The Most Improved Player of the Year in the 2019 ATP Awards 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. This year’s nominees are Felix Auger-Aliassime, Matteo Berrettini, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. The winner, as selected by the players, will be announced later this month.

Felix Auger-Aliassime
Felix Auger-Aliassime has been making headlines since he was 14, when he became the first player born in the 2000s to earn a position in the ATP Rankings. In 2017, at 17 years, 1 month and 5 days old, he became the fourth-youngest player to crack the Top 200 of the ATP Rankings. In 2019, the Canadian kept making strides – in fact, achieving a career-high ATP Ranking 13 times during the season. From No. 108 at the start of the year, the 18-year-old peaked at No. 17 in October and became the youngest player ranked in the Top 25 since Lleyton Hewitt in 1999.

Auger-Aliassime started his season by playing qualifying matches, but a breakthrough run in February at the Rio Open presented by Claro – where he became the youngest ATP 500 finalist in history (l. to Djere) – lifted him more than 40 spots into the Top 60. The following month, as a qualifier, he became the third-youngest ATP Masters 1000 semi-finalist at the Miami Open presented by Itau, a result that pushed up into the Top 50 at No. 33 in the ATP Rankings.

The Canadian reached another clay-court final in Lyon (l. to Paire) and again in his first grass-court tournament in Stuttgart (l. to Berrettini), making him the youngest three-time ATP Tour finalist since Rafael Nadal in 2004-05. By the US Open, Auger-Aliassime – who shares a birthday with Roger Federer – had earned his place in the Top 20. Though he qualified for the Next Gen ATP Finals, he had to cut his season short in mid-October due to injury, but he still finished the year at No. 21. 

“It’s been a solid year!” he posted on Instagram. “Truly blessed and thankful to be nominated among these other great players of our sport ?? Much love to all of you fans for supporting me throughout the past 11 months♥️ #ATPAwards”

Matteo Berrettini
Even Matteo Berrettini didn’t aspire to finish his season 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.”

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 Italian 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 in Budapest (d. Krajinovic) and Munich (l. to Garin) to break into the Top 50. He continued his climb, rising into the Top 20 with a strong grass-court campaign that included the Stuttgart title, the Halle semi-finals and Wimbledon Round of 16 (l. to Federer).

While the Italian was limited to one tournament in the lead to the US Open, he made the most of his appearance in Flushing Meadows, where he reached his first Grand Slam semi-final. With players battling for a place in the top eight in the ATP Race To London, Berrettini advanced to his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. A semi-final run at the Erste Bank Open lifted him into the Top 10, and Berrettini went on to clinch the final qualification spot at the Nitto ATP Finals during the Rolex Paris Masters. “I’m really proud of myself… It’s been an unbelievable season,” he said.

Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev enjoyed a solid campaign in 2018, winning his first three tour-level titles – including the ATP 500 in Tokyo (d. Nishikori) – and reaching No. 16 in the ATP Rankings by year’s end. “It’s hard to explain because when I was No. 15, I was good already. Then I wanted to get into the Top 10, which is never easy. I just want to see how far I can go… I know that to be high up in the [ATP Rankings], you have to do a significant effort, but I’m trying to do my best,” he said.

Medvedev’s best helped him achieve an ATP Tour-leading 59 match wins, 46 hard-court wins and nine final appearances in 2019, in addition to a career-high No. 4 ATP Ranking. He opened the season with a runner-up finish at the Brisbane International, followed by the Sofia Open title, a semi-final run at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (d. Tsitsipas, Djokovic) and a final appearance in Barcelona (l. to Thiem).

Medvedev broke into the Top 10 following Wimbledon, and proceeded to take things to another level. For a three-month stretch, from the end of July through mid-October, the 23-year-old Russian went on a 29-3 tear with six straight finals. After runner-up finishes at the Citi Open (d. Kyrgios) and the Coupe Rogers (l. to Nadal), Medvedev claimed back-to-back Masters 1000 titles at the Western & Southern Open and Rolex Shanghai Masters. In between those triumphs, he impressed at Flushing Meadows as he rallied from two sets down against Nadal in the US Open final before falling in four hours and 51 minutes. He also celebrated his home country title at the St. Petersburg Open.

“My goal is still the same: to be better every day with each training, each tournament [and] to win tournaments,” said Medvedev, who qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. “It’s been working well so far. It’s a source of real pleasure.”

?? pic.twitter.com/9PqbURpTIz

— Daniil Medvedev (@DaniilMedwed) November 28, 2019

Stefanos Tsitsipas
Only one player to date has won Most Improved Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons: Novak Djokovic in 2006-07. Stefanos Tsitsipas has a chance of becoming the second after going from Next Gen ATP Finals champion in 2018 to Nitto ATP Finals champion in 2019.

The 21-year-old Greek finished the season in the best possible way, and he also opened 2019 with a statement win. At the Australian Open, he knocked out World No. 3 Roger Federer – ATPTour.com’s top upset at a major this season – en route to becoming the youngest Grand Slam semi-finalist since Djokovic in 2007. Tsitsipas followed with a pair of ATP 250 titles in Marseille and Estoril and was runner-up at three other tournaments. He ousted No. 2 Rafael Nadal to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 final at the Mutua Madrid Open (l. to Djokovic), and was a finalist at the ATP 500s in Dubai (l. to Federer) and Beijing (l. to Thiem). He additionally recorded his first win over a No. 1 player when he defeated Djokovic in the Rolex Shanghai Masters quarter-finals.

Tsitsipas, who reached a career-high of No. 5 in early August, put together a debut to remember in November at the season finale, where he recorded straight-sets wins over Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and Federer before prevailing against Dominic Thiem 6-7(6), 6-2, 7-6(4) in the final.

“I feel like my game is getting better over time…I’m competing against one of the best players in the world, and the amount of effort and the amount of work I put every day deserves to have an outcome like this,” he said following his triumph. 

Inches make champions @atptour pic.twitter.com/z3o8AAQQjA

— Stefanos Tsitsipas (@StefTsitsipas) November 17, 2019

Imagine hitting your first serve out wide in the Deuce court and winning a perfect 22 of 22 points. Impressive.

Now take it up a level and do it in the pressure-cooker situation of 15/40 on the big stage at ATP Masters 1000 events. That’s something special, and that’s exactly what Stan Wawrinka achieved this season.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the year-end Top 20 of the ATP Rankings identified that Stan Wawrinka, Grigor Dimitrov, Fabio Fognini and Daniil Medvedev were all able to save 100 per cent of their break points at 15/40 to a specific first serve target in the Deuce court service box. The data set is comprised of Masters 1000 events in 2019 and the Nitto ATP Finals.

The leading five players out of the year-end Top 20 to save break point at 15/40:
Grigor Dimitrov = 96% (24/25)
Stan Wawrinka = 88% (44/50)
Fabio Fognini = 84.6% (33/39)
Denis Shapovalov = 83.3% (45/54)
Stefanos Tsitsipas = 80.5% (66/82)

Winning 100 Per Cent To A Specific Location
Wawrinka’s effort to win 22/22 out wide in the Deuce court was jaw-dropping, but he wasn’t the only one to be perfect at a particular serve spot. Below is the breakdown of the four players saving break point from 15/40 to the three first serve locations of wide, body and T.

First Serves Wide at 15/40
Stan Wawrinka = 100% (22/22)
Grigor Dimitrov = 93.3% (14/15)
Denis Shapovalov = 88.2% (15/17)

First Serves Body at 15/40 (minimum of four attempts)
Daniil Medvedev = 100% (5/5)
Matteo Berrettini = 83.3% (5/6)
Fabio Fognini = 75% (3/4)

First Serves T at 15/40
T1. Fabio Fognini = 100% (16/16)
T1. Grigor Dimitrov = 100% (10/10)
3. Dominic Thiem = 88.0% (22/25)

Overall, the year-end Top 20 served almost the same amount out wide as down the T (421-419), but the T delivered the highest win percentage.

First Serve Breakdown at 15/40 – Total and Win Percentage

Sometimes it’s about hitting your favourite first-serve location when the pressure meter goes through the roof. Other times it’s about hitting it where you opponent doesn’t expect it.

Roberto Bautista Agut will be playing for Team Spain at the inaugural ATP Cup in January. His country leads Group B, which will be contested in Perth. Spain will compete against Japan, Georgia and Uruguay with the hopes of advancing to Sydney.

Bautista Agut is the highest-ranked No. 2 player for any country, coming in at No. 9 in the ATP Rankings. The 31-year-old joins Rafael Nadal, Pablo Carreno Busta, Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Feliciano Lopez in an effort to bring the title home for Spain.

The nine-time ATP Tour champion spoke to ATPTour.com about what it was like for him growing up in Spain, when he first met Nadal and what he most loves about his country.

What are some of your early memories of tennis growing up in Spain?
I remember when I was at the club, when I was spending almost every day there. My parents were dropping me off at 9am and they were collecting me at 9pm. I was almost there all day at the club, and this was the best thing. I remember I was playing all day with my friends, and that was nice.

Was tennis your main focus throughout your childhood?
I started playing tennis when I was five and I was playing soccer and tennis until I was 14. After that it was just tennis.

Growing up, who were the players from Spain you admired the most?
When I grew up I was watching TV and I was admiring the Spanish players. I was watching Juan Carlos Ferrero, David Ferrer. I was also admiring Carlos Moya, Sergi Bruguera, Rafael Nadal, all the Spanish players I was watching on TV.

What was special about them?
I like tennis and I like also the players that play for their country… it was fun to watch them.

Is there anything in particular about the ATP Cup that you’re excited about?
I’m excited because it’s going to be the first time [having this event] in Australia and Rafa and I are going to play there. I hope we have a good team and can play a good week for Spain.

Since you’re playing with Rafa, do you remember when you first met him?
Yes, we were playing in the Under 18s, a Spanish Championship. He was 16 and I was 14. I already heard very good things about him. I remember he left the tournament going to play Wimbledon juniors. I don’t remember if he won it or he played the final, but he was already showing the champion he is right now.

What do you think will be the most special part about being on a team?
It’s always fun to play on a team. I spent a week at Laver Cup and team competition brings more emotions in the game. You play for your team and it’s really fun.

Who’s the funniest Spanish player?
Marc Lopez. He’s funny. He’s always open and he never says something serious.

Of all the Spaniards, if you could take one shot from them, what would it be?
I would take the serve of Carlos Moya, the courage and legs and the fighting spirit of David Ferrer. I would take Nadal’s forehand and Ferrero’s backhand.

What are three things you love about your country?
The weather, the kindness of the people and the food.

Is there anything in particular that reminds you of home?
I really miss the food from Spain. I really miss my family and my friends. It’s not easy to travel as many weeks as we do. But I really enjoy when I go back there and I spend a few days at home. It’s very powerful for me.

One year ago, the Novak Djokovic Foundation raised more than $100,000 during its Season of Giving campaign, allowing it to open two kindergartens in Serbia. And now, the World No. 2’s foundation is beginning another Season of Giving campaign, attempting to reach $100,000 again.

The goal of the campaign is to provide 200 children access to a quality preschool education by opening new kindergartens, and the Djokovic family is poised to match all donations for the second straight year.

“Every child is a unique human being, full of undiscovered potential and talents. The power to shape their future and make the world a better place is in all of us,” Djokovic said in a statement. “By investing in the early development of children, apart from helping to form these young individuals and empowering them to grow into their potential, we are also investing in the future of the entire society”.

In February, the Novak Djokovic Foundation opened its first kindergarten of 2019 in the Macvan Prnjavor village, funding the reconstruction of an old health centre, modernising it and providing tools for more than 150 kids to attend preschool for the first time. Three working rooms and a common area at a preschool in Svilajnac was reconstructed and refurnished to allow for 75 additional children in the area to attend.

“Providing equal opportunities to children from all parts of our country is the mission of the Novak Djokovic Foundation and something we strive toward at all times. We have been cooperating with “Dečja radost” pre-school institution and Svilajnac municipality since 2014, when we had reconstructed and adapted the pre-school institution after floods, and it is our pleasure to return for such a nice occasion,” said Novak Djokovic Foundation Co-Founder and Global CEO Jelena Djokovic at the opening of the Svilajnac kindergarten. “The expansion of the capacities of the existing kindergarten is an encouraging beginning for children who will be able to learn, play and get true support here.”

The Novak Djokovic Foundation is also in the process of opening a kindergarten in Indjija next year. It has opened 44 kindergartens throughout Serbia and impacted more than 22,000 children and 1,500 teachers with its efforts. It received an ATP ACES For Charity grant in 2013 and 2017. and in 2012, Djokovic was named the ATP Tour’s Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year.

Not only is the Novak Djokovic Foundation providing new opportunities for children, but it is also helping experts in the field with their research. In 2016, the Djokovic Science and Innovation Fellowship was launched at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. Last year, the Djokovic Scholars initiative at the University of Belgrade was created to support new PhD students who are focussing their efforts on early childhood education and development.

Novak Djokovic and Jelena Djokovic also opened the seventh Friendship Games in Kopaonik this September, providing a week’s worth of activities for more than 130 local children who otherwise would not have the opportunity.

“Children always remind us what happiness is and how little it takes to get a genuine smile from them. Playing and spending time with friends are the best childhood memories, and our team is working daily to make sure every child in Serbia has those memories,” Novak Djokovic said at the time. “The smiling faces of these children are the best proof that what we’re doing, we’re doing right, and they are a motivation for us to keep going.”

The Serbian, who finished inside the top two of the year-end ATP Rankings for the eighth time, will begin his 2020 season at the ATP Cup in Brisbane before competing in Adelaide.

Fabio Fognini has created a partnership of Italian tennis royalty by bringing on Corrado Barazzutti as his new coach for the upcoming season. Fognini, Barazzutti, Matteo Berrettini and Adriano Panatta are the only four Italians to crack the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings.

”I’m happy to introduce my new Team Fogna!” Fognini tweeted on Saturday. “I’m excited to be working with Corrado Barazzutti as my head coach and with Stefano Barsacchi,
trainer, Giovanni Teoli, physio, and Alberto Giraudo. I can’t wait to start the new season!”

I’m happy to introduce my new Team Fogna! I’m excited to be working with Corrado Barazzutti as my head coach and with Stefano Barsacchi, trainer, Giovanni Teoli, physio and Alberto Giraudo. I can’t wait to start the new season! #2020 #newseason #teamfogna pic.twitter.com/VFTJRviKbJ

— Fabio Fognini (@fabiofogna) December 7, 2019

Fognini achieved the best result of his career this April by winning his first ATP Masters 1000 crown at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (d. Lajovic). Two months later, the 32-year-old became the oldest player to break into the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings for the first time since 38-year-old Ken Rosewall and 35-year-old Rod Laver on 23 August 1973, when the ATP Rankings were first established.

The World No. 12 will kick off next year by representing Italy in the inaugural ATP Cup, held in Australia from 3-12 January. Fognini looks to help the Italian squad advance out of Group D in Perth.

From Roger Federer to Stan Wawrinka, the world’s top players have been busy on and off the court. Check out our roundup of the best social media posts from the past week that show what your favourite players have been up to!

Stan Wawrinka has begun his preparations for next season and is hard at work with fitness trainer Pierre Paganini.

More than 15 years working together and still we smile before during and after practice no matter how hard Pierre ?‍♂️ pushes me !!
????‍♂️??‍♂️??‍♂️???? #friends #coach #training #hardwork #smile #alwayssmiling #trusttheprocess pic.twitter.com/rHGJA2rvPE

— Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka) December 8, 2019

Swissmint created a 20-franc silver coin to honour Roger Federer, but his dad joke about the notable moment also made headlines.

Thanks,
Fed’s or tail?
? https://t.co/R4yNtWPgIv

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) December 3, 2019

Read More: Demand For Federer Coin Crashes Swissmint Website

Dominic Thiem arrived in Miami for his preseason training and wasted no time getting down to business.

Preseason is underway ? pic.twitter.com/2GwvDxm5N5

— Dominic Thiem (@ThiemDomi) December 6, 2019

Fabio Fognini announced that he’ll have a new coach in 2020 after hiring Corrado Barazzutti.

I’m happy to introduce my new Team Fogna! I’m excited to be working with Corrado Barazzutti as my head coach and with Stefano Barsacchi, trainer, Giovanni Teoli, physio and Alberto Giraudo. I can’t wait to start the new season! #2020 #newseason #teamfogna pic.twitter.com/VFTJRviKbJ

— Fabio Fognini (@fabiofogna) December 7, 2019

Nicolas Jarry also revealed a coaching change and confirmed he’ll be working with Dante Bottini. The Chilean is chronicling their preseason training in Florida.

Primeras jornadas de trabajo duro!! ?
Working hard! #PreseasonATP pic.twitter.com/mYppcGJlB0

— Nicolas Jarry Fillol (@NicoJarry) December 7, 2019

Spanish football club Villareal CF honoured Roberto Bautista Agut for his outstanding year.

⚽️ ? Saque de honor del #VillarrealAtleti .

¡¡Grandes, @VillarrealCF! Gracias !! pic.twitter.com/x2PbPFZJFV

— Roberto BautistaAgut (@BautistaAgut) December 6, 2019

Kevin Anderson is enjoying the holidays as he prepares for his first tournament as a father. He’ll kick off next season by leading South Africa in the inaugural ATP Cup, held in Australia from 3-12 January.

Ready for the holidays ?
? by @kennykim pic.twitter.com/IQQVpf3ig0

— Kevin Anderson (@KAndersonATP) December 2, 2019

The 2019 season will always be one to remember for Nitto ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas, and not just because of his success on the court.

Tsitsipas met his idol, former World No. 1 Pete Sampras, for the first time at Indian Wells. The Greek and his family got to briefly chat with Sampras, an American of Greek origin with whom he happens to share a birthday.

“That (dreaming) face you make when you meet the first guy that you’ve ever watched play tennis on TV. The person that made you want to go out at the tennis courts in the beach, made you dream about playing on all of the big stages and arenas around the world, winning trophies and titles, becoming an inspiration for others,” Tsitsipas wrote on Instagram. “Despite being at the end of his career, my childhood was filled with @petesamprasofficial matches and battles that I will never forget. This person has given me courage and eagerness to pursue my dream. A dream that felt insanely difficult to reach.

“It’s an honour to be standing next to you Pete. Thank you for filling my childhood with enthusiasm, hope, hard work ethic and… for me to play tennis in the first place. You are an inspiration up to this day, and I hope and inspiration for many generations to come.”

Sampras may have played under the United States flag, but he inspired Greek children like Tsitsipas. Stefanos’ brother, Petros Tsitsipas — who will help Stefanos lead Team Greece in the inaugural ATP Cup next month — is named after Sampras, according to an Instagram post.

With Tsitsipas’ increasing success — he just lifted the biggest title of his career at the Nitto ATP Finals — there will be plenty of people inspired to try to follow in his footsteps. That doesn’t add pressure for the Greek, though. It makes him even more excited for his journey to come.

“I’m super hungry to win matches and get up in the ATP Rankings, to be the best in my country. Pressure about leading Greece? Never,” Tsitsipas wrote in a first-person essay for ATPTour.com. “It’s very motivating to be the one who can create history in Greece and have kids look up to me later. They, like my parents did after my early losses, can be the ones chasing after me and shouting my name. I can inspire them and be the leader of tennis in Greece.”

Top 10 Greek Players In History By ATP Ranking

One player who Tsitsipas has motivated is Greek No. 2 Michail Pervolarakis, who will be the country’s second singles player when Greece faces Russia, the United States and Norway in Brisbane in Group D action.

“He’s a really nice guy, so overall it’s just an amazing experience being with him. We talk sometimes. I actually just had a baby, I send him pictures of my baby sometimes,” Pervolarakis told ATPTour.com. “[He has] a very big impact [in Greece]. Everyone now is watching tennis in the most random places. Instead of soccer or basketball they’re watching tennis and the [Nitto] ATP Finals or Grand Slams. I think those kids want to play and connect with Stefanos. They want to start and see what the sport is all about. It’s just becoming bigger in general as a sport.”

Pervolarakis began this season unranked, but he has climbed as high as No. 433 in the ATP Rankings. Part of Pervolarakis’ success this year has come from motivation after watching his countryman compete — and in many instances, beat — the best players in the world.

“It’s really motivating to see what he’s able to achieve. He broke into the Top 100 and that was amazing and now he’s No. 6 in the world,” Pervolarakis said. “I don’t think he has limits. It’s really motivating to me to see that somebody from my country is able to play at such a high level.”

The 23-year-old will now get to compete alongside his countryman. After meeting Tsitsipas earlier this year, he won’t just get to watch the Greek on television, but cheer him on from just feet away and potentially even play doubles with him. Pervolarakis follows Tsitsipas from afar, watching his matches as much as he can.

And now because of Tsitsipas’ success, Pervolakis has a big opportunity to compete on what promises to be one of the sport’s biggest stages, with an entire country behind him.

“Obviously it’s the biggest tournament I’ve ever played and probably will play next year. So being in a tournament with the top guys in the world, the top tennis players, playing as a teammate as Stefanos, that will be an amazing experience for me,” Pervolarakis said. “Also, it’s a new event, and I think it’s really cool. Obviously you represent your country in every event, but in this one specifically you’re a team and you have opponents from different countries. I think people are really going to enjoy this tournament.”

Tsitsipas has already competed under the spotlight against the world’s best. But the Greek knows the inaugural ATP Cup provides a special chance for him to not just play against the best players in the world, but to do it for his country.

“We all have something extra inside of ourselves,” Tsitsipas said. “We’re playing for the country, which makes it very important for us.”

Three months ago, Roberto Maytin lifted up an ATP Challenger Tour doubles title in California. The 30-year-old Venezuelan is now focussed on his health after revealing he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Maytin made the announcement in an Instagram post on 21 November. His family also set up a GoFundMe page to help cover his medical expenses. Maytin said he will undergo chemotherapy treatments and vowed to return to professional tennis.

“After four long days in the hospital, coming to this with the intention of routine checkups, doctors detected a testicular cancer named Germ Cell Tumor (non-seminoma),” Maytin wrote. “They intervened yesterday… Now I feel stable and I only wait for the chemotherapy sessions that will be done to me to end this 100%. For now, I will be in another fight with the support of my family and friends, and with God always by my side, returning to my routine very soon!”

Maytin is currently No. 136 in the ATP Doubles Rankings. He’s won 14 ATP Challenger Tour doubles titles, including four this season, and reached an ATP Tour doubles final at 2017 Los Cabos (w/Galdos).

On 14 May 2017, World No. 29 Fabio Fognini played then-21-year-old Matteo Berrettini in the first round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. On paper, the match was not memorable. Fognini advanced past the World No. 249 6-1, 6-3 in 71 minutes, and he’d go on to upset then-World No. 1 Andy Murray in straight sets in the next round.

For the Italians in attendance, though, this was a glimpse into their country’s men’s tennis future. And according to a smiling Berrettini, he did not get off to a great start that day.

“I started the match with a double fault,” Berrettini recalled. “[It was] so slow in the net. I was, like, ‘Okay’.”

Little did either man know that two years later, they both would crack the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings and position themselves to make Italy one of the favourites heading into the inaugural ATP Cup from 3-12 January.

Before this season, only two Italian men had ever broken into the Top 10 — Adriano Panatta in 1973 and Corrado Barazzutti in 1978 — and that was more than four decades ago. That made Fognini and Berrettini’s breakthroughs in 2019 even more special.

”It is crazy, because we had to wait a lot,” said Berrettini. “Fabio won a crazy tournament [in Monte-Carlo], he was playing so good. He was looking for this achievement a bit longer than me, he [has had] a really great career. After winning an ATP Masters 1000 ATP Cup: How Berrettini & Fognini Have Led The Rise Of Italian Tennis, the Top 10 is the next step, so I was happy for him and now I am super proud of myself.”

But it’s not just Berrettini and Fognini who have thrust Italy into the spotlight. At the time of that match in Rome, there were just three Italians inside the Top 100. Now there are eight, including Lorenzo Sonego, Marco Cecchinato, Andreas Seppi, Jannik Sinner, Stefano Travaglia and Salvatore Caruso. The eight are tied for the third-most of any country, alongside the United States and trailing only France (12) and Spain (10).

Berrettini, Fognini, Travaglia, Paolo Lorenzi and Simone Bolelli will try to help Italy advance out of Group D in Perth come January.

“When you are playing for your country with a team, it’s different,” Berrettini said. “You can find, I think, more energy.”

Lorenzi, who turns 38 on 15 December, has fallen just outside the Top 100 at No. 116. But the 21-time ATP Challenger Tour titlist remains a guiding force for some of the Italians making their rise. At this year’s US Open, Lorenzi found out he would receive a lucky loser spot while he was spending time with Berrettini, an eventual semi-finalist. On many days he practised with Sinner, a player who is less than half his age.

“I always like to practise a lot with the young Italians because they have a lot of enthusiasm,” Lorenzi said. “I like to play with the young ones and I can know some good young Italians that are coming.”

Sinner is at the forefront of that charge. The teenager was outside the Top 750 in the ATP Rankings this time last year. After earning his first 11 tour-level wins this year, Sinner is up to a career-high No. 78. Following a rout of Top 20 star Alex de Minaur to triumph at the Next Gen ATP Finals, the Italian looks poised to climb higher in 2020 and beyond.

According to countryman Seppi, who has spent only about two months outside the Top 100 since May 2005, Sinner’s rise only adds to the excitement that Berrettini and Fognini produced for Italian tennis this year.

“It’s actually what every nation wants to see, a good young player coming up with a really big potential, winning a Slam. He’s still 18, anything can happen. But his potential can be really big for a long time, Top 10 and everything,” Seppi said. “It’s nice to see someone that good from your area, and maybe it could be also that we helped in the past years, for him to see us, that he can do it. So I think that is also an important thing.”

Two of the top three Under-18 players in the ATP Rankings — World No. 362 Lorenzo Musetti and No. 383 Giulio Zeppieri — are also on their way up. But Sinner points to the bigger picture of all Italian men stepping up and how that is impacting the younger generations.

“Even at a higher level like [with] Berrettini, Sonego, we are now very high [in the ATP Rankings] and many players are playing very good tennis this year and I think if there are many young generation in Italy, it’s very important,” Sinner said. “But I’m very happy how it’s going on with Italian tennis.”

This Italian rise is fitting with the Nitto ATP Finals set to move to Turin starting in 2021. And with the ATP Cup around the corner, Italian tennis is flying as high as ever.

“It is a very good year for Italian tennis, two guys breaking into the Top 10 with Fabio and Matteo after so many years,” Seppi said. “For sure it is a very special year for Italian tennis.”

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPTour.com looks at the top five comebacks in Grand Slam matches in 2019.

5. Aljaz Bedene d. Benoit Paire, US Open, Second Round (Match Stats)
Aljaz Bedene had never reached the third round in New York and would need to defeat a player he often struggled with in Benoit Paire. The Frenchman led their FedEx ATP rivalry 4-1 and was in the middle of an outstanding season, having won ATP Tour titles in Marrakech (d. Andujar) and Lyon (d. Auger-Aliassime).

Paire served for the match at 5-3 in the fourth set and earned triple match point, but hit a backhand into the net on his first chance. The missed opportunity set off an avalanche of unforced errors and Bedene shockingly won 15 of the next 17 points to bring the match into a decider.

The Frenchman regrouped and raced to a 3-0 lead in the fifth set, but Bedene refused to give in. He scored a break at 2-4 and twice served to stay in the match, sending their clash into a final-set tie-break. The Slovenian’s steady baseline play brought him over the line after a backhand error from Paire wrapped up a 4-6, 6-7(3), 6-2, 7-5, 7-6(4) win after four hours and three minutes.

Bedene fell to Alexander Zverev in an entertaining four-set battle, but rode the momentum to his first tour-level final of the season just three weeks later in Metz (l. to Tsonga).

4. Marin Cilic d. Fernando Verdasco, Australian Open, Third Round (Match Stats)
Marin Cilic and Fernando Verdasco have quietly put together one of the most prolific rivalries on the ATP Tour. Their first FedEx ATP Head2Head match took place in 2007 St. Petersburg (won by Verdasco) and they’ve faced off in 11 of the past 13 seasons. But Cilic walked into Margaret Court Arena with the upper hand in their rivalry (9-5) and had won their past four meetings.

Verdasco appeared ready to turn the tables and held match point at 7/6 in the fourth-set tie-break, but Cilic erased it with a service winner. The crowd gasped as Verdasco then let slip a second match point with a double fault at 8/7. Two points later, a forehand winner from Cilic tied up the score.

The Croatian promptly broke Verdasco and sprinted to a 3-0 lead in the final set. At 12:57 am, he pumped his fist after a forehand error from Verdasco brought him a 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(8), 6-3 victory after four hours and 18 minutes. Cilic fired 66 winners en route to prevailing from two sets down for the seventh time in his career.

Cilic lost an entertaining five-set battle in the fourth round to Roberto Bautista Agut and struggled to meet his lofty standards throughout the season. He recorded only one tour-level semi-final (Moscow) and finished the year at No. 39 in the ATP Rankings, but is hard at work in the off-season to climb back up in 2020.

3. Nicolas Mahut d. Marco Cecchinato, Roland Garros, First Round (Match Stats)
Nicolas Mahut was so discouraged about his tennis and fitness prior to Roland Garros that he nearly gave back his wild card. The 37-year-old Frenchman was outside the Top 250 of the ATP Rankings for the first time since 2003 and injuries had limited him to six singles appearances in 2019, most of which were ATP Challenger Tour events on home soil. A back injury convinced Mahut that he should withdraw, but his team persuaded him to rest and the injury gradually improved.

He faced a challenging opening test against Marco Cecchinato, who made headlines with his semi-final run last year at this event and prevailed in February at the Argentina Open (d. Schwartzman). Mahut dropped the first two sets and did not have history on his side, with a 1-38 record after losing the first two sets in the main draw of a Grand Slam.

But with the Parisian crowd unwavering in their support, Mahut dug deep to get himself into the match. After three hours and 18 minutes, Mahut put his hands over his head in disbelief after a backhand sent wide from Cecchinato wrapped up a stunning 2-6, 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 upset. The match marked Mahut’s first Top 20 win at Roland Garros. 

“For the moment, I’m just enjoying the pleasure of this victory. It is by far my best victory in Roland Garros, in a French tournament. I haven’t had many,” Mahut said. “Playing on this extraordinary court, I felt that if there was a possibility of playing on this court, it would be incredible and there would be an incredible atmosphere.”

Mahut followed up with a win over Philipp Kohlschreiber, matching his best result at this event, before falling to Leonardo Mayer in four sets. The Frenchman only won two tour-level singles matches after his inspired week in Paris, but enjoyed success in doubles that included titles at the Nitto ATP Finals and Rolex Paris Masters (w/Herbert), in addition to a runner-up finish at Wimbledon (w/Roger-Vasselin).

Read More: Mahut Earns ‘By Far His Best Victory’ In Paris

2. Hyeon Chung d. Fernando Verdasco, US Open, Second Round (Match Stats)
Hyeon Chung endured a frustrating series of injuries after reaching his maiden Grand Slam semi-final at the 2018 Australian Open. He arrived in New York in the early stages of another comeback after missing six months due to a back injury. The South Korean was forced to qualify for the final Grand Slam of the year, but powered into the main draw without dropping a set and scored a five-set win in his opening round against Ernesto Escobedo. 

It appeared the volume of matches would be too much for Chung after he dropped the first two sets in 58 minutes during his second-round clash with Fernando Verdasco. But as Chung mounted a comeback and eventually forced a fifth set, Court 10 became standing room only and the crowd were largely on his side. 

Verdasco broke Chung for a 3-1 lead in the decider and served for the match at 5-3, but the two-time US Open quarter-finalist pushed a forehand volley long to bring the match back on serve. As the crowd roared in approval, the normally mild-mannered Chung threw his arms up in the air and encouraged them to make more noise.

Chung saved a match point on his serve at 5-6 and then stormed through the tie-break to complete an incredible 1-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(3) comeback after three hours and 22 minutes. The South Korean spent a minute under seven hours on court in his first two rounds, proving he was fully recovered from his back injury.

Chung fell to eventual champion Rafael Nadal in the third round, but went on to score high-profile wins over Cillic and Milos Raonic in the latter stages of the season. With only 45 ATP Rankings points to defend until July, he’s primed to make a significant climb next year.

1. Kei Nishikori d. Pablo Carreno Busta, Australian Open, Fourth Round (Match Stats)
Kei Nishikori’s journey into the second week cemented his status as Melbourne’s marathon man. He survived a pair of five-set matches in his first two rounds, rallying from two sets down against Kamil Majchrzak and then defeating Ivo Karlovic in a fifth-set tie-break.

After Pablo Carreno Busta prevailed in the first two sets and broke Nishikori for a 3-2 lead in the third set, it seemed that the hours on court had finally taken their toll on the Japanese. But Nishikori clawed back to take the third set and found the range on his serve, scoring three love holds in the fourth set en route to forcing a decider.

The vocal crowd watched as Nishikori broke for a 2-1 lead in the final set, but he got tight when serving for the match at 5-4 and gifted the break back to the Spaniard. The battle eventually reached what was just the third final-set tie-break in tournament history for men’s singles.

Carreno Busta was rewarded for taking the initiative in their baseline rallies and grabbed a commanding 8/5 lead, but Nishikori charged back and won the last five points of the match. The Japanese star finished with an ace — his 15th of the match — to improve to 21-7 in five-setters.

“I don’t even know how I came back,” Nishikori said. “But [I’m] very happy to win today.”

At five hours and five minutes, Nishikori and Carreno Busta put on the fifth-longest Open Era match in tournament history. Nishikori finished the night with a staggering 81 winners to 57 unforced errors. 

After 18 sets of tennis in a week, his body surrendered and he retired due to injury midway through the second set of his quarter-final with Novak Djokovic. Nishikori’s injury woes resurfaced when a right elbow injury shut down his season after the US Open. He underwent surgery for the injury in October, but expects to be ready to start next season by representing Japan in the inaugural ATP Cup, held in Australia from 3-12 January.