Novak Djokovic has posted an open letter on his official website detailing the mental and physical issues he has had to overcome to win a fourth Wimbledon title at The Championships on Sunday.

The Serbian, who returned to the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings on Monday with his 13th Grand Slam championships crown, revealed the doubts he had about returning to his peak performance days after suffering a six-month injury layoff last year.

“In 2017, the injury of my right elbow was so severe that I was forced to be out from the Tour for six months. Injury was one of the issues, the other big one was any motivation. I didn’t have problems to practice and to enjoy the tennis court but I had mental hurdles when I had to compete.

“One day I will share more in depth what kind of challenges I had to face and how I felt.

“For the past two years, I wasn’t patient with my tennis expectations. I wasn’t wise in strategising. And I certainly wasn’t clearly hearing my body telling me that there is something serious happening with my elbow. I was trying to find solutions somewhere else and solution was always inside of me.

“After many changes made with training, racket, team members, I didn’t know if I would be able to get back on the desired level of tennis. Actually, one part of me always believes in my own qualities and capabilities. But there was a lot of doubtful moments where course of action could have gone different ways.”

Djokovic, who beat World No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals at Wimbledon, overcame Kevin Anderson in the final and afterwards witnessed his son, Stefan, come into the players box on Centre Court to celebrate the victory. He also paid tribute to his wife, Jelena, and children, in the open letter.

“The feeling of having my son in my wife’s arms at the trophy ceremony in the Players box was the most wonderful sensation I have had at any tournament that I have ever won in my career.

“When I became a father, one of my biggest dreams was to have my children present at the stands while I am playing. Let alone winning trophies. That dream came true several days ago. Everyone keeps on asking me to describe the feeling. I have said it is unforgettable, special, fulfilling, wonderful, joyful. But most of all, it is Magical! When I thought that moment could not get any better, he shouted “Daddy, Daddy!” That’s when I completely melted. Overwhelmed with emotions. Happy and joyful beyond belief. I am so GRATEFUL to have experienced that.”

Read The Full Open Letter On Djokovic’s Official Website

After six months of the 2018 ATP World Tour season, there’s already a plethora of storylines to track. Here are the top five stories of the second quarter.

Nadal Proves His No. 1 Status
Rafael Nadal swept through the European clay swing once more, dealing with the pressure and weight of expectation so well to compile a 32-2 match record – including the 900th match win of his career – in the second quarter of the year.

While his red dirt dominance is nothing new, the Spaniard strengthened his lead at the top of the ATP Race To London, for one of eight spots at the Nitto ATP Finals in November, with four clay-court titles — historic 11th crowns at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (d. Nishikori), the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (d. Tsitsipas) and Roland Garros (d. Thiem), in addition to an eighth trophy at the Internazionali d’Italia (d. Djokovic). In beating Juan Martin del Potro 7-5, 6-7(7), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 at Wimbledon, Nadal won a match for the ages to advance to semi-finals for the first time since 2011.

As World No. 1 for 40 of the past 46 weeks (since 21 August 2017), Nadal has withstood Roger Federer’s three brief stints in the top spot this year, and will enter the North American hard-court swing defending 2,270 points, including 2,000 points at the US Open. How the 32-year-old fares at the Western & Southern Open, the Rogers Cup and in New York City will go a long way in clarifying whether he will finish at year-end No. 1 for a fifth time (2008, ’10, ’13, ’17).

The Resurgence Of Djokovic
As Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka continue to find their way back from long-term injuries, the rehabilitation and resurgence of Novak Djokovic in recent months, initially on European clay and then on London’s grass, after a right elbow injury, is heart-warming.

Having missed six months of 2017, and forced to undergo surgery after the Australian Open (l. to Chung in the fourth round) in January, the Serbian protected his elbow with a new service technique and went 6-6 in his first six tournaments. Yet, the 31-year-old’s confidence began to resurface in reaching the Internazionali BNL d’Italia (l. to Nadal in the semi-finals), then at Roland Garros, where he advanced to the quarter-finals (l. to Cecchinato).

It wasn’t until he contested the Fever-Tree Championships final (l. to Cilic) that Djokovic began to serve and return with greater potency. With low expectations coming into The Championships at Wimbledon, particularly because of a lack of big-match play, Djokovic moved through the draw, relatively unheralded for a former champion, to beat Nadal 10-8 in the fifth set in the semi-finals and then Kevin Anderson in the final. It was his 13th Grand Slam championship crown (fourth all-time in the singles list) and first since May 2016 in Paris.

From No. 22 in ATP Rankings on 21 May — his lowest position since No. 22 on 2 October 2006 — Djokovic has put together a 19-3 match record in his past four tournaments and was restored to the Top 10 at No. 10 on 16 July.

Anderson, Isner Enjoying Career Years
Anderson and John Isner, both at career-high ATP Rankings, are highlighting how off-court work can reap dividends between the tramlines in 2018. As evidenced in Anderson’s 26-24 fifth set win over Isner in the Wimbledon semi-finals, which lasted six hours and 36 minutes — the second-longest match in major championship history.

Anderson, 32, has backed up strong early-season form over the past three months to reach his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final — and first on a clay-court — at the Mutua Madrid Open (l. to Schwartzman), the Roland Garros fourth round for the fourth time (also 2013-14 and 2017) and his second Grand Slam championship final at Wimbledon (d. Djokovic). Currently at a career-high No. 5 in the ATP Rankings, the South African will now work with coach Brad Stine towards adding to his four ATP World Tour crowns and a first Nitto ATP Finals qualification, following a near miss in 2015.

Isner, 33, who lifted his first Masters 1000 crown at the Miami Open presented by Itau (d. Zverev) on 1 April, went 8-6 on the spring clay swing and came into Wimbledon with low expectations, having reached the third round (on three occasions) in nine visits. But, under the guidance of David Macpherson, Rene Moller and Justin Gimelstob, the American adopted aggressive returns and a serve-and-volley game, to beat 2016 runner-up Raonic in the quarter-finals en route to a breakthrough run at a major. He now sits at a career-high No. 8.

ATP Race To London Taking Shape
Six of the Top 10 in the ATP Race To London on 2 April 2018, remain among the contenders for a spot at the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at The O2 in London from 11-18 November. While Nadal and Federer lead the charge for a place at the season finale, 10 different nations are represented in the Top 10 (as of 16 July 2018).

Djokovic has been the biggest riser over the past three months, jumping from 85th position (200 points) to fifth place (3,335) points in the current standings, while Nadal has moved from 39th (360) to first (5,760) and Kei Nishikori has soared from 74th (235) to 10th (1,610). Federer, who missed the clay swing, added 910 points from three grass-court tournaments.

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2018 ATP RACE TO LONDON FIRST, SECOND QUARTER COMPARISON

Twelve months ago, following the conclusion of The Championships in 2017, Nadal, Federer, Dominic Thiem, Wawrinka, Marin Cilic, Zverev, Djokovic, Murray, Grigor Dimitrov and Tomas Berdych made up the Top 10 in the ATP Race To London. Seven of that elite group secured enough points to qualify for the prestigious season finale (Wawrinka did not compete due to injury).

Zverev, Tsitsipas, Shapovalov Among 2018 #NextGenATP Leaders
Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Denis Shapovalov are the pick of the #NextGenATP so far this season. Tsitsipas and Shapovalov, both 19, trail Zverev in the ATP Race To Milan for a berth at the 21-and-under Next Gen ATP Finals in November.

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World No. 3 Zverev put together a 21-4 record on the red dirt, including a 13-match winning streak that included back-to-back ATP World Tour crowns at the BMW Open by FWU (d. Kohlschreiber) and the Mutua Madrid Open (d. Thiem). His run ended at the hands of Nadal in a three-set Rome final, shortly prior to Roland Garros, where the 21-year-old reached his first major championship quarter-final (l. to Thiem).

Tsitsipas did not drop a set en route to his first ATP World Tour final in Barcelona (l. to Nadal), earning the biggest win of his career over No. 7-ranked Thiem in the quarter-finals. He was the first Greek to reach a tour-level final since Kalogeropoulos at Des Moines in 1973, and the first man from his country to advance to the fourth-round at Wimbledon (l. to Isner). He also beat Anderson en route to the Millennium Estoril Open semi-finals (l to Sousa).

Over the past three months, Shapovalov became the youngest quarter-finalist and semi-finalist ever in Madrid (d. Raonic in 3R, l. to A. Zverev) and peaked at World No. 23 on 11 June. He is the youngest player in the Top 25 since then-No. 19 Gasquet on 25 July 2005 and has been Canada’s No. 1 since 21 May after reaching the Rome third round (l. to Nadal).

Americans Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz, Australia’s Alex de Minaur, Spain’s Jaume Munar and Russia’s Andrey Rublev also feature among the Top 8 in the battle for a Milan spot.

When Ramkumar Ramanathan was young, he was like many children from India. He would visit the Chennai Open — now the Tata Open Maharashtra, held in Pune — to watch some of his country’s national heroes, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, for example.

It was always a fun experience to watch Paes, who captured the title in Chennai six times. Ramanathan took a picture with Bhupathi at the tournament nearly 20 years ago, a memento he keeps on his phone today.

That young boy in Chennai would have never guessed who was in the players’ area to congratulate him after the 23-year-old World No. 161 defeated Canadian Vasek Pospisil on Thursday at the Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open to reach his first ATP World Tour semi-final. After making the minute-long walk from Bill Talbert Stadium Court, there was Paes, who was waiting to compete on that same court next.

“He said ‘Well done and keep your chin up and keep going’,” Ramanathan told ATPWorldTour.com. “He’s always giving me confidence on and off the court. We go out, and there’s always a talk about tennis, stuff outside tennis. You feel comfortable, that’s what you want off court. You don’t want to think about matches and he’s really good at that.”

In fact, Paes and Ramanathan have spent plenty of time together while in Newport, whether at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, or off the court. In both cases, Ramanathan — once a young boy who dreamt of meeting the Indian star — is benefitting from the mentorship of one of his country’s tennis icons.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Ramanathan told ATPWorldTour.com. “I never thought this would happen, but I just kept working hard and just kept pushing myself through the tough times and just kept believing in myself and that’s what’s gotten me to spend time with all the guys like Leander and all the top players. I saw them on TV playing Grand Slams and stuff and now I’m with them, so it’s a good feeling.”

Ramanathan is coached by Emilio Sanchez and trains out of the Sanchez-Casal Tennis Academy in Barcelona. But with them not being on-site this week, Paes and his coach, Mark Wirth, have been happy to help out.

“I’m really proud of Ram because he works very hard. He’s got a big game. He’s got a lot of skills,” Paes said. “For me, it’s just about mentoring him and simplifying his tennis.”

Ramanathan arrived in Rhode Island having lost five consecutive matches at all levels. But Paes is not surprised by his compatriot’s performance.

“I’ve seen that he’s had a lot of tough matches. He’s lost some really close matches, played some tough opponents and when we came here to Newport, I saw he had a great chance in the draw. It was just a matter of simplifying a few things in his game to maximise his talent,” Paes said. “I’m really proud of him. I always choose to give encouragement through positivity. Everybody’s out here with such high-quality tennis, such physicality. The margins between winning or losing are so small. It could just be one break point, it could be one shot in one point, especially on the grass here in Newport.”

The rising Indian is looking to make his mark on the grass 20 years after Paes earned his lone ATP World Tour singles title in Newport. He’s certainly off to a good start, and will play another first-time semi-finalist, Tim Smyczek, for a spot in Sunday’s championship match.

“I’m very happy for the win,” Ramanathan said. “I just have to keep going match by match and keep trying for every point.”

Just one week ago, Tim Smyczek lost in the first round of an ATP Challenger Tour event in Winnetka Illinois, relinquishing a 6-1, 3-1 lead and failing to convert three match points against Tommy Paul. But how quickly things can change.

Now, after defeating Jason Jung at the Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open, Smyczek is into his first ATP World Tour semi-final. ATPWorldTour.com caught up with the American after the match to provide some insight into more firsts in his career.

First pinch-me moment on the ATP World Tour

Probably when I was playing at the US Open in 2013. I was in a fifth set against Marcel Granollers, and the crowd was on its feet chanting ‘U-S-A’. That was pretty cool. I definitely paused and tried to soak that in.

First coach and most important lesson she taught me
My very first tennis coach was a guy named Gene Loughrin up in Milwaukee. He really tried to teach me just to have fun with tennis. Every lesson that we ever had was just so much fun. That’s really the most important thing I was able to take away from him. He really helped me love the game.

First time I was recognised
I don’t know about the first time, but the last time was at a grocery store. It was really odd, because it wasn’t at a tournament or anything, so I really wasn’t expecting it. I think it was in Tampa, Florida.

First time I travelled abroad
It was to Italy for Under 16 tournaments a long time ago.

First concert I visited
Dave Matthews in Madison, Wisconsin. I would have been 16.

First prize money purchase
My first prize money was like $100, so I couldn’t really get far with it.

First autograph I signed
When I was 14 I did a clinic with some even younger kids, and their parents told them to ask for my autograph. I don’t really know why.

First autograph I asked for
My parents used to take me to the RCA Championships in Indianapolis. I couldn’t tell you who it was, but it was there.

First pet
I had a hamster when I was little named Buckbeak.

Fifth seed Fernando Verdasco is one step away from reaching the SkiStar Swedish Open final for the third time (2013, 2016) after coming through an all-Spanish encounter against Pablo Carreno Busta 6-2, 6-2 over 85 minutes on Friday.

Verdasco broke for a 3-1 lead, then saved three break points in the next game of the first set. He also broke Carreno Busta’s serve in the first and seventh games of the second set for his 20th match win of the season (20-17). “I think I played my best match so far in Bastad,” said Verdasco. “I knew it was going to be a really difficult match, as Pablo beat me in Miami this year and also in Basel a couple of years ago. “

He will now prepare to meet third-seeded Italian Fabio Fognini in Saturday’s semi-finals. World No. 15 Fognini, who knocked out Federico Delbonis of Argentina 6-4, 6-3 in 81 minutes, earned his sixth ATP World Tour crown in February at the Brasil Open (d. Jarry). Verdasco leads Fognini 4-2 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series (including a 3-0 mark on clay).

Fourth-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet defeated #NextGenATP Norwegian wild card Casper Ruud 7-6(4), 6-2 in one hour and 36 minutes. “He had some chances to break in the first set, but once I won that I was more confident,” said Gasquet, who captured his 15th ATP World Tour trophy at the Libema Open (d. Chardy) last month.

Gasquet will next face Swiss lucky loser Henri Laaksonen, who recovered from 2-4 down in the deciding set to beat Simone Bolelli, an Italian qualifier, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 in one hour and 54 minutes.

Peralta/Zeballos Reach Doubles Final
Second seeds Julio Peralta and Horacio Zeballos lost just eight of their service points to sweep past Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner 6-3, 6-2 in 53 minutes for a place in the doubles final. Peralta and Zeballos move into their eighth ATP World Tour team final (4-3). They await the winners of top seeds Max Mirnyi and Philipp Oswald versus Bolelli and Fognini.

Tim Smyczek, in his 13^th year of professional tennis, will play in his first tour-level semi-final at the Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open in Newport. The 30-year-old American beat wild card Jason Jung of Chinese Taipei 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 on Thursday to make the last four at the season’s final grass-court tournament.

“Winning a few in a row is nice. The confidence grows. It’s nice to be able to build on some of the things that I did well in my earlier rounds,” Smyczek said.

Smyczek will meet another first-time tour-level semi-finalist in Indian Ramkumar Ramanathan. The 23-year-old from Chennai beat Canadian Vasek Pospisil 7-5, 6-2 in 78 minutes. Ramanathan saved both break points faced against Pospisil, who upset second seed Mischa Zverev of Germany on Wednesday.