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.

As players continue to rest and recharge following another exhilarating season, the focus is slowly shifting to 2018. The transition is underway, but there are still trophies to be won on the ATP Challenger Tour this week. The nation of India is making the most of its time in the spotlight.

The country is rapidly rising in the pro tennis landscape and their national programme has been surging in the final weeks of the season. With a pair of Challengers gaining in popularity and the nation’s ATP World Tour event finding a new home in January, enthusiasm for the game is surging. 

Last week, home hope Yuki Bhambri prevailed at the $50,000 event in Pune and the two-week swing concludes on Saturday at the $100,000 tournament in Bengalaru. While 25-year-old Bhambri has already cemented himself as one of India’s stars, its budding #NextGenATP – 20-year-old Sumit Nagal – is appearing in his first Challenger final in Bengalaru. Could the nation celebrate back-to-back champions on home soil? Bhambri hopes it is the start of an even bigger movement.

“It’s always great to play at home,” Bhambri told ATPWorldTour.com. “We travel so much and it’s nice to compete at home and play in conditions that we are comfortable with. I’ve always said that India needs a few Challengers and Pune is the one that has been constant in the calendar. We have many players ranked in the 300s and 400s who are waiting to make the jump and every time we’ve had Challengers at home, Indians have done well. Hopefully we can have more higher-level Challengers over here.”

#WhatADay Thank you Pune for a great show! 2500+ people witnessed the finals! Cheering up for their favourite players! In the end people of Pune were true winners. We will be back soon. Yes Pune It’s #AceOnIndia #KPITChallenger pic.twitter.com/qwSHVx2MCj

— KPIT Challenger Tour (@KPITChallenger) November 18, 2017

Already the Silicon Valley of India, boasting the highest number of software companies in the country, Pune is fast becoming its tennis mecca, with the professional circuit growing long roots in the city. The KPIT-MSLTA Challenger celebrated its fourth edition, with a pair of native sons contesting the final (Bhambri d. Ramanathan), and was a prelude to the relocated ATP World Tour 250 event in January. The Tata Open Maharashtra welcomes a new era of Indian tennis after moving from Chennai.

“I consider Pune to be like a second home,” decorated Indian doubles star and former No. 3 Rohan Bopanna told ATPWorldTour.com. “I did my training here back in the day when I was 15 years old. There are lots of tennis enthusiasts in the city and I’m really happy that it will have a big tournament. It gives opportunities for youngsters to watch the top players as well.”

“I’m looking forward to coming back for the ATP World Tour event,” Bhambri added. “I’ve played for many years when it was in Chennai and I’m sure Pune will be a successful event. It’s a little cooler than Chennai, so players will enjoy that. The stadium is great and it deserves these two events. There are a lot of top guys coming for the 250, so I hope it is just as successful as the Challenger.”

Bhambri’s victory in Pune marked his first ATP Challenger Tour title in two years, as he continues his comeback following an elbow injury that derailed his 2016 campaign. Also a quarter-finalist at the Citi Open in August, the New Delhi native carries significant momentum into the new year and is projected to rise to a year-end Top 120 position, as the highest-ranked Indian in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

“It’s been a great year for me. I’ve played a lot of matches and a lot on the Challenger Tour, which helps in transitioning to the ATP events. Obviously Washington was a big moment and showed that I can win some matches on the ATP World Tour, and hopefully I can build on that next year.”

Meanwhile, in Bengalaru, Nagal will face British 19-year-old Jay Clarke in Saturday’s championship. It will be the first Challenger final for both players, who are the youngest in the Top 400 for their respective countries. Nagal is steadily mounting his assault on the Emirates ATP Rankings and is projected to rise at least 50 spots on Monday. A title would see him surpass his career-high of No. 261.

Tourism is an integral aspect of life in Karnataka – the state of Bengalaru – with the Mysore Palace and Virupaksha Temple its chief attractions. The proud culture of 1.3 billion people has been infused in its sporting identity and tennis is no exception. Fans packed the tournament all week, with Nagal stunning top seed Blaz Kavcic in the quarter-finals and routing Bhambri 6-4, 6-0 in the semis.

“Constantly having these Challengers in India helps,” Bopanna added. “And the Indian players get better competing at home, since we don’t have many tournaments. But it’s nice to see the sponsors coming out and helping tennis as well. That’s a big part in improving the game. Pune and Bengalaru have always had a big tennis culture and it’s nice to see it continuing. 

“Bengalaru is having a Challenger for the very first time. I live there and even this time of year the weather is really nice. Hopefully we can have even more Challengers and the Indian players will benefit from that… Tennis is a sport where you travel a lot and are constantly going to many different countries, so with India on the map, it will just help tennis in general.”

Roger Federer has earned many honourifics over the years, from maestro to magician. Now, he can add doctor to that list.

The University of Basel awarded seven honourary doctorates on Friday, and Federer was one of the recipients.

Federer’s recognition came from the Faculty of Medicine, which bestowed the honour on the 36-year-old for his efforts to boost his home city and nation’s reputation. The Swiss was also lauded for his charitable efforts.

The Roger Federer Foundation is spreading sustainability in Southern Africa, where it helps children through support for a variety of educational projects for the disadvantaged. The foundation has reached more than 850,000 children in nearly 14 years.

A University of Basel press release states that Federer “claimed that the honourary doctorate makes him just as happy as a Grand Slam title”.

The doctorate adds yet another honour to the recognition Federer has received this month, as the No. 2-ranked player in the Emirates ATP Rankings received three awards in the 2017 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon (ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favourite, Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award and Comeback Player of the Year).

BELGIUM 1, FRANCE 0
Lille, France (Hard Indoor)

David Goffin, who advanced to the championship match at last week’s Nitto ATP Finals, continued his run of good form to give Belgium the lead in the Davis Cup final against France, defeating Lucas Pouille 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 on Friday. The 2015 finalists are now up 1-0, and within two points of clinching Belgium’s first Davis Cup title.

The top-ranked Belgian, who is up to a career-high No. 7 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, had trailed Pouille 0-3 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, but all of those losses came last year. The 26-year-old was even with Pouille at 5-5 in the first set, but Goffin took over from there. He is now 5-0 this season in Davis Cup singles action.

The French squad, under captain Yannick Noah, is attempting to claim a 10th title at the event. France is in the final for the first time since 2014. Its top player, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, will try to even the tie against ATP World Tour veteran Steve Darcis in the second rubber of the day. 

France will now need to win three of the tie’s final four rubbers to earn its first championship since 2001, which came against Australia.

Fresh off his run to the championship match at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he defeated both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, David Goffin will look to lead Belgium to a historic Davis Cup victory this weekend against France in Lille.

Up to a career-high No. 7 in the Emirates ATP Rankings after his impressive run at The O2 last week, the 26-year-old Goffin will look to inspire his nation to a first Davis Cup title. Belgium finished runner-up in 1904 and more recently in 2015, when it was beaten on home soil by an Andy Murray-led Great Britain.

Goffin is joined on the away team by stalwart Steve Darcis, who won the decisive fifth rubber against Jordan Thompson in Belgium’s victory over Australia in September.

View Davis Cup Scores & Schedule

But the duo faces a tough task in France, represented by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Lucas Pouille, Richard Gasquet and Pierre-Hugues Herbert, and in front of a partisan 27,500-capacity crowd at the Stade Pierre Mauroy. The French fans will be out in force to see their team attempt to clinch the ITF men’s team trophy for the 10^th time.

France is looking to reclaim the Davis Cup crown for the first time since 2001, having fallen in the final in 2014 (l. to Switzerland), 2010 (l. to Serbia) and 2002 (l. to Russia).

Pouille will open the tie for the host nation when he faces his good friend Goffin, before Tsonga takes on Darcis in the second of Friday’s singles rubbers.

“We’re friends and I’m sure we’ll be friends after the match as well,” Goffin said. “I’ve never beaten Lucas so I will try to find a solution to find my best tennis.

“I’m happy to start the first match again,” Goffin added. “I spoke with Steve beforehand and he preferred that I start and he played second. It won’t be easy, two years ago I played first in the final and I was tired. This time I will try to be a little more relaxed and play as good match as I can from the start.”

Gasquet steps in to replace Mahut alongside Herbert in the doubles for France on Saturday. They will face Ruben Bemelmans and Joris De Loore, who is returning from knee surgery in September. “I haven’t played any tournaments since the operation (after the US Open), but I’ve worked hard and practice is going well,” said World No. 276 De Loore. “My knee feels 100 per cent and I feel 100 per cent going into this weekend.”

The reverse singles could decide proceedings on Sunday. 

The 2017 Nitto ATP Finals brought a spectacular close to a memorable 2017 season that saw more fans come out and watch the world’s best tennis players on the ATP World Tour than ever before. More than 4.5 million fans attended ATP World Tour events in 2017, an all-time record.

The season finale in London attracted a total attendance of 253,642, including six sold-out sessions, making it the ninth successive year that the tournament has broken the 250,000 attendance mark. Cumulative attendance since the tournament moved to London in 2009 stands at more than 2.3 million fans.

This year’s tournament saw a host of three set-matches across the eight days of competition in a tournament that pitted established stars such as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer against some must-see newcomers at the season finale. The event culminated with Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov’s dramatic 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 win over Belgium’s David Goffin in the final.

The 31-game final equaled the second most games played in a three-set final in the history of the tournament, with only John McEnroe’s win over Arthur Ashe in 1978 longer (34 games). Dimitrov became the first champion to win the title undefeated on his tournament debut since McEnroe in 1978. The Bulgarian collected a total of $2,549,000 in prize money and 1500 Emirates ATP Rankings points to finish the season at a career high No. 3 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, behind Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Eleven out of the 15 singles matches at this year’s season-ending tournament went to three sets, the second most in the 48-year history of the tournament (12 in 1971).

In doubles, Henri Kontinen and John Peers defeated World No. 1 doubles team Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo in the final to become the first team to successfully defend the season finale title since Bob and Mike Bryan in 2004 (Houston).

Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman & President, said: “This year’s tournament will go down as one of the most fiercely contested, with so many matches going the distance. The event saw some breakthrough performances from the likes of Jack Sock, David Goffin, and of course Grigor Dimitrov, in front of packed crowds at The O2, the world’s leading entertainment venue. Our thanks go to Nitto for their first year as valued title sponsor of our season finale. And on behalf of the ATP, we would also like to thank the fans that came out in such strong numbers to support our year-end event, and the Tour as a whole in 2017.”

The Nitto ATP Finals has a rich history dating back to the birth of the Masters in Tokyo in 1970. The tournament will be held at The O2 in London though 2020.

BY THE NUMBERS:
• 83,900,000 – number of impressions from social media posts on Facebook, Twitter and MyATP now on Vixlet.
• 42,900,000 – number of page impressions on ATP digital media platforms, including ATPWorldTour.com, NittoATPFinals.com, mobile apps, and MyATP now on Vixlet.
• 24,100,000 – number of video plays on ATP digital media platforms, including ATPWorldTour.com, NittoATPFinals.com, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
• 8,000,000 – amount of prize money (US$) on offer at the 2017 season finale.
• 4,573,152 – number of fans that attended ATP World Tour tournaments in 2017, an all-time record.
• 2,549,000 – amount of prize money (US$) that Grigor Dimitrov won as undefeated champion.
• 2,317,265 – cumulative attendance at the season-ending tournament since it moved to London in 2009.
• 775,000 – number of streams on Tennis TV, the ATP’s official live streaming service which relaunched in January 2017, with each viewer watching an average of 155 minutes per day
• 253, 642 – attendance at the 2017 tournament.
• 30,400 – amount of money (GBP) donated by ATP to help Unicef protect children in danger around the world (£100 per ace – 304 aces in total).
• 26 – number of screens in the arena used for show production around the matches.
• 6 – number of sold-out sessions at this year’s tournament.

Immediately after capturing the Nitto ATP Finals title, Grigor Dimitrov stormed into the stands and embraced Daniel Vallverdu, his coach since midway through 2016 and the man who finally harnessed the potential of Dimitrov and channeled it into the most successful year of his career.

No one had ever doubted Dimitrov’s talent. The Bulgarian was known worldwide for his must-see groundstrokes and his abundance of skills. But before he and Vallverdu paired up last year, Dimitrov almost had too much talent, too many options. He admits to being unclear about how to approach his game and on the best way forward for his tennis.

Enter Vallverdu, who has helped simplify Dimitrov’s game and guided the Bulgarian to his best season yet.

Dimitrov will end the year at a career-high No. 3 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. He also finished 2017 with a career-best four ATP World Tour titles (Brisbane International presented by Suncorp, Garanti Koza Sofia Open, Western & Southern Open and the Nitto ATP Finals), a full head of steam and unbridled emotions.

“[We] have a great connection. We see tennis the same way. We have that bond, and we really appreciate how the year has gone for us,” Dimitrov said.

Vallverdu is particularly proud of how his charge dealt with the pressure that comes with playing with so much at stake, including at the Nitto ATP Finals. Dimitrov, who beat David Goffin in the three-set final, composed himself well after the Belgian evened the match.

“Dimitrov battled through nerves, especially in the final, and found a way to win,” Vallverdu said. “When Dimitrov is in his zone, he obviously plays at a very high level but we’ve worked on getting him to compete even on those days when he’s off. It became a question of attitude in the final, and Grigor answered that question.”

The Bulgarian demonstrated that positive attitude numerous times throughout the year, as his record reflects: He went 17-10 in tie-breaks, 8-5 against Top 10 players and 4-1 in finals.

Vallverdu has now worked with Dimitrov for more than a year, and the pair have a strong relationship in terms of communicating and taking each other’s ideas into consideration. Building that relationship took time and effort, as the coach and player have very different personalities.

“In a year and a half, Dimitrov is just as receptive as the day we started,” Vallverdu said. “He’s opened up to me over that time, sharing his opinions and his point of view on ambitions and motivations. For me, it’s important to tell him why we do things a certain way, why we’re out there training eight hours a day. I keep a strong focus on achieving short-term goals and reviewing performances after events.”

Another aspect of Dimitrov’s game his coach has paid special attention to is his approach to matches and the game itself. Where Dimitrov is more passionate, Vallverdu is more pragmatic. The goal is to find a middle ground, where Dimitrov can combine his emotional self with a practical approach to produce a winning formula.

“Tennis is a lifestyle,” Vallverdu said. “The person you are off the court should be the same person who appears during crucial moments of a match. The player you see who is up 6-3, 2-0, might respond differently in a 5-5, 40/40 situation. During critical moments, that player might be rattled or intimidated. The player who confronts adversity the right way is the person who is accustomed to it, who has that mentality, that day-to-day routine to be comfortable under pressure. It’s the time we put into that off the court that helps in those moments.”

Vallverdu’s philosophy is clear: be level-headed on and off the court, ahead in a match or with the match on the line. Vallverdu also keeps outside distractions to a minimum and has built a sense of camaraderie within the team by participating in activities as a group.

“In regard to the team itself, we’ve made a concerted effort to keep the core circle as small as possible,” Vallverdu said. “We want to keep the focus on what’s important and avoid unnecessary distractions. Of course, we do fun things off the court, but we do those things as a team. We try to keep things light and upbeat around Grigor, but we also keep our distance from people and things that might take his mind off of what’s important. To play well, you can’t let your head be somewhere else. Obviously, good results on the court make it easier to keep your mind on the game.”

Vallverdu’s message has struck a chord with Dimitrov, who stayed on course throughout the 2017 season while rediscovering his form. For Vallverdu, Dimitrov had never lost that form in the first place. It was more a matter of putting some of the pieces back together.

“He’s always been a top-flight player but in tennis, there’s more to it than performing well in tournaments,” Vallverdu said. “The daily dedication, the training and the drive to keep improving – all of that has to come together, and it has for Grigor.”

Heading into the Nitto ATP Finals, Team Dimitrov’s goal wasn’t necessarily to win the last tournament of the year. Dimitrov’s stellar performance in London surpassed even the expectations of Vallverdu.

“It’s a very emotional victory,” said the Venezuelan coach. “Dimitrov set high goals for himself. Perhaps we as a team went into London hoping for a good showing, but he had higher expectations.”

A good start to the year set the pace for what would be a strong finish. One particular match that set the tone for things to come took place in January at the Australian Open, when Dimitrov pushed eventual runner-up Rafael Nadal to five sets. For Dimitrov, it was difficult to cope with falling just short of his first Grand Slam final, but for his coach, it was an opportunity for growth.

Read & Watch: Dimitrov Captures Maiden Masters 1000 Title

“A loss like the one Grigor suffered to Nadal in Australia can hurt a player. Grigor is still a little hurt,” Vallverdu said. “He was so close to reaching his first final at a [Grand Slam], so it was difficult for him to accept that. Grigor was playing his best tennis and he still fell short. But we turned the loss into a positive. It helped us going into big matches later in the year. You saw that in London: Grigor started the tournament with a lot of pressure but he managed his nerves. So the loss to Nadal helped in that way.”

Nadal would factor into Dimitrov’s development later in the year, when the Bulgarian player spent a week training with the current World No. 1 at the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy in Mallorca. Vallverdu hoped his player would pick up a few pointers from the Spaniard, lessons that would hopefully translate to further success on the court. According to Vallverdu, the plan worked, as Dimitrov claimed his first title at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 level a few weeks later in Cincinnati.

“Grigor could see how Rafa conducts himself on and off the court,” Vallverdu said. “I have a good relationship with Nadal and I figured his professionalism and attitude would rub off on Grigor. My student got to see not only Nadal as a player but also as a person in private, and his formula for success over the past 15 years. That opened Dimitrov’s eyes a little bit.”

With 2017 in the books, Dimitrov and his team are faced with a new challenge for 2018: Maintaining Dimitrov’s drive while also continuing to improve. Vallverdu admits there’s still work to do if his charge is to continue his climb to the top.

“It will take hard work to continue evolving and to compete at the highest level while also consolidating our high ranking,” Vallverdu said. “The competition in 2018 will be more intense. A lot of top players will be returning from injuries. Luckily, complacency won’t be an issue for Grigor. He has taken a liking to winning. Work hard off the court, compete on it, reap the rewards – this is what will keep him hungry.”