Beginning our Season In Review series, ATPWorldTour.com revisits the fiercest rivalries of 2017. Today we feature Roger Federer vs. Juan Martin del Potro:

Roger Federer’s rivalries with his ‘Big Four’ brethren Rafael Nadal (15-23), Novak Djokovic (22-23) and Andy Murray (14-11) are celebrated as some of the best in the game’s history. Somewhat less appreciated is his compelling FedEx ATP Head2Head series with Juan Martin Del Potro. The Argentine is one of a handful of players who, when at his best, has the firepower to overcome Federer’s genius and it’s must-see TV when Del Potro uncorks his forehand and plays go-for-broke tennis against the man many argue is the greatest player of all time.

Despite a lopsided 18-6 record in the Swiss’ favour, nine of their past 11 meetings have gone the distance, with a 10th (this year’s US Open quarter-final) going to four sets. In 2017, the pair met four times, with Federer claiming three victories. Yet it was Del Potro’s lone victory at the US Open that proved most consequential of all.

Having not played since late 2013, due in no small measure to Del Potro’s horror run with wrist injuries, the Swiss and Argentine resumed their rivalry after a 3 1/2 year hiatus in the heat and humidity of the Miami Open presented by Itaú in late March. Federer won his 15th match of 16 played to start the season by a relatively straightforward 6-3, 6-4 margin, saving all five break points he faced. That gave him what was at the time a 16-5 career advantage over the ‘Tower of Tandil’.

The Swiss didn’t stop there, though. Two matches later, he’d save two match points against Tomas Berdych, before sneaking by a game Nick Kyrgios in an intense third-set tie-break in the semi-finals. And after taking out Rafael Nadal in straight sets to claim the title, Federer seemed an unstoppable force. He swept the year’s first three ‘Big Titles’ — a Grand Slam (Australian Open) and two ATP World Tour Masters 1000s (Indian Wells, Miami) — for just the second time in his career (2006). All of a sudden, after starting the season at No. 16 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, a return to the top spot for the first time since 2012 was realistic.

Five months would go by without Federer taking on Del Potro, but this year’s US Open was just another example of why their rivalry is one of the most interesting matchups of this generation.

At first, it looked like they wouldn’t play in Flushing Meadows at all. The visibly ill Del Potro was down two quick sets against sixth-seeded Dominic Thiem in the US Open’s fourth round, and it was the Austrian who appeared destined to confront Federer in the final eight. But somehow with a raucous crowd behind him, Del Potro found new life, saved two match points in the fourth set, and battled back for the victory.

He couldn’t possibly have anything left for the Swiss in the quarter-finals, could he?

Federer had too much going for him. The second seed was 40-3 on the season going into the match, with titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Looming in the next round was Rafael Nadal, whom he had never played at the US Open, and fans were begging for the matchup.

Del Potro was still ill, and had just played a grueling five-setter — forget that he trailed Federer 5-16 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry at the time.

But Del Potro has always found his best on the big stage against Federer. That is how he came back from two sets to one down against the five-time champion to win his lone Grand Slam in 2009 at the US Open on the very same court. That is how he led Federer 3-1 in finals at the time. That is also how he had won two of the pair’s three meetings at the Nitto ATP Finals.

“After eight years again in the central court of this tournament. I know how to play if I want to win,” Del Potro said, remembering his victory in 2009. “But I will see how physically I feel after this battle. But always it’s a pleasure to play the greatest guy in history.”

Del Potro found his top level again in September, lashing out at his trademark forehand against Federer, who was not in peak form, to win the match 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(8), 6-4.

On paper, it was Del Potro’s fourth Grand Slam semi-final. But it meant so much more than that as it was a loss of great consequence for the third seed. If Federer had advanced to the final four against Nadal, the winner of that match would have left New York with the No. 1 spot in the Emirates ATP Rankings — the Swiss hadn’t stood atop tennis’ mountain since 2012.

And given that Federer would go on to win all four of his matches against Nadal this year — dropping just two sets — the No. 1 ranking and a possible third Grand Slam in 2017 was not out of the question.

Instead, Del Potro soared from 47th in the Emirates ATP Race To London before the tournament right into the heat of the battle, despite losing to Nadal in the next round.

And while Federer’s US Open loss was a brutal blow to his No. 1 hopes, the 36-year-old would get chances to pay back the Argentine.

They would meet again in the penultimate ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event of the season at the Shanghai Rolex Masters. At stake was another Federer-Nadal clash — this time in the final — while Del Potro was desperate to maintain his momentum as he pursued a return to The O2. But a scary fall on his wrist against Viktor Troicki made it unclear if he would play at all.

Del Potro would take the court and he showed few ill effects early in the semi-finals against Federer, taking the first set in commanding fashion.

But Federer would win 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 and go on to triumph at the event, once again beating Nadal. He also captured his third Masters 1000 trophy of the year, just the second time he had done that since 2007. 

“[It’s] very painful now after the match, after the big effort it’s the worst moment for my wrist,” Del Potro said. “But they say I don’t have any risk playing this match, so that’s why I played.”

Yet Del Potro’s wrist did not keep him from staying in the Race hunt.

Soon after, they would meet again at Federer’s hometown event in Basel, where Del Potro was the only person to beat Federer since 2009, doing so in 2012 and 2013. Federer would win another three-set thriller 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3 in the final, to claim his eighth title at the Swiss Indoors Basel. It was the continuation of an incredible year for Federer and a resurgent close to the season for Del Potro.

“You’ve been on a great run since the US Open and before,” Federer said. “I’m very happy to see you playing so well again.”

Del Potro had a chance in Paris to clinch an unlikely London qualification. But he would fall one victory short of the Nitto ATP Finals at the Rolex Paris Masters, losing in the quarter-finals against John Isner in what was a ‘win-and-in’ match. However, his magical run from the start of the US Open through the end of the season showed that the Argentine is closing in on top form once again. Now ranked No. 11 in the world with no ranking points to defend until the end of February, Del Potro is primed for a return to the Top 10.

Sure, Federer may have beaten Del Potro in three of their four meetings this year to add to his already lopsided margin over the 29-year-old. But Del Potro’s one victory at the US Open had the biggest impract, proving a key obstacle in Federer’s chase for the No. 1 ranking while propelling Del Potro to a fantastic close to his season.

View FedEx ATP Head2Head (Federer leads 18-6)

Federer vs. Del Potro: 2017 Meetings

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

Roger Federer versus Rafael Nadal… Five words that evoke memories of some of the most thrilling matches and jaw-dropping moments in ATP World Tour history.

It is one of the greatest rivalries of all time, but, with both players recovering from injury as the curtain drew on the 2016 season, there were doubts of its renewal going forward. Their streak of 12 consecutive seasons with at least one encounter had come to a halt, and it was looking improbable that the drama would be rekindled with the same gripping intensity.

Would a new chapter be written in 2017? Not even Federer and Nadal could have predicted such a dramatic flip of the script. As the calendar turned to the new year, both players rediscovered their vintage form behind resurgent campaigns. Fans across the sporting world would not be disappointed as the rivalry was renewed in earnest. Not just once or twice, but on four occasions and with a trophy at stake in three of them.

View FedEx ATP Head2Head

A catalogue of pulsating clashes had marked their FedEx ATP Head2Head series over the years and they wasted no time in January, kicking off the season with a five-set classic in the Australian Open final. Eight years after they last squared off for the title at Melbourne Park – won by Nadal in five sets – Federer would exact his revenge. The Swiss recovered from a 1-3 deficit in the decider to capture his 18th Grand Slam championship and fifth Down Under. The two gladiators left the left the capacity crowd on Rod Laver Arena on the edge of their seats for three hours and 38 minutes.

The drama could not have been more palpable, with Federer trailing their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 23-11 to enter the year, including five losses in their previous six encounters. But a seismic shift would ensue in 2017 and their Melbourne meeting would set the tone for the year to come. Federer put an authoritative stamp on the rivalry with a significant change in tactics. The Swiss soared behind an offensive assault, predicated on his serve and a fearless backhand barrage, while Nadal was unable to effectively adjust his own gameplan.

Traditionally, Nadal had owned Federer’s backhand with his curling lefty serve and forehand, but the Swiss turned that vulnerability into a weapon. With new coach Ivan Ljubicic, he refused to press or hesitate from the baseline, rather swinging through his backhand for stunning winners. Federer had accumulated six backhand winners in the first four sets of the Aussie Open final, but he crushed eight in the decider.

“I’m out of words,” said Federer, a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 winner. “I’d like to congratulate Rafa on an amazing comeback. There are no draws in tennis, but I would have been very happy to accept one and share it with Rafa tonight.”

With a bigger frame and fewer shanks, the 2017 version of Federer’s backhand proved to be like nothing Nadal had ever seen. He refused to be bullied by Nadal’s fearsome forehand and took every opportunity to step inside the baseline and go on offense, hitting a steady stream of clean winners to all corners of the court.

Federer defeated Nadal 6-2, 6-3 in the fourth round at the BNP Paribas Open, before eventually clinching his fifth trophy at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. It marked the first time he had taken three straight meetings in their rivalry. And another clash would ensue just two weeks later, as Federer and Nadal battled for the Miami Open presented by Itau title. Same match-up and same result. The Basel native extended his run of dominance with a 6-3, 6-4 victory, cementing a 19-1 start to the season.

Federer would complete a perfect 4-0 season against his longtime rival, also adding a 6-4, 6-3 victory in the Shanghai Rolex Masters final – his 27th at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 level. One glance at the stat sheet tells the whole story. Federer broke down Nadal’s vaunted return game throughout the year with precision strikes on serve, claiming a combined 80 per cent of first serve points to Nadal’s 62 per cent. Quick service games put constant pressure on Nadal’s delivery and the Spaniard would concede 15 breaks, saving just 63 per cent of break points. Federer, meanwhile, turned aside 82 per cent of Nadal’s break chances.

But while Federer started stronger in 2017, it was Nadal who had the last laugh. The Spaniard is known for his relentless work ethic on the court and that was on full display throughout the remainder of the season, en route to claiming year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. The 31-year-old denied Federer the top spot, despite the Swiss lifting a tour-leading seven trophies. A ruthless clay-court campaign in Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid and Roland Garros, in addition to an impressive hard-court run at the US Open and China Open in Beijing, vaulted Nadal to No. 1. 

“The year played out the way it did and Rafa was better,” Federer added. “He deserves to be there. I’m really happy for him because he had a rough season as well in 2016. It’s great for him.”

As the spotlight grew and the drama built to a gripping crescendo in 2017, both stars raised their games to new heights. Grigor Dimitrov, Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev may have staked their claim for a changing of the guard atop the ATP World Tour, but Federer and Nadal have refused to concede their mantles just yet.

“He won two Grand Slams, a few Masters 1000s and is second in the Race with a lot of points, so he played well for the whole season,” Nadal said about Federer. “He played very high level of tennis during the whole season, so well done for him and I’m happy to see him play well.”

Federer vs. Nadal: 2017 Meetings

FRANCE 2, BELGIUM 2
Lille, France (Indoor Hard)

For the second year in a row, there will be a live fifth rubber in the Davis Cup Final.

David Goffin evened the tie for Belgium at 2-2, defeating France’s top-ranked player, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-2, in front of a raucous crowd at Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille, France.

“I played my best tennis on Sunday,” Goffin said. “It’s always special to play the Davis Cup on Sunday. It’s the best day with the crowd and the atmosphere on the court so it was something unbelievable to play my best tennis.”

The Belgian put his country within one match of winning its first Davis Cup title.

Tsonga dominated the first set, cruising on serve while earning opportunities in almost all of Goffin’s service games. The Frenchman held six break points across three different games in the opening set, but the Belgian found his best tennis while under pressure, especially on his two-handed backhand wing.

And once Goffin sneaked out the first set in a tie-break, all the momentum was on his side. Tsonga’s first-serve percentage dropped from 75 to 53 in the second set, allowing the Belgian to return more aggressively. That gave Goffin his first break point opportunities in the match, one of which he converted to claim a two-set lead.

Tsonga loosened up late in the third set once he was down two breaks, but it was too late. Goffin saved two break points at 4-1 and that was the last hurdle he would face ahead of the finish line, closing out his second win of the weekend with a serve that the Frenchman could not handle.

Goffin, who also helped his country to the Davis Cup Final in 2015, did not lose serve against Tsonga or in his first match of the tie against Lucas Pouille.

The last time that France won the Davis Cup, in 2001 (d. Australia), the tie was also decided in a fifth rubber. The French took a 2-1 lead into Sunday’s play before Lleyton Hewitt forced a decisive fifth rubber, which Nicolas Escude won to claim his country’s ninth trophy in the event.

France’s Pouille is scheduled to play Steve Darcis in the fifth rubber — their first meeting — with the title on the line.

FRANCE 2, BELGIUM 1
Lille, France (Hard Indoor)

For a while, it appeared that Belgium was ready to shock the fans inside Stade Pierre Mauroy, as Joris De Loore and Ruben Bemelmans served for a two sets to one lead in Saturday’s doubles rubber in Lille, France. But Richard Gasquet and Pierre-Hugues Herbert battled the whole way in front of their home crowd to defeat the Belgians 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 and move France within one match of capturing its 10th Davis Cup title.

Belgium, which is in its second Davis Cup Final in three years and third overall, now must win both reverse singles rubbers to triumph in the tie and claim their first victory at the event.

Yannick Noah’s charges sprinted to a 5-0 lead in the first set, even though Herbert — a Nitto ATP Finals qualifier with Nicolas Mahut — was playing with a new partner in Gasquet. But the Belgians did not go quietly, earning the second set and later serving for the third. But once the French broke back for 5-5, momentum was on their side, and they would win the first six points of the ensuing tie-break to help gain a lead of their own.

And when a De Loore forehand sailed long on match point, French fans erupted knowing their nation had earned a 2-1 lead in the tie.

The doubles rubber proved key the last time France was in the Davis Cup Final, in 2014. After entering Saturday knotted at 1-1 three years ago, a straight-sets loss gave Switzerland a 2-1 lead, which Roger Federer would use to clinch the title in Sunday’s first match against Gasquet.

This time around, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will have an opportunity to clinch the title for France when he plays David Goffin in the tie’s fourth rubber on Sunday. The top-ranked player from each nation will clash for the seventh time, with Tsonga leading their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 4-2. Three of their matches on the ATP World Tour have gone three sets, and the pair has split their two meetings on indoor hard courts. In their only match this season, Tsonga defeated Goffin in the Rotterdam final to claim the trophy at the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.

If Goffin manages to extend the final to a live fifth rubber, his compatriot Steve Darcis is scheduled to play Lucas Pouille. 

The end of the ATP World Tour season is rewarding for those who qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. The top eight singles players and doubles tandems who earn the most points in the Emirates ATP Race To London guarantee their spot in the season finale at The O2. You can say they lead the tour class for the year.

But elsewhere in the same city, ATP University was just beginning. A group of 25 players graduated in this year’s London session across the river at the Marriott County Hall, bringing the total number of rising stars who have gone through the tutorial on life on the ATP World Tour to more than 1,000 graduates since the program’s inception.  

The weekend opened up with former World No. 2 and 1998 Nitto ATP Finals Champion Alex Corretja speaking to the group and offering advice based on his own journey. The players also listened and participated in presentations covering: Overview of the ATP, ATP Tournaments, Media Training, Nutrition, Player Relations, Social Media, Medical Services, ATP Communications, ATP Marketing, Rules and Officiating, Savings and Investments, Security, Communicated Threats, Anti-Corruption and Anti-Doping.

Outside of the classroom, the players enjoyed group dinners and a trip to the Nitto ATP Finals on Sunday to watch the doubles and singles finals.

At the end of the three days of sessions, the ATP IQ test was won by 23-year-old Canadian Filip Peliwo, who claimed the coveted GoPro prize, with Matt Reid finishing in second place and Stefano Napolitano in third place.

The London 2017 graduates included Peliwo, Reid, Napolitano, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Attila Balazs, Salvatore Caruso, Steven Diez, Mao-Xin Gong, Yannick Hanfmann, Roman Jebavy, Enrique Lopez-Perez, Dino Marcan, Maximilian Marterer, Nikola Mektic, Hugo Nys, Sebastian Ofner, Vaclav Safranek, Mohamed Safwat, Antonio Sancic, Brayden Schnur, Max Schnur, Denis Shapovalov, Andrei Vasilevski, Di Wu and Ze Zhang.