The Comeback Player of the Year award in the 2019 ATP Awards goes to the player who has overcome injury in re-establishing himself as one of the top players on the ATP Tour. This year’s nominees are Andy Murray, Andrey Rublev, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Stan Wawrinka. The winner, as selected by the players, will be announced later this month.

Andy Murray
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 Andy Murray admitted he wasn’t sure whether he could continue on. 

“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, which he called “brilliant, completely life-changing for me”, he was back in tour-level action and teamed up with Feliciano Lopez to clinch the doubles title at The Queen’s Club. 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, he 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.”

Andy Murray: Resurfacing.

Watch now on @primevideosport.

???? pic.twitter.com/RuXFqkipg6

— Andy Murray (@andy_murray) November 29, 2019

Andrey Rublev
The future seemed bright for Andrey Rublev in early 2018. He began the season by reaching the Doha final (l. to Monfils) and reached a career-high ATP Ranking of No. 31 by February. Two months later though, he was at home, spending three hours a day at a clinic doing magnetotherapy for a lower back stress fracture, eating lunch and sitting on the sofa.

When he returned to action, he reached the semi-finals at the Citi Open and later at the Next Gen ATP Finals, but he still felt lost. “I felt like I wasn’t there,” he said. “I was feeling like I was in the past when I was playing well before the injury. To recover this mental part of being here in this moment took me a couple of months.”

By January 2019, Rublev had dropped outside of the Top 100. He began making his way back up the ATP Rankings during the March Masters, when he reached the third round as a qualifier in both Indian Wells and Miami, but his best tennis came in the second half of the year. He upset World No. 4 Dominic Thiem en route to the ATP 500 final at the Hamburg European Open (l. to Basilashvili), and then earned the biggest win of his young career a month later at the Western & Southern Open, knocking out seven-time champion Roger Federer in straight sets to reach the Masters 1000 quarter-final.

Back inside the Top 50, Rublev continued his climb with quarter-final runs in Winston-Salem and St. Petersburg and a fourth-round showing at the US Open, where he opened with another win over a Top 10 player, Stefanos Tsitsipas. On his 22nd birthday, the Russian celebrated with his hometown title at the VTB Kremlin Cup in Moscow. The next day, he rose to a career-high World No. 22. “I’m at a loss. I can’t find the right words for what it means to me to win here,” he said.

What a match against true legend?❤️ Big honor for me??❤️? @CincyTennis ???? #masters #ATP1000 #USOpenSeries pic.twitter.com/71wa6rWMSf

— Andrey Rublev (@AndreyRublev97) August 16, 2019

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Former World No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga had fallen to No. 262 by November 2018, his lowest ATP Ranking in 12 years. He had managed to play in only two tournaments early in the 2018 season after struggling with various injuries and ultimately underwent left knee surgery in April. Upon his return in September, he managed to win just one of his six matches, but on a more promising note, five of those clashes went to a deciding set.

In 2019, Tsonga proved he was still a contender in the opening week of the season. He reached the semi-finals at the Brisbane International (l. to Medvedev), including wins over Australians Thanasi Kokkinakis and Alex de Minaur. In February, he returned to the winners’ circle for the first time in 15 months as he defeated Pierre-Hugues Herbert in an all-French final at the Open Sud de France. “It was an amazing moment for me to win here in Montpellier… I have made many efforts to come back [here], so for me it is a good reward and I hope I will be able to continue playing at this level,” he said.

Tsonga also benefitted from his return to the ATP Challenger Tour for the first time since 2007. “Playing in Challenger tournaments helped me find the reasons why I was playing tennis again,” said the Frenchman, whose quarter-final run in May at Bordeaux helped lift him back into the Top 100. “The conditions are always more difficult. There’s always a battle.”

In September, the 34-year-old won 13 straight matches, including titles at the Cassis Challenger and at the Moselle Open in Metz, before his streak came to an end in the semi-finals of the Orleans Challenger. He continued to shine on home soil, reaching the quarter-finals at the Rolex Paris Masters (l. to Nadal), securing his return to the Top 30 and another 30+ win season.

Since my injury last year, I’ve worked a lot to come back at my best level … ??
Very happy and proud of this nomination ! ?
Thank you all for your great support everyday, it means a lot to me ! ??
Let’s do it even better in #2020 ! ???#ATPTour #ATPAwards #TsongaTeam pic.twitter.com/2TvgTDNpPQ

— Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (@tsonga7) November 28, 2019

Stan Wawrinka
After undergoing two surgeries in August 2017 to treat a knee cartilage injury, Stan Wawrinka managed to climb from No. 263 to No. 66 in the ATP Rankings last season. But the former World No. 3 knew there was more to come, saying repeatedly that he believed he would eventually find his best tennis.

His patience and optimism were rewarded in 2019. The 34-year-old Swiss reached two ATP Tour finals, two Grand Slam quarter-finals and finished the season back inside the Top 20, at No. 16 in the ATP Rankings.

Wawrinka ended a 20-month final drought in February at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam (l. to Monfils), where he reached his first championship match since Roland Garros in 2017. “This is a big relief for me,” said Wawrinka. “It’s my first final since the surgery, so to show I can still play at this level against the top players is very important for me.” In October, he again played for an ATP Tour title, only to come up short against fellow Comeback Player of the Year nominee Murray in Antwerp.

He compiled a 4-6 record against Top 10 players in 2018, including a victory over then-No. 1 Novak Djokovic en route to the US Open quarter-finals. At Roland Garros, he defeated No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach the last eight. Wawrinka also celebrated a big milestone at the clay-court major, becoming just the ninth active player to record 500 match wins. “I’m not done yet,” he told ATPTour.com. “Let’s keep working hard and start the road to 600!”

Im so happy to be nominated for the comeback of the year award this year at the the @atpworldtour Awards!! #ATP #ATPAwards #2019 #ComebackPlayerOfTheYear #TrustTheProcess https://t.co/cdMPzfMu2h

— Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka) November 27, 2019

Little more than one year ago, Yoshihito Nishioka won his first ATP Tour title in Shenzhen. And afterwards, during his speech to the crowd, the Japanese player said, “Please remember my name. It’s not Nishikori, I’m Nishioka.”

Nishioka was speaking about Japanese superstar Kei Nishikori, who has not only been a hero for his country, but someone Nishioka looked up to. Now, the two Japanese will play together at the inaugural ATP Cup in January. Nishioka speaks to ATPTour.com about his memories of practising with Nishikori when he was a teenager, why he’s excited about the new team event and more.

What’s going to be the most fun part of being on a team and representing your country at the ATP Cup?
We know each other very well and I think Team Japan is growing up as a very strong team with Kei, me, Ben McLachlan, and more. There are many top players right now. Now I think we have the strongest team in Japan. We have great friendships together, also. I think we are good teammates and that can [play] a big part.

What’s most exciting about the ATP Cup itself?
This is the first one so I don’t know what’s going to go on, but this is a new thing, so I think for sure it’s going to be different… if I lose it’s losing for Japan, so there will be pressure. But if I win against the pressure, I think I can be bigger in my tennis life as well. I’m very excited for that.

Who did you admire growing up and why did you admire them?
When I was a kid, I was looking for Rafael Nadal, because I’m a lefty. He’s a lefty, and he was my hero. And then now, I love to watch Marcelo Rios from Chile. But now also, for sure Kei Nishikori. We practised together when I went to IMG Academy. He taught me many things, he showed me many things and I watch him practising many things.

What are your early memories of playing tennis in Japan?
I just played tennis all my life. I went a little bit sometimes fishing, but my dad is a tennis coach and my mom is also a tennis coach. I have only tennis memories. 

What’s special about representing your country?
I love to play for my country. Not many times I have played for my country because tennis is one-on-one, so this is a very special moment for me, for us. That’s very exciting. 

If you could take a shot from any player from Japan, what would it be and why?
I think Kei’s backhand down the line, that’s the best shot. I think Uchiyama’s serve, that’s huge.

Of the players from Japan, who did you play with the most as a kid?
I’d say Kei. I was 15 or 16 years old when I first hit with him and he was already a top player and I had just started in the juniors. I was so nervous, but he’s such a nice guy, so it wouldn’t have happened. But I was thinking if I missed a ball, maybe he’d get upset at me or something, so I was so nervous. He never did it, but I was thinking that because I was a junior. Those are good memories.

What are three things you love about Japan?
I love Japanese food like sushi, everybody loves it. I have so many hobbies so I can’t choose only three, but I love to go to nature in Japan, the ocean, some mountains, whatever. It’s very green and I like to see the traditional Japanese places like Kyoto.

Tokyo is very downtown, like New York. Kyoto is very [much a part of] Japanese culture and an older place. Tokyo now is a main city, but Kyoto you can see the traditional Japanese things. I love it.

What reminds you the most of home?
Sushi, ninjas and samurai.

Who is the funniest player from your country and why?
Taro Daniel is very funny. But not many players talk so much, so I think Taro or me are always talking.

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPTour.com looks at the five biggest ATP Tour match upsets in 2019. (The biggest Grand Slam upsets will be featured Thursday.)

5) Jannik Sinner d. Gael Monfils, European Open, Antwerp Second Round, 17 October 2019 (Match Stats)
Those in Italian circles will tell you that it’s no surprise Jannik Sinner’s has surged up the ATP Rankings over the past 12 months, from No. 778 to a 2019 year-end No. 78. They’ll describe how Riccardo Piatti first unearthed a gem and that it was only a matter of time before the 18-year-old made an impact. But you have to back it up on the court.

Sinner heralded his arrival on the ATP Tour in mid-October with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Nitto ATP Finals contender Gael Monfils for a place in the European Open quarter-finals. Having previously beaten No. 59 Steve Johnson in May at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, Sinner saved the only break point he faced to overcome World No. 13 Monfils in 61 minutes. Sinner misfired on a return on his first match point, but if he had any nerves, he did not show them, forcing an error off Monfils’ backhand slice to finish off the sixth tour-level win of his career.

Three weeks later, Sinner ran through the Next Gen ATP Finals field for the 21-and-under title (d. de Minaur) and the following week, in his final tournament of the year, he didn’t drop a set to capture his third ATP Challenger Tour title at the Sparkasse Challenger in Ortisei (d. Ofner). A 700-place rise in 13 months means that the Italian will be one to watch in 2020.

Read Sinner-Monfils Match Report

4) Laslo Djere d. Dominic Thiem, Rio Open presented by Claro, Rio de Janeiro First Round, 20 February 2019 (Match Stats)
Laslo Djere had yet to win a clay-court match in 2019 or beat a Top 10 star in his career, yet the Serbian saw the ball big to beat one of the standout red-dirt performers in recent years, Dominic Thiem, the then-World No. 8 and 2017 champion, 6-3, 6-3 at the Rio Open presented by Claro. Djere, who lost his serve in the opening game, broke Thiem five times and benefitted from five double faults from the Austrian.

“It was a great day,” said World No. 90 Djere. “The biggest win in my career so I’m really happy right now… I hit the ball really well. He played a bit worse than normally I think, to be honest. But I had a great day. I felt the ball really well, hitting well from the baseline and then attacking well when it was time for that. This is my favourite surface. So I know that I can play great tennis on clay.”

Four days later, the 23-year-old dedicated his first ATP Tour title to his late parents, Caba and Hajnalka, after beating Felix Auger-Aliassime in the title match.

Read Match Report | Read Feature: Djere – My Point

3) Jeremy Chardy d. Daniil Medvedev, Rolex Paris Masters, Paris Second Round, 29 October 2019 (Match Stats)
In the final throes of the regular 2019 ATP Tour season, one of the sport’s brightest new stars, Daniil Medvedev, who had reached six consecutive finals dating back to the Citi Open in early August, found Jeremy Chardy too hard to crack. Chardy, on home soil, fought off nerves and saved 14 of 15 break points to record one of the biggest upsets of his career, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the Rolex Paris Masters second round. Fourth seed Medvedev, who had won his past 11 ATP Masters 1000 matches, including title runs at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati and the Rolex Shanghai Masters, had been riding a nine-match winning streak dating back to the US Open final (l. to Nadal).

“It’s a beautiful victory,” said Chardy, who broke during a 13-point seventh game in the third set. “When you play a match like this on the central court in France and you win it, it’s a wonderful feeling. All the efforts that are deployed every day are aimed at achieving a goal like this one. When you play players like that, that are of such a high level, you need to have a perfect game level. And all my break points, I played them well, so it’s frustrating when you’re the opponent. This has happened to me the other way round, and it was great to be on the right side of the court this time.”

Chardy had previously lost 10 matches against Top 10 opponents since beating then No. 4-ranked Thiem in March 2018 at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

Read Match Report & Watch Highlights

2) Philipp Kohlschreiber d. Novak Djokovic, BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells Third Round, 12 March 2019 (Match Stats)
Aged 35, Philipp Kohlschreiber had long proven to be a master on home soil, winning seven of his eight ATP Tour titles in Germany. But when it came to beating World No. 1s, he had an 0-11 record. So when he squared off against five-time champion Novak Djokovic, who held an 8-1 FedEx ATP Head2Head record, at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, chances of a Kohlschreiber victory were slim. He hadn’t won a set in their past four meetings.

In a match suspended by rain from the previous day, World No. 39 Kohlschreiber got the better of a sluggish Djokovic, who sparked into life for the first time at 2-5 in the second set. But Kohlschreiber held his nerve for a 6-4, 6-4 victory over one hour and 38 minutes for the 25th Top 10 match win of his career.

“It’s a very special win today,” Kohlschreiber said. “I had a great strategy to play against him. I had two good wins [entering the match]. So everything came together. [It’s] very special to beat the No. 1. Unfortunately, the tournament is not over. I have to get back tomorrow with a great mindset. Today I want to take the moment, celebrate with my coach. I’ve got a lot of messages. I know it’s a very special victory today.”

Read Match Report 

1) Andrey Rublev d. Roger Federer, Western & Southern Open, Cincinnati Third Round, 15 August 2019 (Match Stats)
Roger Federer isn’t accustomed to losing early at the Linden Family Tennis Center, the scene of seven crowns at the Western & Southern Open, let alone in the time it took Andrey Rublev to dismantle his game. In mid-August, having won 15 of his past 16 matches at the Masters 1000 event, Federer came unstuck against the Russian qualifier in just 62 minutes — Federer’s fastest defeat in more than 16 years.

Rublev, then No. 70 in the ATP Rankings, had initially forgotten to sign up for the tournament, but got an alternate spot and found his way into the qualifying competition. By the time he met Federer for the first time, Rublev had played four matches in Cincinnati and took his power game to the Swiss superstar on Stadium Court with a barrage of forehands to earn three breaks of serve.

Federer tried bringing Rublev forward but the Russian delivered volleys with newfound touch. “It’s my biggest and the most emotional win,” said Rublev, after beating Federer 6-3, 6-4 in the third round.

It was Federer’s earliest loss in Cincinnati since 2008 (l. to Karlovic in 3R) and his quickest defeat since a 54-minute loss to Italian Franco Squillari in the 2003 Sydney first round.

“He was super clean,” said Federer, contesting his second match since the Wimbledon final on 14 July, of Rublev. “Defence, offence, serving well. Didn’t give me anything. He was everywhere. So it was tough for me, but excellent match by him. I was impressed.”

Read Match Report & Watch Highlights

When everyone goes right, Novak Djokovic goes left.

An Infosys ATP Insights deep dive into second-serve direction in the 2019 season uncovers that the Serb goes completely against the grain in both the Deuce court and Ad court with his primary second-serve direction.

Djokovic was the only player who served more to the left third of the service box – at his opponents’ forehands – in both the Deuce court and Ad court (rather than the middle third at the body, or the right third, to the right-hander’s backhand wing).

The data set is comprised of the leading 10 players with the highest second-serve win percentage in 2019 and uses their serve direction data from ATP Masters 1000 events and the Nitto ATP Finals this season.

Top 10 Performers Second-Serve Win Percentage

To understand serve direction, the service box is cut up into three equal areas:

• Left 1/3 (Wide in Deuce court / T in the Ad court)

• Middle 1/3

• Right 1/3 (T in the Deuce court / Wide in the Ad court)

Deuce Court Second-Serve Direction
Overall, the 10 best in this category overwhelmingly gravitated towards serving down the T, going there with almost half (48.2%) of all second serves in the Deuce court. In fact, eight of the 10 players had this area as their primary location.

10 Players: Deuce Court Direction & Win Percentage

Djokovic was the only player who served wide to the forehand in the Deuce court more than any of the other two directions.

Djokovic Second-Serve Direction Deuce Court
Deuce Wide = 45.1% (won 58.7%)
Deuce Body = 20.1% (won 61.0%)
Deuce T = 34.8% (won 61.3%)

The Serb hit 45 per cent (184/408) of his second serves wide in the Deuce court, which was considerably more than the second-placed player to this location: Daniil Medvedev, 35.7 per cent. Djokovic’s win percentage was within three percentage points at all three locations, which affords him more versatility and less predictability, especially in pressure situations.

Ad Court Second-Serve Direction
Djokovic served even more to the left side of the service box in the Ad court, which is straight to the right-hander’s forehand return.

On the surface, this would seem like a bad idea, but most players are “sitting” on a backhand return against a second serve and get caught off guard when it goes the other way, which often results in late preparation and a missed return.

10 Players: Ad Court Direction & Win Percentage

In the Deuce court, Djokovic serves 45.1 per cent to the left side of the service box, and that elevated to 47.6 per cent in the Ad court.

Once again, Djokovic was the only player in the group to aim primarily to the left side of the service box. His win percentage (65%) down the T to the right-hander’s forehand return was superior to the kicker out wide to the backhand return (62.3%).

Djokovic Second-Serve Direction Ad Court
Ad Wide = 20.7% (won 62.3%)
Ad Body = 31.7% (won 65.3%)
Ad T = 47.6% (won 65%)

Second-serve location is mainly dictated by what type of serve you can hit well (topspin/slice), and the weaknesses in the return game of the opponent. Other times, it’s simply about surprising your opponents.

Editor’s note: Craig O’Shannessy is a member of Novak Djokovic’s coaching team.

Novak Djokovic and some of the world’s best #NextGenATP players will launch the inaugural Adelaide International next month.

Djokovic will be joined by Aussie Alex de Minaur and Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime at the ATP 250, to be held 13-19 January, the week before the Australian Open.

Djokovic is a seven-time champion in Melbourne, a record, and usually does not play the week before a Grand Slam. The Serbian last played the week before a Slam in 2017, when he won the Nature Valley International title in Eastbourne.

The full field for the inaugural Adelaide International from 12 to 18 January 2020 has been revealed today, featuring seven Grand Slam singles champions and five former world number ones #AdelaideTennis https://t.co/xiJ434n9vW

— Adelaide International (@AdelaideTennis) December 4, 2019

He has played the week before the Australian Open only once, in 2009, in Sydney. Djokovic played in Adelaide in 2007 when the tournament was held two weeks before the season’s first major championship.

But the 32-year-old could be going with a new strategy as he’s also signed on to play at the inaugural ATP Cup, which will take place 3-12 January in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney.

De Minaur won the 2019 Sydney International for his first ATP Tour title. The victory propelled the Aussie to his best season yet, which included two more crowns (Atlanta, Zhuhai), another run to the title match of the Next Gen ATP Finals (l. to Sinner) and his best year-end ATP Ranking of No. 18.

Bringing the battle to Adelaide in 2020.@alexdeminaur x #AdelaideTennis ? ? https://t.co/nUi8KUDjxb pic.twitter.com/9YGaVJ063b

— Adelaide International (@AdelaideTennis) October 22, 2019

Auger-Aliassime enjoyed a breakout season in 2019, reaching three finals (Rio, Lyon, Stuttgart) and becoming the youngest Miami semi-finalist in the tournament’s 35-year history.

De Minaur and Auger-Aliassime are also scheduled to compete at the ATP Cup. The Adelaide field also includes Top 30 players Lucas Pouille of France, Russian Andrey Rublev and Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain.

Tennis is a game of primary and secondary patterns that are heavily dictated by point score.

When players want to get ahead, or when they feel they really need a point, they tend to gravitate to high percentage primary patterns of play that they know will deliver a winning percentage.

When they are already ahead in the score, are looking to confuse the opponent or are in a position where they can afford to lose the point, they generally throw in a lower percentage secondary pattern of play.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of Rafael Nadal’s first-serve patterns in 2019 highlights exactly how the Spaniard successfully mixed strategies between primary and secondary patterns to keep opponents off balance. The serve location data set comes from ATP Masters 1000 events in 2019 and the recent Nitto ATP Finals.

First-Serve Location: Love All
This is a perfect time to run a primary pattern, which for Nadal, means a slice first serve down the T. That’s exactly what he gravitated to more than six times out of 10 this season. The thinking here is to start the game on the right foot with what he knows best and surge to 15/0 as many times as possible.

Nadal First-Serve Direction Love All
Wide = 25.4% (45)
Body = 13.0% (23)
T = 61.6% (109)

Nadal won 90 per cent of his service games in 2019, and if he went ahead 15/0, that metric elevated to 94 per cent (473/502). But when Nadal next returns to the Deuce Court after completing two points, his mindset is very much dictated by the point score.

First-Serve Location: 15/15
At 15/15, it’s essentially the same point score and mentality as Love All, and therefore Nadal largely sticks with the same game plan. It’s back to the primary pattern of slicing the first serve down the T and looking to follow it up with his lethal Serve +1 forehand, although Nadal mixes up his serve location at 15/15 more so than at Love All.

Nadal First-Serve Direction 15/15
Wide = 36.1% (26)
Body = 12.5% (9)
T = 51.4% (37)

First-Serve Location 30/0
If Nadal won the opening two points of his service game in 2019, he was almost unstoppable, winning 98 per cent (346/354). He is basically a lock from this point score, so he has the breathing room to be creative with his serve direction. Nadal’s No. 1 target now shifts out wide in the Deuce Court.

Nadal First-Serve Direction 30/0
Wide = 51.6% (33)
Body = 6.2% (4)
T = 42.2% (27)

First-Serve Location 0/30
At 0/30, the alarm bells are ringing a little, but Nadal still is favoured to win the game. In 2019, he won 61 per cent (46/76) of his service games from 0/30.

Nadal First-Serve Direction 0/30
Wide = 48.8% (20)
Body = 14.6% (6)
T = 36.6% (15)

What’s interesting is that the serve location mix was more even than the other point scores, but there were more first serves out wide than down the T (20-15).

These numbers are clear examples of the guessing game of serve location going on between Nadal and the returner. The returner will be guessing T, which is Nadal’s favourite location (same for almost all lefties in the Deuce Court), because Nadal is down 0/30 in the point score and “needs the point”.

But Nadal also sees this as an opportunity to surprise, so he primarily targets the location the returner is least expecting. This cat and mouse game of first-serve location linked to the point score is played out at all levels of our sport around the world.

When people talk about the “mental game” of tennis, you need to look no further than the World No. 1 beginning his service games.

Denis Shapovalov will join Felix Auger-Aliassime, Steven Diez, Peter Polansky and Adil Shamasdin on Team Canada at the inaugural ATP Cup, held in Australia from 3-12 January. Canada will be competing in Group F in Brisbane, facing Germany, Greece and Australia.

The 20-year-old sits at a career-high No. 15 in the ATP Rankings after a season in which he won his maiden ATP Tour title in Stockholm (d. Krajinovic), reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final in Paris (l. to Djokovic) and made the semi-finals at the Masters 1000 event in Miami.

Shapovalov spoke to ATPTour.com about his fellow Canadians on Tour and why he enjoys being part of a team.

How much fun is it for you playing as part of a team?
It’s so much fun. 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.

We don’t get to play on a team too much and it’s usually pretty independent, so any time you get to have that bond and represent your country is awesome.

How important is it for an individual sport like tennis to hold team events like the ATP Cup?
I think it’s great to have an event like this, especially at the start of the year… you get to bond with the other guys, as well as the teams from other countries. It’s exciting to have another competition where you get to represent your country. 

You’re guaranteed matches [with the format] and don’t have to worry about getting them in before a Grand Slam. The year is just starting, so you can find your balance and work on a couple of things. It’s absolutely perfect.

Who is the funniest player from your country and why?
I think everyone would say Daniel Nestor. He’s a great guy and really fun in the locker room. He’s always chirping everyone on the court. You either love it or you don’t, but I’m a guy who always loved to have him around. 

Do you have any great memories of you and your teammates when you were young?
The biggest memory was winning Junior Davis Cup with Felix and Benjamin Sigouin [in 2015]. We were going through it in the locker room, saying how great it was and how we put our hearts on the line the whole week. We were hoping that one day we could do it one day at the pro level… It’s been an unbelievable ride.

If you could build the perfect player using different strokes from other Canadians, who would you pick?
I’d take Milos Raonic’s serve, Nestor’s volleys, Vasek Pospisil’s returns and Felix’s backhand or his physique since he’s so strong and fast. 

Which countrymen did you watch growing up and what did you admire about them?
I watched Vasek a lot. I really liked the way he was on court and how it seemed like he was always enjoying himself. He was always really committed to Canada. He’s a guy that I look up to and aspire to be one day.

Last month Rajeev Ram won both on and off the court. After competing in the Nitto ATP Finals for the third time, the American held the third annual EntouRaj Kids’ Clinic on 23 November, doing his part to support high school players in his home state of Indiana.

“This is our third edition of the EntouRaj kids clinic and it went off amazingly well,” Ram said. “It’s so inspiring to see these kids bring their incredible enthusiasm and energy to the court. It shows how powerful tennis and sport in general can be.”

About 50 high school players went through various drills with local coaches — as well as Ram — at the West Indy Racquet Club.

Ram launched EntouRaj for Kids in 2010, with the goal of supporting youth tennis development. The nonprofit periodically puts on special events with current and former tennis stars — as well as athletes from other sports — to raise funds, which are distributed through various grants to support those in need in their growing tennis journeys.

The EntouRaj for Kids High Performance Grant is a $1,000 award given to a junior player in the Midwest division of the United States Tennis Association who is between the ages of 14 and 18, and the EntouRaj for Kids High-School Tennis Team Grant is available to Indiana high-school tennis teams showing a need for financial support. This includes costs associated with playing on the team, such as uniforms, equipment and travel expenses.

And less than two weeks after competing against the best players in the world alongside partner Joe Salisbury, Ram gave Indiana kids an opportunity to get up close and personal with a tennis star, who finished as the highest-ranked American in doubles. Ram finished inside the year-end Top 25 for the fourth straight year.

“I hope they got as much from me as I got from them,” Ram said.

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPTour.com looks at the six best Grand Slam matches in 2019.

6. Milos Raonic d. Stan Wawrinka, Australian Open, R2 – 17 January 2019 (Match Stats)
Former World No. 3 Milos Raonic faced one of the toughest draws at this year’s Australian Open. The Canadian defeated the dangerous Nick Kyrgios in the first round, and then had to play three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka in the second round.

Each man broke twice in the match, but with all four sets going to a tie-break, it came down to just a couple of points here and there to decide who would win and in how many sets. The roof was closed on Rod Laver Arena as rain suspended play for about 30 minutes towards the end of the third set. And the big-serving Canadian, who struck 39 aces to Wawrinka’s 29, captured the final two tie-breaks.

Both men brought a level reminiscent of their time in the Top 5, making this second-round match one that would have easily fit into the second week. And even with their big serving numbers, both acquitted themselves well in entertaining rallies throughout.

After four hours and one minute, Raonic defeated Wawrinka 7-6(4), 6-7(6), 7-6(11), 7-6(5) en route to the quarter-finals.

“I’m glad I passed sort of the test in that aspect. Obviously both matches considered, it’s a very difficult way to start the tournament,” Raonic said. “I’m happy with the level I put forth.”

Read More: Raonic Roars Past Wawrinka

Raonic would only play 13 tournaments and Laver Cup in 2019. But a victory like this showed that he is still plenty capable of performing at a high level on the world’s biggest stages.

Despite the loss, Wawrinka would only get better from this match on in 2019. The Swiss later won an even more tense battle at Roland Garros against Stefanos Tsitsipas, and he’d return to the Top 20 after dropping as low as World No. 263 in June 2018.

5. Roger Federer def. Rafael Nadal, Wimbledon, Semi-finals- 12 July 2019 (Match Stats)
Eleven years ago, Nadal and Federer played what many consider to be the greatest match ever in the 2008 Wimbledon final, won under near darkness by the Spaniard in five epic sets. The match was so special that a book, Strokes Of Genius, was written about just that clash. The legends did not meet again at SW19 until this season, when they battled for a spot in the final, with Nadal trying to complete the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double for the third time.

But Federer spoiled the party, playing some of his very best tennis to triumph 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.

“It’s always very, very cool to play against Rafa here, especially haven’t played in so long,” Federer said. “It lived up to the hype, especially from coming out of the gates, we were both playing very well. Then the climax at the end with the crazy last game, some tough rallies there. I mean, I don’t know. It had everything at the end, which was great, I guess. I’m just relieved it’s all over at this point.

“But it’s definitely, definitely going to go down as one of my favourite matches to look back at, again, because it’s Rafa, it’s at Wimbledon, the crowds were into it, great weather. I felt like I played good also throughout the four sets. I can be very happy.”

Read More: Roger Beats Rafa, Sets Sights On Ninth Title At SW19

Federer moved forward on the grass whenever possible, winning 25 net points to just six for Nadal. And although he let slip his focus in the second set, at one point dropping 10 points in a row with a slew of errors, the righty recovered well. He returned aggressively and began to perform better in the longer rallies, winning after three hours and two minutes.

“The early break in the third set, I had a couple of mistakes in that moment. That was a tough moment I needed to resist. The beginning of the third set probably was one of the keys of the match,” said Nadal. “I started to play much better at the end of the match, but it was too late.”

The win gave Federer an opportunity to play for a ninth Wimbledon title against Novak Djokovic.

4. Roberto Bautista Agut def. Andy Murray, Australian Open, R1 – 14 January 2019 (Match Stats)
Before the Australian Open began, former World No. 1 Andy Murray held an emotional press conference announcing that he would either push through pain in his hip to finish his career at Wimbledon, or undergo a second hip surgery that would put his playing future in jeopardy.

At the time, nobody truly knew what the future would hold for the Scot, so players, commentators and fans alike were in awe when he battled for four hours and nine minutes against the always-solid Roberto Bautista Agut. But the Spaniard had too much in the tank, reaching the second round with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(4), 6-2 win.

“If today was my last match, look, it was a brilliant way to finish, as well. That’s something that I’ll probably take into consideration,” Murray said. “It was an amazing atmosphere. I literally gave everything that I had on the court, fought as best as I could, and performed a lot better than what I should have done without the amount I’ve been able to practise and train.”

Read More: RBA Overcomes Andy In Five-Set Thriller Down Under

For much of the match, Bautista Agut’s patience and point construction was too much to handle for Murray, but he maintained contact in the third and fourth sets, getting the crowd involved in a big way to urge him into a decider. Judy Murray and Jamie Murray were among the thousands urging Murray on from the stands, with fans flying Scottish flags in the stadium.

But while he fought until the end, Bautista Agut’s forehand aggression proved too much in the fifth set, as he won the match and eventually reached the quarter-finals.

This classic also set Bautista Agut on course for what would be the best season of his career. At 31, he broke into the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings for the first time, and served as an alternate at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Murray did end up undergoing hip surgery, making his comeback — on the doubles court — at the Fever-Tree Championships. He did not stop there, though, returning to singles action in Cincinnati and eventually rounding into enough form to win his first ATP Tour singles title since 2017 Dubai in October in Antwerp.

3. Rafael Nadal def. Daniil Medvedev, US Open, Final – 8 September 2019 (Match Stats)
Nadal entered this match as the favourite. Not only was he trying to clinch his fourth title in Flushing Meadows, but the Spaniard also was trying to earn an additional 800 ATP Ranking points to give him breathing room in the battle for year-end No. 1 with Novak Djokovic.

His opponent, Medvedev, was a first-time major finalist who was trying to become the youngest Grand Slam champion since Juan Martin del Potro at the 2009 US Open. The Russian was riding the hottest streak of his career up until that point, fresh off finals in Washington and Montreal as well as his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati.

In a tale of two matches that turned into a classic under the New York lights, Nadal outlasted Daniil Medvedev, battling past the Russian 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 for the US Open title after four hours and 49 minutes.

Nadal was on track when he led by two sets and a break. The Spaniard seemingly had all the answers for the 23-year-old, taking pace off his groundstrokes and not only changing the height of his ball, but using various spins to break Medvedev’s rhythm when he needed to. He’d then blast away with his penetrating forehand once he gained momentum.

Read More: Nadal Claims Trophy With Epic Five-Set Win Against Medvedev

But like he did in Cincinnati against Djokovic, Medvedev changed his tactics and rapidly upped his aggression, going for his shots to send the match to a fourth and then a fifth set. Nadal’s trademark grit showed as he led by two breaks in the decider. But again, Medvedev recovered and earned a point to get back on serve.

Nadal was relentless though, clinching his 19th major to move within one Slam of Federer’s record 20, meaning the Spaniard will have a chance to tie the Swiss for the first time at next year’s Australian Open. Nadal also took a 1,960-point lead in the ATP Race To London. And although Djokovic clawed closer to earn himself a chance at his sixth year-end No. 1 when the Nitto ATP Finals came around, it was Nadal who joined Djokovic, Federer and Jimmy Connors with five year-end No. 1 finishes apiece.

“The last three hours of the match have been very, very intense. Very tough mentally and physically, too,” Nadal said. “The crowd [was] as always amazing, all these facts that make the moment super special. [It was an] unforgettable moment. At the same time Daniil created this moment, too. The way that he fought, the way that he played, is a champion’s way. Just well done for him. I really believe that he will have many more chances.”

Medvedev showed that despite the loss, he is not far away from major glory.

“I definitely will remember tonight,” Medvedev added. “I’m sure even talking about Rafa’s 19 Grand Slams, I’m sure he remembers his first final, even though he won it and I lost it. It was an amazing match. It’s an amazing story.”

2. Stan Wawrinka def. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Roland Garros, R4 – 2 June 2019 (Match Stats)
Stan Wawrinka walked onto the court for his fourth round match at Roland Garros seeking his first trip to a major quarter-final since undergoing two left knee surgeries in August 2017. The Swiss star, a three-time Grand Slam champion, had been to the last eight at a major 15 times before, but a win over the rising Stefanos Tsitsipas, who had reached the Australian Open semi-finals after winning the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals, would be the high point of his comeback.

In a way, both Wawrinka and Tsitsipas came out winners on the terre battue. But it was Wawrinka who advanced to the quarter-finals with a thrilling 7-6(6), 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 8-6 victory after five hours and nine minutes, making their battle the longest in the clay-court Grand Slam’s history.

“Playing in front of such a crowd, such a big atmosphere, five-set match in Grand Slam, that’s the reason why I came back from the surgery in the first time, is because I love and enjoy to play in front of people, to play in the biggest tournaments you can play,” Wawrinka said. “Today was something really special.”

Read More: After Five Hours, Stan Escapes Stefanos

This classic was a bruising, physical encounter full of jaw-dropping baseline rallies that saw each man hammer away at their strokes ball after ball, with the down-the-line backhand proving a key shot for each. Wawrinka, a three-time major champion, was No. 28 in the ATP Rankings, still pushing for a return to top form at a major.

Wawrinka saved 22 of the 27 break points he faced, including eight in the final set. And Tsitsipas made a crucial mistake on match point, letting a slice backhand pass go, allowing it to land on the line.

“I feel exhausted. I don’t know. Never experienced something like this in my life. I feel very disappointed at the end,” Tsitsipas said. “[It’s been a] long time since I cried after a match, so emotionally wasn’t easy to handle. I will try to learn from it as much as I can.”

Tsitsipas’ momentum slowed after this match, reaching just one semi-final until the China Open in October. But from there, the Greek, reinvigorated, found his best level again and won the biggest title of his career at the Nitto ATP Finals.

1. Novak Djokovic def. Roger Federer, Wimbledon, Final – 14 July 2019 (Match Stats)
Wimbledon is momentous in and of itself. But this year’s final had even more importance with the Big Three battling for the most Grand Slam titles.

Federer was a point from taking a three-major lead over Nadal, who had 18 at the time. It would have been a massive victory for the Swiss, who was pursuing his first Slam crown since the 2018 Australian Open. Djokovic, then the World No. 1, was playing for his fifth trophy at SW19, and his 16th major overall.

In a match of extraordinary shotmaking and drama, Federer served for his ninth Wimbledon title at 8-7 in the fifth set against Djokovic on the hallowed lawns. Throughout the match, Federer used controlled aggression to his advantage, winning 78 per cent of his trips to the net (51/65) and striking 94 winners to only 62 unforced errors.

But the Serbian rallied to triumph in a historic 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3) victory after four hours and 57 minutes, the longest championship clash in tournament history (since 1877).

“It was probably the most demanding, mentally most demanding, match I was ever part of. I had the most physically demanding match against Nadal in the finals of Australia that went almost six hours. But mentally this was different level,” Djokovic said. “I’m just obviously thrilled and overjoyed with emotions to be sitting here in front of you as a winner. I was one shot away from losing the match, as well. This match had everything. It could have gone easily his way. He was serving extremely well, I thought, the entire match.”

Djokovic scratched and clawed to stick with the Swiss, winning the match’s first two tie-breaks to hang around, despite Federer claiming 14 more points than him (218-204) in the match.

Read More: Novak Saves Two MPs, Beats Roger In Historic Final

Djokovic appeared to have seized control, taking a 4-2 lead in the decider, but Federer found his best to get back on even terms and later serve for the title at 8-7 40/15. Federer first missed a forehand wide and then Djokovic crushed a forehand pass to stave off those chances, and the Serbian went on to win the first final-set tie-break in singles play at Wimbledon. This was the first year that there was a tie-break at 12-12 in the fifth set.

Two months later, Nadal triumphed at the US Open, putting him within one of Federer’s record 20.

“I will look back at it and think, ‘Well, it’s not that bad after all.’ For now it hurts, and it should, like every loss does here at Wimbledon,” Federer said. “I think it’s a mindset. I’m very strong at being able to move on because I don’t want to be depressed about [what was] actually an amazing tennis match.

“It’s such an incredible opportunity missed.”