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.”

Roger Federer has made a career of serving up more than his opponents can handle. Add the Swissmint to the list.

Explosive demand for a commemorative Federer coin released yesterday threw the Mint’s website into turmoil, leaving many fans unable to buy.

“We had 2.5 million clicks. It was too much for the shop to handle,” said Swissmint CEO Marius Haldimann.

“We expected and planned for high demand, but we never imagined it would be this big. When Roger posted a link on his social media channels the website immediately had problems due to all the traffic. Some fans could access the shop but could not finish the order. Others could not get onto the website.”

Of the 55,000 20-franc silver coins offered in the pre-sale window, 35,000 have been snapped up. The remaining 20,000 coins from the initial run are expected to sell quickly when the website returns to full functionality. An additional 40,000 will be minted in May, when a 50-franc gold coin will also be released.

“We have had a lot of fans emailing us asking if they can buy the coin, but we can’t take credit card details via email,” said Mr. Haldimann. “We are just asking fans to be patient and keep trying the website. We are working hard to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.”

This is the first time in its history that Swissmint has created a commemorative coin to honour a living person.

Daniel Evans will join former World No. 1 Andy Murray, Cameron Norrie, Joe Salisbury and Jamie Murray as part of Team Great Britain at the inaugural ATP Cup, to be held in Australia from 3-12 January. Great Britain will compete in Group C in Sydney, facing Belgium, Bulgaria and Moldova.

Evans, who started 2019 at No. 192 in the ATP Rankings and finished the season one spot off his career-high of No. 41, speaks to ATPTour.com about competing at the ATP Cup.

Why are you excited about competing in the ATP Cup?
It’s always an honour to represent your country and I’m pleased I will be taking part in the ATP Cup in its first year. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved over the past 12 months and really hope to begin 2020 in good form and build on my performances for future tournaments. I’m sure that the ATP Cup will be well supported and have an excellent atmosphere. I know I’ll have to be ready immediately to play my best tennis.

Which countrymen did you watch growing up and what did you admire about them?
I watched Tim Henman [who will captain Team Great Britain at the ATP Cup] at lot in his matches at Queen’s Club or Wimbledon, sometimes against Lleyton Hewitt, who I also followed. Tim did so much for British tennis, certainly providing me — and I’m sure many others — with the inspiration to pick up a racquet, have fun and enjoy this healthy sport. He’s travelled a bit more to tournaments this year, so it’s great to have him involved.

How will you feel playing for Team Great Britain at the ATP Cup?
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. There will always be nerves playing in big matches, but over the past year I’ve played in a lot of ATP tournaments and it’s given me confidence. You have to be confident when you go out on the court, otherwise you give your opponent and edge. These big events give me motivation to work hard, it’s where I want to play. It’s another reason to kick on.

I try and keep my emotions in check regardless of the match, but in team competitions there is responsibility and I don’t like letting down any team I’m a part of. I’m working as hard as I can to be better. It’s great when the crowd get involved, in a good way, as it builds atmosphere and I hope a large British contingent will come to support.

What were your early memories of playing tennis in Great Britain as a kid?
No one in my family played tennis, but my father played squash and I went along with him to the Alton and West Warwick Sports Club in Solihull. That’s where I picked up a tennis racquet and mostly played with friends and at a junior club night on Friday.

It came to me pretty naturally and I just carried on from there. By the age of 12, I was training at an LTA centre and returned home at weekends. I played it at the start for the love of the game and I still love it.

Daniil Medvedev will look to maintain his momentum from a breakthrough 2019 season at January’s ASB Classic in Auckland, where the 23-year-old will make his debut.

Medvedev, the World No. 5, is set to lead the way at the ATP 250, topping a field of six Top 25 players and seven men who have competed in the Next Gen ATP Finals during their career.

The last time a Top 10 player wore the Auckland crown was in 2013, when David Ferrer won the tournament for the third year in a row. Medvedev has lifted a trophy within the season’s first two months in each of the past two years, triumphing in Sydney in 2018 and Sofia this season.

Four of the projected top five seeds have cracked the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings within the past two seasons. World No. 12 Fabio Fognini, No. 17 Karen Khachanov and No. 19 John Isner are projected to be the second, fourth and fifth seeds, respectively. The trio has combined to win 28 tour-level titles.

Denis Shapovalov finished this year in the best form of his career, winning his first ATP Tour trophy in Stockholm and making his maiden ATP Masters 1000 final in Paris. The Canadian lefty, who is up to a career-high World No. 15, is projected to be the third seed in Auckland, where he has competed twice previously (1-2).

Other players in the field include Benoit Paire, 2019 finalist Cameron Norrie, reigning Winston-Salem champion Hubert Hurkacz and 2019 Milan competitors Frances Tiafoe, Casper Ruud and Ugo Humbert. This year’s winner, World No. 68 Tennys Sandgren, is entered, but currently the fourth alternate.

Swiss Stan Wawrinka will lead the field at the 2019 Qatar ExxonMobil Open, to be held 6-12 January in Doha. The Swiss No. 2 will be making his sixth appearance and second consecutive at the ATP 250 event.

Wawrinka made the quarter-finals last year (l. to Bautista Agut) and the final in 2008 (l. to Murray). He will be joined by Andrey Rublev of Russia, France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and former World No. 3 Milos Raonic of Canada, among others.

Rublev made the Doha final in 2018 (l. to Monfils) and is coming off his best season, having finished the year at No. 23 in the ATP Rankings, one spot away from his career-high of No. 22.

Tsonga continued his recovery from a 2018 knee surgery in 2019, winning two titles (Metz, Montpellier) and finishing at No. 29 in the year-end ATP Rankings.

Raonic reached two semi-finals in 2019, including at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, the season’s first ATP Masters 1000 event.

Roger Federer fans can now have the Swiss legend with them at all times. Swissmint has created a 20-franc silver coin bearing Federer’s image. It’s the first time in its history that Swissmint has created a commemorative coin to honour a living person.

Federer is perhaps Switzerland’s most well-known individual, having won 103 tour-level titles, including 20 Grand Slam crowns and 28 ATP Masters 1000s. He has also spent a record 310 weeks at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings.

The 38-year-old finished No. 3 in the 2019 year-end standings, marking the 15^th time he’s finished in the Top 3, which is a record. He also became the oldest player to end his season at No. 3.

Off the court, the Swiss engages in philanthropic activity around the world with his self-named foundation, which he created in 2003. Federer has had other off-court commemorations as well. In 2012, the German city of Halle, where Federer is now a 10-time champion, named a street after the Swiss. In 2007, Swiss Post released a Roger Federer stamp in his birthplace of Basel.

More coins will have Federer’s face next year. In May 2020, Swissmint plans to issue a Federer 50-franc gold coin featuring a different design.

For the 20-franc coin, the pre-sale began on Monday 2 December and continues until 19 December 2019, or until the first minting run of 55,000 units has sold out, whichever comes first.

Fans shouldn’t despair, however, if they miss out on the first run. If demand exceeds the initial run, Swissmint “reserves the right to produce a further 40,000 coins and issue them in May 2020.”

All of the Federer coins can be purchased through the Swissmint’s website.

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPTour.com looks at the six best ATP Tour matches in 2019. (The best Grand Slam matches will be featured Tuesday.)

6) Alexander Zverev d. Roger Federer, Rolex Shanghai Masters, Shanghai Quarter-finals, 11 October 2019 (Match Stats)
Alexander Zverev arrived at the Rolex Shanghai Masters without having made an ATP Masters 1000 semi-final all year. In the quarter-finals, he faced a tough test against two-time champion Roger Federer. But despite letting slip five match points in the second set, the German battled hard for a 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-3 victory against the 38-year-old Swiss, who had never previously lost a Shanghai quarter-final (5-1).

Zverev served for the match at 6-3, 6-5 40/0, but Federer raised his level, with two sensational volleys in particular helping him to win the next five points and then save two additional match points in the tie-break. But the German settled down and continued to play the aggressive tennis that earned him the lead in the first place, using that to triumph after two hours and four minutes. Zverev (4-3) joined Rafael Nadal (24-16) and Novak Djokovic (now 26-23) as the three active players with at least seven matches and a winning FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Federer.

Read More: Zverev Upsets Federer In Shanghai

“Obviously it was an important match. The head-to-head is obviously a great thing to have, but more importantly for me is it was a match to kind of maybe turn my year around a little bit,” Zverev said. “The [ATP] Race to London is also very important.”

Entering the week, Zverev was in eighth place in the Race, with his spot in the season finale still in doubt. But he used this match to move past Roberto Bautista Agut for seventh, and he’d end up qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals for the third straight year, riding his renewed form to a spot in the London semi-finals to finish his season on a high note.

5) Novak Djokovic d. Juan Martin del Potro, Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome Quarter-finals, 17 May 2019 (Match Stats)
Rain washed out Wednesday action in Rome this year, meaning the players would need to win two matches on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals. Given it was only Juan Martin del Potro’s third tournament of the season as he continued his recovery from a knee injury, it seemed that would give the edge to World No. 1 Novak Djokovic for their clash in the last eight on Friday.

Djokovic had won the pair’s two past FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings in Rome and seven of their previous eight matches. But Del Potro came out swinging, giving the Serbian all he could handle. Djokovic needed to save two match points to navigate past the Argentine’s powerful best, triumphing 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Read More: Novak Saves 2 MPs Against Delpo In Rome

“[There was] luck in the decisive moments in the second set tie-break. He was playing really good. I tried my best obviously all the way till the end…He was playing really well. Gave me a lot of trouble,” Djokovic said. “But I never lost faith I could come back to the match.”

This battle was a classic match of relentless offence against dogged defence, and it was Djokovic’s defence that prevailed after three hours and one minute. The Serbian went on to reach the final and the semi-finals at Roland Garros, while Del Potro only played two more tournaments the rest of the season, re-injuring his knee at the Fever-Tree Championships.

4) Stefanos Tsitsipas d. Dominic Thiem, Nitto ATP Finals, London Final, 17 November 2019 (Match Stats)
The championship match of the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals had a lot at stake for both Stefanos Tsitsipas and Dominic Thiem, with both men pursuing the biggest title of their career. But despite letting slip a break in the deciding set, it was Tsitsipas who triumphed one year on from claiming the Next Gen ATP Finals trophy in Milan, defeating the Austrian 6-7(6), 6-2, 7-6(4) after two hours and 35 minutes.

“It was pretty frustrating for me to be playing with such nerves for the first time in such a big event. I was a break up, I couldn’t manage to hold it,” Tsitsipas said. “Things were decided in the tie-break and I am so relieved by this outstanding performance and fight that I gave out on the court.”

Read More: Stefanos Lands London Crown

Tsitsipas served as a hitting partner at the 2016 Nitto ATP Finals, at the time posting a picture on social media with Thiem, with whom he trained during the Austrian’s debut at the season finale. Just three years later, he lifted the trophy, becoming the fourth straight first-time champion at the event. He was also the first player since David Nalbandian in 2005 to recover from losing the opening set and claim the title.

“[The crowd support] is just phenomenal, having such an army behind me while I am on the court. They give me so much energy. They give me belief that I can achieve the things I want to achieve on the court.”

Tsitsipas’ biggest weapons had been his serve and forehand. But it was backhand that stood out against the big-hitting Thiem, as the Greek played more than a set of the match without missing a backhand, using that to turn things around.

3) Nick Kyrgios d. Stefanos Tsitspas, Citi Open, Washington, D.C. SF, 4 August 2019 (Match Stats)
When high-quality tennis and entertainment go hand-in-hand, the outcome is usually pretty special. And that was the case in Nick Kyrgios’ 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(7) win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Citi Open semi-finals.

Early in the match, everything the Aussie touched seemingly turned to gold, going for every shot you could think of, using his power to overwhelm the Greek. But even after dropping his level in the second set, Kyrgios regained his form, saving a match point at 5/6 in the final-set tie-break with a service winner and clinching the semi-final with a booming serve-and-forehand combo.

But while the tennis was memorable in itself, it was everything that went with it that made this one of the matches of the year. After finding an acute angle on a backhand drop volley in the first set, Kyrgios jogged several metres to the side of the court to fist bump some fans.

Read More: Nick Saves 1 MP, Battles Past Stefanos

Later on, for the second straight match, Tsitsipas needed a shoe delivery in the middle of the match. And Kyrgios, who was waiting at the back of the court for the end of the changeover, willingly ran shoes from Apostolos Tsitsipas over to the top seed, getting down on one knee and holding them out as Tsitsipas cracked up in laughter.

The theatrics weren’t done just yet, as Kyrgios continued a trend he began earlier in the week by asking a fan where to serve on match point. Kyrgios improved to 4-1 against Top 10 players on the season, and he would go on to defeat Daniil Medvedev for his second ATP 500 title of the year.

“This week has been awesome. It’s probably one of the best tournament weeks of my life. I’ve really enjoyed myself. D.C. has been a lot of fun. Crowds have been awesome,” Kyrgios said. “But I’m just doing the right things. I’m having the same routine every day. I’m trying to improve on a lot of little habits, and it’s paying off. Five days in a row competing, I’m pretty happy with myself.”

2) Dominic Thiem d. Roger Federer, BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells Final, 17 March 2019 (Match Stats)
Dominic Thiem got off to a slow start in 2019, losing four of his first seven matches, including two defeats on clay. The Austrian had never won an ATP Masters 1000 event, making both of his finals at that level on the clay of Madrid.

But that did not stop Thiem from playing some of the best tennis of his career in Indian Wells, defeating five-time champion Roger Federer 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 to win the BNP Paribas Open crown on hard courts.

“It feels just unreal what happened in these ten days during the tournament. I came from a really bad form in all categories, and now I’m the champion of Indian Wells. It feels not real at all,” Thiem said. “It was a great week, and I think also a very good final today. Just amazing that I got here, my first really big title.”

Read More: Thiem Topples Federer For Maiden Masters 1000 Title

Thiem showed that when he is firing on all cylinders, he can succeed on any surface. Then 25, he used his power from the baseline and heavy spin to hit winners from all angles, totalling 24 in the match, increasing his level to top what was a strong effort from Federer, who had won 20 straight finals after claiming the first set.

“I’m not too disappointed. I feel like he had to come up with the goods, and it did feel like to some extent it was on my racquet,” Federer said. “[I] just came up against somebody who was on the day a bit better when it really mattered.”

Neither player gave up ground from the baseline, and Thiem saved a break point at 3-4 in the decider. Federer came within two points of victory at 5-4, as Thiem slipped and fell on the baseline, resulting in a bloody elbow. But the Austrian got out of trouble and chased down a couple of drop shots en route to his decisive break, ultimately leading to his biggest triumph.

1) Dominic Thiem d. Novak Djokovic, Nitto ATP Finals, London RR, 12 November 2019 (Match Stats)
Every match at the Nitto ATP Finals was critical for Novak Djokovic, as the Serbian was making a late push to secure the year-end No. 1 ATP Ranking for a record-tying sixth time. But Thiem put a dent in those plans, rallying from 1/4 down in a final-set tie-break to defeat Djokovic 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(5).

“Probably it was maybe the best match I ever played. It was a real classic and epic match which will happen from time to time at these big tournaments,” Thiem said. “It had everything what a match like this needs. He was up; I was up. He was playing amazing points. Me, I was playing amazing points. And then I think the match deserved an end in the third-set tiebreak.”

Thiem had won just one match in each of his first three visits to the Nitto ATP Finals. But this victory gave him back-to-back wins over Roger Federer and Djokovic to start his 2019 campaign at The O2, guaranteeing himself a spot in the semi-finals.

”This was really one of these special matches, what I’ve practised all my life for, all my childhood for,” Thiem said. “[It was a] really epic one in an amazing atmosphere, beating a legend of our game. And also I’ve qualified for the semi-finals, which is the best.”

Read More: Thiem Stuns Djokovic At The O2

This was the first time that Thiem defeated Djokovic on hard court, and it was due in large part to the 26-year-old raising his aggression to an incredibly high level. Djokovic has long proven himself one of the best defenders in the world, but even the Serbian’s speed and Gumby-like flexibility was not enough to match the Austrian’s onslaught.

“I thought he deserved to win. He just played very courageous tennis and [was] just smacking the ball. He went for broke,” Djokovic said. “The entire match he played same way he played the last point. I mean, I have to put my hat down and congratulate him, because he just played a great match.”

This victory forced Djokovic to defeat Federer in his final round-robin match to maintain his dreams of capturing year-end No. 1, but it was not to be for the Serbian, who fell to the Swiss in straight sets.

The inaugural ATP Cup is set to begin on 3 January in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney, with 24 teams across six groups competing for eight spots in the Final Eight, to be held in Sydney.

All countries were qualified based on the ATP Ranking of their No. 1 singles players. But there are plenty of countries with highly-ranked No. 2 players, too.

Leading the way is World No. 9 Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain. The Spaniard had the best season of his career in 2019, defeating then-World No. 1 Novak Djokovic en route to capturing the Doha title at the start of the season. He never looked back from there, cracking the Top 10 for the first time on 19 August. Spain is the only country with two Top 10 players in the ATP Rankings, as Bautista Agut is part of a team that includes World No. 1 Rafael Nadal.

“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,” Bautista Agut said. “I hope we have a good team and can play a good week for Spain.”

Not far behind in the ATP Rankings is Fabio Fognini, the World No. 12 who reached a career-high No. 9 this year. He was the third Italian to crack the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings, with Matteo Berrettini, the country’s current No. 1 player and Nitto ATP Finals qualifier, becoming the fourth less than five months later.

The third No. 2 player for a country who was inside the Top 10 at one point in 2019 is Russian Karen Khachanov, the 2018 Rolex Paris Masters champion who reached a career-high No. 8 this July. The World No. 17 has won four ATP Tour titles in his career. He’s behind World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev, who captured two ATP Masters 1000 trophies this season.

Top 5 No. 2 Singles Players At ATP Cup By ATP Ranking

Felix Auger-Aliassime is the highest-ranked #NextGenATP No. 2 player, heading into the ATP Cup at World No. 21. The Canadian, just six spots behind good friend and countryman Denis Shapovalov, is the second-youngest player in the Top 100 behind only Jannik Sinner, the Next Gen ATP Finals champion.

Other standout No. 2 players are 2014 US Open champion and former World No. 3 Marin Cilic, 2018 Australian Open semi-finalist and former World No. 10 Lucas Pouille of France, World No. 25 Guido Pella of Argentina, and World No. 30 Nick Kyrgios of Australia. There are 12 No. 2 players inside the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings.

“It’s going to be an awesome event. I know everyone on the Tour wants to be with their teammates,” Kyrgios said. “There’s nothing better than playing for your country against the other best players in the world.”

One group to keep an eye on in terms of matches between No. 2 players is Group D, with three of the four No. 2 players inside the Top 35 of the ATP Rankings. The four players are No. 12 Fognini, No. 17 Khachanov, No. 32 Taylor Fritz and Norway’s Viktor Durasovic.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic finished the 2019 season in the top two spots of the ATP Rankings. So it’s no surprise that one of the tennis legends topped each of the surface leaderboards this year, while year-end World No. 3 Roger Federer made his return to clay. Here’s a look at some of the best performers by surface in 2019 according to the FedEx ATP Performance Zone:

Clay Courts (minimum 10 matches)
Rafael Nadal had the best record on clay once again in 2019, winning two titles on the surface while losing just three matches. The Spaniard did not reach the final in his first three clay-court tournaments of the year, but the lefty bounced back to triumph in Rome and at Roland Garros. Nadal now has 59 tour-level titles on clay, 10 more than Guillermo Vilas, who is second on the Open Era list with 49.

This year also marked Roger Federer’s return to clay. The Swiss, who had not competed on the surface since 2016 Rome, went 9-2 on the red dirt and advanced to the Roland Garros semi-finals.

Hard Courts (minimum 10 matches)
Nadal has long been successful on hard courts, entering the season in 12th place on the Open Era list for winning percentage on the surface. But the Spaniard was especially successful on hard courts in 2019, winning 32 of his 35 matches, a rate of 91.4 per cent. Nadal won multiple hard-court titles in a season for the seventh time, triumphing in Montreal and at the US Open.

Federer and Djokovic were right behind at 82.5 per cent and 81.4 per cent, respectively. Djokovic (first) and Federer (third) are two of the three best players on hard court in the Open Era. Daniil Medvedev won an ATP Tour-leading four titles on the surface this season, as well as emerging victorious in a Tour-best 46 matches.

Grass Courts (minimum 5 matches)
Djokovic immediately shook off the disappointment of a semi-final exit at Roland Garros. Although he did not compete in the Fever-Tree Championships like he did in 2018, the Serbian quickly took to the grass at SW19, winning his fifth Wimbledon crown. The top seed dropped just two sets en route to the final, in which he saved two championship points to defeat Roger Federer for the title.

If Federer had won either of those match points, he would have topped this list. But instead the Swiss comes in at No. 2 with an 11-1 record on grass this season. Federer won his 19th grass-court trophy in Halle.

This year’s grass-court swing also marked the breakthrough of Matteo Berrettini. Entering Stuttgart, he was World No. 30. But a title there, followed by a semi-final in Halle and a run to the fourth round at Wimbledon, set the Italian on course for the Top 10 and a trip to the Nitto ATP Finals.

Indoor Courts (minimum 10 matches)
This was another list that Nadal led in 2019, mostly thanks to his efforts at the Davis Cup Finals, where he won all five of his singles matches to make a rapid leap up the indoor standings.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga began 2019 at No. 239 in the ATP Rankings, coming back from left knee surgery. And although the Frenchman did not crack the Top 5, finishing seventh for the year, he used his play indoors to help him climb to year-end No. 29. Tsonga won titles in Metz and Montpellier, his 12th and 13th indoor title, respectively.

Federer, who had the fourth-best record on the ATP Tour indoors this year (8-2), captured his 10th Basel title, which was his 103rd tour-level trophy overall.

Overall
It’s only fitting that with Nadal finishing year-end No. 1, he also had the best record on the ATP Tour in 2019. The Spaniard tallied a 58-7 record, with his winning percentage just short of 90 per cent. Five of his seven losses came against Top 10 opponents, with his other two defeats coming against dangerous shotmakers in Fabio Fognini and Nick Kyrgios.