The childhood bond between Dennis Novak and Dominic Thiem has taken them from junior tournaments in Austria to representing their country at the inaugural ATP Cup. But their close friendship wasn’t always seamless. When the pair first became acquainted, their relationship got off to a rocky start.

“When we were 11 or 12 and I didn’t know him very well, I thought he was really arrogant,” Novak said with a smile. “He won almost every single Austrian under-10, under-12 tournament. He was the clear No. 1. I didn’t think he was very sympathetic.”

Novak’s frosty feelings likely didn’t change after Thiem “kicked my [butt]” in their first match at an under-14 tournament. But the armor came down when Novak moved to Vienna at age 14 to train at Gunter Bresnik’s tennis academy, where Thiem had already spent years under Bresnik’s tutelage.

“After we played and spent a lot of time together, I realised that I saw it from the wrong position,” Novak said. “He’s so down to earth and really nice.”

Novak began training with Dominic’s father, Wolfgang, a longtime coach at the academy who has remained part of his team. The two juniors had only exchanged pleasantries during tournaments, but quickly became inseparable. They attended classes together in school, shared the same facilities for their practise sessions and spent much of their free time together. 

“At the beginning, we were almost like the same personality. We were thinking the same way and became really good friends right away,” Novak said. “We were together almost every week until we were 18 or 19, playing junior tournaments and then practising together at the same academy. We were together all the time on the court and in school. We would hang out together when we had time as well.”

Both players turned pro in 2011 and began working their way up the ATP Rankings. The pair even teamed up on home soil at 2016 Kitzbühel and delighted the crowd by advancing to their first ATP Tour doubles final.

But while Thiem cracked the Top 50 just three years after turning pro, Novak’s rise has been a slower burn. The 26-year-old currently sits at No. 109 and has minimal points to defend in the first three months of next year, putting him in prime position to crack the Top 100 for the first time.

Even though Thiem is now part of the highest echelon in the sport, he hasn’t forgotten about his friend. The pair still keep in close contact and spend time together when they’re at the same tournaments. Thiem even sat in the stands to cheer Novak on during his second-round qualifying win this year at Wimbledon.

“It’s unbelievable. He’s No. 4 in the world… It’s not usual for a guy like this to go to Roehampton and watch some players,” Novak said. “He has no reason to do that because he has a lot of stuff to do before Wimbledon, so it was very nice of him. It shows that he means it in a good way.”

Novak and Thiem will now get to join forces as they face Croatia, Argentina and Poland in Group E action in Sydney. Although Thiem is Austria’s only Top 100 singles player, he’s confident that Novak can take out higher-ranked opponents in their group.

“Dennis is a great player,” Thiem said. “If he’s on fire, he can play way better than his ATP Ranking and he can beat anybody.”

Novak demonstrated last year that he can punch above his weight by scoring his first Top 20 win against Lucas Pouille at Wimbledon. The Austrian also has a proven track record of raising his level in team competitions. With plenty of support from Team Austria in his corner, he’s eager to kick off next season on a strong note.

“I like to be on a team more than on my own,” Novak said. “These are all good matches for me at the beginning of the year, to play Top 30 and Top 40 guys. I think it helps me a lot because I’ve played people at that level before, so it’s nothing new for me, but it will be a different atmosphere being on a team.”

Rafael Nadal entered this decade as one of the best players in the Open Era, but the current No. 1 in the ATP Rankings is now considered one of the greatest of all-time after a whirlwind of unforgettable moments over the past 10 years.

The Spaniard continued his dominance on clay and established clay-court records in the 2010s that may never be broken. Nadal’s jaw-dropping accomplishments include 34 tour-level titles on clay, including eight Roland Garros crowns and 15 ATP Masters 1000 trophies.

In 2010, he became the first player to complete a clay sweep by winning all three clay-court Masters 1000 events (Monte-Carlo, Rome and Madrid) and Roland Garros in the same year. Nadal closed this decade with a 255-23 (91.7%) record on clay and lifted the trophy in 34 of his 58 (58.6%) events on the surface.

But Nadal’s success is hardly limited to one surface. In addition to a 2010 Wimbledon crown, he’s also the most successful player of the decade at the US Open with four titles (2010, 2013, 2017, 2019). The Spaniard’s maiden victory in New York made him the first man to win Grand Slam crowns on clay, grass and hard courts in the same year.

“My goal all my life is the same: to keep improving and feel myself playing better next year than what I felt this year,” Nadal said after his first triumph in New York. “Being a better player doesn’t mean you’re going to win more than you did because winning or losing is part of the moment and part of the confidence.”

The Spaniard’s tireless desire to improve is reflected in how his game has evolved. His backhand was once vulnerable to strong attacks, but is now just as potent as his forehand. With the help of former World No. 1 Carlos Moya, who Nadal brought on as a coach at the end of 2016, he started finishing points off at the net more frequently. A new service motion established this past off-season resulted in Nadal winning more second-serve points (59.6%) than anyone on Tour this year.

Fans have been equally impressed by his continued resilience in bouncing back from difficult moments. Knee tendonitis shut down his 2012 season after Wimbledon and a myriad of physical issues limited him to three events in the last five months of the 2014 season. Nadal only played five tournaments in the second half of 2016 due to an ongoing left wrist injury, while right knee and abdominal injuries curtailed his 2018 campaign after the US Open.

The Spaniard remained unflappably positive and picked up 48 tour-level titles throughout the decade, cementing his reputation as an expert in the art of the comeback. Instead of focussing on critics who questioned if his body could withstand his physical playing style, Nadal brought himself back to the winners’ circle time and again through hard work and mental toughness.

“You work mentally when you go on court every day and you don’t complain when you play bad, when you have problems, when you have pains,” Nadal said this year in Rome. “You put [on] the right attitude, the right face, you are not negative about all the issues that happen… That’s why I had the chance to always be back.”

Nadal will be rewarded for his perseverance by kicking off the new decade as World No. 1. At age 33, the Spaniard shows no signs of slowing down. If he maintains his current form, he’ll only add to his legacy in the coming years.

Players Of The Decade
Novak Djokovic
Roger Federer
Andy Murray
Rafael Nadal
Stan Wawrinka (Friday)

Australia will participate in the inaugural ATP Cup in 2020, receiving a wild card into the 24-country event. One of the two players who has committed to participate is #NextGenATP Australian star Alex de Minaur, who won his first ATP Tour title earlier this year at home in Sydney, where he was born.

De Minaur has reached his first tour-level quarter-final, semi-final, championship match as well as earned his maiden trophy in Australia. The 20-year-old greatly enjoys competing at home, and De Minaur spoke to ATPCup.com about his expectations for the new event, what it means to represent his country and more.

What are some of your first tennis memories from Australia?
I started hitting tennis balls when I was four years old and got signed up to a little tennis centre with three or four synthetic grass courts at the time in Carrs Park, in Sydney. That’s where it all started for me.

Do you have any memory in particular from when you first visited that centre?
I just loved going to practice. My parents originally signed me up to see how I would like it and from then on I just wanted to come back and play more and more.

You’ve spoken about watching guys like Lleyton Hewitt from your country growing up and how important that was to you. Were there any matches that stick out in your mind and why?
I remember watching a lot of matches, especially Lleyton growing up. He had a lot of epic matches and I used to stay up and watch. He had that late one at the Aussie Open against Baghdatis that finished at like 4am. It was pretty cool because then I get to ask him about how he felt the next day and all the behind the scenes stuff. 

Has he told you anything that caught your attention from that match?
Yeah of course. A couple things here and there. It’s pretty funny. He told me that he went and had McDonald’s afterwards, so there’ve been some pretty funny stories.

One of the interesting things for you is that this team competition will actually be a home event for you. So how special will it be to not just represent your country, but to do it at home?
It’s going to be really cool. I can’t wait. I love playing at home and I think in team competition you can feel the support even more. It’s exciting times and I know at least for the time being, me and Nick, we’re really pumped to play at home.

Have you spoken to Nick about the ATP Cup yet?
Sure. We’ve been speaking about it for a while now. We both can’t wait for the moment to come so we can be side by side and represent Australia in the ATP Cup. I think we’ve got a good team and we’re pumped.

We don’t have the teams finalised yet, but out of all the Aussie guys, if you could take one shot from all of the Aussie guys, what would it be and why?
Serve I would take Nick’s. Forehand I would take Popyrin’s. Backhand I would take John Millman’s. Volleys I would take Jordan Thompson or John Peers. They both have great volleys.

It’s no secret that a lot of the Aussie guys spend a lot of time together on the ATP Tour? What are some of the funniest memories you have from your time together?
A lot happens behind closed doors, so probably should not mention them. But all I can say is it’s great to have them and every tournament where we’re in the same week together, we try to hang out together. The chemistry between us all is great. We all want the best for each other. Honestly, we would do anything for each other.

What are three things you love most about Australia?
I love the Aussie crowd. I love the beaches in Sydney. I love the food as well. There’s such a variety. I love a good Chicken Parmi at the pub. That’s probably my favourite meal.

When you’re on the road, what reminds you of Australia?
I feel like everyone is so nice. Just the way they speak, how you doin mate, good on ya mate. It just feels like everyone is close and I love that about Australia. It just reminds me of being close with everyone.

Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal have been named among the recipients in the 2019 ATP Awards, along with first-time winners Kevin Anderson, Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner. 

Nadal, who was honoured with the 2019 ATP Tour No. 1 trophy during the Nitto ATP Finals, has been voted by fellow players as the winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for a second straight year and third time overall. Former World No. 1 Andy Murray, who underwent hip surgery in January, has been selected as Comeback Player of the Year after successfully returning to win the Fever-Tree Championships doubles title at The Queen’s Club and the singles title at the European Open in Antwerp.

A pair of Italians, Berrettini and Sinner, take home honours in the two other player-voted categories. Berrettini, 23, claims Most Improved Player of the Year after climbing to a career-high No. 8 (from No. 54 in 2018) and qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals. The 18-year-old Sinner, who went from outside the Top 700 (No. 763 in 2018) to a career-high No. 78 and also took the Next Gen ATP Finals title, wins Newcomer of the Year. Sinner is the youngest player in the year-end Top 80 since 17-year-old Nadal finished No. 47 in 2003.

Visit the official ATP Awards section

The ATPTour.com Fans’ Favourite Awards go to Federer and the Bryan Brothers, who respectively win the popular vote for a record-extending 17th straight year and 14th time. 

Frenchman Gilles Cervara, who guided Daniil Medvedev to an ATP Tour-best 59 match wins and nine finals in 2019, has been named by his peers as ATP Coach of the Year. Meanwhile, Tony Roche has been selected as the winner of the inaugural Tim Gullikson Career Coach award, which recognises coaches who, throughout their careers, have had a major impact on the sport of tennis, both on and off the court. 

Other winners include Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, the year-end ATP Tour No. 1 Doubles Team; Anderson, who receives the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award; and The Australian’s Courtney Walsh, the recipient of the Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award.

The best tournaments on the ATP Tour and ATP Challenger Tour have also been revealed, with the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells (Masters 1000), the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC (500) and the Qatar ExxonMobil Open (250) named the Tournaments of the Year in their respective categories. On the ATP Challenger Tour, four tournaments share top honours: the Puerto Vallarta Open, the Sparkassen Open in Braunschweig, the NECKARCUP in Heilbronn, and the Pekao Szczecin Open.

2019 ATP Awards Winners

ATP Tour No. 1
(determined by ATP Rankings)
Rafael Nadal: At 33, Nadal is the oldest player to finish as the year-end No. 1 in the history of the ATP Rankings. The Mallorcan captured four trophies this season, including a historic 12th title at Roland Garros and a fourth at the US Open. He won a ninth Internazionali BNL d’Italia crown in Rome and a record-extending 35th ATP Masters 1000 trophy at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal. Having previously finished at the top in 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2017, Nadal is the first player to hold, lose and regain the year-end No. 1 on four occasions and to finish No. 1 five times in non-consecutive years. The 11-year gap between his first year-end No. 1 season (2008) and his last (2019) is also a record. Nadal joins Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic for the second-most top finishes, behind only Pete Sampras (6). 

ATP Tour No. 1 Doubles Team
(determined by ATP Rankings)
Juan Sebastian Cabal & Robert Farah: The Colombians, friends for close to 30 years, are the second all-South American team to finish year-end No. 1 (in the history of the ATP Doubles Team Rankings since 1984), following in the footsteps of Chile’s Hans Gildemeister and Andres Gomez of Ecuador in 1986. Cabal, 33, and Farah, 32, won five titles from seven finals in 2019, including their first two Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and the US Open. They successfully defended their ATP Masters 1000 title at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, and also triumphed at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell and Nature Valley International in Eastbourne.

Comeback Player of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
Andy Murray: The former World No. 1 missed the second half of the 2017 season and been limited to six tournaments in 2018 due to chronic hip problems. After questioning retirement during the Australian Open, Murray underwent hip resurfacing surgery. He returned to tour-level action in June, teaming up with Feliciano Lopez to clinch the doubles title at the Fever-Tree Championships at The Queen’s Club in his first tournament back, and made his singles return in August at the Western & Southern Open. In October, the 32-year-old Brit reached the China Open quarter-finals and capped off his 2019 campaign with triumph at the European Open in Antwerp. It was Murray’s first singles title since 2017 at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Andrey Rublev, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Stan Wawrinka were also nominated in this category.

Most Improved Player of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
Matteo Berrettini: In Berrettini’s second full year on the ATP Tour, the 23-year-old Italian rose from No. 54 to a career-high No. 8 ATP Ranking, with 43 match wins and a pair of titles. Berrettini started making his move in April, when he reached back-to-back clay-court finals at the Hungarian Open (d. Krajinovic) and BMW Open by FWU (l. to Garin). He rose into the Top 20 with a strong grass-court campaign that included the MercedesCup title in Stuttgart, the Grass Court Open Halle semi-finals and Wimbledon Round of 16. A trio of semi-final runs – his first at a Grand Slam (US Open), first at an ATP Masters 1000 (Rolex Shanghai Masters) and at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna – led him into the Top 10. Berrettini clinched the final qualification spot at the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Danill Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas were also nominated in this category.

Newcomer of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
Jannik Sinner: One year after watching the Next Gen ATP Finals as a spectator, the 18-year-old Italian clinched the title in Milan. He climbed from No. 553 at the start of the season to a year-end No. 78, becoming the youngest player to finish in the Top 80 since 17-year-old Nadal in 2003. Sinner made a winning ATP Tour debut at the Hungarian Open in April. The following month, he saved one match point to win on his Masters 1000 debut at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome (d. Johnson). Sinner became the youngest ATP Tour semi-finalist in five years with his run at the European Open, and afterward broke into the Top 100. He also became the second youngest player to win three ATP Challenger Tour titles in a season, behind Richard Gasquet in 2003. Seven other #NextGenATP stars – Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Miomir Kecmanovic, Corentin Moutet, Alexei Popyrin, Casper Ruud and Mikael Ymer – were also candidates for this Award after breaking into the Top 100 for the first time in 2019. 

Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award
(voted by ATP players)
Rafael Nadal: Fellow players have chosen World No. 1 Nadal as the winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for a second straight year and third time overall, recognising the Spaniard for his fair play, professionalism and integrity on and off the court. The Spaniard also received this honour in 2010. Roger Federer, Diego Schwartzman and Dominic Thiem were also nominated in this category.

Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award
(awarded by ATP)
Kevin Anderson: The South African supports a number of charitable causes, including First Serve, an organisation to help under-served children in Palm Beach County; Dezzy’s Second Chance Animal Rescue in South Florida; and Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas Alliance. Anderson raised more than $100,000 through Cause for the Paws last December, and recently hosted his third charity event, Courtside Cause. Through a previous partnership with Spark Ventures, Anderson also helped to empower children living in extreme poverty in Zambia.

ATPTour.com Fans’ Favourite (Singles)
(voted by fans)
Roger Federer: The 38-year-old Swiss has been selected by fans as ATPTour.com Fans’ Favourite for a record 17th straight year, taking his record haul of ATP Awards to 38. This season, Federer became just the second man to win 100 tour-level titles with his triumph at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. He added three more titles at the Miami Open presented by Itau, Grass Court Open Halle and Swiss Indoors Basel, and was also a finalist at the BNP Paribas Open and at Wimbledon. 

ATPTour.com Fans’ Favourite (Doubles)
(voted by fans)
Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan: The 41-year-old American twins once again win the popular vote from fans to claim this award together for a 14th time. In 2018, Mike Bryan had won in this category alongside fellow American Jack Sock, whom he partnered while Bob Bryan was sidelined following hip surgery. The Bryans re-joined forces in 2019, capturing titles at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com and the Miami Open presented by Itau. They announced in November that they would finish their career at the 2020 US Open.

ATP Coach of the Year
(voted by ATP coaches)
Gilles Cervara: Daniil Medvedev’s coach guided the 23-year-old Russian to an ATP Tour-best 59 match wins, 46 hard-court wins and nine final appearances in 2019, in addition to a career-high No. 4 ATP Ranking. “My team is a big part of my success,” said Medvedev at the Rolex Shanghai Masters before he went on to reach his sixth straight tour-level final and win his second straight Masters 1000 title. The 38-year-old Cervara, a native of Cannes, was selected as the winner from a shortlist that included Nicolas Massu (Dominic Thiem), Carlos Moya (Rafael Nadal), Vincenzo Santopadre (Matteo Berrettini) and Apostolos Tsitsipas (Stefanos Tsitsipas).

Tim Gullikson Career Coach Award 
(voted by ATP coaches)
Tony Roche: The 74-year-old Australian, who formerly coached the likes of Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt, Patrick Rafter and Ivan Lendl, has been unanimously selected as the winner of this new award. The recipient exemplifies excellence, leadership, respect, and a true love for the sport of tennis and the art of coaching. Named after the late Tim Gullikson, the award showcases someone who has inspired generations of young players and fellow coaches to grow the sport of tennis. It will be presented every two years.

Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award
(awarded by ATP)
Courtney Walsh: A sports writer for The Australian, Walsh specialises in tennis and AFL. He has worked as a tennis coach and is a graduate of the University of Melbourne, where he attained a Full Blue when named an All Australian in tennis. He has also written for the Herald Sun, mX and various tennis magazines.

ATP Masters 1000 Tournament of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells): The BNP Paribas Open wins in the ATP Masters 1000 category for a record-breaking sixth time. Held amidst the natural beauty and backdrop of the desert landscape, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden offers top-notch player facilities and amenities; plentiful practice courts that allow fans to watch players up close; and unparalleled dining options. The BNP Paribas Open is the only tournament to feature Hawk-Eye on all match courts for both main draw and qualifying matches. 

ATP 500 Tournament of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC (Acapulco): The Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC has been selected by players as the ATP 500 Tournament of the Year for a third time. It previously won the award in 2007 and 2017. The event, held at the Acapulco Princess Mundo Imperial, switched to blue hard courts in 2014 after 20 years on clay. The Acapulco tournament enjoyed record attendance in 2019, welcoming more than 55k fans. 

ATP 250 Tournament of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
Qatar ExxonMobil Open (Doha): The Qatar ExxonMobil Open claims the Tournament of the Year award in the 250 category for the third time in five years. Held in the opening week of the ATP Tour season, Doha has set high standards since its inception in 1993 and under the guidance of former player Karim Alami, the tournament continues to build its reputation for its superb facility, world-class hospitality and welcoming fans.

ATP Challenger Tournaments of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
Puerto Vallarta Open (Puerto Vallarta): The Puerto Vallarta Open goes back-to-back after earning this honour in its debut edition in 2018. An oceanside oasis on the west coast of Mexico, the scenic setting has quickly become a favourite among players. 

Sparkassen Open (Braunschweig): The Sparkassen Open earns its fifth award in six years. Located in a public park in central Germany, tens of thousands of fans come for the tennis and stay for the tournament’s nightly concerts.

NECKARCUP (Heilbronn): The NECKARCUP is honoured for a third straight season. Held at one of the oldest clubs on the Challenger circuit, the 127-year-old facility welcomes fans for a week of world-class tennis, entertainment and food.

Pekao Szczecin Open (Szczecin): For 27 years, the Pekao Szczecin Open has established itself as a top destination on the ATP Challenger Tour for both players and fans. After first receiving the award in 2016, the clay-court Polish event has been recognised once again. 

The BNP Paribas Open, Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC and Qatar ExxonMobil Open have been named Tournament of the Year in their respective categories in the 2019 ATP Awards. The tournament awards, voted annually by ATP players, recognise the leading standards set across events on the ATP Tour.

The BNP Paribas Open wins in the ATP Masters 1000 category for a record-breaking sixth time. Held amidst the natural beauty and backdrop of the desert landscape, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden offers top-notch player facilities and amenities; plentiful practice courts that allow fans to watch players up close; and unparalleled dining options. The BNP Paribas Open is the only tournament to feature Hawk-Eye on all match courts for both main draw and qualifying matches.

“It is truly an honor to be named Tournament of the Year for the sixth year in a row,” Tournament Director Tommy Haas said. “With so many outstanding events at the Masters 1000 level, we take great pride in this achievement, which is only made possible by the commitment of our entire team here in Indian Wells. We are already hard at work to ensure that the 2020 event is the best yet, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to Tennis Paradise this March.”

The Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC has been selected by players as the ATP 500 Tournament of the Year for a third time. It previously won the award in 2007 and 2017. The event, held at the Acapulco Princess Mundo Imperial, switched to blue hard courts in 2014 after 20 years on clay. The Acapulco tournament enjoyed record attendance in 2019, welcoming more than 55k fans.

“On behalf of Mextenis, our sponsors and the Mexican fans, we are incredibly happy and proud of this award,” said Renata Burillo, Tournament Chairman. “To receive the recognition of the ATP Players fills us with energy to continue to work hard to make the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC an even better tournament. We want to thank all the players for the trust and support we have received over the years.Acapulco is, and will always be, your home.”

The Qatar ExxonMobil Open claims the Tournament of the Year award in the 250 category for the third time in five years. Held in the opening week of the ATP Tour season, Doha has set high standards since its inception in 1993 and under the guidance of former player Karim Alami, the tournament continues to build its reputation for its superb facility, world-class hospitality and welcoming fans.

“On behalf of the Qatar Tennis Federation and all the team involved in the organisation of the event, I want to express how delighted we are at being selected once again as the ATP 250 Tournament of the Year,” said Alami. “Our goal has always been to deliver an event that meets the highest organisational standards, while providing players and their support teams, sponsors, officials, guests and spectators with warm conditions and attention to detail that make them ‘feel at home’ during their time in Doha. Winning the ATP 250 tournament award for the third time confirms we have been successful in consistently meeting those standards. It is a great honour that the ATP and ATP players continue to show their recognition and appreciation for the efforts made by everyone involved.

“None of this would be possible without the endless support from our Title Sponsor, ExxonMobil, all our valued sponsors, the support of the Qatar Tennis Federation Board of Directors, the State of Qatar institutions and organisations and the ATP. We promise to continue delivering a very special event and it is our wish that all players come and share a wonderful week with us in Doha year after year.”

Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan rejoined forces in 2019, and are back to being the ATPTour.com Fans’ Favourite doubles team. The 41-year-old American twins won the popular vote from fans in the 2019 ATP Awards to claim this honour together for a 14th time.

Mike and I are humbled and grateful to receive the Fan Favorite Doubles Team for the 14th time. This honor is very special to us and means much more than any trophy. The love and support from the tennis community is something we treasure and we’ll always strive to reciprocate. pic.twitter.com/BWE245Tfdg

— Bob Bryan (@Bryanbros) December 19, 2019

This season, the Bryans captured titles at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com and the Miami Open presented by Itau. They announced in November that they would finish their career at the 2020 US Open.

Mike Bryan said: “We are currently extremely motivated and excited going into our last season. We will enjoy and appreciate each moment we have while saying our goodbyes and giving thanks to the fans who have given us so much joy.”

In 2018, Mike had won in this category alongside fellow American Jack Sock, whom he partnered to two Grand Slam trophies and the Nitto ATP Finals title while Bob was sidelined following hip surgery.

Fans have selected Roger Federer as the ATPTour.com Fans’ Favourite in the 2019 ATP Awards, extending the Swiss’ reign in this singles category to a 17th straight year.

The 38-year-old Swiss has been honoured with a record 38 ATP Awards starting with his first Fans’ Favourite Award in 2003. Federer has also been selected by fellow players as the recipient of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award (2004-09, 2011-17) and Comeback Player of the Year (2017); received the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award (2006, 2013); and is a five-time ATP Tour No. 1 (2004-07, ’09).

In 2019, Federer became just the second man to win 100 tour-level titles with his triumph at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. He added three more titles at the Miami Open presented by Itau, Grass Court Open Halle and Swiss Indoors Basel, and was also a finalist at the BNP Paribas Open and at Wimbledon.

Andy Murray has been named the Comeback Player of the Year in the 2019 ATP Awards. As voted by fellow players, this honour goes to the individual who has overcome injury in re-establishing himself as one of the top players on the ATP Tour.

“Thanks so much to all the players who voted! ??” Murray posted on Instagram. “Was a tricky couple of years and I appreciate all of your support.. See you in the new year ?”

The former World No. 1 had missed the second half of the 2017 season and been limited to six tournaments in 2018 due to chronic hip problems. By the Australian Open, an emotional Murray questioned retirement.

“I’ve been in a lot of pain for probably about 20 months now… I told [my team] I can’t keep doing this. That I needed to have an end point because I was just playing with no idea of when the pain was going to stop,” said Murray. He hoped to make it through to Wimbledon, but said following a memorable fight-back against Roberto Bautista Agut in Melbourne, “If today was my last match, look, it was a brilliant way to finish.”

Two weeks later, Murray underwent hip resurfacing surgery. Five months following the procedure, he was back in tour-level action and teamed up with Feliciano Lopez to clinch the doubles title at the Fever-Tree Championships. He made another step forward in his comeback as he made his singles return in August at the Western & Southern Open (l. to Gasquet), and continued to gain confidence by winning matches at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Mallorca and at each of his three stops during the Asian swing, including a quarter-final run at the China Open (l. to Thiem).

To cap off his 2019 ATP Tour campaign, the 32-year-old Brit triumphed over Stan Wawrinka 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 at the European Open in Antwerp to win his first singles title since 2017 in Dubai. “It means a lot. The past few years have been extremely difficult… I think it was a great match,” Murray said on court after his victory. “I didn’t expect to be in this position at all, so I’m very happy.”

Andrey Rublev, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Wawrinka were the other nominees for Comeback Player of the Year.

Italian Matteo Berrettini has been selected by his peers as the Most Improved Player of the Year in the 2019 ATP Awards. This honour goes to the player who reached a significantly higher ATP Ranking by year’s end and who demonstrated an increasingly improved level of performance through the season.

“So honored to receive the ATP Players Award as Most Improved Player of the Year 2019!” Berrettini shared on Instagram. “? Thank you so much for all your support! #blessed #proud #atpawards
@atptour”

In 2018, Berrettini’s first full year on the ATP Tour, he compiled a 19-19 record, reached a high of No. 52 and won the Gstaad title. In 2019, the 23-year-old finished with 43 match wins, a career-high No. 8 ATP Ranking and two more titles.

Berrettini started making his move in April, when he reached back-to-back clay-court finals at the Hungarian Open (d. Krajinovic) and BMW Open by FWU (l. to Garin). He continued his climb, rising into the Top 20 with a strong grass-court campaign that included the MercedesCup title in Stuttgart, the Grass Court Open Halle semi-finals and Wimbledon Round of 16 (l. to Federer).

A trio of semi-final runs – his first at a Grand Slam (US Open), first at an ATP Masters 1000 (Rolex Shanghai Masters) and at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna – led him into the Top 10. Berrettini clinched the final qualification spot at the Nitto ATP Finals. “Being here wasn’t a goal at the beginning of the year. Also before the US Open, I didn’t expect that. I wasn’t thinking about that,” he said. “I knew that I was playing good in springtime, like [during the] clay season. It’s just crazy that it happened.”

Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas were also nominated for Most Improved Player of the Year.

Fellow players have chosen World No. 1 Rafael Nadal as the winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award in the 2019 ATP Awards. The Spaniard receives this honour for a second straight year and third time overall (2010) for his fair play, professionalism and integrity on and off the court.

Can I win it this year? ?? pic.twitter.com/0jBe0aBg8v

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) November 27, 2019

Nadal has won an ATP Award in each of the player-voted categories: Newcomer (2003), Most Improved (2005), Comeback (2013) and Sportsmanship (2010, 2018). He was also named Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year in 2011, and this year was awarded the ATP Tour No. 1 trophy for a fifth time (2008, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019).

At 33, Nadal is the oldest player to finish as the year-end No. 1 in the history of the ATP Rankings. The Mallorcan captured four trophies this season, including a historic 12th title at Roland Garros and a fourth at the US Open. He won a ninth Internazionali BNL d’Italia crown in Rome and a record-extending 35th ATP Masters 1000 trophy at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal.

Roger Federer, Diego Schwartzman and Dominic Thiem were also nominated for this year’s sportsmanship award.