Continuing our Season-In-Review series, ATPWorldTour.com revisits the fiercest rivalries of 2017. Today we feature Grigor Dimitrov vs. David Goffin

What makes a rivalry — is it the mix of playing styles or personalities, the intensity of each battle or something different? In 2017, two perennial grafters with great potential clashed on five occasions, improving both tactically and mentally for year-end Top 10 finishes in the Emirates ATP Rankings. While Grigor Dimitrov beat David Goffin in four of their five FedEx ATP Head2Head series meetings this year, the statistic as read is too simplistic to be dismissed as one-sided — a non-rivalry. For while Dimitrov and Goffin are never going to relentlessly overpower an opponent, the fluency of their games and the risks they take under pressure in their pursuit of victory made them leading players of the 2017 season.

When Dimitrov reached the 2014 Wimbledon semi-finals, to first break into the Top 10, the achievement was heralded. Here was a former junior World No. 1, finally making his mark, a disruptor to the established order. But the potential threat failed to materialise and he dropped outside of the Top 40. In 2017 and under the guidance of Dani Vallverdu, Dimitrov got off to a 16-1 start — the best record of any player. “There is no hiding from the Australian sun, and when the new season begins you see who has been working and who hasn’t when you come out of the garage,” said Dimitrov, who certainly justified his off-season statement.

In the space of four weeks, Dimitrov and Goffin — both 26 years of age — faced off three times. First there was the Australian Open quarter-finals, a nerve-wracking affair that Dimitrov won 6-3, 6-2, 6-4; then, two weeks later, the Garanti Koza Sofia Open final, when, under enormous pressure on home soil, the Bulgarian collapsed to his knees and burst into tears after a 7-5, 6-4 win. Goffin exacted revenge five days later 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament quarter-finals, playing throughout with great aggression.

Goffin, at 150lbs and one of the lightest players on the ATP World Tour, harking back to the weights of Michael Chang, Lleyton Hewitt and Gilles Simon in their playing primes, had finished 2016 at a year-end No. 11. So the calibre of the Belgian, the consistent threat he posed, was a known factor. But this year, upon overcoming an ankle injury in a freak accident at Roland Garros, his performances were laced with aggressive intent, a willingness to step into the court — particularly on his backhand wing – and hit his serve with greater power. The new approach, backed by his coach Thierry Van Cleemput, resulted in back-to-back ATP World Tour titles at the Shenzhen Open and his first 500-level event at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2017 in Tokyo. And, just like Dimitrov, who had won his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title at the Western & Southern Open in August, the reward for a career-best season was a much-deserved spot at the elite eight-player Nitto ATP Finals in London.

By the time of their fourth meeting of 2017, at the Nitto ATP Finals, Dimitrov had recorded a debut round-robin win against Dominic Thiem 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 at The O2, while Goffin had opened his season finale account with a first victory over World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, albeit hindered by a knee injury, 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-4. A semi-final berth at the Nitto ATP Finals was up for grabs and both players were full of confidence, yet Dimitrov blitzed Goffin in an eagerly-anticipated clash, 6-0, 6-2 in 74 minutes. “It’s a special win for me,” said Dimitrov, who won the first 10 games. “You get a few days out of the year that whatever you touch turns to gold, and that was the first set. My movement was great, I was reading the game really well and believing in my shots.”

It was a signal of intent for Dimitrov, who afterwards admitted, “I am not here just to participate”. Goffin soon recovered with victories over Dominic Thiem, then Roger Federer in the semi-finals. He had been 0-6 against the Swiss superstar, including a 6-1, 6-2 loss in the semi-finals of the Swiss Indoors Basel three weeks earlier and prior to the semi-final, Goffin had admitted, “Honestly, I don’t know what to do tomorrow.” The Belgian did some quick thinking and shocked Federer 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 to become only the sixth player to beat Nadal and Federer at the same tournament. What next? Dimitrov, four days on from that thumping loss.

The size of the prize and the opportunity to hold aloft the Nitto ATP Finals trophy guaranteed nerves aplenty in the final, but also terrific drama in front of a capacity crowd of 18,000 fans in east London. Dimitrov and Goffin were at their athletic and resilient best, yet once Dimitrov saved four break points in the first game of the deciding set, Goffin was visibly tired, but continued to fight. Dimitrov ultimately claimed the biggest title of his career 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 to follow in the footsteps of Spain’s Alex Corretja, who won the title on his debut in 1998. The fifth and final match of their 2017 series was perhaps their finest, showing the desire and mental fortitude, potential and threat both World No. 3 Dimitrov and No. 7-ranked Goffin possess, and, importantly, can inflict at the top of the sport next season.

View FedEx ATP Head2Head (Dimitrov leads 5-1)

Dimitrov vs. Goffin: 2017 Meetings

A couple weeks after announcing his retirement from professional tennis, Radek Stepanek already has a new gig: coach to Novak Djokovic. The pair broke the news Thursday on Instagram Live. 

“I’m ready to go,” said Stepanek to Djokovic on the split screen as they spoke to each other from their phones. “Where are you?” Djokovic asked, before opening a door to reveal the recently retired Czech on the other side. “All right guys, this is the new team, baby!” said Djokovic.

Stepanek joins Andre Agassi on the Serbian’s coaching team, and will be working with Djokovic in Monte Carlo as he prepares for the 2018 season. Djokovic is scheduled to return to the court at the season-opening Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, where he is a two-time defending champion, after being sidelined since Wimbledon with a right elbow injury.  

“Radek is one of my very close friends on the tour and I was always impressed with his level of determination, passion and love for the sport,” Djokovic posted in a statement on his website. “He has lot of experience and knowledge, and he has played on a high level for many years. I am excited to join our forces together and cannot wait to compete again having a new team to back me up.

“On Andre’s suggestion I pursued Radek, therefore I am sure the two of them will work well together. The new season is about to start and there is a long way to go back to where I left off. We are aware that I need to go step by step, not hurrying anything. I feel much better now, and I can’t wait to play matches again.”

The 38-year-old Stepanek had stated upon his retirement that he planned to stay in tennis, and he looked ahead to his new collaboration with Djokovic.

“I’m honoured to be a new member of Novak’s team,” said Stepanek, who ranked in the Top 10 of both the singles and doubles Emirates ATP Rankings. “It is a new and exciting challenge for me, which I’m looking forward to and I believe that as a team we can help Nole to reach his goals. As longtime friends off the tennis court, I believe that our friendship and similar views will translate onto the court as well, and we will share some memorable moments together.”

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPWorldTour.com revisits the fiercest rivalries of 2017. Today we feature Rafael Nadal vs. Grigor Dimitrov.

They are two of the most exciting players to watch on the ATP World Tour. No one fights harder and for longer than Rafael Nadal, who always engages the crowd with his patented “¡Vamos!” shouts and left-handed upper cuts. It’s as if Nadal, the master of the mental game, is seeking a body blow to his opponent when he delivers the fan-favourite celebration.

But few players leave you in awe when they’re in the zone as Grigor Dimitrov does. The Bulgarian’s one-handed backhand will have you writing “Did you see that?” texts to friends, and his do-everything game gives him the chance to compete for “Big Titles”, as he first did in 2014, reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals and beating defending champion Andy Murray along the way.

But when Nadal and Dimitrov faced off in the first of their three 2017 FedEx ATP Head2Head matchups, all of which went the distance, it was a surprise meeting of sorts, considering the stage – the Australian Open semi-finals – and what both had been through during the past year.

Just three months before the season’s first Grand Slam tournament, Nadal couldn’t even comfortably rally on court. In what seems unbelievable now, in mid-October 2016, when Roger Federer helped the Spaniard open his academy in Mallorca, Spain, neither was in good enough shape to play. Nadal was still recovering from his left wrist injury, and Federer was still recuperating from knee surgery that had made him end his season after Wimbledon.

Dimitrov, meanwhile, had also endured a frustrating 2016. His Emirates ATP Ranking had dropped to No. 40 in July, his lowest spot in more than three years, and he had fallen in all three of his title matches.

Yet here they both were, in the semi-finals of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, reigniting their careers to kick off 2017. Nadal had prevailed in five sets against German Alexander Zverev, and rolled into the semi-finals by beating sixth seed Gael Monfils and third seed Milos Raonic. His wrist injury seemed well in the past.

Watch Dimitrov’s Intense Off-Season Training In Monte-Carlo:

Dimitrov, after a productive off-season in Monte-Carlo, had started 10-0, including three Top 10 wins (Thiem, Raonic, Nishikori) en route to the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp title. The Bulgarian had another reason to be confident in his second Grand Slam semi-final: He had gained his first win against Nadal the last time they had played, in October during the China Open quarter-finals.

“I feel like I have all the tools to go further, and my job isn’t over yet,” Dimitrov said before facing Nadal. “I’m looking forward to my match on Friday. I think I’m prepared. I think I’m ready to go the distance.”

Nadal started quicker in their semi-final, though, taking the opener in only 35 minutes with a steady supply of looping crosscourt forehands to Dimitrov’s one-handed backhand. The tactic that had helped Nadal for years against Federer was also working against Dimitrov.

But the Bulgarian, who had struggled with consistency in big matches in the past, stayed in the semi-final, encouraging himself with frequent “Come ons” and fist pumps. He smacked a forehand to lead 4-1 in the second set and later evened the match.

Nadal’s backhand, not his forehand, helped him clinch the 70-minute third set, as he crushed back-to-back shots from that wing on set point. It looked as if he would take over and wrap up the semi-final in four sets. But Dimitrov refused to fade, staying aggressive, attacking the net and matching Nadal’s level.

Midway through the fifth set, however, Nadal snapped a run of 26 consecutive holds and later served out the match. He overcame a staggering 79 winners, including 22 aces, from Dimitrov, who, according to John McEnroe, played the “match of his life”.

Read & Watch: Nadal Edges Dimitrov In A Thriller

Nadal would fall to Federer in the final, the Spaniard’s first Grand Slam title match since 2014 Roland Garros. But it was the start of another banner year for Nadal in Grand Slams. He would go on to win a record 10^th Roland Garros crown and his third US Open title.

Read & Watch: Federer Tops Nadal In Epic To Win 18th Grand Slam Title

“I feel very happy to be part of this match,” Nadal said after the Melbourne semi-final. “There was a moment in the fifth set that for sure I wanted to win. I said to myself, ‘I am giving my best, I am playing very well. If I lose, that’s it. Grigor deserves it, too.’ I think both of us deserved to be in that final.”

The two wouldn’t meet again until the final stretch of the season, and the circumstances had drastically changed since Melbourne. At the China Open in Beijing, top-seeded Nadal was closing in on his first year-end No. 1 finish in the Emirates ATP Rankings since 2013. Dimitrov had cracked the Top 10 for the first time since February 2015 and was looking to secure his debut at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals in London.

A year ago, Dimitrov had upset Nadal in the Chinese capital, and the Spaniard was eager to earn revenge for that lone blemish on his FedEx ATP Head2Head series against the Bulgarian. He blitzed Dimitrov to start, leading by a set and a break. But Dimitrov, the 2016 finalist, broke twice in the second set and evened the match with a stunning backhand winner.

In the third, however, Dimitrov’s level slightly dipped, and Nadal seized his moment, breaking three times to prevail 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. Nadal earned his 60th match win of the season and sprinted into the Beijing final, the 110th of his career. He would beat Nick Kyrgios in the final to celebrate his sixth title of the season.

He and Dimitrov wouldn’t have to wait long for their third and final contest of the season. A week later, on the quick hard courts of the Shanghai Rolex Masters, they again met late in a tournament, this time in the quarter-finals of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament.

And it was another treat for fans as both players showed off their world-class athleticism and array of hot shots. Nadal took the first set but Dimitrov roared back, overcoming a 2/4 deficit in the second-set tie-break to force a third set. It marked the seventh time in their 11 FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings that they were going the distance. Nadal was again too good in the third set, though, and he served out the match with a service winner to advance 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3.

The Spaniard would finish the season at year-end No. 1 for the fourth time (also 2008, 2010 and 2013). But Dimitrov would end the year on a career-high note as well. In his debut, the 26-year-old went unbeaten to win the Nitto ATP Finals, becoming the first debutant to capture the title since Spain’s Alex Corretja in 1998. The last player to go undefeated and win the season-ending crown on debut was John McEnroe in 1978.

The title, Dimitrov’s fourth of the year, pushed him to a career-high No. 3 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

Should Dimitrov and Nadal meet once more in Melbourne, in January 2018, it could again be in a semi-final. But this time around, no one should be surprised.

View FedEx ATP Head2Head series (Nadal leads 10-1)

Nadal vs. Dimitrov: 2017 Meetings

The school kids circled Aisam–Ul–Haq Qureshi, waving their hands with rapid quivering gestures – the traditional Ugandan greeting for the hearing impaired. The interpreter introduced Qureshi as a professional tennis player and explained that he had arrived in Uganda to offer help.

Suddenly, smiles shined bright as the kids grunted their joy while climbing all over Qureshi. Some reached for his hands, others hugged his legs and the littlest ones asked to be picked up and held.

Qureshi would soon learn that the hard, baked dirt field full of pebbles, ruts and patches of grass he was standing on was about to become a tennis playground. There were more kids than there were racquets and balls but that did not stop the kids from playing.

During the next six days, Qureshi would share his tennis testimony to variety of disadvantaged groups: barefoot kids and amputee adults, kids with special needs and displaced refugees, orphans diagnosed with AIDS and able-bodied adults looking to rise above the poverty line by teaching tennis to upper-class expatriates. Each stop of Qureshi’s “Stop War Start Tennis” tour had a different story to tell, but they all had one thing in common – a hope that tennis would lead to a better life.

Kigali, Rwanda

Qureshi kicked off his “Stop War Start Tennis” tour in Kigali, Rwanda. Qureshi’s mission on this tour, which also included a visit to Kampala, Uganda, was three-pronged: spotlight existing projects, assess the needs of the local partners and verify that donations are being used transparently.

“I felt like it was important to get my feet on the ground and eyes and ears on the people involved,” Qureshi says. “I aim to be more involved with ‘Stop War Start Tennis’ and not just by raising more funds, but by getting to know and develop relationships with the key people who are making things happen.”

Prior to Qureshi’s arrival in Kigali, he donated five tennis specific wheelchairs from foundation partner Motivation (https://www.motivation.org.uk/) to the newly-formed Rwanda wheelchair program run by the Rwanda Tennis Federation with Kenya’s Lawrence Karanja as expert coach.

In #StopWarStartTennis we believe Sports & Education are the most powerful weapons to promote Peace and end with Wars. ? #Africa #Rwanda ?? pic.twitter.com/siXMJSvwcu

— Aisam ul Haq Qureshi (@aisamhqureshi) November 27, 2017

“It was very gratifying to see that the wheelchairs ‘Stop War Start Tennis’ donated to the Rwanda Tennis Federation have been put to great use,” Qureshi says.

“As a professional tennis player footwork is one of the most important areas of our game. Throughout the year we go through niggles and injuries and when you cannot move as well as you would like it is very frustrating. So, when I see the enthusiasm on the faces of Rwanda’s wheelchair tennis team and the effort they are putting in just to reach the ball, it is very rewarding and motivates me to work harder to reach every ball in training.”

Qureshi was hosted by Rwanda Tennis Federation president, Mr. Kassim Ntageruka. During his visit to the capital city, Qureshi met the juniors, national team coaches, players as well as the National Olympic Committee Director of Sports.

“Having grown up and learned sports in a developing country (Pakistan) I am aware of the many challenges that Rwanda is facing,” Qureshi says. “There seems to be an excellent organization in place from top to bottom. And transparency among the national associations is taken extremely seriously.”

Qureshi’s Rwanda visit concluded with a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial. The memorial documents Rwanda’s horrific genocide in 1994 when nearly one million people were killed during ethnic violence against the Tutsi’s in 100 days of mass slaughter. The memorial also has an educational center that shares stories of ethnic genocide throughout history. Atrocities from Cambodia, Armenia, the Balkans, and Namibia are but a few displayed.

In an effort to use tennis to heal wounds and further unite the nation, the Rwanda Tennis Federation organized a Rwanda Genocide Memorial tennis tournament that attracted players from Kenya, Uganda and Congo.

“A slogan I heard repeated frequently during my short stay in Kigali,” Qureshi says, “is ‘Rise Up Rwanda’. Having seen the efforts of the federation, listened to the players and coaches, I can definitely testify that Rwanda tennis is on the rise.”

Those who will often do more than those who can…hardly can afford much in life but #Rwanda def shares my dream: tennis?#StopWarStartTennis pic.twitter.com/TOW7Y0RdCS

— Aisam ul Haq Qureshi (@aisamhqureshi) November 27, 2017

Kampala, Uganda

Qureshi’s next stop was Kampala, Uganda. There he met with Tennis For All (TFA) founders Julius Kobe and Vincent Muwereza. TFA is a non-profit non-governmental organization that is dedicated to introducing tennis to underprivileged school children.

Uganda has had its share of struggles as well: a violent monster of a dictator in Idi Amin, a brutal civil war and ongoing border wars with Tanzania have all contributed to a severe lack of development. A high rate of HIV/AIDS, illiteracy, poor health, inadequate sanitation and an economy that sees many parents earn an average of $1 per day are the common challenges Ugandans face each day.

Tennis For All brings hope and joy to kids who otherwise would have little to look forward to. At the East Kololo School in Kampala there are no tennis courts. Still, tennis is thriving through the efforts of TFA. Despite a severe lack of equipment, tennis is played every day at recess at East Kololo Primary School, Shimoni Demonstration School and at the nearby Uganda School for the Deaf in Ntinda.

“Congratulations to Julius (Kobe) and Vincent (Muwereza),” Qureshi says. “They have created a special tennis program for kids who need special attention. I can see that they have put in a lot of time teaching the kids technique, footwork exercises and sportsmanship principles. And patron Daniel Kyazze is an excellent example of how tennis can serve to establish contacts that lead to higher education and business opportunities.”

“When you see little kids serving as net posts while holding plastic nets so their classmates can play tennis, it stirs up some emotions,” Qureshi continues. “They are so happy to play tennis where many of us would not even park our cars.”

At the Uganda School for the Deaf in Ntinda, Qureshi listened to the rector explain that in Uganda there is a stigma that deaf people are stupid and it is a spreadable sickness. The rector also shared that approximately 43 children in the school could hear if they had hearing-aid devices, which cost as little as $40 USD.

Qureshi’s final visit was in the nearby city of Entebbe where he met the directors of Babies Uganda (babiesuganda.org), a foundation dedicated to helping orphans and children of broken families or babies born with AIDS. Qureshi delivered cases of powdered milk and hundreds of packets of ibuprofen, paracetamol and amoxicillin, which his foundation purchased in Pakistan.

“I am grateful that through the ATP World Tour I have a platform to see the struggles that so many people are challenged with each day,” Qureshi says. “Tennis is a sport that can take their mind of their misery, if even for a little while, and provide a vehicle to a better way of life.”

“My purpose is to let the Rwandans and Ugandans know that their projects are important and that through my network of colleagues in the tennis industry, we can work together to facilitate needs such as tennis equipment, hearing aids, and books. By visiting them here I hope these children and their local coaches know that the ATP World Tour cares about their lives.”

Where should your primary first serve location be? Straight down the T, or out wide to initially pull your opponent off the court?

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals clearly shows that players who won their matches at The O2 utilised the first serve out wide more than down the T in their quest for victory.

It begs the question: when players are behind in a match, does the scoreboard pressure them to go down the T more often to try and secure quick points to get back into the match?

Serving wide is a higher percentage serve than down the T, offering a bigger target area to aim at, but down the T is the quickest way home, and where more aces were hit in London. Out wide in the both the deuce and Ad court accounted for 69 aces, while straight down the T in both service boxes yielded 111 aces.

So if the T delivers instant results, why did the match winners opt for out wide so much? Because right around 70 per cent of all serves are returned back in play, and if you begin with the returner wide off the court, you initially enjoy more advantageous angles to exploit.

Grigor Dimitrov was the only player to win all his matches in London, and the location where he hit the most aces was deuce court out wide, with eight.

Dimitrov First Serve Ace Location

Deuce Court

• 8 wide

• 3 T

Ad Court

• 5 wide

• 3 T

Overall, Dimitrov hit 55 per cent (127/230) of his first serves out wide in both the deuce court and Ad court for the tournament.

Roger Federer and David Goffin hit the most aces in London, with 35 each. Goffin, in particular, had a favourite serve location of down the T in the deuce court any time he was under pressure and needed the point. He switched out wide as a secondary option to surprise opponents.

Dominic Thiem led the field with first serve points won, at 81 per cent, but lost twice in Group Pete Sampras play to David Goffin and Grigor Dimitrov, while narrowly defeating Pablo Carreno Busta 6-4 in the third set.

First Serve Points Won

1. Dominic Thiem 81%

2. Roger Federer 80%

3. Grigor Dimitrov 75%

4. Marin Cilic 73%

5. David Goffin 73%

6. Alexander Zverev 73%

7. Jack Sock 69%

8. Rafael Nadal 65%

9. Pablo Carreno Busta 56%

Match winners at The O2 collected more first serve points out wide in the deuce court and Ad court than they did down the T. It’s a good lesson for players at all levels of the game.

Editor’s Note: Serve direction metrics from the Goffin vs. Thiem Group Pete Sampras match were unavailable.