18-year-old Italian jumped 475 spots this year in the ATP Rankings
Jannik Sinner’s peers on the ATP Tour have recognised his breakout season by choosing the #NextGenATP Italian as Newcomer of the Year in the 2019 ATP Awards.
One year after watching the Next Gen ATP Finals as a spectator, the 18-year-old 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 Top 80 since 17-year-old Rafael Nadal (No. 47) 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 ATP 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 in Antwerp, 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 Newcomer of the Year after breaking into the Top 100 for the first time in 2019.
Below is the complete honour roll of the ATP Awards, dating back to the creation of the Association of Tennis Professionals in the early 1970s.
In addition to honouring a cavalcade of singles and doubles World No. 1s, the awards also pay tribute to the qualities of great sportsmanship (Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award), altruism (Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award) and to players who have captured the hearts of fans (ATPTour.com Fans’ Favourite).
ATP Tour No. 1 2019 Rafael Nadal
2018 Novak Djokovic
2017 Rafael Nadal
2016 Andy Murray
2014-15 Novak Djokovic
2013 Rafael Nadal
2011-12 Novak Djokovic
2010 Rafael Nadal
2009 Roger Federer
2008 Rafael Nadal
2004-07 Roger Federer
2003 Andy Roddick
2001-02 Lleyton Hewitt
2000 Gustavo Kuerten
1999 Andre Agassi
1993-98 Pete Sampras
1992 Jim Courier
1990-91 Stefan Edberg
1989 Boris Becker
1988 Mats Wilander
1985-87 Ivan Lendl
1983-84 John McEnroe
1982 Jimmy Connors
1981 John McEnroe
1976-80 Bjorn Borg
1975 Arthur Ashe
ATP Tour No. 1 Doubles Team 2019 Juan Sebastian Cabal and Rober Farah
2018 Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic
2017 Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo
2016 Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares
2015 Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau
2009-14 Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan
2008 Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic
2005-07 Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan
2004 Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor
2003 Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan
2002 Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor
2001 Jonas Bjorkman and Todd Woodbridge
2000 Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde
1999 Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes
1998 Jacco Eltingh and Paul Haarhuis
1995-97 Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde
1994 Jacco Eltingh and Paul Haarhuis
1993 Grant Connell and Patrick Galbraith
1992 Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde
1991 John Fitzgerald and Anders Jarryd
1990 Pieter Aldrich and Danie Visser
1988-89 Rick Leach and Jim Pugh
1987 Stefan Edberg and Anders Jarryd
1986 Hans Gildemeister and Andres Gomez
1985 Ken Flach and Robert Seguso
1983-84 Peter Fleming and John McEnroe
1982 Sherwood Stewart and Ferdi Taygan
1981 Peter Fleming and John McEnroe
1980 Bob Lutz and Stan Smith
1979 Peter Fleming and John McEnroe
1977-78 Bob Hewitt and Frew McMillan
1975-76 Brian Gottfried and Raul Ramirez
Most Improved Player of the Year 2019 Matteo Berrettini
2018 Stefanos Tsitsipas
2017 Denis Shapovalov
2016 Lucas Pouille
2015 Hyeon Chung
2014 Roberto Bautista Agut
2013 Pablo Carreno Busta
2012 Marinko Matosevic
2011 Alex Bogomolov Jr.
2010 Andrey Golubev
2009 John Isner
2008 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
2006-07 Novak Djokovic
2005 Rafael Nadal
2004 Joachim Johansson
2003 Rainer Schuettler
2002 Paradorn Srichaphan
2001 Goran Ivanisevic
2000 Marat Safin
1999 Nicolas Lapentti
1998 Andre Agassi
1997 Patrick Rafter
1996 Tim Henman
1995 Thomas Enqvist
1994 Yevgeny Kafelnikov
1993 Todd Martin
1992 Henrik Holm
1991 Jim Courier
1990 Pete Sampras
1989 Michael Chang
1988 Andre Agassi
1987 Peter Lundgren
1986 Mikael Pernfors
1985 Boris Becker
1984 Not given
1983 Jimmy Arias
1982 Peter McNamara
1981 Ivan Lendl
1980 Not given
1979 Victor Pecci
1978 John McEnroe
1977 Brian Gottfried
1976 Wojtek Fibak
1975 Vitas Gerulaitis
1974 Guillermo Vilas
1973 Vijay Amritraj
Newcomer of the Year 2019 Jannik Sinner 2018 Alex de Minaur (ATP Star Of Tomorrow presented by Emirates from 2013-17)
2017 Denis Shapovalov
2016 Taylor Fritz
2015 Alexander Zverev
2014 Borna Coric
2013 Jiri Vesely
(formerly Newcomer of the Year)
2012 Martin Klizan
2011 Milos Raonic
2010 Tobias Kamke
2009 Horacio Zeballos
2008 Kei Nishikori
2007 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
2006 Benjamin Becker
2005 Gael Monfils
2004 Florian Mayer
2003 Rafael Nadal
2002 Paul-Henri Mathieu
2001 Andy Roddick
2000 Olivier Rochus
1999 Juan Carlos Ferrero
1998 Marat Safin
1997 Julian Alonso
1996 Dominik Hrbaty
1995 Mark Philippoussis
1994 Albert Costa
1993 Patrick Rafter
1992 Andrei Medvedev
1991 Byron Black
1990 Fabrice Santoro
1989 Sergi Bruguera
1988 Michael Chang
1987 Richey Reneberg
1986 Ulf Stenlund
1985 Jaime Yzaga
1984 Bob Green
1983 Scott Davis
1982 Chip Hooper
1981 Tim Mayotte
1980 Mel Purcell
1979 Vincent Van Patten
1978 John McEnroe
1977 Tim Gullikson
1976 Wojtek Fibak
1975 Vitas Gerulaitis
Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award
(renamed in 1996)
2019 Rafael Nadal
2018 Rafael Nadal
2011-17 Roger Federer
2010 Rafael Nadal
2004-09 Roger Federer
2002-03 Paradorn Srichaphan
1999-01 Patrick Rafter
1998 Alex Corretja
1997 Patrick Rafter
1996 Alex Corretja
1995 Stefan Edberg
1993-94 Todd Martin
1992 Stefan Edberg
1991 John Fitzgerald
1988-90 Stefan Edberg
1987 Miloslav Mecir
1986 Yannick Noah
1985 Mats Wilander
1984 Brian Gottfried
1983 Jose Higueras
1982 Steve Denton
1981 Jose-Luis Clerc
1980 Jaime Fillol
1979 Stan Smith
1978 Not given
1977 Arthur Ashe
Comeback Player of the Year 2019 Andy Murray
2018 Novak Djokovic
2017 Roger Federer
2016 Juan Martin del Potro
2015 Benoit Paire
2014 David Goffin
2013 Rafael Nadal
2012 Tommy Haas
2011 Juan Martin del Potro
2010 Robin Haase
2009 Marco Chiudinelli
2008 Rainer Schuettler
2007 Igor Andreev
2006 Mardy Fish
2005 James Blake
2004 Tommy Haas
2003 Mark Philippoussis
2002 Richard Krajicek
2001 Guillermo Canas
2000 Sergi Bruguera
1999 Chris Woodruff
1998 Younes El Aynaoui
1997 Sergi Bruguera
1996 Stephane Simian
1995 Derrick Rostagno
1994 Guy Forget
1993 Mikael Pernfors
1992 Henri Leconte
1991 Jimmy Connors
1990 Thomas Muster
1989 Goran Prpic
1984-88 Not given
1983 Butch Walts
1982 Jeff Borowiak
1981 Bob Lutz
1980 Not given
1979 Arthur Ashe
Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award
(renamed in 1999)
2019 Kevin Anderson
2018 Tommy Robredo
2017 Horia Tecau
2016 Marin Cilic
2015 Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan
2014 Andy Murray
2013 Roger Federer
2012 Novak Djokovic
2011 Rafael Nadal
2010 Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi
2009 MaliVai Washington
2008 James Blake
2007 Ivan Ljubicic
2006 Roger Federer
2005 Carlos Moya
2004 Andy Roddick
2003 Gustavo Kuerten
2002 Amir Hadad and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi
2001 Andre Agassi
2000 Richard Krajicek
1999 Mac Winker
1998 Patrick Rafter
1997 Nelson Mandela
1996 Paul Flory
1995 Andre Agassi
1994 Paul McNamee
1993 Orville Brown
1992 Arthur Ashe
1991 John O’Shea
1990 Marie-Claire Noah
1988-89 Not given
1987 Rob Finkelstein
1986 Kay McEnroe
1985 Stan & Margie Smith
1984 Alan King
1983 John McEnroe
Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award
(renamed in 1990)
2019 Courtney Walsh
2018 Sue Barker
2017 Guillermo Salatino
2016 Mike Dickson
2015 Linda Pearce
2014 Douglas Robson
2013 Bendou Zhang
2012 Paul Newman
2011 Juan Jose Mateo
2010 L’Equipe
2009 Vincenzo Martucci
2008 Alan Trengove
2007 Bud Collins
2006 John Barrett
2005 Neil Harman
2004 The Tennis Channel
2003 John Parsons
2002 Pedro Hernandez
2001 Christopher Clarey
2000 Iain Carter
1999 L’Equipe
1998 Gerd Szepanski
1997 John Parsons
1996 Brett Haber
1995 Gianni Ciaccia
1994 European Tennis Press
1993 Rino Tommasi
1992 Dan Maskell
1991 Russ Adams
1990 Philippe Bouin
1987-89 Not given
1986 Richard Evans
1985 Robert Briner
1984 Russ Adams
ATP 1000 Tournament of the Year
2014-19: Indian Wells
2009-13 Shanghai
2008 Miami
2007 Monte-Carlo
2002-06 Miami
2001 Monte-Carlo
ATP 500 Tournament of the Year 2019 Acapulco
2018 Queen’s Club
2017 Acapulco
2015-16 Queen’s Club
2008-14 Dubai
2007 Acapulco
2003-06 Dubai
2002 Kitzbühel
2001 Indianapolis
1998-00 Miami
1988-97 Indianapolis
1987 Stratton Mountain
1986 Cincinnati
ATP 250 Tournament of the Year 2019 Doha
2018 Stockholm
2017 Doha
2016 Stockholm/Winston-Salem
2015 Doha/St. Petersburg
2013-14 Queen’s Club
2005-12 Båstad
2003-04 Båstad/Houston
2002 Båstad
2001 Shanghai
2000 Halle
1999 Lyon/Scottsdale
1998 Dubai
1997 Kitzbühel
1996 Gstaad
1995 Tel Aviv
1994 Sun City
1992-93 Scottsdale
1991 Gstaad
1990 Memphis
1986-89 Stuttgart
Former British number one Laura Robson has had hip surgery for a second time “after months of struggling”.
The 25-year-old, who first had hip surgery in June 2018, returned to action in February but has not played since retiring during a match in April.
“A decision was made this week to have another hip surgery & try fix the pain for good,” Robson posted on Instagram.
“Very much hope to be back on court soon but in the meantime I can’t wait to walk my dog without limping.”
View more on instagram
Her injury issues echo those of former world number one Andy Murray, who in October won his first singles title since having career-saving hip surgery in January.
Robson reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2013 and was ranked world number 27 in the same year, but her career has subsequently been plagued by injury.
She had surgery on her wrist in 2014, which kept her out for 17 months, and has suffered with a hip problem in recent years.
Robson has not revealed whether she has undergone the same procedure again, or how long she is expected to be out of action.
Hitting the pads with Mike Tyson, DJs, dance choreography and karaoke – it’s not your standard pre-season for American tennis stars Serena Williams and Coco Gauff.
Coach Patrick Mouratoglou has taken his charges for a training camp with a difference in preparation for the Australian Open in January.
“I wanted to renew with the tradition of organising a team-building camp to prepare for the Australian Open,” he said.
“Along with Serena, we brought in a new, crazy-talented generation of players, and even some DJs and fitness gurus.”
Twenty-three time Grand Slam singles champion Williams, 15-year-old Gauff and 6ft 7in American Christopher Eubanks are among those being put through their paces in Boca Raton, Florida.
Williams, 38, got the chance to box with former heavyweight champion Tyson, while the group have had choreographed dance lessons and a visit from French DJ Bob Sinclair.
Former world number one Victoria Azarenka even stopped by to join in the karaoke.
Anderson Helps Raise Money For Charities At Courtside Cause
Dec182019
South African hosts successful charity event in Florida
Former World No. 5 Kevin Anderson hosted Courtside Cause — his third charity event — on Saturday at the Boca Grove Golf & Tennis Club. The event benefitted First Serve, Dezzy’s Second Chance Animal Rescue and Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas Alliance.
“For our third charity event, it was great to be able to expand it even further and help more worthy causes this year. I know how much the money we raise helps these organisations, so the more we can raise and help, the better,” Anderson said. “We were really lucky this year that the tennis didn’t get rained out. Last year, we had to move it to the next day, so everyone was able to enjoy all the action, participate in some fun on-court challenges and then go next door for the silent auction, music and dinner. Everyone has a lot of fun.
“It’s really laid back and relaxed for the players and fans to mingle and enjoy themselves. I’m really looking forward to continuing the momentum of what we’ve built for this event each December and do more good for organisations that need.”
The event raised more than $90,000. Anderson played a singles match against former World No. 69 Jesse Levine and Coco Gauff competed against Shelby Rogers, before Anderson and Gauff faced Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan. Comedian Michael Kosta, a former college tennis player at the University of Illinois, served as emcee.
There were various on-court challenges, and after the tennis, Anderson and the Bryan Brothers held a question-and-answer session with attendees. There was also a silent auction.
Working towards putting on such a successful event also helped put things in perspective for Anderson, who has dropped to No. 91 in the ATP Rankings due to elbow and knee surgeries that limited him to five tournaments in 2019.
“I think planning this event and being able to give back or bring awareness to needy causes is one of the biggest perks of being a tennis player. Especially this year being away from the court so much with my injuries, having my focus on what we were going to do at the end of the year kept me busy while I was rehabbing and made me really excited for what we would accomplish,” Anderson said. “I feel very lucky tennis has allowed me to do these sorts of things and use my platform to hopefully do a bit of good.
“In September, I did a visit to an after school program that First Serve hosts to see how their organisation benefits local youth, and seeing how great the program was for kids that needed a place to be and keeping them off the streets and doing fun activities, I knew it was an organisation I wanted to partner with. This year again, we wanted to support Dezzy’s Second Chance Animal Rescue, which is where we rescued Lady Kady from. I know how much good the money will do for them in helping rescue dogs from kill shelters and bringing them back to great health. And lastly, I’ve been very passionate about the elimination of single-use plastics and trying to promote this change within the tennis tour, so Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas Alliance is not only a great organisation and program to support, but also bring more awareness to what we could all be doing in our daily lives to help our environment.”
Last December, Anderson raised more than $100,000 at his Grand Slam Cause for the Paws. The 2018 Nitto ATP Finals qualifier will return to the ATP Tour for the first time since Wimbledon at the ATP Cup, where he will lead Team South Africa.
Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers shows how the Russian reached six consecutive finals in 2019
Knock, knock. I have arrived.
Daniil Medvedev’s scorching 32-match streak during six straight tournaments this year catapulted the Russian from No. 10 to No. 4 in the ATP Rankings. From late July to mid-September, Medvedev was the hottest player on the planet.
He didn’t so much walk through the door to the Top 5; he kicked it down.
An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of Medvedev’s six straight tournaments highlighted four specific areas where his game elevated. The six events, including his win/loss record:
Citi Open – Finalist (5-1)
Coupe Rogers – Finalist (4-1)
Western & Southern Open – Champion (6-0)
US Open – Finalist (6-1)
St. Petersburg Open – Champion (4-0)
Rolex Shanghai Masters – Champion (5-0)
OVERALL = 30-2 (3 titles / 3 finals)
1. Bouncing Back From 0/15 Medvedev won 84.1 per cent (810/963) of his service games in 2019 from 79 matches, which was good for 13th best on Tour. But when he fell behind 0/15 in his service games during the 32-match streak from Washington to Shanghai, his overall hold percentage hardly took a hit.
He won 86 of 109 service games, which was good for 78.9 per cent, a drop of just 5.2 percentage points. One point in arrears hardly made a dent.
2. Bold On Break Points Medvedev served 690 aces in 79 matches this season, for an average of 11.4 aces per match. During the 32-match streak, he served 312 aces in 32 matches for an average of 10.2. So on the surface, this area of his game was slightly down in the 32 matches compared to the rest of the season.
But then you look where they occurred. On break point, Medvedev importantly delivered 15 aces, while committing just four double faults. In big moments, he could often rely on the serve not coming back.
3. Finishing When Ahead After winning Shanghai, Medvedev said, “Something clicked in my game in the USA. I started to understand even more about my game, even more I would say about my serve.”
Once Medvedev got ahead in his service games, he was almost unstoppable. The following metrics identify how hard he was to catch once he got ahead in the 32-match streak.
Games Won From: 40/0 = 98% (131/133)
30/0 = 95% (182/192)
40/30 = 92% (101/110)
30/15 = 90% (154/171)
4. Break And Hold Medvedev’s 2019 season average for holding serve was 84.1 per cent (810/963), but that elevated even higher during the 32-match streak when he looked to hold immediately after breaking serve.
Overall, Medvedev broke serve 111 times from Washington to St. Petersburg and had to follow it up with a service game of his own. When that occurred, he won a dominant 88.2 per cent (98/111) of his service games to consolidate the break.
Medvedev was ranked No. 19 in mid-January of 2019, and ended up spending 10 straight weeks at No. 4 before finishing the season at No. 5.
He starts 2020 less than 1,000 ATP Rankings points behind No. 3 Roger Federer, with only 745 points to defend on hard courts in the first three months. Another surge up the ATP Rankings is definitely on the cards.
2019 Nitto ATP Finals Named As Most Sustainable Season Finale Ever
Dec182019
Significant commitment driven by offsetting over 5,500 tons of carbon emissions
The ATP has announced the 2019 iteration of its prestigious season-ending tournament – the Nitto ATP Finals – was its most sustainable season finale ever.
The ATP’s sustainability efforts have been led by its partnership with One Carbon World, a global partner of the United Nation’s Climate Neutral Now initiative. The collaboration between the two organisations has resulted in the offsetting of all international and domestic travel to the event for players, tournament staff and ATP members, as well as the travel of all tennis fans within the UK to the tournament. The season-ending event attracted more than 242,000 fans to The O2. With the additional inclusion of international travel for players and ATP staff to the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, in total 5,683 tons of carbon emissions were offset.
This significant commitment comes a year after the ATP announced a wave of new sustainability initiatives for the 2018 tournament which were implemented to reduce the environmental impact of the eight-day showpiece event. The 2018 event saw a particular focus on reducing the amount of plastic used at the tournament which included the use of water coolers and glass bottles across all tennis family, media and operational staff areas.
Following those changes, this year 60,000 single use plastic cups were removed from the tournament’s waste stream through the elimination of these cups at public concession units and the introduction of tournament take-home cups which were washed and re-used many times during the event. There were also no plastic bags used to deliver 310 newly-strung rackets to players by Tecnifibre, the official tournament stringers, throughout the tournament.
Elsewhere, to reduce the amount of waste generated by the event the ATP worked with City Harvest, a charity focused on putting surplus food to good use in a sustainable way, to redistribute leftover food to shelters around London. In total the food City Harvest collected equated to over 2,000 meals for Londoners in need. These donations prevented over 3.25 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
As well as reducing the environmental impact, the ATP also ensured the tournament made a positive social impact working in partnership with Cancer Research UK who raised over £10,000 through cash collections, the sale of signed player merchandise across a number of Cancer Research UK stores, and a text to donate scheme at the tournament.
Adam Hogg, Event Director, Nitto ATP Finals, said: “After beginning the process of measuring the impact from our activities and trialling a number of new initiatives at last year’s Nitto ATP Finals, we’re thrilled with the results we seen this year. Staging large sporting events always come with significant sustainability challenges, so to accomplish everything we have done at this year’s tournament is a great achievement, particularly offsetting over 5,500 tons of carbon emissions.
“Of course, there is always more that can be done and we look forward to working with our specialist advisors to try and deliver even better results at next year’s tournament.”
ATPTour.com continue its best of the decade series
Entering the decade, it seemed to be a question of when and not if Andy Murray would win a Grand Slam. The Brit had four ATP Masters 1000 titles and several victories over the Big Three of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, but defeating them at a major proved far more difficult to accomplish.
Having already lost the 2008 US Open championship match to Roger Federer, Murray finished runner-up at the 2010 and 2011 Australian Open (l. to Federer and Djokovic), then fell to Federer again in the 2012 Wimbledon final. The Brit had matched Ivan Lendl’s “record” of playing four Grand Slam finals without taking a title.
Fittingly, it would be Lendl who helped Murray get over the line during their coaching partnership from 2012-2014. The stoic former World No. 1 curbed Murray’s on-court temper and helped him maintain a high level of consistency throughout tournaments.
Energised by back-to-back victories over Djokovic and Federer to secure a gold medal for Great Britain at the 2012 London Olympics, Murray powered into the US Open final against Djokovic. His dramatic 7-6(10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 win over the Serbian took four hours and 54 minutes, matching Lendl and Mats Willander’s record for the longest final in tournament this history.
Not only did the triumph make Murray the first British man since Fred Perry (1936 Wimbledon) to lift a Grand Slam title, it also gave him a seat at tennis’ top table and turned the Big Three into the Big Four. Energised by joining his elite peers after years of chasing them, he followed up by defeating Djokovic in the 2013 Wimbledon final and became the first British man in 77 years to prevail at The All England Club.
Murray would scale even greater heights in 2016. After a fifth runner-up showing in Melbourne (l. to Djokovic) and recording his first Roland Garros final (l. to Nadal), he prevailed again at Wimbledon (d. Raonic) and defended his Olympic crown in Rio de Janeiro (d. Del Potro). He finished the season with one of the greatest fairytale runs in modern tennis history. He won 24 straight matches, a run culminating in victory over Djokovic in the Nitto ATP Finals title match in a winner-takes-all battle for the coveted year-end No. 1 ATP Ranking.
But after reaching the pinnacle of the sport, a severe right hip injury shut down his 2017 season after Wimbledon. The Brit underwent surgery in January 2018 and returned to action that June after an 11-month absence, but still experienced pain when he played. Before his first-round defeat at this year’s Australian Open, an emotional Murray announced his intention to retire after Wimbledon.
“I can still play to a level — not a level that I’m happy playing at,” Murray said in a pre-tournament press conference. “It’s not just that. The pain is too much, really. I don’t want to continue playing that way. I think I have tried pretty much everything I could to get it right, and that hasn’t worked.”
But the Brit’s plans altered considerably within a couple of weeks. Murray instead opted for a second surgery and had a metal plate inserted into his hip joint. He threw himself into recovery and soon tested the waters with a foray into doubles, winning his first event back in June with Feliciano Lopez at Queen’s Club (d. Ram/Salisbury).
By August, Murray felt confident enough in his metal hip to focus on a singles comeback. Just two months later, he brought himself and the Antwerp crowd to tears by defeating Stan Wawrinka for his first ATP Tour singles crown since 2017 Dubai.
The Brit is too much of a perfectionist to let his latest comeback be a mere nostalgia moment. With his current form and proven track record of overcoming adversity, all signs point to him producing more memorable moments in the years to come.
Players Of The Decade Novak Djokovic Roger Federer Andy Murray Rafael Nadal (Thursday) Stan Wawrinka (Friday)
Recently crowned US Open champion Bianca Andreescu speaks of “feeling worthless” as she struggled to cope with the attention of being a rising teenage star.
Former Grand Slam finalist Madison Keys reveals an eating disorder left her living off three low-calorie bars a day.
British player Katie Swan talks about the impact of her coach’s son falling through a glass window and needing life-saving surgery.
Mental health issues. Sexuality. Financial worries. Leaving home for the first time. Death.
American player Noah Rubin, the 2014 Wimbledon junior champion seeking to fulfil his promise on the ATP Tour, is giving his fellow professionals a platform to open up – whatever the subject.
His Behind The Racquet project, inspired by Humans of New York – a revealing photoblog of the city’s residents now tracked by millions of social media users worldwide, sees current players, former players and celebrity fans including British comedian Miranda Hart pose behind the strings of a racquet.
Accompanying the striking image is an emotive personal story.
“This has never really been done before, something that shows what these people, who are thought of as having perfect lives or doing really well because they are professional players, are really going through,” Rubin tells BBC Sport.
“You really get an understanding of what they’re going through on a day-to-day basis, what their thought process is, what their mentality is, how they are feeling, how their family is, just how difficult tennis is.”
Rubin, 23, is determined to influence change in a sport which he says is “very tough on the body and the mind”.
Belgian player Alison van Uytvanck, in a post published earlier this month, gives a candid insight into the low self-esteem she felt as a youngster when she was bullied at training camps because of her ginger hair.
“I never felt so alone, having no friends and unable to really talk to parents,” she says. “I had no-one to lean on for help and found myself crying in my room day after day.”
Rubin believes a fundamental overhaul of the game is needed to help improve the mental wellbeing of the players, while he also says more support pathways need to be opened up.
Improved access to psychologists and the creation of outreach programmes for youngsters, where a former professional is easily contactable to offer advice, is a key strategy outlined by Rubin.
“The seasons are way too long, the matches are too long, it is not fan-friendly, it is not promotable, it is not TV-friendly. There are so many issues,” Rubin says.
“I think we are a little scared of making true fundamental changes – but we have to.”
The ATP Tour’s 2020 season begins on 2 January with the newly launched ATP Cup, starting just six weeks after some of the world’s leading male players took part in the inaugural Davis Cup finals.
Top female players have a slightly longer break – the season-opening Brisbane International on 6 January comes two months after the WTA Finals finished.
While men’s five-set matches are now reserved for Grand Slams and the Olympic final, the length of matches has still prompted plenty of debate.
Tentative attempts to introduce shorter formats of the game have been made – notably with first-to-four-games sets at the ATP NextGen finals and the creation of the Tie Break Tens events, but are yet to break through on the main ATP and WTA Tours.
Uniform change is difficult, however, with seven governing bodies – the ITF, ATP, WTA and four Grand Slams – rarely pulling in the same direction.
“We’re at a time where we have to break down the sport of tennis, invest, take a hit for a year or two and bring the sport to a place to where it has never been before,” Rubin says.
The WTA says the health and safety of its players – physical and mental – are its “number one priority”.
“The WTA has a comprehensive sports science and medicine and athlete assistance support system in place, which is staffed by experienced and expert therapists within the WTA,” it said in a statement.
“The WTA provides extensive resources and education to [help] players manage the challenges professional athletes may face, such as performing under pressure, international travel, managing health, public scrutiny, public commentary and ‘growing up’ in the public eye.”
The WTA added that players can receive individual counselling and support if needed from qualified mental health care providers, both at WTA tournaments and remotely.
The ATP said it was “continually looking to build on its duty of care towards its players” and had recently carried out a review of this area with players, team members and industry experts.
In a statement, the ATP said: “Tournament physicians and physiotherapists on the ATP Tour are in continual contact with players and their support teams throughout the year. In cases where a player were to express psychological concerns, we have an infrastructure that would refer them to the appropriate consultant.
“In situations where ATP physios and tournament physicians are concerned about a player’s mental, emotional and psychological health, we would recommend that the player seek treatment and assist in the initiation of the appropriate care.”
‘I had dark times. This sport isn’t conducive to happiness’
Passionate, articulate and determined to influence change, Rubin speaks from the heart.
Around the time of this year’s French Open, he almost stopped playing a sport to which he has dedicated most of his life. As an 11-year-old, he was said to have been described as “one of the most talented players” fellow New Yorker John McEnroe had come across.
“I didn’t know whether I was going to stop for good or just some real time off. I was telling my family and friends that I just don’t want to play the sport any more,” Rubin remembers.
“I wasn’t happy – the sport isn’t conducive to happiness. I don’t know if I want to throw the word depressed around, but at moments I felt like that.
“I was really thinking this was the end and the last time I was going to hit a tennis ball competitively.”
What changed for the world number 212 was spending less time on court, addressing his work-life balance and rediscovering the fun which made him enjoy tennis in the first place.
Rubin moved back to New York from Florida, practised about an hour a day, and then qualified for Wimbledon where he missed out on a third-round meeting with Roger Federer by losing to British youngster Jay Clarke.
Rubin repeatedly makes it clear he still loves the sport, and believes a change of focus – he talks of his love for fashion and photography, as well as still having time for Netflix and HBO – can enable him to crack the world’s top 50 next year.
“I started to figure out that it is far more important to put happiness on a pedestal rather than spend eight hours on a court,” he concludes.
“I had dark times where I didn’t know if I was going to make it out as a tennis player.
“This world of Behind The Racquet has opened up my eyes, it has given me another passion and helped take some pressure of the world of tennis.
“Now I understand it is far more important to be happy.”
Rubin pauses as he recalls one story, which he says still gives him “chills”.
“It was Jolene Watanabe, who was a top-100 player and played in the Grand Slams in the 1990s. She had cancer, was in remission, and I thought she was going to make it.
“Then I got a message from her husband on Instagram saying ‘I just want you to know she is saying her final goodbyes right now and it would be very much appreciated if you could post her story’.
“To hear that they’re going through something where she’s not going to make it and he was thinking he wanted me to post her story on Behind The Racquet so people could know about it, be a part of it and inspire them… it leaves me speechless.
“To have that kind of impact was something I could not have fathomed, especially this early on, and that’s why I keep pushing on.”
How it began… and what next?
It was during a sleepless night after arriving home from Australia that Rubin formulated the concept of Behind The Racquet.
After inspiration struck at 3am, he acquired the name of his new project on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Within three days he had posted for the first time.
Ten months later, Behind The Racquet has about 35,000 followers across the three platforms, along with a podcast and clothing range as Rubin aims to build the brand.
The next phase is already being worked on, with Rubin aiming to link-up with Talkspace, an online therapy platform which boasts legendary American swimmer Michael Phelps as an ambassador, and the National Association of Mental Illness, as he looks to set up mental health camps for players and perhaps film a docu-series.
Sharing the stories of the sport’s biggest names – Rubin hopes seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams and US Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev will feature before the end of the year – is another target.
“Not only are many in a sport where they can’t make money, they’re in a sport where you don’t win very often, so they’re combining failure on the court with failure financially,” Rubin says.
“What I’m really trying to do is pave a way for people that, in five or 10 years from now, are saying ‘this is better because of Behind The Racquet’.”
Best ATP Cup Quotes: Djokovic, Nishkori & Anderson Sound Off
Dec172019
Top players gear up for inaugural event
With less than three weeks until the start of the 2020 season, the world’s best players are hard at work preparing for the inaugural ATP Cup, held in Australia from 3-12 January. Twenty-four countries will participate in round-robin action in Perth, Sydney and Brisbane from 3-8 January, with the Final Eight facing off in Sydney from 9-12 January.
ATPTour.com takes a look at the best quotes about the ATP Cup from your favourite players looking to lead their country to the title.
Novak Djokovic: “I like that it’s owned by the ATP, by the players, and that we have [ATP Rankings] points. It’s going to be the best way to kick off the season. Australia is a country… that nurtures tennis tradition. More than 90 per cent of the time, we’re playing as individuals and we don’t have too many team events. This is going to bring together a lot of nations and, for me personally, it will be a very nice and proud moment to represent my country. An event like this is truly going to make an impact.”
John Isner: “You’re playing for your country, which is the greatest honour you can have. It’s the perfect week for it as well, at the beginning of the year. Everybody wants to be in tip-top shape for the Australian Open and this event is going to allow us to do that.”
Kevin Anderson: “We’re really excited about the ATP Cup… Tennis Australia was very keen on this. They worked closely with us [and] it was in partnership with them… We’re going to have the best players in the world playing. We’re going to kick off our year with an amazing event.”
Karen Khachanov: “I think it will be great for all the players to start the season in Australia [and] to feel the conditions.”
Marin Cilic: “I think it’s going to be great for all the fans in the world, for media, for TV [and] for players.”
Kei Nishikori: “I think it’s good to have all the teams together and all the countries together. I think everybody enjoys [playing for] their country.”
Alex de Minaur: “Growing up, that’s always been my dream: to be able to represent the green and gold.”
Nick Kyrgios: “For a chance to play with the boys I grew up with, like Thanasi Kokkinakis and Jordan Thompson, it’s something I’m really looking forward to. And now to see Alex [de Minaur] do so well, it’s going to be an awesome event. I know everyone on the Tour wants to be with their teammates. There’s nothing better than playing for your country against the other best players in the world.”
Jamie Murray: “I’m excited about the ATP Cup. I think it’s going to be a great event for the ATP. It’s a players’ event. We’ve been on the [ATP Player] Council for the past three years, working to try to make it happen. It’s obviously come to fruition now. It’s a great way to kick off the year. It’s a great week for getting the top guys committed to playing the event because everyone wants to play at the start of the year in the lead up to the Australian Open. I think it’s going to be a huge success.”
Bruno Soares: “I think for the ATP and the players, it’s amazing to have this event in the beginning of the year. It’s a new concept. It’s great.”
Denis Shapovalov: “From the moment I picked up a racquet, I was always watching team events like this. I’ve always wanted to represent my country in a team environment. It’s a different kind of atmosphere and a different kind of competition.”
Daniel Evans: “It’s not hard to get up for matches in front of thousands of people. It gives you confidence being on court and I’ve always felt that when I’ve represented Great Britain, it’s a reward for the hard work I’ve put in and the matches I’ve won.”
We use technology such as cookies on our website, to provide functions and analysis of our visitor data. Click Accept to confirm that you agree to its use.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
