friday), singles not before 8:00pm
* Doubles final: Sunday, 22 November at 3:30pm
* Singles final: Sunday, 22 November not before 6:00pm
How To Watch
Watch Live On Tennis TV
TV Schedule
Venue: The O2
Prize Money: US $5,700,000
View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown
Honour Roll (Open Era)
Most Titles, Singles: Roger Federer (6)
Most Titles, Doubles: Peter Fleming, John McEnroe (7)
Last Home Champion: Andy Murray in 2016
Oldest Champion: Roger Federer, 30, in 2011
Youngest Champion: John McEnroe, 19, in 1978
Higest-Ranked Champion: No. 1 Ilie Nastase in 1973, Jimmy Connors in 1977, Bjorn Borg in 1979-80, John McEnroe in 1984, Ivan Lendl in 1985-87, Pete Sampras in 1994 & 1996-97, Lleyton Hewitt in 2002, Roger Federer in 2004 & 2006-07, Novak Djokovic in 2012 & 2014-15, Andy Murray in 2016
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 12 David Nalbandian in 2005
Most Match Wins: Roger Federer (59)
2019 Finals
Singles: [6] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) d [5] Dominic Thiem (AUT) 67(6) 62 76(4) Read & Watch
Doubles: [7] Pierre-Hugues Herbert / Nicolas Mahut d [5] Raven Klaasen (RSA) / Michael Venus (NZL) 63 64 Read & Watch
Social
Hashtag: #NittoATPFinals
Facebook: @ATPTour
Twitter: @atptour
Instagram: @atptour
The first Thursday of January 1978 forever shaped the future of the Masters, now called the Nitto ATP Finals. The 1977 year-end championships, taking place at the start of the following year, was at a new home: Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Ray Benton was the tournament director of the event, which was sponsored by Colgate at the time. There were two round-robin matches during the afternoon session, but those clashes lasted longer than expected. They did not finish until the widely anticipated evening session — slated for 7 p.m. — was supposed to begin. Guillermo Vilas, the 1977 US Open champion, was scheduled to play Jimmy Connors, whom he beat in that Forest Hills final, in the last match of the night.
“I remember going to the top floor of Madison Square Garden and looking out on Seventh Avenue and it was about 8 o’clock,” Benton recalled. “There were lines three blocks down the street because they were trying to get in.”
The Masters was not just a tennis tournament, but a spectacle. In its first year at ‘The World’s Most Famous Arena’, fans were already flocking to the action. Tickets were sold out well in advance, and a crowd of more than 18,500 packed the stands at the home of the NBA’s New York Knicks and the NHL’s New York Rangers. Fans roared as if they were at one of the rock concerts held at the same venue. Sports Illustrated’s Curry Kirkpatrick wrote: “It was one of those remarkable moments the sporting world comes up with every now and then when whatever game is being played is transcended by the emotion and suspense of the event.”
Who knew a tennis tournament could prove New York’s nickname — ‘The City That Never Sleeps’ — to be true. Newspaper reports from the time noted that Vilas’ 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 victory against Connors that evening didn’t come to a conclusion until 12:42 a.m. It was the moment the event needed to grab fans’ attention.
The Madison Square Garden era had begun.
* * *
Benton, who ran the Masters at MSG for eight years, was convinced that the tournament had to be moved from December to January to avoid losing viewership because of American football. There was a gap in the playoffs before the Super Bowl, allowing for an event like the Masters to take centre stage. “We were literally the biggest show that week,” he said. The other vital move was to give the event a permanent home to establish a presence.
Benton remembers visiting Madison Square Garden in the summer of 1977.
“They really wanted the event because they realised having it the week we planned it was a big deal,” Benton said. “We went in an elevator downstairs and they said, ‘This is where we do our corporate entertaining’ right before the elevator door opened. They opened the door and I was looking into the butts of three elephants. They were having the circus there at the time.”
Photo Credit: Jacqueline Duvoisin/Sports Illustrated
In some ways, the Masters became an athletic circus with a wide cast of characters competing, from John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors to Vitas Gerulaitis and Bjorn Borg. Ivan Lendl dominated the event in New York City, reaching the final in nine consecutive year.
“Playing in front of close to 19,000 spectators in New York City each winter, and some of the most influential people in various industries, made for an electric atmosphere. The enormous scoreboard hung over the court and reduced the maximum height that you could hit a lob,” Lendl once wrote for ATPTour.com. “Cigarette smoke, at times, clouded the air. Fans were right on top of the court, cheering on their favourites, such as Connors, who had a terrific following at the Masters, or ‘Mr New York’, Gerulaitis, who was a massive personality. It was a daunting and intimidating arena with all its sporting history.
“Players came alive in that arena. Competing at the Masters was a very big deal. Along with your titles and your ranking, it was another benchmark achievement. It was never easy and you could never be confident of getting the win. Even today, when I visit the Garden, I can see people’s eyes are wide open.”
Lendl lifted the title five times during that span, dominating on the indoor hard court. There were plenty of memorable matches, but the moments were what made the event magical. Some were expected, some not so much.
Photo Credit: Dan Farrell/NY Daily News Archive
Two-time Australian Open champion Johan Kriek remembers playing John McEnroe at Madison Square Garden in January 1984.
“He got so mad in that match that he swiped at the ground on the baseline really hard and he clipped [the court]. His racquet went flying out of his hands, and it happened to fly out of his hands when he was swiping towards the people behind him and the racquet started doing these catapults and was running up the stairs between the people for like 25 yards,” Kriek said, cracking a laugh. “It was hilarious. He was just looking in stunned disbelief that it happened. It was just the stupid stuff that happened [at Madison Square Garden that made it special].”
McEnroe won the match 6-4, 6-2, a straightforward score. But the entertainment was never lacking. In the American’s book, But Seriously, McEnroe recalled playing Guillermo Vilas in the semi-finals of the 1982 Masters, which was played in January 1983.
“I was at the changeover and someone started tapping me on my shoulder. I’m trying to ignore it, because that’s how you are in a match, but this guy’s going, ‘John, John.’ I’m about to tell him to get lost, but when I turn round, it’s Ronnie!”
Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones were there sitting in leather pants watching the match.
Another element that made the MSG era special was the number of players who were at home. New York crowds are raucous enough. With locals shining under the spotlight, that became even more apparent. McEnroe and close friend Gerulaitis were New Yorkers. Ivan Lendl, who bought a house in Connecticut — where he still lives today — would commute.
“I liked my own bed,” Lendl recently told Tim Henman in an interview for ATPTour.com this year. “I liked my own cooking. I just didn’t like staying in New York City; it’s just too noisy for me.”
That atmosphere was normal for McEnroe. Those watching from afar might not know that Madison Square Garden sits atop Penn Station, New York City’s main public transportation hub. Passing through there was an everyday occurrence for the lefty according to his younger brother, 1989 Masters doubles champion Patrick McEnroe. John commuted to Trinity High School from their home in Douglaston, Queens.
“He used to get a hot dog at Nathan’s all the time,” Patrick said, referencing the fast food restaurant located across the street from MSG. “He had his regular stops for four years of high school.”
Photo Credit: Getty Images
New Yorkers call MSG ‘The Mecca’. That’s where people of all ages have long congregated to watch their favourite local sports team or concert.
“Tennis was our life and tennis was our sport, but we grew up going to Rangers games and play-off games,” Patrick said. “Going there was a big deal. Obviously, we wanted those teams to be good, but as kids just going there and being part of it was a big part of our childhood.”
That made it even more special for John to be the focus of all the fans’ attention. McEnroe made a splash by defeating Arthur Ashe in a three-set epic to triumph at the 1978 Masters when he was only 19. The inimitable icon was a fixture at the event when it was held at MSG from then on, competing there nine times.
“It was pretty damn cool,” Patrick said. “At that time in tennis history, tennis was really a happening, and that event was a happening. It felt like a major.”
Photo Credit: Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated
Some of McEnroe’s most memorable matches at Madison Square Garden came against Bjorn Borg, who defeated him in a final-set tie-break two years in a row en route to the trophy. In a stunning turn of events at the 1980 Masters, Borg was the one who had a meltdown on court, not McEnroe. Borg was disappointed in calls on the court. The stoic Swede admitted he was “very mad”. There were tonnes of pressure on players to succeed at MSG. They were not only playing tennis; they were performing with everyone watching.
Not everyone enjoyed success at the event, but simply getting to be part of it to soak in the atmosphere became a career goal for some. Former World No. 6 Jose Higueras remembers being motivated to dig deep because of the historic venue.
“I think it’s a highlight for any athlete because of the city and the history of Madison Square Garden. There were so many great events held there. Not only sports events, but concerts, it was the mecca to perform there in whatever you were doing,” said Higueras, who competed in the Masters at MSG three times. “When you hear Madison Square Garden, you feel something inside you because it has so much history. For me it was a great feeling and it doesn’t matter how much time goes by, it will always be one of my best feelings.”
Not everyone in the sports world will be familiar with Gerulaitis, but everyone has probably used some iteration of the phrase he coined off the cuff at Madison Square Garden after snapping a 16-match losing streak against Jimmy Connors at the 1979 Masters: “Let that be a lesson to you all. Nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row!”
Following the 1989 Masters, the event moved to Germany, with Boris Becker, Michael Stich and others making the country a tennis superpower. But many Madison Square Garden moments still resonate. Events from basketball and hockey to concerts and the circus have long been held at ‘The World’s Most Famous Arena’. In a way, the Masters, with the players who competed at the venue during that period, was all of those wrapped into one.
“It was a perfect storm,” Benton said. “In a good way.”
Nitto ATP Finals 50th Anniversary Content
Felix Auger-Aliassime won his first ATP Tour title last week. But it’s safe to say nobody expected the manner in which it came.
The Canadian captured the Rolex Paris Masters doubles title alongside Hubert Hurkacz. Even though Felix is still chasing his first tour-level singles trophy, he is full of confidence from the triumph.
“It’s a good thing. I’m happy that I won a title regardless of whether it was in singles or doubles,” Auger-Aliassime said. “Obviously I’m still looking for that first singles title, but it will come when it has to come, when I deserve it.”
Auger-Aliassime has made six ATP Tour singles finals, losing them all without winning a set. This year, he has reached three championship matches. Will he be able to break through at this week’s Sofia Open in Bulgaria?
“I don’t have a crystal ball. Every week is a chance for me. You play a tournament, you try to win. I’ve lost some first rounds this year, I’ve made some finals. It’s been up and down at times and yet I try my best ever week to go all the way,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I will do the same here this week, but who knows what will happen. I will try to get through this first round and give myself the best chances [to win].”
[WATCH LIVE 2]Auger-Aliassime will open his tournament against Italian Salvatore Caruso and the only seeded player remaining on his half of the draw is recent first-time titlist John Millman, who triumphed in Nur-Sultan. It is the third time he has been seeded second at an ATP Tour event (2019 Chengdu and 2020 Adelaide).
“Of course being the second seed here, [having] already reached three finals this year, it’s obvious that I want to give myself a chance for the title again. I want to give myself a shot to win. But I will have to start by winning the match tomorrow,” Auger-Aliassime said. “It’s the end of the year, there’s one more tournament. I’m going to try to give everything I can. Physically I’m still good, I’m healthy, and I’m confident in my game that I can play well and do good things this week.”
This year has been a different one both on and off the court, especially because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Canadian has taken things in stride to try to learn from every moment. Auger-Aliassime will try to finish his year on a high in Sofia.
“In the end I just want to raise my level to one day be the best player I can be.”
On Sunday, Sebastian Korda entered the winners’ circle for the first time on the ATP Challenger Tour. It was a long-awaited maiden title for the Florida native, who triumphed on the carpet courts of Eckental, Germany. The victory was not only his first on the Challenger circuit, but Korda’s first as a professional. He most recently lifted a trophy at the Australian Open junior event in 2018 and, nearly three years later, finally broke through at the pro level.
Korda carried the momentum from a run to the second week at Roland Garros, where he eventually fell to idol Rafael Nadal in the Round of 16. It was a breakthrough fortnight for the 20-year-old and he has not looked back since, reeling off a combined 13 of 15 matches from the start of that memorable run in Paris.
Korda spoke with ATPTour.com after taking the title in Eckental…
Sebi, congrats on winning your first Challenger title. How did it feel to lift your first trophy as a professional?
I’m super happy. It was just an awesome week. It’s been a journey to get here. I’m pretty happy with the way I played the whole week and it’s great to get my first professional title.
What made the difference on Sunday? You’ve admitted that it’s been a struggle for you in finals in your career, so what changed this time?
I think every final I played went three sets. I lost a couple 7-5 in the third and the most recent one to J.J. Wolf 7-6 in the third with a match point [in Champaign 2019]. So, I’ve learned a lot from these matches, just to stay calm, not lose my mind and not get frustrated with the smallest things. On Sunday, Ram was getting frustrated with the umpires and I just stayed calm and I think that was the big key.
More: Korda Claims Maiden Title In Eckental
You won your first title on a surface you’ve never played on before. How did you get comfortable on carpet?
The week before I played in Ismaning and that was on carpet as well. And it was in altitude, so the ball was flying like no tomorrow. It was super tough and I tried to get comfortable with my movement. It’s very different and you can’t slide at all on it, or else you’ll end up breaking something. I got comfortable in Ismaning and while Eckental was a bit slower, that helped me a lot.
Going back to that final against J.J. Wolf a year ago, what did you learn from the experience? Losing in a deciding tie-break is never easy, but what did you take away from that?
Just staying focused in the big moments. Against J.J., we both played a great match. There were a lot of ups and downs, but when I got the chance to take the lead and keep it, I gave it away. But I would say being able to hold onto a good lead and play comfortable tennis after.
We know you’re very close with your family. Did your phone blow up after the match? Who were you speaking to?
I talked to both my parents and both my sisters. They were super hyped up. After every win and every loss I always get a message from them. They’re all incredibly supportive and I don’t think any of this would be possible without them. They’re such a big help, just keeping me sane when I’m at a tournament for a long time. They do a great job.
How important is a week like this as you continue to develop and grow? We know you’ve been working to lift this trophy for a long time.
My parents have said how important it is to build my career brick-by-brick. They’re all about patience and not rushing. So this was a big relief for me. I wasn’t lucky with some of the finals I’ve played, but today I pulled through and played a really good match.
You went from playing Rafa on one of the game’s biggest stages at Roland Garros, to coming back to the Challenger level. That is never easy for any player. How did you navigate that transition?
I think the biggest thing was the [COVID-19] break we had in the middle of the year. It wasn’t easy for anybody, but I took it in a positive way. I stayed focused on what I wanted to achieve and how I wanted to come back and play tennis. That experience helped me throughout the restart. I kept that positivity in every tournament. In Ismaning I got a little frustrated, but this whole week whether I was playing bad or good I stayed positive. I don’t think I said any negative words and I’m pretty proud of myself and how I played. The break that we had really prepared me for this.
Describe the COVID break and what you worked on in those five months. You were in Bradenton with Michael Mmoh and some other top pros, right?
We had a really good group of guys. It was me, Mike, Denis Shapovalov, Paolo Lorenzi and some juniors. We put in a lot of hard work. We practised every day from 12-2pm in the hottest time of the day. We were all cooked but working very hard. That helped us play some good tennis right now.
My fitness trainer was in the Czech Republic, so he couldn’t see me. I really had to do everything myself, so that disciplined me. That helped me mentally to keep working through it all.
2020 #NextGenATP Winners
| Player | Age |
Title Won |
| Carlos Alcaraz | 17 years, 3 months | Trieste, Italy |
| Carlos Alcaraz | 17 years, 5 months | Barcelona, Spain |
| Carlos Alcaraz | 17 years, 5 months | Alicante, Spain |
| Lorenzo Musetti | 18 years, 6 months | Forli, Italy |
| Tomas Machac | 19 years, 4 months | Koblenz, Germany |
| Sebastian Korda | 20 years, 4 months | Eckental, Germany |
| Jurij Rodionov | 20 years, 8 months | Dallas, USA |
| Jurij Rodionov | 20 years, 9 months | Morelos, Mexico |
We know it’s a difficult time in Germany now with the virus. How did they make you guys feel comfortable and safe?
They did a really good job. The courts were about 10 minutes away from the hotel and there were two good restaurants at the hotel. Everything was great. The whole country is on lockdown, but they did a super job making the players feel comfortable for sure.
You started the year outside the Top 250 and now you’re close to the Top 100. How do you look back on 2020?
With the way the ranking is now, it’s even harder to move up. Nobody loses points, but that’s just how everything is now. If somebody told me that I’d qualify for the French Open and make the fourth round and play Rafa, and then win my first Challenger title, I’d take that no matter what. It’s been a really good year for me and hopefully I can start in a good spot in 2021. I’m still signed up for Orlando next week, so we’ll see how that goes.
Is your prowess in a match serving or returning, or are you just tough as nails under pressure? Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have elevated their game to a level of their own, being peak performers in all three facets of our sport.
An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the current Top 10 identifies Djokovic and Nadal as the only two players who are rated in the Top 10 on the Infosys Serve, Return and Under Pressure LEADERBOARDS over the past 52 weeks.
The dynamic duo are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the world and will both appear in the upcoming Nitto ATP Finals in London from 15-22 November. Djokovic has won the prestigious tournament five times, but not since 2015. Nadal finished as runner-up at The O2 in 2010 and 2013.
Infosys Return LEADERBOARD
Nadal sits in pole position on the Return LEADERBOARD with a commanding 178.0 rating. Djokovic is in second place with 168.2 rating. The current Top 10 players who also feature in the Top 10 in this statistical category are listed below.
ATP Top 10 – Return LEADERBOARD standings
No. 1 – Rafael Nadal (178.0)
No. 2 – Novak Djokovic (168.2)
No. 3 – Diego Schwartzman (167.4)
No. 6 – Daniil Medvedev (156.0)
No 9 – Andrey Rublev (152.4)
The Return Rating is determined by adding together the win percentages for First Serve Return Points Won, Second Serve Return Points Won, Return Games Won and Break Points Converted.
Infosys Serve LEADERBOARD
Roger Federer is the leading player from the current Top 10 on the Serve LEADERBOARD, with Nadal sitting in seventh position and Djokovic in 10th. Federer is looking to make a return to the Tour in January after recovering from knee surgery.
ATP Top 10 – Serve LEADERBOARD standings
No. 5: Roger Federer (295.9)
No. 6: Matteo Berrettini (289.5)
No. 7 – Rafael Nadal (289.3)
No. 9: Stefanos Tsitsipas (284.9)
No. 10: Novak Djokovic (284.9)
The Serve Rating is determined by adding First Serve Percentage, First Serve Points Won, Second Serve Points Won, Service Games Won plus the average number of aces per match, while subtracting the average number of double faults per match.
Under Pressure LEADERBOARD
It should come as no surprise the top-ranked players on the ATP Tour also fill the top two spots on the Under Pressure LEADERBOARD as well. Nadal is in first place with a 264.3 rating, with Djokovic hot on his heels with a 264.1 rating.
It’s interesting to note that there are six Top 10 players in the Top 10 on the Under Pressure LEADERBOARD, clearly showing that peak performance with Break Points Saved & Converted as well as Tie Breaks Won and Deciding Sets Won are key ingredients to reaching the elite level of our sport.
ATP Top 10 – Under Pressure LEADERBOARD standings
No.1 Rafael Nadal (264.3)
No. 2 Novak Djokovic (264.1)
No. 3 Roger Federer (248.7)
No. 4 Dominic Thiem (238.6)
No. 6 Diego Schwartzman (231.7)
No. 8 Andrey Rublev (228.9)
Djokovic and Nadal dominate the top two ranking spots for a reason. These LEADERBOARDS help paint a story of dominance, no matter what match situation they find themselves in.
Radu Albot ended Denis Shapovalov’s dream of finishing the season inside the Top 10 of the year-end FedEx ATP Rankings on Tuesday, eliminating the top seed 6-2, 6-4 in the second round of the Sofia Open.
The Moldovan star lost his first seven tour-level matches of the season. But he has come on strong in the past month. By upsetting Shapovalov, Albot advances to his second ATP Tour quarter-final of the year.
[WATCH LIVE 2]The top seed is one of the world’s best shotmakers, and a leaping backhand he crushed in the first set for a winner proved that. But Shapovalov struggled to find consistency on the Bulgarian hard court, making uncharacteristic errors.
Albot did well to avoid giving the Canadian many free points. He forced the World No. 12 to earn everything in the match, which he was unable to do often enough. Albot won 86 per cent of his first-serve points (31/36) and saved the two break points he faced. Next up for the World No. 93 will be fifth seed Adrian Mannarino or Belarusian Egor Gerasimov.
Shapovalov was the top seed at an ATP Tour event for the first time, and he was trying to reach his sixth quarter-final of the season. On 21 September, he cracked the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time.
Vasek Pospisil also advanced to the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 win against fourth seed Jan-Lennard Struff. They had split their two previous ATP Head2Head meetings.
The big-serving Canadian will play Nur-Sultan champion John Millman or former Top 10 star Gilles Simon in the last eight.
Did You Know?
This was Albot’s first victory against a Top 20 opponent since the 2019 Western & Southern Open, where he defeated then-World No. 18 Marin Cilic.
