Grigor Dimitrov produced a number of moments worthy of the highlight reel during a season filled with career milestones, including a year-end No. 3 finish in the Emirates ATP Rankings, triumph at the Nitto ATP Finals and his first ATP World Masters 1000 title at the Western & Southern Open. After six days of voting, fans gave Dimitrov another accolade, with his dive volley against Yuichi Sugita in the Cincinnati quarter-finals crowned the Masters 1000 Golden Hot Shot.

View Complete Results For Golden Hot Shot 

The hot shot finished as the overwhelming favourite in the poll, receiving 33 per cent of votes cast. Pablo Cuevas’s no-look winner against Alexander Zverev at the Mutua Madrid Open finished second in the voting with 13 per cent of votes, followed by Rafael Nadal and Dimitrov’s rally at the Rolex Shanghai Masters and Juan Martin del Potro’s tweener at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, which both received 12 per cent.

Re-live nine great hot shots from the season’s ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments:

Subscribe to our Hot Shot playlist, and watch match replays on TennisTV.

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPWorldTour.com revisits the five biggest Grand Slam upsets of 2017.

(5) Andrey Rublev d. Grigor Dimitrov 7-5, 7-6(3), 6-3 – US Open Second Round

Grigor Dimitrov had arrived, again. After reaching the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings in 2014, the Bulgarian was back among the elite this August and again a favourite to make a deep run at Grand Slams. A week before the US Open, Dimitrov had won his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. The seventh seed was a trendy pick to reach the second week in Flushing Meadows.

Read More: Rublev Honest After Tough Loss In Milan

But #NextGenATP Russian Andrey Rublev had been quietly building an impressive season, and the 19-year-old didn’t lie down for Dimitrov. Rublev fell behind a break in the first and second sets but came back in both sets, feeding Dimitrov a steady barrage of heavy forehands. He finished with 36 winners, including 23 on the forehand side. Rublev was also clutch on his serve, erasing eight of 10 break points.

The win was the Russian’s first Top 10 victory. He’d go to on reach the quarter-finals in New York (l. to eventual champion Nadal), becoming the youngest US Open quarter-finalist since Andy Roddick in 2003.

The run also solidified Rublev’s status as one of the top #NextGenATP players in the world. The right-hander later reached the final of the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals (l. to Chung).

(4) Daniil Medvedev d. Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 – Wimbledon First Round

Daniil Medvedev checked a number of boxes by beating Stan Wawrinka at SW19. Before playing fearlessly to beat the Swiss right-hander, the 21-year-old had never won a match at a Grand Slam, beaten a Top 5 player or even played a match at Wimbledon.

The #NextGenATP Russian picked the perfect setting for the career breakthrough: Centre Court. After splitting the first two sets with Wawrinka, Medvedev gained the crucial break at 5-4 to take the third set against the three-time Grand Slam champion.

In the fourth, the Russian rolled, hitting four aces and converting both break points to advance.

Wawrinka, who was eyeing a career Grand Slam at The Championships, has struggled at Wimbledon. But he was coming off a final run at Roland Garros and had brought on Pete Sampras’ former coach Paul Annacone to help as part of his coaching team during the grass-court swing.

But the Swiss star was also battling a knee injury. His match against Medvedev was his final contest of the 2017 season.

(3) Fernando Verdasco d. Alexander Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 – Roland Garros First Round

This was Alexander Zverev’s time to make a splash at a Grand Slam. The 6’6” right-hander had beaten Novak Djokovic for the Internazionali BNL d’Italia title in Rome weeks earlier. The win had given Zverev his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title and a spot in the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings at No. 10. The right-hander looked ready to battle deep into the second week of Grand Slam tournaments.

His first-round opponent, however, was no debutant. Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco had conquered bigger odds in the past – see his 2016 Australian Open first-round upset of Rafael Nadal – and Verdasco is never one to be intimidated against a higher-ranked player.

The 33-year-old broke the German eight times in the two-hour and 52-minute contest that spanned two days because of darkness. Play was suspended after two sets, and Zverev looked ready to take control of the match when play resumed, gaining a 3-1 lead in the third set.

But Verdasco fought back and broke the 20-year-old’s will, winning five of the third set’s final six games to lead two sets to one. The left-hander cruised in the fourth set to gain a 2-1 lead in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.

“Winning the third set gave me a lot of confidence… and I think it was hard for him on the other side, to start again and have to win two more sets,” Verdasco said.

The Spaniard, who was making his 56^th consecutive Grand Slam appearance, improved to 13-1 in Roland Garros first-round contests.

(2) Mischa Zverev d. Andy Murray 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 – Australian Open Fourth Round

It had been eight years since Andy Murray lost at the Australian Open before the quarter-finals. The Scot had reached the Melbourne final five of those times, a semi-final in 2012 and a quarter-final in 2014.

Throw in the fact that Murray had won 32 of his past 33 matches, dating back to his perfect 2016 finish, and you can easily see why the Brit was the heavy favourite during his fourth-round match against Mischa Zverev. But the German’s serve-and-volley game presents a different look for players, and Murray struggled all day against the aggressive left-hander, who was eager to make the most of his first Grand Slam fourth round appearance.

The German attacked the net 118 times against the top seed, winning 55 per cent of those points (65/118). He also mixed up his groundstrokes, slicing often to prevent Murray from gaining rhythm.

It didn’t matter how many times Zverev got passed at the net or how many times he missed a volley — the 29-year-old was committed to his game plan, and he never wavered.

“There was no Plan B, really,” he said. “I can’t stay on the baseline, a couple feet behind the baseline, try to out-rally him. He’s very strong physically. He has a good baseline game. I knew I had to come in. That was my only chance to win.”

The victory marked a successful turnaround for Zverev. In March 2015, he was No. 1,067 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. Less than two years later, he was playing in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open (l. to eventual champion Roger Federer).

(1) Denis Istomin d. Novak Djokovic 7-6(8), 5-7, 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 – Australian Open Second Round

The Serbian was The King of Melbourne. Novak Djokovic had won five of the past six Australian Open titles. The only year he didn’t win during that stretch – 2014 – the right-hander was knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual champion Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland.

In his most recent Grand Slam, the US Open, Djokovic also performed well, reaching the final in New York (l. to Wawrinka). Suffice to say, the Serbian was feeling good in the world’s biggest stadiums.

World No. 117 Denis Istomin, on the other hand, had never performed exceptionally well at Grand Slams. His best result had been two fourth-round runs – at 2012 Wimbledon and 2013 US Open.

But the wild card from Uzbekistan picked the right time to play the match of his life. As Djokovic acknowledged after the upset, Istomin did just simply outplay the World No. 2, playing bigger in the crucial moments and outrallying one of the most consistent players of all-time.

“All the credit to Denis for playing amazing,” Djokovic said. “He deserved to win. No doubt, he was a better player in the clutch moments. He stepped it up, played aggressive. Served very well, very precise. There’s not much I could do. Of course, I was not pleased with my performance overall. But I have to congratulate my opponent today.”

Istomin ended Djokovic’s 15-match win streak at Melbourne Park. The Serbian had only lost once to a player ranked outside of the Top 100 in the Emirates ATP Rankings during the past seven years – No. 145 Juan Martin del Potro in the opening round of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The stunner was Djokovic’s earliest loss at a Grand Slam championship since his 2008 Wimbledon second-round exit to Russian Marat Safin. The loss also marked the first time that Djokovic had gone three Grand Slam championships without picking up a title, since between 2013 Roland Garros and 2014 Wimbledon.

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPWorldTour.com revisits the top 5 ATP World Tour upsets of 2017.

(5) Vasek Pospisil d. Andy Murray 6-4, 7-6(5) – BNP Paribas Open Second Round

Vasek Pospisil has the game to beat the top players. In January 2014, he reached No. 25 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, and a year later, he was in the quarter-finals of The Championships, Wimbledon (l. to Murray). His serve-and-volley game can flummox the greatest.

So even though Pospisil had been beset with injuries and had a triple-digit number (No. 129) next to his name, the Canadian, who had recently started working with former doubles No. 1 Mark Woodforde, surely believed he could shock the BNP Paribas Open and knock off World No. 1 Andy Murray.

The Scot had never won the BNP Paribas Open title in Indian Wells, and he had suffered early setbacks in the past, falling in the second round three times (2006, 2011, 2012).

But, after a disappointing Australian Open, Murray looked determined to pen a new Indian Wells story for himself. He led 4-2 in the opener and was having little trouble with Pospisil’s big game, having broken the 6’4” right-hander in the fourth and sixth games.

But the Canadian came alive, winning six straight games to gain a set and a break lead. Pospisil was darting around the court, and the crowd was loving his aggressive, old-school style.

Murray rallied to force a second-set tie-break, but Pospisil stayed on offence and didn’t back away from the challenge, earning the biggest win of his career with a forehand winner. He tossed his racquet into the sky to celebrate.

“If I pick a handful of great moments in my career, this is definitely one of them,” Pospisil said. “To beat the No. 1 player and somebody as accomplished as Andy, one of the greats of the game, is amazing.”

(4) Damir Dzumhur d. Stan Wawrinka 7-6(4), 6-3 – Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships First Round

Defending champion Stan Wawrinka entered the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on a roll. The Swiss right-hander had fallen just short of reaching his fourth Grand Slam final at the Australian Open (l. to eventual champion Federer in five sets).

Wawrinka’s first-round match against Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia-Herzegovina in Dubai looked as if it’d be a “get-used-to-the-conditions” match. Wawrinka had a 3-0 lead after about eight minutes, and Dzumhur could hardly keep the ball in play. “Stan The Man” was blasting forehands from the centre of the court and teeing off on Dzumhur’s second serve.

But the 5’9” Bosnian chased down more balls and hoped Wawrinka would slow down, which eventually happened, and Dzumhur earned the biggest win of his career with some exhausting defence and clutch serving. “I was fighting. I was grinding,” Dzumhur said.

The career-best win at the time foreshadowed a career year for Dzumhur. He went on to win his first and second ATP World Tour titles (St. Petersburg, Moscow), becoming the first Bosnian to claim an ATP World Tour crown. At the start of the season, Dzumhur was No. 82 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. He will finish 2017 at a career-high No. 30.

(3) David Goffin d. Roger Federer 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 – Nitto ATP Finals Semi-final

You have to appreciate the honesty. The day before David Goffin celebrated the “best win” of his career, beating Roger Federer to reach the championship of the Nitto ATP Finals, the Belgian was asked what he planned to do differently against Federer.

The 26-year-old Goffin had never beaten the Swiss right-hander, coming up short in all six of their FedEx ATP Head2Head matchups, including a 6-1, 6-2 drubbing weeks earlier at the Swiss Indoors Basel.

What would Goffin do differently? He wasn’t sure. “Honestly, I don’t know what to do,” he said.

Goffin had been up and down at the Nitto ATP Finals. He upset World No. 1 Rafael Nadal but then, two days later, won only two games against Grigor Dimitrov. Goffin reached the semi-finals by beating fourth seed Dominic Thiem in a ‘win and you’re in’ round-robin match.

So which Goffin would show against Federer? Or maybe it didn’t matter which Goffin arrived, as all tournament, Federer had been clear about his intentions – a record-extending seventh Nitto ATP Finals title. The 36-year-old had finished Group Boris Becker play a perfect 3-0, and Federer was 16-0 against the other three semi-finalists – Goffin, Jack Sock of the U.S. and Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.

Exactly what Goffin did not want to happen – a repeat of their Basel matchup – looked like it was occurring in the first set. Federer was dominating, cutting shoestring volleys for winners and blistering backhands. But Goffin gradually relaxed and grew in confidence, and he forced a third set, where he had thrived all year.

He entered the semi-finals 21-5 in deciding sets, and even in one of the biggest arenas in tennis, Goffin held his nerve. He broke in the third game and served out the match on his first opportunity.

“As soon as I had the chance to go for the shot from the return and from the serve, [that] was the key, to go for the shot,” Goffin said.

He became the first player to beat the Top 2 players at the Nitto ATP Finals since 2009, when champion Nikolay Davydenko beat No. 2 Nadal in group play and No. 1 Federer in the semi-finals. The Belgian also became the sixth player ever to beat Nadal and Federer in the same tournament and the first since Novak Djokovic at the 2015 Nitto ATP Finals.

(2) Denis Shapovalov d. Rafael Nadal 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) – Coupe Rogers in Montreal Third Round

A long-awaited return to No. 1 was in Rafael Nadal’s sights, but an excited Canadian with wavy blonde hair had other ideas. Eighteen-year-old Denis Shapovalov had saved four match points in his Coupe Rogers opener to beat Brazil’s Rogerio Dutra Silva, and he had then dismissed Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro in straight sets for the biggest win of his life.

Nadal was his next opponent, but if the Spaniard were to beat Shapovalov and win one more match, the No. 1 spot in the Emirates ATP Rankings would be his for the first time in more than three years, since 6 June 2014.

The Spaniard started quicker, breaking routinely in the eighth game. Shapovalov, though, swung freely in the second set, attacking with his forehand to even the match. Both players held throughout the third, so they headed to one of the most dramatic moments in tennis: a third-set tie-break.

Nadal cruised to a 3/0 lead and looked as if he would finally pull away. But Shapovalov rallied, crushing another forehand winner on match point before falling to the ground in shock. He embraced Nadal at the net before kissing the court and blowing kisses to his thousands of red-and-white clad admirers in the crowd.

The Canadian became the youngest Masters 1000 quarter-finalist (since 1990) and the lowest-ranked player to reach a Masters 1000 quarter-final since No. 239 Ivo Karlovic at 2011 BNP Paribas Open. It had been 13 years since a player younger than the 18-year-old Shapovalov had beaten a Top 2 player during a completed match. Nadal, 17, beat No. 1 Roger Federer at the 2004 Miami Open presented by Itau.

(1) Evgeny Donskoy d. Roger Federer 3-6, 7-6(7), 7-6(5) – Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Third Round

Roger Federer had been perfect. The 36-year-old had shocked everyone and won seven straight matches to win his first tournament in six months, the Australian Open, beating four Top 10 players, including Rafael Nadal in the final, to capture his record 18^th Grand Slam title.

A month later, Federer headed to Dubai, where it looked like his successful comeback from knee surgery would continue. The Swiss right-hander had won seven titles and 10 consecutive matches in the United Arab Emirates. After beating Frenchman Benoit Paire, Federer faced World No. 116 Evgeny Donskoy in the third round.

Federer rolled through the first set and held match points at 6/4 and 7/6 in the second set tie-break. He was a swing away from making the quarter-finals.

But Donskoy fought them off and forced a third set. Surely, though, Federer would rebound in the third.

Federer broke in the sixth game and served for the match at 5-4. But again, Donskoy, who hadn’t reached a quarter-final since Moscow 2015, broke one of the greatest players of all time, and in the tie-break, the Russian delivered his best of the match.

Federer was in control at 5/2 with two serves to come. But in one of the wildest tie-breaks of 2017, World No. 116 Donskoy reeled off the final five points to prevail in just over two hours and pull off the biggest upset of the 2017 season. “I surprised everyone today,” Donskoy said.

Federer perhaps summed up best what his fans were thinking on the day his perfect season ended. “I don’t know how it got away,” he said. “So many chances, it was crazy.”

Some players start their off-season on a quiet court with their coaches and trainers. Other players prefer a crowd.

Juan Martin del Potro started his preseason activities on Saturday under a sunny sky and in front of more than 1,000 fans in Posta Natural in Tandil, Argentina. Delpo invited his fans via Twitter, asking them to come watch his practice and donate non-perishable food for the Fundación Banco de Alimentos de Tandil.

Watch Del Potro Launch His 2017 Preseason

Los espero el sábado! ☺ pic.twitter.com/AhIfm44Ugf

— Juan M. del Potro (@delpotrojuan) December 8, 2017

“The idea was to give back to Tandil a bit of the love and support that I receive throughout the year and to help out the foundation ‘Banco de Alimentos’. It was an amazing day and everyone had a great time,” Del Potro said.

Fans appreciated the opportunity, cheering after every rally between Del Potro and his sparring partner Alejo Prado. Del Potro will open his 2018 season at the ASB Classic in Auckland and will compete at the Australian Open for the first time since 2014. The 29-year-old Del Potro finished 2017 at No. 11 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

GRACIAS TANDIL ?? pic.twitter.com/pU75yQrAp0

— Juan M. del Potro (@delpotrojuan) December 9, 2017

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPWorldTour.com reflects on the storylines that shaped the ATP Challenger Tour in 2017

Oh, Canada! Teens Capture Headlines
The Canadian conquest of the Emirates ATP Rankings has begun. Two of the nation’s native sons – Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime – made great progress in their ascent with breakthrough performances on the ATP Challenger Tour. 

While Shapovalov immediately became a household name with his fairytale runs at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal and US Open, he credits his earlier Challenger victories in Drummondville and Gatineau for later giving him the confidence on the big stages. The 18-year-old did not drop a set in claiming his maiden title in Drummondville in March, a result that was the catalyst for his spellbinding 2017 campaign that included an appearance in the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals. Shapovalov enjoyed one of the biggest jumps to the Top 100 this year, soaring 199 spots to No. 51.

The left-hander may have snatched the spotlight, but it was his countryman Auger-Aliassime who etched his name in the record books. The Montreal native became the eighth-youngest winner in Challenger history with his maiden title in Lyon, France, in June. He was the first 16-year-old winner since Bernard Tomic in 2009.

Auger-Aliassime, who vaulted 439 spots to No. 162 in the Emirates ATP Rankings in 2017, was one of just three teenagers to win multiple crowns, along with Shapovalov and Frances Tiafoe. At age 17 years and one month, Auger-Aliassime’s title in Sevilla, Spain, made him the second-youngest player to do so in Challenger history. Only Richard Gasquet was younger when he lifted his second trophy, in 2003. Futhermore, the Canadian joined Gasquet, Rafael Nadal and Lleyton Hewitt as the youngest players to break into the Top 200 in the past 20 years. 

But while Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime found immediate success as teenagers, countryman Filip Peliwo, a former junior star, finally broke through for his maiden title at age 23. Vancouver native Peliwo won as a qualifier in Knoxville in November, five years after ascending to junior No. 1 and reaching the final of all four junior Grand Slams. Success did not come immediately for the Tecnifibre player, but the wait was well worth it, as he finished 2017 at a career-high No. 184.

Junior Stars Make Transition Look Easy
The transition from the junior ranks to the professional level is often fraught with growing pains, as players’ developing skills are tested against elite competition. But the youngest of today’s #NextGenATP stars are making it look easy. At the end of the 2016 season, Miomir Kecmanovic was the No. 1 junior, with Stefanos Tsitsipas, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Yibing Wu and Nicola Kuhn in the Top 10 of the ITF’s year-end rankings. One year later, the entire group have tasted victory on the ATP Challenger Tour.

Remarkably, six different players aged 18-and-under lifted trophies in 2017, with Auger-Aliassime, junior champion at last year’s US Open, the youngest of the group. Kuhn, 17, became the second-youngest titlist with a title as a qualifier in Braunschweig, Germany, in July. The Spaniard, who was born in Austria and has a German father and Russian mother, is up 548 spots in the Emirates ATP Rankings to No. 241. He is the youngest from Spain to win a title since Rafael Nadal in 2003.

Challenger Chronicles: Shapovalov | Tsitsipas

Tsitsipas, Wu and Kecmanovic picked up the momentum in September and October. Tsitsipas became just the third player from Greece to lift an ATP Challenger Tour trophy, in Genova, Italy, while Wu prevailed on home soil in Shanghai just days after claiming the US Open boys’ crown. Kecmanovic, meanwhile, became the youngest from Serbia to capture a Challenger crown since Novak Djokovic in 2005, winning in Suzhou, China.

Tsitsipas cracked the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings at No. 91, while Wu soared 621 spots to No. 305 and Kecmanovic is up 599 spots to No. 207.

Youngest Winners In 2017

Challenger Stars Translate Success To ATP World Tour
The ATP Challenger Tour is the launching pad for the stars of tomorrow of the ATP World Tour. Regardless of age, players are plotting their ascent at the Challenger level and the 2017 season saw a bevy of success stories.

Few journeys were as impressive than that of Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic, who won a tour-leading five titles before storming to his first ATP World Tour final as a qualifier at the Rolex Paris Masters. It was just his second tour-level event of the year. Krajinovic overcame wrist and shoulder injuries to rise 203 spots in the Emirates ATP Rankings to a year-end position of No. 34. 

“It was my goal to play Challengers this year and get some confidence for the ATP World Tour,” said Krajinovic. “I didn’t expect to win five titles from five finals, but I believe that if I didn’t do well in the Challengers, I would not have the confidence here in Paris. I’m proud and happy for that.”

Also jumping more than 200 spots to the Top 100 was Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, who won a pair of titles before storming to the second round of the US Open as a qualifier, in his comeback from multiple surgeries. He also reached his first ATP World Tour quarter-final in five years on the clay of Geneva. 

Ryan Harrison, Yuichi Sugita and Damir Dzumhur all went one step further in hoisting trophies on both the ATP Challenger Tour and the ATP World Tour, en route to the Top 50. Harrison became the first player to win a Challenger title and then a tour-level crown in consecutive tournaments since David Goffin in 2014.

Americans on the Ascent
Serbia and the United States both boasted a tour-leading 12 titlists this year, and most impressively, nine different champions emerged from the American contingent. From #NextGenATP stars Frances Tiafoe, Michael Mmoh, Stefan Kozlov and Noah Rubin, to veterans Tennys Sandgren, Tim Smyczek and Ryan Harrison, and first-time winners Kevin King and Mackenzie McDonald, the U.S. was well represented in 2017. 

Tiafoe went back-to-back on the green clay of Sarasota and red dirt of Aix-en-Provence, while Sandgren made his Top 100 debut soon after winning the title in Savannah. Also, Smyczek completed a 12-1 finish to the season with trophies in Charlottesville and Champaign, securing a main draw wild card into the 2018 Australian Open.

The German Generation
Alexander Zverev may be the talk of German tennis these days, but the 20-year-old is part of a bigger tennis movement in his homeland. Germany celebrated 10 winners on the ATP Challenger Tour this year, with Stebe (see above) joined by Maximilian Marterer as three-time champions. Marterer, aged 22, broke into the Top 100 with a 21-3 Challenger run to conclude the season, claiming titles on clay, hard and carpet. 

Yannick Hanfmann and Oscar Otte, meanwhile, completed remarkable runs to the Top 150, having posted a combined 3-16 record in Challenger main draws entering the year. Hanfmann won his maiden title on home soil in Ismaning and was runner-up at the ATP World Tour 250 in Gstaad, while Otte lifted his first trophy in Lisbon.

Other Germans celebrating victories were Peter Gojowczyk, champion in Happy Valley, Australia, and at the ATP World Tour stop in Metz, and Matthias Bachinger, who returned to the winners’ circle for the first time in six years after undergoing knee surgery.

Jason Kubler: Comeback Story Of The Year
Even the best Hollywood screenwriters couldn’t have scripted a week like Jason Kubler had in Traralgon, Australia. After sitting on the sidelines for more than a year due to injury, Kubler claimed the title on home soil in what was his first ATP Challenger Tour event since July 2015. It was a fairytale week for the Aussie, who came through qualifying to prevail over countryman Alex Bolt in the final, saving one match point after two hours and 28 minutes.

Kubler’s victory is nothing short of astounding considering it came on hard courts. The 24-year-old, a former junior No. 1, has endured a career of knee issues that have allowed him to compete only on clay, preferring the softer conditions. In fact, he had never played a Challenger match on hard entering the week. Kubler upset third seed Taro Daniel and second seed Matthew Ebden – both in straight sets – en route to the championship. He climbed 726 spots to No. 337 in the year-end Emirates ATP Rankings.

Aussie comebacks became a theme on the ATP Challenger Tour this year, with Matthew Ebden and John Millman also returning from injury. Ebden was the biggest mover to the Top 100, rising 619 spots to No. 76 in his return from knee surgery. He won late season titles in both Canberra, Australia and Toyota, Japan. Millman lifted the trophy in Hua Hin, Thailand, in his return after undergoing groin surgery, rising to a year-end position of No. 128 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

Read: In The Gym With Millman In Ho Chi Minh City

All Eyes On Braunschweig For Inaugural Global Challenger Workshop
The ATP Challenger Tour turned its attention to Braunschweig, Germany, in July as the ATP welcomed representatives from tournaments and national federations throughout the world for the inaugural Global Challenger Workshop. With the goal of making the burgeoning circuit even stronger, the forum fostered an open dialogue between tournaments and ATP staff. 

The two days of collaboration and integration of ideas also included the awards presentation for 2016 ATP Challenger Tournaments of the Year. The Sparkassen Open in Braunschweig and Pekao Szczecin Open in Szczecin, Poland, were acknowledged for their passion and commitment to growing the game at the Challenger level.

Global Game
With singles titlists from 41 different countries, including a first-time winner from El Salvador (Marcelo Arevalo), players from all corners of the globe tasted success on the ATP Challenger Tour. But the global game wasn’t limited to the players. The 2017 season featured a total of 155 tournaments in 40 countries and territories, including the return of Challenger tennis to Portugal. After a four-year absence, the European nation hosted the Lisboa Belem Open in the capital of Lisbon. With the goal of bringing exposure to the game in various locales throughout the world, the circuit continues to expand and grow.

Read: Challenger Tennis Returns To Portugal | India Builds Momentum

Tournaments Celebrate Milestones
Four of the longest-running tournaments on the ATP Challenger Tour celebrated milestone editions this year. The hard-court events in Aptos, U.S.A., and Istanbul, Turkey, welcomed players and fans for the 30th time, while the clay-court tournaments in Szczecin, Poland, and Scheveningen, Netherlands, enjoyed 25th anniversaries. With world-class player fields, vibrant atmospheres and packed crowds, the events continue to set the standard on the Challenger circuit.

Read Tributes: Aptos Celebrates 30 Years | Szczecin Shines | Community, Culture & Clay At The Hague Open

Latin America in Focus
Marcelo Arevalo’s maiden title in Bogota put tennis in El Salvador on the map, and the trend continued across Latin America in 2017. Victor Estrella Burgos prevailed on home soil in front of legions of passionate fans in Santo Domingo, and it was a party all week in Montevideo as Pablo Cuevas triumphed at the Uruguay Open. Meanwhile, 22-year-old Nicolas Jarry gave the home fans in Santiago, Chile, plenty to cheer for as their rising star lifted the trophy in November. Cuevas and Jarry’s victories were an integral part of the eight-week South American swing that capped the season, weaving through seven different countries. With tournaments in Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and Uruguay, the swing brings exposure to tennis in the sports-crazed region.

Read: Spotlight On South America On The ATP Challenger Tour

Legends Give Back
Each and every ATP World Tour star has gotten his start on the ATP Challenger Tour. It is a right of passage for all players, and many legends of the game returned to their roots this year, visiting various tournaments throughout the world. In France, Sebastien Grosjean and Nicolas Escude served as tournament ambassadors at the Open d’Orleans, while Guy Forget and Arnaud Clement attended the Open Sopra Steria de Lyon. At the inaugural event in nearby Sophia Antipolis, Andy Murray presented countryman Aljaz Bedene with the singles trophy.

Outside of Europe, former World No. 2 Petr Korda played an exhibition at the Sarasota Open, while his 17-year-old son Sebastian Korda competed in his first Challenger main draw. The junior star is looking to carve his own path as he makes the transition to the pros. In South America, Chilean legends Fernando Gonzalez and Nicolas Massu took in the action in Santiago. Meanwhile, in both Pune and Bangalore, India, Rohan Bopanna paid a visit to the two Challenger events in his home country.