Scoreboard pressure affects us all. You would naturally think that a key indicator for players finishing near the top of the year-end ATP Rankings would be their ability to raise their performance in key moments of a match, such as break points.

We talk about players stepping up under pressure, or being clutch in the big moments, but when you study the numbers, in some categories, it just doesn’t wash out how we imagine.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the 2018 year-end Top 10 identifies that their overall first-serve performance actually dropped on break points compared to their season average.

Below are three takeaways from this season’s year-end Top 10, using a data set of 2,255 break points that started with a first serve.

1. Overall First-Serve Percentage Dropped On Break Point
The Top 10 averaged making 63.5 per cent (31,696/49,880) of their first serves in 2018, but when the pressure elevated on break point, they managed to make only 60.4 per cent (1787/2960) – a 3.2 percentage-point drop.

Only two players from the Top 10 made more first serves on break point than their season average, with Rafael Nadal head and shoulders above his peers. Nadal made 65.8 per cent of his first serves for the season, but that elevated to 69.8 per cent on break point. Marin Cilic was the other player who posted a gain, moving from 59.2 per cent to 59.8 per cent.

2. Ad Court = Majority Of Break Points
More than three out of four break points were contested in the Ad court, with 76.2 per cent (2255) occurring there, and 23.8 percent (705) in the Deuce court. Roger Federer played the highest percentage in the Ad court (80.7%), while Alexander Zverev played the highest percentage in the Deuce court (29.5%).

Nadal led the Top 10 in break points won in the Ad court, at 70.2 per cent (151/215), while John Isner won the most in the Deuce court, at 75.7 per cent (28/37).

3. Deuce / Ad Court Win Percentages Almost The Same
It’s interesting to note that nine of the Top 10 players are right-handed, which may signal a preference to perform better on one side of the court over the other. That simply didn’t happen.

The Top 10 averaged winning 59.9 per cent (422/705) of their break points in the Deuce court, and 60.5 per cent (1365/2255) in the Ad court – just a 0.6 percentage-point difference.

When you see a player elevate his game under pressure, it’s important to understand that it’s is not the norm. It’s actually even more impressive than we ever realised.

2018 Year-End Top 10: First-Serve Performance, Season vs Break Points

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPWorldTour.com looks at the third through fifth best Grand Slam matches of the 2018 season.

5. Roger Federer def. Marin Cilic, Australian Open, Final – 28 January 2018 (Match Stats)
In the past, Roger Federer had cried tears of anguish at the Australian Open. Nine years ago, the Swiss couldn’t hold back his emotions after losing an epic five-setter for the championship against Rafael Nadal. This year in Melbourne, Federer’s tears were full of joy.

The 36-year-old star’s back was against the wall when he met 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic, who found some of his best tennis to overcome a break deficit in the fourth set of their Melbourne clash. Suddenly, the first Grand Slam final of the season came down to a deciding set, and Federer faced two break points in its opening game. Major title No. 20 was slipping away.

But Cilic could not put a forehand return in play on either occasion, and Federer raced away to a 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory to make history, joining Roy Emerson and Novak Djokovic with a record six Australian Open titles.

“All day I was thinking, ‘How would I feel if I won it, how would I feel if I lost it? I’m so close, yet so far.’ I think I was going through the whole match like this,” Federer said. “I’ve had these moments in the past, but maybe never as extreme as tonight. Getting to 20 is obviously very, very special, no doubt.”

Sure, Federer lifted the trophy, his third in five majors. But the fifth-set scoreline could be misleading. There’s no reason to think that if sixth seed Cilic converted on one of those break points in the decider’s opening game, that he would not have been the one to storm ahead to victory. Cilic seemingly grabbed control of the match as he stood on top of the baseline, hammering away at groundstrokes and taking time away from Federer, keeping him from playing aggressively himself.

“I was hitting the ball great. I was just playing phenomenal. Then first game of the fifth set was more or less crucial at the end,” Cilic said. “Just a little bit tougher game, my service game next game. It just ran away from me.”

But it was Federer who came out on top once again, breaking Cilic six times in the match and winning 53 per cent of return points in the fifth set against one of the sport’s biggest servers to triumph. Suddenly, Federer was able to escape the rallies in which he was pulled from side to side by the Croat, using precise serve placement to gain the upper hand. And if you thought winning had gotten old for Federer, his tears during the trophy ceremony said otherwise.

“It’s about living the emotions that I went through tonight again at the trophy ceremony, going through a tough rollercoaster match, five-setter against Cilic, who is a great player, and then getting No. 6 here, No. 20 overall. It’s just a very special moment. Defending my title from last year, the fairytale continues,” Federer said. “It’s definitely a very special moment in my life again.”

4. Marin Cilic def. Alex de Minaur, US Open, Third Round – 1 September 2018 (Match Stats)
If some fans were unfamiliar with #NextGenATP Aussie Alex de Minaur before this year’s US Open, they certainly got to know him well in Flushing Meadows. It took Marin Cilic until 2:22 am — just four minutes shy of the tournament’s latest finish — to beat the 19-year-old 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 in three hours and 59 minutes.

“The atmosphere was very, very intense. Everybody was on their feet. [It was] 2 a.m. in the morning, fifth set, 5-All,” Cilic said. “It doesn’t get better for the crowd.”

The scoreline itself was epic in that Cilic battled back from two sets down for the sixth time — and just the second time in four and a half years. But the decider was what made this tilt stand out; a clash of wills that went deep into the New York night.

Read Match Report

Cilic led 5-2 in the fifth set and held a 0/40 lead on De Minaur’s serve. The Croat had found his game from the baseline, and his firepower was proving too much for the tiring Aussie speedster. At that point, it appeared the teenager’s time on centre stage was near its end.

But De Minaur simply did not go away. He found his very best on Cilic’s match points, chasing down ball after ball, when the 2014 champion didn’t necessarily do anything wrong. De Minaur found his way back on serve, and was on the verge of stunning the Croat. But Cilic finally converted his eighth match point.

“It was just incredible to find the composure, as well, also to stay focused, to stay in the moment, even though I missed so many opportunities there to finish it off, I stayed very focused,” Cilic said. “Obviously that fifth set was, as well, very emotional from both sides. I felt that he was also getting a little bit tired, but still he was pushing and pushing. Big credit to him for staying in there, almost getting to the line. What separated us was a couple points, nothing else.”

It’s not often a star is born in a loss. And De Minaur had already proven himself on the ATP World Tour, reaching championship matches in Sydney and Washington, D.C. But in New York, in the first classic match on the new Louis Armstrong Stadium, De Minaur showed that he is ready and willing to compete against the very best in the sport, no matter what it takes.

“Every time I step out on court, I tell myself that I’m going to play until the last point. He was going to have to beat me. Eventually that’s what he did,” De Minaur said. “But I did everything in my power to try and get back, [I gave] every ounce of energy [I had] to try and push. I managed to come back, but then he was too good at the end.”

Read: The Best ATP World Tour Matches of 2018

3. Rafael Nadal def. Juan Martin del Potro, Wimbledon, Quarter-finals – 11 July 2018 (Match Stats)
It took everything World No. 1 Rafael Nadal had to defeat the resurgent Juan Martin del Potro 7-5, 6-7(7), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in an epic battle on Centre Court.

While the tennis was top-notch throughout, Nadal was close to taking a two-set lead. Before that match, the Spaniard was 205-2 when winning the first two sets. So with a 6/3 lead in the second-set tie-break, it appeared the top seed was on the verge of taking an insurmountable lead. But a double fault changed the trajectory of the match, allowing Del Potro right back into the clash.

Read Match Report

“Of course I was worried when I lost the second set. Winning 6/3 in the tie-break, it’s true that he played two great points with his serve, but then I made a very important mistake. That double fault was a big mistake,” Nadal said. “Then the match changed.”

Del Potro would ride his forehand to a two-sets-to-one lead, forcing Nadal to dig deep. And that’s exactly what the Spaniard did.

“He played well. I believe I increased a little bit the level in the fourth and the fifth. But the fifth, he was playing huge. It was so difficult to stop him,” Nadal said. “I am very happy the way that I survived a lot of important points in that fifth set.”

Two-time former Wimbledon champion Andy Murray was commentating on the match for the BBC, and even he was in awe of the quality of tennis.

“This fifth set is one of the best sets of tennis I’ve ever seen live,” Murray said.

Del Potro gave himself plenty of chances in the fifth set, earning five break points thanks to his massive forehand and even more courageous effort, showing he was unafraid of diving across the historic grass when needed.

But Nadal was undeterred, throwing in a serve and volley on his first match point, dashing in to put away a backhand volley, turning around and lifting both arms straight in the air after sealing his triumph. On the other side of the court, the Argentine was left lying still, stomach down, on the court after stumbling in his chase after the ball. Exhaustion. Disappointment. All of those feelings hit Del Potro, and understandably so.

Nadal would step over the net and come to embrace the ‘Tower of Tandil’. As is the case in many epic matches, both players deserved to win. But only the Spaniard could move on.

“At the moment I’m feeling sad after almost five hours of running and playing this high level against the No. 1 in the world, and I lost. It’s not good for me. But maybe tomorrow or after tomorrow when I get home and I watch the match or some points again, I will be glad with my level, with my style of game,” Del Potro said. “I think Rafa in the end deserves to win once again.”

Explore the rest of ATPWorldTour.com’s Best of 2018 series

For all players competing on the ATP Challenger Tour, capping a season of tireless hard work with a year-end Top 100 finish is the pinnacle. It marks the culmination of a successful campaign and signals a transition to the ATP World Tour in the coming year.

On Monday, the 2018 year-end ATP Rankings were published following an exciting final few weeks of tennis on the Challenger circuit. And as the season neared its conclusion, there was arguably no storyline more captivating than that of Pablo Andujar.

One year ago, Andujar was sitting at No. 1,701 in the ATP Rankings. The Spanish veteran, a former Top 50 stalwart and three-time ATP World Tour champion, had experienced the greatest of highs in his career. But after enduring three elbow surgeries and years of anguish, he had his doubts that he would ever step on a court again.

That made Andujar’s rise to the year-end Top 100 just that much more special. The 32-year-old capped a resurgent campaign in extraordinary fashion, rising a total of 1,619 spots to No. 82 in the ATP Rankings. It was not only the biggest jump among all players to finish in this year’s Top 100, but the biggest since 2004, when both Tommy Haas (1,702 spots) and Thomas Johansson (1,689 spots) registered astonishing ascents.

“It’s something that I never thought was possible,” Andujar told ATPWorldTour.com. “I am very happy. The truth is that when I started the season I did not know how my elbow would respond, and if I really could return to my top form on the court. This season also has had its adversities, including a new problem with the elbow. They are small things that impact my return at the top level.”

Biggest Movers To Year-End Top 100 (Since 1998)

When Andujar kicked off his 2018 campaign, he had not competed on the ATP World Tour or ATP Challenger Tour in nearly 15 months, as he continued to recover from the trio of surgeries. The Spaniard would quickly find his form, slashing his ATP Ranking with back-to-back titles at the inaugural Ferrero Challenger Open in Alicante, Spain, and the ATP World Tour 250 event in Marrakech. His upset of Kyle Edmund in the Marrakech final was his first Top 50 win in three years and saw him soar to No. 153.

Andujar became the first player to win Challenger and tour-level titles in consecutive weeks since David Goffin in 2014. He was also the lowest-ranked champion on the ATP World Tour in 20 years.

And he was not done there. Andujar would march to his third title of the year in Florence in October and added a fourth in his season finale in Buenos Aires. He did not drop a set in the Argentine capital, cementing his Top 100 return with authority.

“This year was crazy,” Andujar added. “I started the year without knowing if it was going to be the end of my career, because I did not have an ATP Ranking and I did not know how my elbow would respond. Now I finished the year at No. 82 in the world and I am already direct entry into the Australian Open.”

Ugo Humbert and Christian Garin also made significant gains en route to the year-end Top 100. The #NextGenATP Frenchman Humbert confirmed his spot at a career-high No. 84 after streaking to the title in Andria, Italy, on Sunday. He is the fourth-youngest player to feature in the year-end Top 100, behind only Denis Shapovalov, Alex de Minaur and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Ugo Humbert registered the second-biggest jump to the year-end Top 100 in 2018.

Humbert opened his season at No. 374 in the ATP Rankings and would soar 290 spots behind a breakthrough second half. Having won just five main draw matches on the ATP Challenger Tour entering the month of July, he would post a 31-7 mark through the end of the year. That included six final appearances and three titles in Segovia, Ortisei and Andria. Humbert also qualified for his first Grand Slam at the US Open and won his first ATP World Tour match in his hometown of Metz. He would earn nomination for Newcomer of the Year in the ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon.

Garin, meanwhile, rose 220 spots from No. 305 to a career-high No. 85 behind a ruthless run through October. In his final three tournaments of the season, the 22-year-old Chilean completed a perfect 15-0 month with titles in Campinas, Brazil; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and Lima, Peru. He joins countryman Nicolas Jarry as players from Chile in the Top 100.

2018 Movers To Year-End Top 100

In total, 13 players jumped more than 100 spots to the year-end Top 100. In addition to Andujar, Humbert and Garin, #NextGenATP stars De Minaur, Hubert Hurkacz, Reilly Opelka and Jaume Munar also featured in the group, as well as Ilya Ivashka, Bradley Klahn, Guido Andreozzi, Denis Kudla, Ernests Gulbis and Martin Klizan. Twelve of the 13 lifted at least one Challenger trophy in 2018, with Gulbis being the lone exception.

De Minaur, meanwhile, accomplished arguably the most impressive feat of the bunch. The biggest mover to the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings, the Aussie soared 177 spots from No. 208 to No. 31. After opening his season without a Challenger title to his name, he would score his maiden crown on the prestigious lawns of Nottingham and reached a pair of ATP World Tour finals in Sydney and Washington, before finishing runner-up at the Next Gen ATP Finals.

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPWorldTour.com looks at the two best ATP World Tour matches in 2018. (Beginning Wednesday, we look at the best five Grand Slam matches of 2018.)

2) Juan Martin del Potro d. Roger Federer, BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells Final, 18 March 2018 (Match Stats)
Entering the match on his longest winning streak to open an ATP World Tour season (17), Roger Federer started the BNP Paribas Open final full of confidence after lifting his 20th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open and returning to No. 1 in the ATP Rankings following his title run at the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament. Standing in his way was Juan Martin del Potro, who arrived in the championship match in the California desert on a 10-match winning streak after picking up his first trophy of the year at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco.

After losses in each of his three previous ATP World Tour Masters 1000 finals, Del Potro was bidding to become just the second man outside of Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to triumph in Indian Wells since 2004. With two men at the top of their games, the crowd was treated to one of the matches of the year as Del Potro saved three championship points to stun Federer 6-4, 6-7(8), 7-6(2). Read More.

“It’s so big,” said Del Potro after lifting his maiden Masters 1000 trophy. “I cannot believe I won this tournament, beating Roger in a great final and level of tennis. We played great tennis today.”

Federer targeted Del Potro’s backhand in the opener, but the Argentine replied every time, and often with power. Del Potro had Federer on the run, pounding his forehand and stringing the Swiss from side to side. But in the first game of the second set, the 27-time Masters 1000 champion pumped himself up and saved two break points. Federer tried to drag Del Potro away from his comfort zone and closer to the net, but the 6’6” right-hander looked as comfortable there as he did behind the baseline. The Argentine earned match point in the second-set tie-break, at 7/8, but he netted a forehand. After Federer evened the match, Del Potro was visibly frustrated.

“It was a horrible moment for me. I was still thinking about my forehand miss and my forehand error, mistake in the match point,” Del Potro said. “It’s my shot, my forehand from that side of the court. I never miss that forehand.”

Del Potro didn’t let his disappointment show on the scoreboard however, as he held serve and stayed even with the five-time champion in the decider. At 4-4, Federer broke for a chance to serve for the match. But this time it was Del Potro’s turn to save championship points. The ‘Tower of Tandil’ recovered from 15/40 down and saved three championship points in total, before eventually reaching a final-set tie-break.

“I lost my serve a little bit, and then he was clean and I wasn’t. And then it goes very quickly in the tie-break,” said Federer. “As close as it can be sometimes when you’re not feeling it or momentum has shifted, it’s just crazy how it can go the other way.”

With the title hanging in the balance, the Swiss hit two double faults and Del Potro sprinted to the title. Del Potro lifted his biggest trophy since the 2009 US Open final after two hours and 42 minutes, lifting his arms when Federer struck another forehand long.

“It was an unbelievable match in all the ways. I mean, we played a great level of tennis. The people were excited on every single point,” said Del Potro. “Roger and I were nervous during the whole match, and we felt that on court… Unfortunately I couldn’t stay calm in the tie-break of the second set, but then the calm came again in the end of the match and I played good in the tie-break.”

1) Novak Djokovic d. Roger Federer, Rolex Paris Masters, Paris Semi-Final, 03 November 2018 (Match Stats)
At three hours and two minutes, Djokovic and Federer contested the longest three-set meeting of their FedEx ATP Head2Head series at the Rolex Paris Masters in November. With Djokovic aiming to extend his 21-match unbeaten streak and Federer looking to move one win away from his 100th tour-level trophy, their semi-final encounter at the AccorHotels Arena required a final-set tie-break to settle the contest. It was there that Djokovic finally overcame Federer, notching a 7-6(6), 5-7, 7-6(3) win to set a final clash against Karen Khachanov. Read More.

Meeting for the 47th time in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, Djokovic earned his fourth straight win over his great rival to extend his advantage to 25-22. Not only did Djokovic overcome 54 winners off Federer’s racquet, but his 0/12 break point conversion rate proved to be the first time he had squandered double-digit break chances in his career. The Belgrade native consistently found his best level in the big moments, digging deep in the critical stages of both tie-breaks, including a set point saved at 6/5 in the opener.

“We had epic matches throughout our rivalry but this one definitely ranks as one of the best matches we played,” said Djokovic. “High quality tennis. Next to the match I played against Nadal in the semi-finals of Wimbledon, this was definitely the most exciting match I have played this year, and probably the best quality tennis match that I was part of.

“It was also expected, because when I get to play Roger, I know I have to get the best out of myself in order to win. And that’s why our rivalries and matches are so special.”

Djokovic, who was guaranteed to return to No. 1 in the ATP Rankings ahead of the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals, also ended Federer’s slim hopes of ending the 2018 season as No. 1 for a record-tying sixth time. The result extended Djokovic’s winning streak against Top 10 opponents, with 10 consecutive wins against that elite group since falling to Marin Cilic in the Fever-Tree Championships final in June.

In the early stages, Djokovic’s delivery proved to be untouchable. The Serbian was on the prowl with Federer serving at 3-4, but the Swiss kept pace, saving four break points in a game which included a moment of magic that put his razor reflexes to the test. A Djokovic forehand clipped the net and spun towards Federer’s head, but the 37-year-old quickly raised his racquet and struck a sublime drop volley to the delight of the Parisian faithful. The riveting first set would proceed to a tie-break and Djokovic would seize the initiative after 71 minutes, saving a set point and sealing the opener when a Federer backhand slid wide.

Coming into the match, Djokovic owned a commanding 17-1 record against Federer when winning the opener, but the Swiss turned the tables in the second set. With Djokovic serving to force another tie-break, Federer pounced. The 2011 champion reeled off nine of 11 points to suddenly snatch a late break and send the encounter to a decider, launching a forehand winner down the line to claim the set.

The drama would reach a pulsating crescendo in a final-set tie-break. It marked the third time in which a tie-break has settled a meeting between the two superstars. Djokovic entered with a 2-0 record, having prevailed in the 2007 Montreal final and 2014 Indian Wells championship match. And the trend continued as the clock edged towards 9pm in Paris. A Federer double fault gave Djokovic a second mini-break at 4/1 and the Serbian did not look back, crossing the finish line after just over three hours when a Federer forehand found the net.

Coming Wednesday: The best five Grand Slam matches of 2018, part one.

Alex de Minaur’s breakout season received more recognition on Monday. The 19-year-old Aussie was awarded the prestigious Newcombe Medal, Australian tennis’ highest honour that’s presented annually and named after Aussie legend John Newcombe, who reached No. 1 and captured 34 tour-level titles during his playing career.

De Minaur started the season outside the Top 200 of the ATP Rankings, at No. 208. But he made the biggest jump out of any player on the ATP World Tour, finishing the 2018 season at No. 31 and as the top-ranked Aussie. The Sydney native was also voted by his peers as the ATP Newcomer of the Year. De Minaur ended his season by reaching the title match of the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan (l. to Tsitsipas).

“This is something I definitely did not expect,” he told Tennis Australia. “It’s been a whirlwind of a year – I’ve enjoyed every second of it. I’ve just tried to keep improving each day, keep battling it out, keep fighting every single point. I’m super proud of my efforts.

Watch: Uncovered: De Minaur and Hewitt, a Perfect Combination

“I could not have done it without the great team of guys I’ve got around me. Starting with my coach Adolfo Gutierrez, who’s not here right now. My manager David Drysdale, Phil Bonney, and also got to thank Lleyton Hewitt, who’s been a great mentor of mine and has helped me out a lot, helped me really believe in myself and that I do belong here on the tour.”

De Minaur shared the honour with WTA player Ashleigh Barty, the first time in the award’s history (since 2010) it has been jointly awarded. John Millman, who reached a career-high No. 33 in October, and wheelchair tennis player Dylan Alcott were also nominated.

History has been made in 2018. The highest individual honour in Australian tennis is awarded to @alexdeminaur and @ashbar96 ? ? #Newks18 pic.twitter.com/ne3wuNXOxR

— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) November 26, 2018

Service Games Won

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Second-Serve Points Won

Return Games Won

Break Points Converted

First-Return Points Won

Second-Return Points Won

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).

MATCHES
Best ATP Matches Nos. 3-5

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.

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).

Broken just ONCE all week. pic.twitter.com/FwjOeKX4vm

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) November 25, 2018

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