The 2018 ATP World Tour season was full of thrilling moments, classic matches, and plenty of memories that nobody will forget anytime soon. Over the course of the next month, ATPWorldTour.com will take fans through the very best of those moments.
We will recap the premier rivalries of 2018, the best matches from the ATP World Tour, the greatest matches from the Grand Slams, the most stunning upsets, retirements and more. Look for new content each day as we reflect on a great year and count down to the start of the 2019 season, which begins 31 December in Brisbane, Doha and Pune).
Djokovic, Nadal, Federer In Top 3 Year-End ATP Rankings For Record 7th Time, First Time Since 2014
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Look back at the rankings highlights of the year
The ATP World Tour today published the 2018 year-end ATP Rankings on ATPWorldTour.com after an exciting season of milestones and breakthroughs. The trio of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer finished in the Top 3 ATP Rankings for the seventh time (2007-11, 2014, 2018), the first since 2014. All three players ranked No. 1 at one stage during the year and it was the first time all three ranked No. 1 during the same season.
There were five changes in the year-end Top 10 from the previous season for the second year in a row, including first-timers No. 6 Kevin Anderson and No. 10 John Isner, both former U.S. collegiate standouts. The last time at least two former college players finished in the Top 10 was in 1989 when John McEnroe, Brad Gilbert and Jay Berger accomplished the feat. Other players returning to the Top 10 were World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who was No. 12 at the end of 2017, No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro, who equaled his year-end best from 2013, the last time he was in the Top 10, and No. 9 Kei Nishikori, who jumped from No. 22 last year.
For the first time in ATP Rankings history (since 1973), players from five different regions of the world were represented in the Top 10. Six players from Europe and one each from Africa, Asia, North and South America comprised the Top 10. It was also the second time in three years there were 10 different countries represented in the year-end Top 10.
The Top 10 of 2018 1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) – No. 1 for fifth time (2011-12, 2014-15, ’18) and oldest (31) year-end No. 1, continuing 15 years of ‘Big 4’ dominance at the top of ATP Rankings (2004-18) 2. Rafael Nadal (ESP) – Finishes in Top 10 for 14th straight year, second-best (w/Federer) all-time behind Jimmy Connors (16). Also 10th time in year-end Top 2, second only behind Federer (11) 3. Roger Federer (SUI) – Oldest (37) to finish No. 3 and record 14th time in year-end Top 3 (five times at No. 1, six times at No. 2, three times at No. 3) 4. Alexander Zverev (GER) – Youngest (21) to finish in Top 4 back-to-back seasons since Djokovic in 2007-08 and first German to finish in Top 4 since Boris Becker in 1994-95 5. Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) – Finishes in Top 10 for first time since 2013 and equals his career year-end best of 2009 and 2013 6. Kevin Anderson (RSA) – Finishes as highest-ranked African in history of ATP Rankings and first South African to finish in Top 10 since No. 10 Wayne Ferreira in 1996 7. Marin Cilic (CRO) – Fourth Top 10 finish in five years and reached a career-high No. 3 on Jan. 29 8. Dominic Thiem (AUT) – Third straight year in Top 10 and joins countryman Thomas Muster as only Austrian to finish in Top 10 at least three years 9. Kei Nishikori (JPN) – Finishes in Top 10 for first time since 2015 and third time overall (2014-15) 10. John Isner (USA) – Oldest American (33) first-time finisher in Top 10 and No. 1 American for sixth time in seven years
View Full 2018 Year-End ATP Rankings
2018 Year-End ATP Rankings Quick Facts * There were seven changes at No. 1 during the season, the most since eight changes in 1999. Djokovic, Nadal and Federer all ranked No. 1 at one time during the season. The last time at least three players ranked No. 1 during the season was in 2003 when Andre Agassi, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick reached the top spot.
* The United States led all countries with 11 players in the Top 100, the most since 2003, followed by Spain with 10 and France with nine. France had the most players in the Top 50 with six.
* This is the tallest Top 10 in the history of the ATP Rankings with Isner (6’10”) and Anderson (6’8”) leading the way. They are the two tallest players to finish in the Top 10. Overall, there were five players at least 6’6” in the Top 10 with Zverev, Del Potro and Cilic all at 6’6”.
* While there were a record seven players 30 & over to finish in the Top 10, there were five players 23 & younger to finish with year-end best rankings between No. 11-20. That was the most since 2006. The group was led by No. 11 Karen Khachanov (22), No. 12 Borna Coric (22), No. 14 Kyle Edmund (23), No. 15 Stefanos Tsitsipas (20) and No. 16 Daniil Medvedev (22). Tsitsipas, who was the Next Gen ATP Finals champion and ATP Most Improved Player of the Year, was the youngest player in the Top 20. He jumped from No. 91 last year and he was the first Greek man to finish in the Top 20.
* Djokovic, who ended 2017 at No. 12, became the first player in the history of the ATP Rankings to finish No. 1 after ranking outside the Top 10 the previous season. In June he was ranked as low as No. 22 before making the second half of the season surge by winning four titles in six finals.
* Federer, who was 36 at the time, became the oldest player to rank No. 1, when he took the top spot on Feb. 19. He ranked No. 1 on three occasions for eight weeks overall. He broke the record of Andre Agassi (33), who was the previous oldest No. 1 in 2003. The 37-year-old Federer finished as the oldest player in the Top 100. There were 33 players 30 & over in the year-end Top 10, down from last year’s record of 43.
* No 1 Australian Alex de Minaur made the biggest jump (177 spots) in the Top 50 from No. 208 at the end of 2017 to a year-end ranking of No. 31. The 19-year-old from Sydney was the ATP Newcomer of the Year. Overall the four Aussies in the year-end Top 50 are the most since 2000.
* #NextGenATP teenager Denis Shapovalov finished a year-end best No. 27, the youngest of two teenagers in the year-end Top 100 along with De Minaur. Overall 11 #NextGenATP players (21 & under) finished in the Top 100 year-end rankings, the most since 12 in 2008.
* #NextGenATP Frenchman Ugo Humbert, 20, made the biggest improvement (290 spots) in the Top 100, climbing from No. 374 last year to No. 84. Christian Garin, 22, of Chile, also moved from outside the Top 300 to break the Top 100, jumping 220 spots from No. 305 to No. 85. Garin made the second-biggest leap.
* Spaniard Pablo Andujar made the biggest improvement (1,619 spots) in the Top 100 from last year, climbing from No. 1,701 to No. 82. #NextGenATP Frenchman Ugo Humbert, 20, and Chilean Christian Garin, 22, were other players to jump from outside the Top 300 into the year-end Top 100. Humbert improved 290 spots from No. 374 last year to No. 84. Garin jumped 220 spots from No. 305 to No. 85.
* Italians No. 13 Fabio Fognini and No. 20 Marco Cecchinato finished with career year-end best ATP Rankings. It also marked the first time since 1973 two Italians appeared in the year-end Top 20. The Russian duo of No. 11 Karen Khachanov and No. 16 Daniil Medvedev also finished with year-end best rankings. It marked the first time two Russians were in the year-end Top 20 since 2009.
* Overall there were 38 countries represented in the year-end Top 100 singles rankings (40 in 2017).
* American Mike Bryan, at 40, finished as the oldest No. 1 in the history of the ATP Doubles Rankings (since 1976). Oliver Marach of Austria and Mate Pavic of Croatia finished No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Team Rankings in their second season together.
* Three players finished in the Top 50 of both singles and doubles: Nicolas Jarry (No. 43 singles, No. 50 doubles), Joao Sousa (No. 44 singles, No. 45 doubles) and Robin Haase (No. 50 singles, No. 38 doubles).
* The 2019 ATP World Tour season begins Monday 31 December in Brisbane, Doha and Pune.
Revisit the week that was on the ATP Challenger Tour as we applaud the achievements of those on the rise and look ahead to who’s in action in the week to come
A LOOK BACK Andria e Castel del Monte Challenger (Andria, Italy): After 159 tournaments and nearly 5,000 matches, the 2018 season came to a close on Sunday evening in Andria. The traditional season-ending tournament saw Ugo Humbert claim the final match of the year, blasting to his third ATP Challenger Tour title.
Top seed Humbert defeated Filippo Baldi 6-4, 7-6(3) in Sunday’s championship, completing a dominant week on the carpet courts. The #NextGenATP Frenchman did not only win the title without dropping a set, but he conceded just one break of serve throughout the entire tournament.
Humbert entered the week on the bubble of the year-end Top 100 and he would blast to a career-high No. 84 in the ATP Rankings. After opening the season at No. 378, it was quite the breakout campaign for the 20-year-old from Metz. He finished in fifth place among win-loss percentage leaders, behind a 39-13 record (.750) and titles in Segovia, Spain and Ortisei, Italy, in addition to his victory in Andria. He also had a trio of runner-up finishes in Granby, Gatineau and Cassis.
It was a critical finish to the season for Humbert, whose ATP Ranking will drop after ITF Futures points come off on January 1. Starting in 2019, all points earned at the level will be applied to the newly formed ITF transition tour. Only points earned on the ATP Challenger Tour, ATP World Tour and Grand Slams will go towards a player’s ATP Ranking.
The last title of the year goes to… Ugo Humbert!
The #NextGenATP ?? streaks to his third crown of the year in Andria, d. Baldi 64 76(3).
KPIT – MSLTA Challenger (Pune, India): Few can say that their last match of the year was a title clincher. Elias Ymer capped his 2018 campaign in impressive fashion on Saturday, lifting the trophy on the hard courts of Pune. The 22-year-old Swede defeated home favourite Prajnesh Gunneswaran 6-2, 7-5 to claim the title, which was his second of the year.
The season finale in Pune marks the conclusion of a two-week Indian swing. A week ago, it was Gunneswaran who emerged victorious at the $150,000 event in Bengaluru.
“It’s a great tournament in Pune,” said Ymer. “Everything from the hotel to the food and physio and the stringers. It is a nice arena too. Nothing to complain about. I love India. The people are super friendly. I had an unbelievable week.
“I’m especially happy I managed to win the quarter-final and the semi-final. I was not playing my best tennis. I fought every point and I won the tournament in the end. This is what you have to do when you’re not feeling your best. Every match is tough. At this level, in the Challengers, there are no easy matches. You don’t win just showing up. It’s tough for everybody.”
It was a dominant month of November for Ymer, who carries significant momentum into the 2019 season after posting a 10-1 record and notching a pair of titles. He also captured the crown on the indoor hard courts of Mouilleron-le-Captif, France. The Stockholm native extends his perfect mark in ATP Challenger Tour finals to 6-0 and he has not lost a set in any of those championship matches.
While Ymer rises 16 spots to year-end No. 116 in the ATP Rankings, Gunneswaran surges to the precipice of the Top 100 at a career-high No. 104.
A LOOK AHEAD We’ll see you in 2019! The ATP Challenger Tour is on a one-month hiatus, before returning with a trio of events beginning 1 January – Noumea, New Caledonia; Playford, Australia and Waco, United States.
Kicking off our ‘Best of 2018 Series’ is a look Monday and Tuesday at the five best ATP World Tour matches of the season. (The best Grand Slam matches of the season will follow Wednesday and Thursday.)
5) Rafael Nadal d. Stan Wawrinka, Rogers Cup, Toronto Third Round, 10 August 2018 (Match Stats) With Stan Wawrinka still searching to recapture his best form after two surgeries on his left knee in August 2017, the Swiss made a statement against Rafael Nadal in the third round of the Rogers Cup in Toronto. Having managed to secure back-to-back match wins for just the second time in 2018, the three-time Grand Slam champion produced some of his best tennis to push Nadal to his limit in Canada.
Wawrinka brought the power, rejecting Nadal’s attempts to pick on his backhand with dazzling one-handed missiles up the line. Chasing a record 33rd ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown, Nadal found all the angles and covered the court impeccably, leaving the crowd – and Wawrinka across the net – gasping. The Spaniard stood up to the Swiss’ fierce test, defeating his rival 7-5, 7-6(4) after two hours and eight minutes. Read & Watch Highlights.
“It was a good match. Of course, a very positive victory for me against a very tough opponent. Happy to see Stan playing that well again,” said Nadal. “So I am very pleased.”
Nadal escaped a 0/40 deficit at 4-4 in the first set when Wawrinka dumped a backhand into the net on his final break-point opportunity. The two were delayed by 46 minutes at 6-5, and after the wait, Nadal broke for the set. To start the second, Wawrinka fell behind 0-2 and looked in danger of fading away. But his trademark one-hander brought him back into the set as he broke with a pinpoint stroke up the line, the start of four straight games that carried him to 5-4.
Under pressure, Nadal quickly responded with a mix of defence and power. The 32-year-old fired a forehand pass before jumping and pumping his fists in celebration as he broke for 5-5. Two games and a tie-break later, Nadal earned his 17th FedEx ATP Head2Head victory against Wawrinka (17-3) to reach another Masters 1000 quarter-final. It may have been Rafa who advanced, but perhaps it was Stan who made the biggest progress that night.
4) Dominic Thiem d. Rafael Nadal, Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid Quarter-Final, 11 May 2018 (Match Stats) Entering the match with 21-match and 50-set winning streaks on clay, World No. 1 Rafael Nadal needed to defeat Dominic Thiem at the Mutua Madrid Open to avoid his six-week reign at the top of the ATP Rankings from ending. The only man to defeat Nadal on the surface since Novak Djokovic’s triumph at the 2016 Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Thiem entered the match looking to avoid another one-sided loss to the Spaniard, after picking up just two games in a 6-0, 6-2 loss to Nadal at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
But, three weeks on from that humbling defeat in the Principality, Thiem played with greater aggression as he stood on top of the baseline, overpowering the five-time Madrid champion to triumph 7-5, 6-3 in one hour and 56 minutes. Read & Watch Highlights.
“I had to play an extraordinary match, and that’s what I did,” said Thiem. “It takes a really good match to beat Rafa on clay, but I think a very important thing was that I went in with the attitude that I can beat him. Obviously, two weeks ago in Monte-Carlo, he killed me love and two. It was very important I went into the match with a positive attitude, with an attitude to win.”
Thiem maintained his baseline position, putting Nadal under pressure right from the start of their ninth clash. A repeat of last year’s final in the Spanish capital, Thiem took his forehand and backhand early and found extra pace and depth to rush the recently crowned 11-time Monte-Carlo and Barcelona champion.
After failing to convert a set-point opportunity when serving for the opener at 5-4, 40/30, Thiem made no mistake at the second time of asking after breaking Nadal for a 6-5 lead. Thiem continued to push Nadal behind the baseline, with deep returning, and stepped into the court to fire short replies from his opponent into the corners. With an ace out wide, Thiem moved into a one-set lead after 75 minutes.
When Thiem opened up a 3-1 lead in the second set, the Austrian still wasn’t safe. In front of his home fans, Nadal kept fighting and got back to 3-3. Yet the momentum quickly shifted back to Thiem, who showed patience before firing backhand winners in crucial moments. From 3-3, Thiem won 10 of the following 11 points before deservedly becoming only the third player – after Gaston Gaudio and Djokovic – to score three or more clay victories over Nadal.
3) Marin Cilic d. Novak Djokovic, Fever-Tree Championships, Queen’s Club Final, 24 June 2018 (Match Stats) After a 6-6 start to the 2018 ATP World Tour season, Novak Djokovic entered his first tour-level final in 51 weeks at the Fever-Tree Championships in June. Following on from improved performances in Rome and at Roland Garros, Djokovic dropped just one service game heading into a final clash against Marin Cilic.
The Croatian, who lifted the trophy for the first time in 2012, was aiming to secure just his second victory over Djokovic in their 16th FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting, but found himself on the brink of defeat, facing championship point at 4-5, 30-40, in the second set. However, after landing a booming serve out wide, Cilic then overcame a 1/4 deficit in the ensuing tie-break before eventually triumphing 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-3 in two hours and 57 minutes. Read & Watch Highlights.
“I was just trying to stay mentally in it. And definitely, it was an extremely tough match,” Cilic said. “No breaks for me until that last [return] game. I definitely feel relieved that I won it and what a great week.”
Djokovic, competing at The Queen’s Club for the first time since 2010, was seeking his 69th tour-level title. In 2008, Djokovic reached his maiden final at the grass-court event, falling to Rafael Nadal in a tight two-hour, 16-minute battle.
“He deserved to win,” Djokovic said. “It’s a tough loss for me today, obviously. But I have to see it from a positive side. I haven’t played a final at any event in almost a year, so this felt great.”
Djokovic’s run to the championship match at The Queen’s Club proved to be the springboard to a remarkable second half of the 2018 season. The 31-year-old won 35 of his remaining 38 tour-level encounters in 2018 after leaving the Fever-Tree Championships, picking up his fourth Wimbledon title and completing the Career Golden Masters at the Western & Southern Open. Djokovic also triumphed at the US Open and the Rolex Shanghai Masters in a run which contributed to the 14-time Grand Slam champion becoming the first player to be ranked outside the Top 20 to finish the same season at No. 1 in the history of the ATP Rankings.
– Coming Tuesday: The best two ATP World Tour matches of 2018
Marin Cilic beat Lucas Pouille in straight sets to secure Croatia’s second-ever Davis Cup title.
Cilic beat Pouille 7-6, 6-3, 6-3 to give them an unassailable 3-1 lead over hosts and defending champions France.
France had pushed the final into a third day after Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert won Saturday’s doubles rubber.
“It’s not every day that you become a world champion,” 30-year-old Cilic said.
“For us it’s a dream come true, for this nation. You can see the fans are so passionate and they are here enjoying themselves. In Croatia it’s going to be incredible too.”
This is the final staging of the team competition in its current format before it changes next year.
Croatia last won the competition in 2005.
Cilic’s victory on Sunday meant the scheduled fifth match between Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Borna Coric was a dead rubber.
Coric won his other singles rubber against Jeremy Chardy, while Chilic put Croatia 2-0 up by beating Tsonga.
Visiting nation notched three straight-sets singles wins
FRANCE 1, CROATIA 3 Lille, France (Indoor Clay)
Marin Cilic ended Croatia’s 13-year wait for a second Davis Cup title on Sunday, beating Lucas Pouille 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-3 at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille.
The World No. 7 needed two hours and 19 minutes to secure victory for the visiting nation, winning 89 per cent of first-serve points and landing 16 forehand winners. Cilic has now won a record 39 Davis Cup rubbers for Croatia (39-17), which includes 29 wins from 40 singles encounters.
“It’s not every day that you become a world champion,” said Cilic. “For us it’s a dream come true, for this nation, we are so passionate, you can see the fans are enjoying themselves. I feel that in Croatia it’s going to be incredible too.”
Cilic ends his season with 44 tour-level wins for the second straight year. The World No. 7 lifted his 18th tour-level title at the Fever-Tree Championships in June, saving one championship point to overcome Novak Djokovic. Cilic has claimed at least one tour-level title in each of the past 11 ATP World Tour seasons.
After falling to a 3-2 loss against Argentina in the 2016 final, Croatia was appearing in its third Davis Cup final. In 2005, Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic led Croatia to its maiden title in the team competition against Slovakia in Bratislava.
France was aiming to become only the second team ever to recover from a 2-0 deficit in a Davis Cup final. Captain Yannick Noah’s decision to replace Jeremy Chardy with Lucas Pouille proved to be unsuccessful, with Pouille falling short in his attempt to recreate his 2017 final heroics. Last year, the 24-year-old defeated Steve Darcis 6-3, 6-1, 6-0 in his first live fifth rubber to earn France its 10th Davis Cup title.
France kept their Davis Cup final hopes alive as Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert beat Croatian pair Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic.
The hosts won 6-4 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-3) at the Stade Pierre Mauroy.
Yannick Noah’s champions were 2-0 down after losing both of Friday’s singles.
But French Open doubles champions Herbert and Mahut began the fightback, reducing the deficit to 2-1 and ensuring the last Davis Cup in its present guise will stretch into Sunday.
Victory for Croatia would give them their second Davis Cup crown in the final staging of the historic team competition before the format changes next year.
Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut earned France its first point of the Davis Cup final on Saturday, beating Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(3).
The Frenchmen, who reached the championship match at the Nitto ATP Finals last week, improved to 6-1 as a team in Davis Cup after three hours and 38 minutes, firing 41 forehand winners and saving seven of nine break points en route to victory. With an 11th Davis Cup title in its sights, France is aiming to become only the second team ever to recover from a 0-2 deficit in a Davis Cup final, following Marin Cilic and Borna Coric’s straight-set triumphs for Croatia on Friday. In 1939, Australia became the first nation to achieve the feat, recovering from 0-2 down to defeat the United States.
Herbert and Mahut, who own 12 tour-level doubles trophies as a team, once again showed their best form this season in front of a home crowd on clay. In June, Herbert and Mahut became just the third all-French team in the Open Era to clinch the Roland Garros doubles title, beating Oliver Marach and Pavic in straight sets.
Croatia and France are meeting for the third time in Davis Cup, with both nations triumphing on home soil in previous encounters. France is aiming to become the first nation to successfully defend the Davis Cup title since the Czech Republic lifted back-to-back trophies in 2012 and 2013. Croatia is appearing in its second final in three years after falling to a 3-2 defeat against Argentina in 2016.
In Sunday’s first reverse singles rubber, Marin Cilic will have the chance to earn Croatia its second Davis Cup crown when he faces Jeremy Chardy. The World No. 7 leads Chardy 3-2 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, but the pair are tied at 1-1 in clay meetings. If Chardy manages to earn his third victory over Cilic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Borna Coric will contest a live fifth rubber for the trophy.
International Tennis Federation president David Haggerty is “confident” a revamped Davis Cup and the new ATP Team Cup can join forces to create a single tournament.
Haggerty says “fruitful talks” have taken place between the ATP and ITF after concerns were raised about a congested player schedule.
“At the heart of the problem is the calendar,” Haggerty said.
“Is there a way to collaborate and work together?”
The current Davis Cup format is getting an overhaul and being replaced by an 18-nation World Cup-style event to be held in Madrid in November 2019.
The ATP event, involving 24 international teams, will act as a curtain-raiser for the men’s 2020 season just six weeks later.
“We are all responsible for making sure the players have a flow throughout the season, so they can start and finish strong,” added Haggerty.
Germany’s ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev says he would be reluctant to play at the Davis Cup in late November and Tomas Berdych has also criticised the plans.
Davis Cup reforms will provide ‘extra $25m a year for tennis development’
The ATP event has been backed by world number one Novak Djokovic, but he also said creating two “average events” would not be good for the sport.
France are currently hosting Croatia in the final of the last ever home and away Davis Cup.
The ITF agreed to reform the Davis Cup in August, with a $3bn (£2,34m), 25-year partnership agreed with Kosmos, the investment group founded by Barcelona defender Gerard Pique.
Haggerty said: “We had very productive meetings in London with the ATP, Kosmos, the ITF, the Grand Slams and the players to talk about what is the best thing to do for tennis.
“We will meet again in January to continue the dialogue.”
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