In honour of Andy Murray’s 30th birthday, the ATP World Tour is celebrating by reliving the 30 facts, moments or memories that have made the Brit’s tennis career so spectacular.

30 (or older) – The age of five players in the current Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings
29 – The age when he became the second-oldest World No. 1 (behind Newcombe, 30) in the history of the Emirates ATP Rankings on 7 November 2016
28 – The number of consecutive matches he won (24 in 2016, 4 in 2017), a career-best
27 – The number of matches he played at the ATP Finals, where he won his first title in 2016 (d. Djokovic)
26th player to become World No. 1 in the history of the Emirates ATP Rankings (since 23 August 1973)
25 – The age when he captured his first Grand Slam title at the 2012 US Open (d. Djokovic)
24 – The number of sets he won in a row, a career-high, in 2016, from the Davis Cup semi-finals, Beijing, Shanghai and Vienna
23-9 – His record in fifth sets (won a career-best six in a row from 2015 US Open to 2016 Wimbledon)
22 – The number of match wins at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 in Shanghai, where he’s won three titles (2010-11, 2016)
21 – The number of Masters 1000 finals he has reached (14-7 record)
20 – The number of consecutive home Davis Cup match wins (20-0) before his first loss to Juan Martin del Potro in the 2016 semi-final
19 – His age when he first broke into the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings on 16 April 2007
18 – The number of consecutive times he reached a Grand Slam quarter-final (or better), a career-best, from 2011 Australian Open to 2015 Wimbledon
17 – His first year-end Top 20 Emirates ATP Ranking finish in 2006
16 – The number of match wins at the ATP Finals between 2008-16 (withdrew in 2013)
15 – His age when he was first based in Barcelona for training (from 15-17)
14 – The number of Masters 1000 titles to his name
13 – His Emirates ATP Ranking in 2007 San Jose, where he successfully defended his first ATP World Tour title (d. Karlovic)
12 – The number of consecutive years he has with at least one ATP World Tour title (2006-2017)
11 – The amount of career wins he has vs. Novak Djokovic (11-25) and Roger Federer (11-14), the most against his Big Four rivals
10th man in Open Era to reach all 4 Grand Slam singles finals
9 – The number of titles he won in 2016, a career-high, and the number of year-end Top 10 finishes in Emirates ATP Rankings from 2008-2016
8 – The amount of grass-court titles to his name (5 at Queen’s Club/London, 2 at Wimbledon, 1 at the 2012 Olympics)
7 – The number of consecutive finals he reached was a career-best in 2016 (from Madrid in May to Cincinnati in August)
6 – The number of consecutive Top 10 wins, a career-high, from 2016 ATP Finals (5-0) to 2017 Doha semi-finals
5 – The number of London/Queen’s Club titles to his name, the most of any tournament he’s won in his career
4 – His Emirates ATP Ranking of his first year-end Top 10 finish in 2008 (also No. 4 in 2009-11, 2013)
3 – His Grand Slam titles (2012 US Open, 2013 Wimbledon, 2016 Wimbledon)
2 – The number of ATP World Tour doubles titles he owns, both with older brother Jamie (2010 Valencia, 2011 Tokyo) and Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016
1st career ATP World Tour title came in San Jose in February 2006 (d. Hewitt, saving two match points)

Wish Murray a happy birthday on MyATP now!

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Del Potro v Dimitrov | Berdych v Zverev | Goffin v Bellucci | Pouille v Querrey

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One year ago in Rome, Lucas Pouille became just the second lucky loser to reach an ATP Masters 1000 semi-final since the series started in 1990. Pouille returns to the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Monday as the No. 11 seed after reaching a career-high No. 13 in the Emirates ATP Rankings on May 8. The Budapest champion Pouille meets Acapulco champion Sam Querrey.

Pouille is one of nine men in first-round action on Monday who have reached the quarter-finals or semi-finals in Rome, including all six Center Court players. No. 12 seed Tomas Berdych, a 2013 semi-finalist, meets 2009 quarter-finalist Mischa Zverev. If he beats Zverev, Berdych will tie his coach Goran Ivanisevic with 599 victories. Only 24 players have earned 600 or more victories.

Also on Center Court, No. 10 seed and 2014 semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov meets 2009 quarter-finalist Juan Martin del Potro. Returning to Rome for the first time since 2013, del Potro is playing just his second match on clay and 12th match overall of 2017 after encountering difficult draws during the hard-court season. All four of his losses this year have come to Top 6 opponents.

A lot can change in one year. Novak Djokovic has learned that the hard way. A series of struggles between the lines has yielded a period of self-discovery, as the Serbian looks to reassume his throne atop the tennis world.

Exactly 52 weeks ago, Djokovic was on top of the ATP World Tour, opening a 9,025-point lead in the Emirates ATP Rankings after clinching the title at the Mutua Madrid Open. But soon after, his fortunes began to fade. Professional athletes, even those at the pinnacle of their sport, are not immune to falling victim to their own success, and Djokovic would struggle to maintain his level of seemingly superhuman dominance.

The 29 year old, who fell in his bid to reach his second final of the year on Saturday in Madrid, took time to reflect as he looks to turn the page on a new chapter of his career. In an in-depth joint interview with Spanish media outlets ABC, Marca and El Mundo, the World No. 2 discussed this transitional stage of his career and how he has sought to rediscover his motivation, confidence and ‘mojo’ on the court.

“If I could describe my tennis in one word, I feel like I’m in transition,” Djokovic said. “From the beginning of my career, I have been very fortunate to experience only an upwards direction in my success and results. I have been playing at a high level and with consistent results for many years. After winning Roland Garros, I didn’t know how I was going to feel. I never had that issue after winning a big trophy, of bouncing back and finding new ways to motivate and inspire myself. That is, to keep playing at that level and stay emotionally recharged. 

“But last year I found some emptiness for the first time in my life in terms of motivation. I needed a few months to think about things and get that mojo back on the court. I felt that the start of the season went really well for me this year, winning in Doha. I unfortunately lost in Australia, but mentally I felt better and better as time went by. My game just hasn’t been there. I’m happy I reached the semi-finals in Madrid, which has been my best result this year. It shows me I’m on the right path.”

Djokovic is preaching patience in the process. The soon-to-be father of two is coming off a semi-final finish in the Spanish capital, where he fell to longtime rival Rafael Nadal. He believes it is a step in the right direction as he works to rebuild his confidence and momentum.

“We’ll see whether this week is going to give me that springboard into where I want to be in the next six months,” Djokovic continued. “Or if it’s going to take a little longer, I don’t know. What I know for sure is that I’m doing my very best to rediscover myself in a new way and get the new strength and the new skin, so to speak. 

“If I don’t want to win every match I play, win Grand Slams and be No. 1 in the world, then I wouldn’t be playing tennis professionally. Because I’ve achieved so much in my life and my career, I could leave my racquet aside and just enjoy my life. I have a family and a second baby on the way. Why do I need to stress so much and keep on going? It’s of course because I want to win. It’s always there, but what people didn’t comprehend is that I needed to dig deep inside of me to find the new inspiration and motivation to get the new beginning and a new chapter. The results will follow. It’s a consequence of the good work I’m doing every day in everything I do.”

Prior to Madrid, Djokovic made a significant change in parting ways with his coaching staff, which included coach Marian Vajda, fitness trainer Gebhard Phil Gritsch and physio Miljan Amanovic. After a decade together, he said that he will always cherish the memories made with his longtime team, but it was a necessary move. 

“I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved, but it’s time to move on. The decision to split with my team was a big one and I needed that change for my mindset. There have not been many players who have been with their tennis coach, fitness coach and physiotherapist for 10 years. The overall goals, dreams and aspirations are of course still the same. I don’t go to any tournament just to play. I focus on each and every day as a necessity in the process to reach the final stage and fight for the trophy. Having all these experiences give me confidence that I’ve done it before and can do it again. I have the trust and belief in my abilities. It’s just a matter of getting all these things together.”

Djokovic added that while his ruthless recent run, which saw him finish at year-end No. 1 in 2014-15 and claim a staggering 208 match wins in the past three seasons, was unsustainable, his passion for the game has never waned. He says that when life gives you challenges, it’s how you approach them and work to overcome them that makes you better. 

“As athletes, we are all humans and we all need emotional stability. You may behave like a machine because you are always doing the same things every single day. You are experiencing all these emotions on the court. We all have to deal with it in some ways. When you experience a drop in life or professional sports, you have an opportunity to have a rebirth of something new and something better. 

“Especially now for me, I’m experiencing a fall in my results in the last six to seven months like I’ve never had before. It is an interesting feeling and we all feel much better when we are happy, but this is not how life works. It goes in cycles and while I’ve been through these situations before, maybe in shorter swings and periods, I’m still learning and growing. I hope that the effort I put in will be paying off on the court with results.”

Djokovic is now in Rome for the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, the fifth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event of the year, before embarking on his title defence at Roland Garros. He is bidding to extend a streak of four consecutive seasons with at least one clay-court Masters 1000 crown. 

“At the end of the day, you’re a professional athlete and you’re very successful and work very hard and are talented in certain things, but we all have to deal with everyday problems. I think that vulnerability is not a bad thing. It just makes you stop for a second. Whatever the future holds, I cannot predict it. There are no guarantees. But that’s how the life cycle is and I just try to be the best version of myself every day.”

All he does is win.

Rafael Nadal defeated Dominic Thiem 7-6(8), 6-4 in the Mutua Madrid Open final, moving to 15-0 on clay this season, with every aspect of his game operating like a well-oiled machine. Nadal’s dominance was felt all over the court, but the following five areas were where he specifically created his separation.

Long Rallies

Overall, Nadal won nine more points than Thiem for the match (88 to 79). The Spaniard more than accounted for that margin just in the longer rallies of 10 shots or more, winning 12 more points (20-8) than Thiem in this specific area.

The long rallies also served the purpose of fatiguing Thiem both physically and mentally, especially after such a grueling opening set that included 96 points. Fifty six per cent of total points for the match were played in the “First Strike” zero-to-four rally length, with Thiem having the slight edge, 46-44.

Thiem also won the mid-length rally length of five to nine shots, 22-21, but it was the 17 per cent of total points in the “Extended Rallies” of greater than nine shots where Nadal crafted his edge.

Backhand

Nadal’s backhand typically takes on the role of a defensive shield from the back of the court, yielding as few mistakes as possible, while his forehand dictates much more. But against Thiem, Nadal hit eight backhand winners, often times from spectacular defensive positions.

At 6/6 in the first set tie-break, Nadal ignited the Spanish crowd with an almost impossible short angle backhand winner from deep outside the doubles alley that landed in the cross-court service box.

Serve & Volley

Nadal served and volleyed three times in the match, winning all three points at critical stages. All of them were out wide first serves in the Ad court, catching Thiem standing way back in his comfort zone, very deep behind the baseline to return. Serving and volleying on clay, against a returner who sets up extremely deep, is a very clever play to instantly change the dynamic of the point.

Nadal did it first at 4-4, 30/15 in the opening set, with Thiem’s backhand return not making it over the net. The next time was at 0-1, 30/15 in the second set, with another backhand return error made from deep behind the baseline.

The final time was in the last game of the match, with Nadal serving down break point at 5-4, 30/40. The return floated wide, and Nadal safely moved back to deuce. Thiem also served and volleyed five times in the match, winning three.

Drop Shots

Nadal hit nine drop shots for the match, winning six of them. He primarily used the drop shot when he saw Thiem camped out well behind the baseline, taking advantage of the Austrian’s deep court position by suddenly going short. Five of the six points Nadal won with the drop shot were clean winners, all struck from either right on the baseline or slightly inside.

Drop shots are very much a secondary pattern of play. But for Nadal, they cleverly complement his deep, heavy groundstrokes by providing another part of the court the opponent has to respect.

Serve +1 Forehands

Both players were fervently looking to hit a forehand as the first shot after the serve, maintaining as much offense as possible to begin the point.

Total Serve +1 Forehands

• Nadal 74% (45/61)

• Thiem 87% (48/55)

Nadal won 58 per cent (26/45) when he started the point with a Serve +1 forehand, and 69 per cent (11/16) when he started the point with a Serve +1 backhand combination. Thiem won 54 per cent (26/48) of the points that started with a Serve +1 forehand, and 57 per cent (4/7) beginning with a Serve +1 backhand.

The three big advantages of hitting a forehand over a backhand as the first shot after the serve: 1) upgrade to a more powerful groundstroke; 2) be better able to attack all parts of the court; and 3) to disguise the shot better with the open stance, robbing the opponent of precious tenths of seconds to anticipate where the ball is going.

Thiem started the match more aggressively and led 3-2 with a break, mainly due to his pounding forehand. After the first five games, Thiem’s average forehand speed was faster than Nadal’s (137kmh to 124kmh), and he even had more spin on the ball as well (3507rpm to 3417rpm). The average forehand speed slowed as the match progressed, with Thiem averaging 126kmh to 114kmh for Nadal.

Nadal’s game ticked every possible box today at the Magic Box.

Can anyone stop Rafael Nadal on clay this season?

The Spaniard was as relentless as ever on Sunday, answering everything Dominic Thiem tossed at him during the Mutua Madrid Open final to overcome the Austrian 7-6(8), 6-4 in La Caja Mágica.

The 30-year-old Nadal won his fifth Mutua Madrid Open title and his record-tying 30^th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown, matching World No. 2 Novak Djokovic for the all-time lead.

This season, Nadal improves to 15-0 on clay and has now won three consecutive titles, including two Masters 1000 crowns: Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell and the Mutua Madrid Open. The Spaniard has dropped only two of the 32 sets he’s played on the red dirt this year.

The left-hander hardly could have asked for a better week in Madrid. Nadal escaped the tricky Fabio Fognini before dismissing Nick Kyrgios and David Goffin in straight sets. In what was billed as a must-see semi-final against Djokovic, Nadal turned the tables on the Serbian, hitting him off the court to end a seven-match losing streak against the World No. 2. The Spaniard backed up the strong performance with another championship on Sunday.

The title, Nadal’s 51^st on clay, also shows one more time just how dominant the “Big Four” – Nadal, Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray – have been during this golden age of tennis. The champions have claimed 60 of the past 65 Masters 1000 crowns, dating back to 2010 Monte-Carlo.

“Big Four” Masters 1000 titles since 2010 Monte-Carlo

Djokovic: 25

Nadal: 15

Murray: 10

Federer: 10

Others: 5

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The 23-year-old Thiem was playing in his first Masters 1000 final, but the Austrian hardly looked intimidated against Nadal, who was backed by a friendly Spanish crowd. Thiem broke first for a 2-1 lead, blocking a backhand volley that Nadal couldn’t track down. The Austrian was dictating play from the middle of the court, blasting forehands to keep Nadal on the run.

But the Spaniard’s defense only elevated as he climbed his way back into the set, evening the first set at 3-3. Nadal found a more friendly back and forth – his forehand to Thiem’s one-handed backhand – and pinned Thiem in his backhand corner. And with the Austrian feet behind the baseline after consecutive backhands, Nadal would tap a drop shot winner inside the service box.

Neither player would break again in the first set, though. In the tie-break, Thiem continued to challenge the “King of Clay”, erasing set points four and five before Nadal claimed one of the best sets of the year when Thiem sailed a forehand long. Winners ended nearly half of the points in the 18-point tie-break.

The 30-year-old Nadal rode momentum to break in the first game of the second set, and Thiem fought to the end. He erased three match points before Nadal sliced a backhand volley for the title.

Nadal receives 1,000 Emirates ATP Rankings points and is expected to climb to No. 4 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, surpassing Federer. The Spaniard also will receive €1,043,680 in prize money. 

Thiem will celebrate his best week at a Masters 1000 tournament with 600 Emirates ATP Rankings points and €511,740 in prize money. The right-hander is expected to match his career high at No. 7 when the new Emirates ATP Rankings are released on Monday.