Throughout the year, you can find Great Britain’s tennis stars in players’ lounges, restaurants and hotel rooms around the world bantering over football among other sports. They are undoubtedly a tight-knit group. But week-to-week, they compete for themselves.

What is special about the ATP Cup is that it provides guys like Daniel Evans, Cameron Norrie, James Ward, Joe Salisbury and Jamie Murray a chance to bring those friendships onto the court, competing as a team against other countries.

“It’s just a different dynamic, different energy. It’s cool to have your teammates there on the side cheering you on and wanting you to win for the team. It’s really cool to be in it together,” Murray said. “We don’t really ever get a chance to do that, and I think that’s what’s so exciting about this new event. It’ll bring together a lot of teams, a lot of players together. You see those emotions and stuff on the side of the court with the support. It’s totally unique.”

It’s not to say that the Brits don’t support each other throughout the season. But when they take the court in Sydney beginning Friday, they’ll be part of the action, sitting in the special team zones that are unique to the ATP Cup to provide support for teammates.

“We spend a lot of time together during the year at events, but I think when we come together as a team, it’s different,” Murray said. “Everyone’s closer together and you’re spending your days with those people. We all know each other really well, whether that’s the players or the coaches or the physios and stuff that are here with us, the support team. It’s cool. We really enjoy it.”

And while the Brits joke around with each other off the court between matches — Norrie and Murray had good fun Wednesday on Sydney Harbour poking fun at one another’s sunglasses — those genuine friendships carry into the heat of competition in a good way.

“We’re all into the same stuff, so it makes it a lot easier,” Ward said. “It helps if you get on well off the court. Everyone does on our team so on the court we’re going to fight for each other harder and support each other as well.”

Evans, the No. 1 singles player for Great Britain in Sydney, echoed many of the same sentiments.

“I think it’s going to be really good,” Evans said. “You know they can get pumped for the guy on court to try and get him through the match in a tight one, and I think it will be a great new addition.”

Another positive the players have found in the ATP Cup is that it feels like an extra-special way to begin the new season, motivating them even more to get off to a good start.

“I think for the players, they all enjoy getting together as a team,” Murray said. “Everyone gets on well from the respective countries and you’re pulling together for one common goal. It’s different. It’s fun and I think it’s a great way for the Tour to kick off its season.”

Each team has a captain at the ATP Cup. And in Team Great Britain’s case, former World No. 4 Tim Henman is doing whatever he can to put his players in position for success at this inaugural 24-team event.

“I’ve known these guys for a long, long time away from an event like this. But certainly when you do get together at the beginning of a new year — we’ve had plenty of time to prepare — it’s great to build that spirit,” Henman said. “We’ll need it because you look at this event as a whole and the 24 teams and you have eight of the Top 10, 23 of the Top 30 [in the ATP Rankings] playing, we’re going to need to be firing on all cylinders.”

For the players, it’s a special opportunity to work with a national icon, one who could help lead them to victory here in Sydney.

“It’s nice to have Tim as an addition to pass on some of the experience on the court and get to know him a bit better,” Norrie said. “I think we’re all really excited to get out there and start the year. It’s looking like it’s shaping up to be a sick event, so let’s see what happens.”

Bondi Beach became a brilliant bonding location for Team Austria on Thursday morning, with the start of their ATP Cup just two days away. Dominic Thiem and the Austrians had a blast at the Bondi Icebergs as a nice break from practice before locking in to face Team Croatia on Saturday evening in Sydney.

“It’s a great city and I’ve never been to Bondi Beach, so I’m happy to be brought here,” Thiem said. “It’s a great kick-off for the tournament and we are all getting more and more excited, and can’t wait for the start.”

The Bondi Icebergs is a year-round outdoor pool high above the beach itself with a stunning view of the water. The Austrians took full advantage of that, taking plenty of pictures before jumping in the pool to cool off.

Most importantly, the guys were growing even closer together, building the chemistry that is making this inaugural 24-team event special.

“We know each other for a long time, everybody. So it’s a great atmosphere. We’re having a lot of fun, we’re having good practices, so it’s exactly the way it should be,” Thiem said. “It’s been a lot of practices and of course we can’t wait that the matches are going on again. We all miss our tennis, our matches, but also the other matches on TV. It’s just nice when the new season starts again and it’s going to be great when the time is ready.”

According to captain Thomas Muster, a former World No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, his country’s stars have been working hard in preparation. They will need to battle through a tough Group E to advance to the last eight, also facing Team Argentina and Poland in round-robin play.

“[They are] doing very well. I think we all adjusted well to the time change, to the climate. The boys have been in the country for quite a while,” Muster said. “We’re all good and ready to go.”

If the score is Deuce, it’s probably Dominic Thiem returning.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of games that reach Deuce in the past four seasons identifies Thiem as the leading candidate to stretch the server to Deuce, at 863 times. The data set is comprised of all players on tour from 2016-2019 that took the server to Deuce at least 100 times over the four-year span.

Thiem was one of only two players that reached the 800-game mark, with the other being Alexander Zverev, who took the server to Deuce 807 times over the past four seasons.

The leading 10 players that were able to get the score to Deuce when returning from 2016-2019 are in the table below.

2016-2019: Most Games Stretched To Deuce As A Returner

2019 Nitto ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas led the tour last season with the most amount of return games played at Deuce, with 243.

2019: Total Deuce Games When Returning
S. Tsitsipas = 243
A. Zverev = 232
D. Medvedev = 232

Who won the most return games from Deuce over the past four seasons? It was current World No. 1, Rafael Nadal, who was the only player to top the 40 percentile mark, winning 40.36 per cent (289/716) from 2016-2019.

The 10 leading players who had the highest win percentage are in the table below.

2016-2019: Highest Win Percentage Breaking From Deuce

The leading three players from the 2019 season, who had at least 25 games go to Deuce when returning serve were:

2019: Highest Win Percentage Breaking From Deuce
N. Gombos = 44.44% (16/35)
R. Nadal = 41.12% (81/197)
N. Djokovic = 39.52% (83/210)

Extending the server to Deuce is quite often a victory in its own right, making the server have to work harder to hold, which eventually will lead to a break of serve. Converting these longer, grueling games is as much about mental toughness and concentration as it is about return prowess and patterns of play.

Novak Djokovic admires the simplicity, the restorative aspects of the koala lifestyle. The irresistible animals rarely stray from their eucalyptus trees in eastern Australia and sleep for up to 18 hours a day.

Djokovic, however, the No. 2 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings, doesn’t think it’d be such a good idea for him or Team Serbia to act more like koalas at the ATP Cup in Brisbane.

“I don’t think the koala lifestyle would help us tennis players a lot, even though at times we could definitely learn something from them,” Djokovic said on Wednesday while standing next to a couple of cuddly koalas at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane. “Sometimes the simple things are the best things, just relaxing and being present, kind of recuperating and being outdoors, being in the nature.”

Serbia’s No. 1 grew up exploring nature and the Serbian mountains, and that’s where Djokovic learned to appreciate wildlife and animals.

“I love animals, spending times close to them but respecting their space, which I think is very important because we sometimes as people try to act as the most dominant species, which we consider ourselves to be. But I truly believe we all should live in harmony and respect and there is a higher order of nature that we should all be aware of,” Djokovic said. “I’m very close to a koala at the moment. I see that they’re sleeping and resting so I don’t want to disturb them too much but it’s definitely a very unique experience.”

Djokovic and his ATP Cup teammates Dusan Lajovic, Nikola Milojevic, Nikola Cacic and Viktor Troicki have been adapting the koala lifestyle at times – enjoying each other’s company off the court and relaxing away from the tennis. But they’ve been employing their usual routines – those of hard-working tennis players – most of the time Down Under.

Serbia plays its first match on Saturday against South Africa.

“Many, many different things that we can do also off the court as well we get to enjoy. We stay together and play different sports. We spend quality time and it’s fun, because the concept of ATP Cup is a team concept, team format, and so it does give us an opportunity to represent our country and be a part of the team which is not something that we do experience throughout the year very often,” Djokovic said.

Kevin Anderson will make a welcome return to the ATP Tour for the first time in six months, representing Team South Africa at the inaugural ATP Cup, which is being held in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney from 3 January.

“It’s going to be an awesome event representing South Africa and also for the sport of tennis,” Anderson told ATPTour.com. “Coming back to a big stage, with guaranteed matches is a perfect way to start the season.

Anderson, who has not played competitively since 5 July due to a right knee injury, will lead Team South Africa in Brisbane alongside Lloyd Harris, Ruan Roelofse, Khololwam Montsi and Raven Klaasen.

“It’s a great opportunity to represent South Africa in this format, which makes a lot of sense for players,” said Anderson. “We have a good team with Lloyd, who continues to get better, and Raven, who had an amazing year in doubles.

“I’ll be healthy and ready to go, I bring a lot of experience and have played a lot of these guys before. Coming back from injuries is always a little bit tricky, but the way my practises have been going, I’ll be ready to go from the very first match.”

Anderson was restricted to just 15 matches in the 2019 season, which included lifting his sixth ATP Tour title at the Tata Open Maharashtra in Pune (d. Karlovic). His final match of the year came against Guido Pella in the Wimbledon third round on 5 July. The former World No. 5 and his wife, Kelsey, then welcomed their first child, Keira, on 27 September.

“2019 was a bit of a tough year for me on the tennis court,” said Anderson. “Coming in after my best year in 2018, starting the year off well and winning in Pune. Then the injuries came upon me, first the elbow then the knee, after the elbow had been better for the week.

“Looking back, you always think you could have done better, but off the court my wife and I knew we’d be having our first baby. So it was a blessing in disguise, to be able to spend more time with them, especially at home. All in all, I’m looking forward to getting back on the match court.”

Last month, Anderson hosted Courtside Cause, his third charity event, at the Boca Grove Golf & Tennis Club. The event benefitted First Serve, Dezzy’s Second Chance Animal Rescue and Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas Alliance.

When Team Bulgaria’s Adrian Andreev was seven, he was at the tennis club where he trained, practising like normal, when the recent Wimbledon Boys’ Singles champion stopped by for a hit. Grigor Dimitrov was only 17 at the time, but he was already showing the potential of becoming a superstar.

“It was awesome,” Andreev recalled. “Everyone was talking about him and they said he’s upcoming and he made it to the very top, so that’s great.”

Not only has Dimitrov reached No. 3 in the ATP Rankings and won the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals, but he has inspired the next generation of Bulgarian tennis players. The 28-year-old will be hands-on with Andreev, Dimitar Kuzmanov, Alexandar Lazarov and Alexander Donski as Team Bulgaria’s playing captain at the ATP Cup in Sydney.

“For me tennis has always been my passion and I think growing up in Bulgaria, I always wanted to bring something back to the country if I would have ever made it to the top, and I think now I feel obviously the weight of a little bit of what I have achieved throughout all the years,” Dimitrov said. “Being able to have these guys by my side, it’s great to be able to give a little bit of an insight into what it is to be on the next level and hopefully they can achieve the same thing one day.”

It’s no secret what Dimitrov has accomplished on the court. But according to Bulgaria’s No. 2 singles player, Kuzmanov, the eight-time titlist’s success has transcended tennis in their country.

“Obviously it’s great for the whole country and for each sport, not only in tennis, but in every other sport. He’s a role model, an ambassador for our country, for our sport, for our mentality, for our traditions and it’s great,” Kuzmanov said. “The last time we had someone like him was probably [Hristo] Stoichkov, so it’s amazing to have someone like him.”

Stoichkov, a retired football star, received the prestigious Ballon d’Or — given to the football player considered the best in the world for that year — in 1994, putting Dimitrov in elite company. And since the World No. 20 is the only Bulgarian in the Top 100, qualifying his country for the ATP Cup gives his teammates a special opportunity to compete on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

“It’s a great experience and that’s why we were really happy when we found out that we were going to take part in the ATP Cup with Grigor as a captain. He’s one of the best tennis players in the world and we can only learn from him and that’s what we did the past few days since we came here,” Kuzmanov said. “He’s really open and he’s helping each one of us and looking forward for the upcoming 10 days and trying to learn as much as I can and [I think it’s the same] for everyone on the team.”

Dimitrov will do all he can to earn as many wins as possible when he is competing. But he is also doing everything in his power to empower his countrymen.

“I’m very happy to share, spend a lot of time with them. I just basically tell them, ‘Guys, ask me anything you want, anything you need.’ To me it’s a pure honour,” Dimitrov said. “I’ve always played for Bulgaria and now to be able to participate in the ATP Cup is something very special and it’s special for them. I’m not taking that role as a playing captain lightly, and hopefully I [can] help them.”

Dimitrov has been on court assisting teammates with their games, a new role for the Bulgarian No. 1. He will also be able to coach during matches as captain.

“I think being a coach is one of the toughest jobs, and now I know what it is to be a little bit on the other end,” Dimitrov said. “In the past days I’ve spent some time with the boys on the court and I was just on the side basically. It’s very different.

“I think all the guys are doing an amazing job for being in such an environment. I think it’s very new for them. I understand that… Also to be with the other top guys, clearly when I’m with the team, I don’t really think of me in any other way, just part of the team. They’re doing great, honestly. They’re doing great. I’m very happy and proud of each one of them.”

Eight of the Top 10 players in the ATP Rankings are competing, and there are six countries with multiple Top 30 players playing in this 24-team event. So it won’t be easy, but the Bulgarians believe they bring strong intangibles that will help them succeed.

From early practices ahead of the ATP Cup, it is clear that there will be plenty of team-based factors that play a role in individual matches.

“It’s going to be because we have a great team spirit,” Kuzmanov said. “It’s in our veins, it’s in our history as a nation. That is what our most powerful weapon is and once again we expect a lot of Bulgarians living here in Australia are going to cheer for us and we’ll try to make our country proud.”

Dimitrov may be the biggest star for Team Bulgaria. But he agrees with Kuzmanov that the best players in the ATP Rankings may not always come out on top at the ATP Cup.

“The unity, that’s always been the key,” Dimitrov said. “I think we have a legitimate chance in every corner, on every level. If we stay united, if we do things the right way, anything can happen.”

If the bare foot bowls game between Germany and Canada on Wednesday serves as any indication, the Germans, led by No. 7 Alexander Zverev, will be quick to start at the ATP Cup in Brisbane.

The Germans beat the Canadians, led by #NextGenATP stars Denis Shapovalov, No. 15 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, and Felix Auger-Aliassime, No. 21, in an abbreviated game of the traditional Aussie past-time at the Merthyr Bowls Club in Brisbane.

The past-time could be considered a mix of a few sports. First, the obvious comparison: bowling, because in bare foot bowls, you roll a ball underhand on a manicured green, similar to those found on golf courses. Horseshoes also comes to mind because the team that delivers the ball closest to the white ball, or the “jack”, wins. And as the club’s greens director, Ian Warden, explained, bare foot bowls is also “just like tennis”.

“You play forehand and backhand in balls; you play forehand and backhand in tennis,” Warden said of rolling the ball with either the right or left hand.

But instead of using a racquet to hit a light fuzzy ball, in bare foot bowls, you use your hands to roll a weighted, hard ball that can weigh about two kilos and often meanders as it sees fit, as the Germans and Canadians learned.

“That’s not good, boys!” Canada’s Peter Polansky shouted after a errant roll.

Germany won both games of three-on-three, partly thanks to reigning Roland Garros doubles champion Andreas Mies, who won the Grand Slam title with countryman Kevin Krawietz, both of whom are representing their country at the ATP Cup.

“It’s the first time we’ve played this game. I have no experience with this, and it was a lot of fun. I was up and down, one shot was good, one was terrible, one was good,” Mies said. “But in the end, we got the win.”

Germany will look to Mies and Krawietz to play clutch on the court as well as doubles will be the final match of the three (also two singles) to be played in every team contest. The Germans open against Australia at 5:30 p.m. Friday.

Canada, however, said a little gamesmanship might have been involved on New Year’s Day.

“Our goal was to not show our tough competitiveness at this time because we’re going to play them in the round robin, so we don’t want to give them everything we’ve got in the beginning,” Canadian captain Adriano Fuorivia said.

Fuorivia, Shapovalov’s former coach, and the Canadians kick off the ATP Cup in Brisbane at 10 a.m. Friday against Greece. Canada will face Germany at 10 a.m. Tuesday 7 January, both teams’ final group match.

“It’s good to have these team events. We don’t get a lot of these throughout the year,” Auger-Aliassime said. “There’s a great chemistry with us together. A lot of good times, a lot of positive vibes, I think everyone is going to be pushing in the right direction this week, so hopefully we get good results out of that.”