Jennifer Brady to miss Australian Open with foot injury
American Jennifer Brady withdraws from the Australian Open in January because of a foot injury.
American Jennifer Brady withdraws from the Australian Open in January because of a foot injury.
Carlos Alcaraz continues to reap the rewards of a great season on the ATP Tour. The #NextGenATP Spaniard, who finished the 2021 season ranked No. 32 in the FedEx ATP Rankings aged 18, received the AS Promise Award in recognition of his arrival among the sport’s elite. At one of Spanish sport’s most prestigious ceremonies, the Murcia native was applauded by all attendees for his progress on the professional tour.
“This year was the breakthrough,” acknowledged Alcaraz when he received the award. “I hope it is the start of something big. I’m going to keep this award high up in my room at home. I’m happy my work in all the previous years is being recognised.”
The ovation was for an athlete who is trying to make his way towards the pinnacle of the tour. During a very special evening, the Spaniard also spoke to El Larguero (Cadena SER) to reflect on his achievements and his upcoming aims for the 2022 season.
“I don’t feel the pressure,” admitted Juan Carlos Ferrero’s pupil, who always seems to have a smile on his face. “I’m clear about my direction,” Alcaraz explained. “I’ve only had two or three days of holiday, and one week without picking up a racquet.”
Consolidated as the youngest player in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Alcaraz enjoyed a standout season. The Murcia native claimed his first ATP Tour title in Umag, reached his maiden Grand Slam quarter-finals at the US Open and ended the season by winning the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals. It was a season replete with brilliance during which he took down three Top 10 players.
“In 2022 I’m going to aim high and hope to break into the Top 15,” he warned. “I might even try and qualify for [the Nitto ATP Finals in] Turin. It’s a difficult goal, but it’s good at the end of the season.”
The future looks bright for Alcaraz. The Murcia native will complete his preseason at the Equelite de Villena Academy before setting sail for Australia, where he will embark on a promising future. With his hard-earned new status,
The 18-year-old will be seeded in a Grand Slam for the first time when he sets foot in Melbourne Park on 17 January.
Alcaraz is the third tennis player to win the AS Promise Award, following in the footsteps of Paula Badosa (2015) and Alejandro Davidovich (2017).
The ceremony also saw awards for other big names such as tennis player Novak Djokovic, basketball player Felipe Reyes, footballers Alexia Putellas, Luis Suárez and Karim Benzema, karateka Sandra Sanchez, canoeists Teresa Portela and Saul Craviotto, climber Alberto Gines, athletes Yulimar Rojas and Ana Peleteiro, shooters Fatima Galvez and Alberto Fernandez and paratriathlete Susana Rodriguez.
Reproduced from ATPTour.com/es
Continuing our review of the 2021 season, today we look at the top two ATP Tour matches of the year, after reviewing three classics yesterday. (We’ll reveal our best Grand Slam matches of 2021 next week.)
2) Nitto ATP Finals, Round Robin, Daniil Medvedev d. Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (6)
The beginning of his career series with Alexander Zverev did not go well for Daniil Medvedev. Their first four meetings all went to the German, even though he was 14 months younger. Three years ago in Shanghai, however, Medvedev solved the perplexing riddle and going into their round-robin match at the Nitto ATP Finals, the Russian had won five of six.
And yet, Zverev came into the Turin, Italy competition having won 28 of 31 matches, including the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo and the title at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. Medvedev, though, had now won six straight matches at the year-end event, going back to his 2020 title in London. He had also ruined Novak Djokovic’s run at a calendar-year Grand Slam at the last possible moment, beating him in the US Open final.
It was a match of great promise, and one that delivered on lofty expectations.
In a lively start, Medvedev played the big points better as he fended off three break points across his opening two service games and broke Zverev to soar 3-0 ahead. The Russian approached the net well throughout the first set, stepping forward to dictate in the fast condition.
The second set was an even one and with both players strong on serve, with a tie-break needed to split them. In dramatic fashion, Medvedev was punished for a second-serve foot fault at 1/1 and then briefly lost his focus as Zverev capitalised to level, before the German raised his arms to further engage the raucous crowd as he marched back to his chair.
Medvedev continued to successfully attack Zverev’s backhand in the third set as he dominated those crosscourt exchanges. But he was unable to find the crucial breakthrough on the German’s serve as the players were again locked deep into the decider.
When they arrived at a third-set tie-break after a captivating series of ebbs and flows, it looked like Zverev, the No. 3 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings, had reversed the tide against No. 2 Djokovic. He led 4/2 and had one more serve on his racquet. But Medvedev, rising to the occasion of the highest quality, won six of the last eight points and, with his second victory in group play, booked his spot in the semi-finals.
“Today’s match was a matter of a few points, was a really close match” Medvedev said later. “I’m just happy that I made it against such a strong opponent, especially this year, has so many victories, titles.”
Prophetically, he added, “I always say against a Top 10 player for years, which is Sascha, I feel like no matter how many matches you win in a row you can basically lose the same amount in a row afterwards.”
After his obligatory meeting with Zverev at net, Medvedev approached the courtside camera and, as is the victor’s custom, penned a message. “Not tight,” Medvedev wrote. “Hands are shaking.”
He was only half kidding.
Medvedev and Zverev would meet again in the championship match and there would be more great shots, from both sides. This time, however, the writing on the wall would belong to a different author.
1) Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, Final, Rafael Nadal d. Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-7(6), 7-5
By now, Rafael Nadal’s pre-service ritual is embedded in the mind’s eye. He’s gone through that quirky routine tens of thousands of times, driving home the point that Rafa is a creature of habit. The same is true of his clay results.
Heading into the Open Banc Sabadell, Nadal had won the Barcelona event 11 times – the same total as Monte-Carlo and two fewer than his enduring record of 13 at Roland Garros. It had already been a challenging week for Nadal before he reached the final, getting extended to three sets twice before besting Cameron Norrie and Pablo Carreno Busta.
Stefanos Tstisipas, however, would prove to be a tough out. The 22-year-old Greek had actually beaten Rafa in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and won the Monte-Carlo title a week before. A Roland Garros semi-finalist in 2020, Tsitsipas had won each of the 17 sets he played on clay in 2021, good for nine straight victories.
After a thrilling, savage encounter, the only necessary piece of play-by-play: Down 4-5, 30-40, Nadal rifled a forehand up the line to save match point. He won the next three games to punctuate a 3-hour, 38-minute battle – the then-longest ATP match of the year.
At the age of 34, Nadal had secured his 12th Barcelona title and his 87th overall.
“I think I never played a final like this in this tournament, so it means a lot to me against a player like him,” Nadal said afterward. “It is an important victory for me. I think I have been increasing my level during the whole week and this victory confirms it.”
Nadal ran his record in the Barcelona finals to a spotless 12-0. The win was particularly meaningful, he said, because the 2020 tournament had been cancelled due to the worldwide pandemic.
“It’s about accepting the challenge,” Nadal said. “It is about being humble enough to accept that sometimes you are not playing that well and you need to fight for it and you need to try to find solutions every day. That’s what I did.”
Next Week: Best Grand Slam Matches Of 2021
Read more of the Best Of 2021
Andy Murray is unable to cap a strong week in the Middle East with a win as he loses the Mubadala World Tennis Championship final to Andrey Rublev.
Novak Djokovic can add another accomplishment to his long list of accolades. The World No. 1 was recognised this week with his own Serbian postage stamps — one each for mailing letters domestically and internationally. He is the first athlete from his country to be placed on a stamp with his name on it.
“[It is] an honour to receive my very own Serbian stamp. Thank you to my generous country for this rare gift! I’m humbled!!” Djokovic tweeted. “Excited to share we’ll partner with the Serbian National Postal Service on Novak Djokovic Foundation projects for every child to have the opportunity to attend preschool.
“Gratitude for everyone that brought this together. Now Jelena Djokovic and I will take some stamps home for the kids to write to Santa.”
An honor to receive my very own Serbian stamp. Thank you to my generous country for this rare gift! I’m humbled!! Excited to share we’ll partner with the Serbian National Postal Service on @novakfoundation projects for every child to have the opportunity to attend preschool ?? pic.twitter.com/Ww8Zma95NU
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) December 17, 2021
The artwork was done by Boban Savic, with references to some of Djokovic’s greatest accomplishments, including his 37 ATP Masters 1000 titles and 20 major triumphs.
”Thank you to the Post of Serbia for this initiative, which I experienced as an effort to revive the tradition of writing letters and postcards, and I am glad to be able to contribute to that,” Djokovic said according to the Novak Djokovic Foundation’s website. “Our Foundation receives many letters every day from children and their teachers throughout Serbia, who need help and support in early development and education.
“We want, and we are committed to that every day, that in the next 10 years, every child in Serbia has access to kindergarten and the conditions to dream and realise their dreams. Together we will try to get the results as soon as possible, and we are glad that more and more partners are joining us, including the Post of Serbia.”
Zoran Djordjevic, the acting general manager of the Post of Serbia, said it is an honour to dedicate a stamp to Serbia’s “best athlete of all time”.
“The Post, as a national institution, in this way made an appropriate homage and a sign of gratitude from the people of Serbia to Novak Djokovic, for his sport achievements, and everything he is doing for the well-being of the citizens of our country and its reputation in the world with his public and humanitarian work,” Djordjevic said. “We believe that this unique postage stamp will not only record and preserve his successes for future generations but also encourage young people to give their best in all fields of life.”
Earlier this week, ATPTour.com looked at the best ATP Tour and Grand Slam match comebacks of 2021. Now, we will reflect on the best ATP Tour matches from another pulsating year on the circuit. (The Top 5 Grand Slam matches of 2021 will follow soon.)
From a final classic in Paris between the Top 2 players in the FedEx ATP Rankings, to thrillers in Serbia and Antwerp, these are three of the top five ATP Tour matches of the season.
5) Rolex Paris Masters, Final, Novak Djokovic d. Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
Tennis, at the highest level, is a game of adjustments. Seemingly slight tweaks in strategy can have a huge impact, as Novak Djokovic illustrated in the final of the Rolex Paris Masters back in November. In the seven weeks after his crushing defeat by Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final – that cost him a rare Grand Slam – Djokovic obsessively watched the video of his downfall.
“I tried to read the patterns of his serve and the ball toss,” he said in a Tennis Channel interview. “I tried to look for the small details, because it was a match of small margins. I thought it was only a matter of time when I was going to read his serve better, and start to make some plays.
“You can’t go through him. You have to find a way to play with controlled aggression, play the right shots at the right time and make him come in.”
Indeed, the 6’ 6” Medvedev, according to former Grand Slam champion Jim Courier, moves better than any big man he’s ever seen. This enabled him to play deep behind the baseline, giving him the time to attack Djokovic’s backhand, pinning him in the Ad side corner. The Serb’s solution was to serve and volley in critical moments, to open up the court with some wide serves and follow them to net. He would win 19 of 22 points by employing that element of surprise – and despite faulting on another 17 serve-and-volley points, this kept Medvedev off balance.
That’s how the World No. 1 defeated the World No. 2 in a two hour, 15-minute match that brought him a record-breaking 37th ATP Masters 1000 title. And this came just one day after he had secured a record seventh year-end No. 1 finish in the FedEx ATP Rankings. It was his sixth Bercy crown and he celebrated by hugging his children, Stefan and Tara.
4) Serbia Open, SF, Aslan Karatsev d. Novak Djokovic 7-5, 4-6, 6-4
Home … it’s where the heart is, and there’s no place like it. In so many ways, this was Novak Djokovic’s tournament. After a nine-year hiatus, the player’s family organised the event in his home town of Belgrade, with brother Djordje serving as director. The venue was Djokovic’s training facility, the Novak Tennis Centre.
Thing is, no one informed Aslan Karatsev that the host was supposed to win. The 27-year-old Russian had come whistling out of obscurity at the Australian Open, qualifying his way into the main draw, then advancing to the semi-finals, where he fell to Djokovic in straight sets. He was the first man in the Open era to reach the semi-finals in his major debut.
It was no surprise when Djokovic opened the first two sets with a 2-0 lead, but Karatsev broke back immediately each time. The Russian took the first set and was up 4-2 in the second before Djokovic took the last four games to force a third set. While his aggressive play came with unquestionable risk – Karatsev faced an incredible 28 break points – ultimately, he was rewarded with a stunning victory. In the end, Karatsev saved 23 of those break points, all 10 in the decisive third set.
The rousing match required 3 hours, 25 minutes, at the time, the longest ATP match of the 2021 season.
“It was a long, tough match,” Karatsev said afterward. “You have to put [in] like 200 per cent to beat this guy, it’s like playing against a wall. I stepped on the court to win. I was believing, and I said to myself that I would play every ball no matter what.”
Karatsev would lose the final to Matteo Berrettini in a third-set tie-break. The win against Djokovic was, Karatsev said, the biggest of his career.
“Definitely, it’s the World No. 1,” he said. “I’m really happy, I put everything on the court.”
3) European Open, First Round, Andy Murray d. Frances Tiafoe 7-6(2), 6-7(7), 7-6(8)
For three-time major champion Andy Murray, the long comeback from two hip surgeries, in 2018 and 2019, required a level of patience he didn’t possess in his early playing days. In his first tournament of 2020, the Western & Southern Open, the wild card defeated Frances Tiafoe in the first round and No. 7-ranked Alexander Zverev in the second – his first Top 10 victory in more than three years.
It was a notable peak in a series of peaks and valleys along the way. Back in August, in Winston-Salem, there was a distinct valley, when Tiafoe knocked him out in the first round. They met again, two months later in the first round of the European Open.
The 23-year-old American had put together a solid season, winning the title in Nottingham and advancing to the fourth round of the US Open, as well as Miami and Toronto. Murray, at 34, was coming off a respectable third-round showing at Indian Wells. Still, nothing could have prepared either player for what followed. In an epic match that featured three tie-breaks, Murray prevailed when he converted his second match point with a clever backhand drop shot that eluded Tiafoe.
Already on Murray’s side of the net, the American gave him a heartfelt hug and congratulated him on his effort.
“I think that’s the first time in my career I’ve played a 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 [match],” Murray told the crowd afterward. “I think it’s the longest three-set match I’ve played by quite a distance. I’m tired right now.”
The 3-hour, 45-minute match was the longest best-of-three-set match of 2021, snapping by seven minutes the standard set by Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Barcelona final.
“Nowadays obviously my body is old now,” Murray added. “I’ve played a lot of matches on the Tour. I don’t mind playing long matches, but that was taking it to another level,” Murray said. “Brilliant match, amazing atmosphere, thanks to everyone who came and supported.”
Next Up: The Top 2 ATP Tour matches of 2021.
Coming Soon: The Top 5 Grand Slam matches of 2021.
Read more from our Best of 2021 series here.
Andy Murray looks sharp as he beats old rival Rafael Nadal in straight sets at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.
Americans Jenson Brooksby and Mackenzie McDonald join Roger Federer, Aslan Karatsev and Rafael Nadal as winners in the 2021 ATP Awards.
Brooksby, 21, and the 26-year-old McDonald win respectively in the Newcomer of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year categories. Brooksby rose from outside the Top 300 at the start of 2021 to a career-high No. 56 by November, highlighted by his runs to the Newport final and fourth round at the US Open. McDonald, who fell as low as World No. 272 after undergoing right hamstring surgery in 2019, similarly rose to a career-high No. 54 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. McDonald’s best result also came on home soil when he reached the ATP 500 final in Washington, D.C.
In the two other player-voted categories, peers have selected Nadal as recipient of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for the fourth year in a row and fifth time overall, and Russia’s Aslan Karatsev as the Most Improved Player of the Year. Karatsev, 28, broke through to reach the Australian Open semi-finals as a qualifier and won two ATP Tour titles, in Dubai and Moscow.
Cameron Norrie’s coach Facundo Lugones takes home Coach of the Year honours after helping to guide the Briton to two titles from six finals, highlighted by the ATP Masters 1000 trophy in Indian Wells.
Federer has been voted as Fans’ Favourite for a record-extending 19th straight year, while French duo Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut – the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals champions – win the fan-voted award for the first time.
The 2021 ATP Awards also honours Novak Djokovic and Nikola Mektic/Mate Pavic, who received their trophies as the ATP No. 1 presented by FedEx during the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. Djokovic celebrated a seventh finish in the top spot, breaking the record he previously shared with Pete Sampras. Mektic and Pavic won nine tour-level titles in the first year of their partnership.
The Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award goes to New Zealand’s Marcus Daniell, who founded High Impact Athletes last November and announced at the start of 2021 that he would donate at least 10 per cent of his annual winnings to effective charity organizations for the rest of his life.
Tournament of the Year honours have been awarded to the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells (ATP Masters 1000), the Erste Bank Open in Vienna (ATP 500) and the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha (ATP 250). Meanwhile, Prajwal Hegde, the Times of India’s tennis editor, receives the Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award.
2021 ATP Awards Winners
ATP No. 1 presented by FedEx
(Determined by FedEx ATP Rankings)
Novak Djokovic: This is the seventh time the Serbian has earned this honour, passing Pete Sampras for the most year-end No. 1 finishes in the history of the FedEx ATP Rankings (since 1973). Djokovic also achieved the feat in 2011-12, ’14-15, ’18 and ’20. The 34-year-old, who extended his record as the oldest man to finish year-end No. 1, eclipsed Federer’s all-time mark of 310 weeks at No. 1 on 8 March. Djokovic came within one victory of completing the Grand Slam in 2021, winning titles at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon – drawing level with Federer and Nadal at 20 major titles – before finishing runner-up at the US Open. He also triumphed at the Belgrade Open and clinched a record-extending 37th ATP Masters 1000 title in Paris.
ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by FedEx
(Determined by FedEx ATP Rankings)
Nikola Mektic & Mate Pavic: The Croatian duo tallied nine tour-level titles in their first season together, beginning their partnership on a 12-match winning streak. They won 56 of their first 61 matches in 2021, including Masters 1000 triumphs in Miami, Monte-Carlo and Rome. Mektic and Pavic made history at Wimbledon, where they became the first all-Croatian team to win a men’s doubles Grand Slam title, and they proceeded to clinch the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Pavic finished in top spot twice before, partnering Oliver Marach in 2018 and Bruno Soares last year.
Comeback Player of the Year
(Voted by ATP players)
Mackenzie McDonald: The American underwent right hamstring surgery in June 2019 and fell as low as World No. 272 last year. Starting 2021 at No. 194 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, McDonald showed good form early on when he advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open — his best performance at a major since Wimbledon in 2018. He also won an ATP Challenger Tour title and qualified for Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The former UCLA Bruin’s most impressive result came in Washington, D.C., where he eliminated defending champion Nick Kyrgios and former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori en route to the ATP 500 final. McDonald ascended to a career-high No. 54 in November. Thanasi Kokkinakis, Andy Murray and Jack Sock were also nominated in this category.
See you in 2022 ?#ATPAwards pic.twitter.com/KkVhNOtQsK
— ATP Tour (@atptour) December 14, 2021
Most Improved Player of the Year
(Voted by ATP players)
Aslan Karatsev: The Russian’s season began in the first round of qualifying at the Australian Open when he was World No. 114. He strung together eight straight wins to reach the semi-finals at the first major of the season, including victories over Diego Schwartzman, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Grigor Dimitrov before losing to Djokovic. One month later, he clinched his first tour-level title at the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai. The 28-year-old also triumphed on home soil in Moscow, reached the final in Belgrade and scored top two wins against Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev. Karatsev reached a career-high No. 15 FedEx ATP Ranking in November. Carlos Alcaraz, Cameron Norrie and Casper Ruud were also nominated in this category.
Newcomer of the Year
(Voted by ATP players)
Jenson Brooksby: The American had earned just one tour-level win before the 2021 season and sat outside the Top 300 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. He finished his campaign at a career-high No. 56 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Brooksby reached his maiden ATP Tour final in Newport, before he advanced to the fourth round at a major for the first time on home soil at the US Open, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in four sets. Brooksby also reached tour-level semi-finals in Washington and Antwerp and captured three ATP Challenger Tour trophies. Four other #NextGenATP stars – Sebastian Baez, Juan Manuel Cerundolo, Hugo Gaston and Brandon Nakashima – were also nominated in this category.
Congratulations Jenson ?#ATPAwards pic.twitter.com/FDeO9FpqrF
— ATP Tour (@atptour) December 16, 2021
Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award
(Voted by ATP players)
Rafael Nadal: Fellow players have once again recognised Nadal for his fair play, professionalism and integrity on and off the court, selecting the Spaniard as the winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for a fourth straight year and fifth time overall. Nadal also received this honour in 2010. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Casper Ruud and Frances Tiafoe were also nominated in this category.
Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award
(Awarded by ATP)
Marcus Daniell: The Kiwi announced at the start of 2021 that he would donate at least 10 per cent of his annual winnings to effective charity organisations for the rest of his life. Daniell became involved with the effective altruism movement, which focusses on using one’s resources to do the most good, in 2015. Last year, he launched High Impact Athletes, an organisation whose purpose is to channel charitable donations to the most effective, evidence-based charities in the world, specifically in the fields of extreme poverty and environmental impact.
“The larger we make this snowball, the more positive impact we can have in the world” – @MarcusDaniell ?#ATPAwards pic.twitter.com/MljcbCQKNW
— ATP Tour (@atptour) December 14, 2021
Fans’ Favourite Award (Singles)
(Voted by fans)
Roger Federer: The Swiss has been selected as Fans’ Favourite for a record 19th straight year, taking his record haul of ATP Awards to 40. Federer, who celebrated his 40th birthday in August, made his comeback to the ATP Tour this past March in Doha after undergoing two arthroscopic right knee surgeries in 2020. He concluded his 2021 campaign with a run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
Fans’ Favourite Award (Doubles)
(Voted by fans)
Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut: The Frenchmen have been voted as the Fans’ Favourite doubles team for the first time. Herbert, 30, and 39-year-old Mahut claimed three team titles in 2021, including their second at Roland Garros and third at Queen’s Club. They capped off the ATP Tour season by winning the Nitto ATP Finals, their 20th title together since 2015.
Wowww!!! Thank you so much guys ! ?❤️?? https://t.co/IgavXXMUHg
— PH Herbert (@p2hugz) December 16, 2021
Coach of the Year
(Voted by ATP coaches)
Facundo Lugones: The Argentine helped Briton Cameron Norrie, his former college teammate at Texas Christian University, to a career-best season. Norrie claimed his first tour-level title in Los Cabos before battling to the ATP Masters 1000 trophy in Indian Wells. He was an alternate at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he played two matches. Norrie finished 2021 with a 52-25 record. Lugones was selected as the winner from a shortlist that included Craig Boynton (Hubert Hurkacz), Gilles Cervara (Daniil Medvedev), Juan Carlos Ferrero (Carlos Alcaraz) and Christian Ruud (Casper Ruud).
Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award
(Awarded by ATP)
Prajwal Hegde: Hegde, who played tennis at national level when younger, has been the Times of India’s tennis editor since 2005. She began her career with Mid-Day in Mumbai, covering a range of sports including tennis, cricket and field hockey, and then spent nine years with Deccan Herald, Bangalore, where her focus shifted largely to tennis. Hegde has also written books, with her debut novel ‘What’s Good About Falling’ published by Harper Collins in 2018.
ATP Masters 1000 Tournament of the Year
(Voted by ATP players)
BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells): The BNP Paribas Open wins in the ATP Masters 1000 category for a record-extending seventh time. Held amidst the natural beauty and backdrop of the desert landscape, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden offers top-notch player facilities and amenities; plentiful practice courts that allow fans to watch players up close; and unparalleled dining options.
ATP 500 Tournament of the Year
(Voted by ATP players)
Erste Bank Open (Vienna): ATP 500 Tournament of the Year honors goes to a first-time winner, the Erste Bank Open. First held in 1974, the indoor hard-court regularly attracts the world’s best players to Vienna in October. Even during COVID-19-impacted times nearly 60,000 fans visited the Stadthalle and the new, second match location “Tennis 2 Go” on the premises of the Wiener Eislaufverein in the city centre of Vienna for the 2021 edition.
ATP 250 Tournament of the Year
(Voted by ATP players)
Qatar ExxonMobil Open (Doha): The Qatar ExxonMobil Open repeats as winner in the ATP 250 category, claiming the Tournament of the Year award for the fourth time overall (2015, 2017, 2019). Doha has set high standards since its inception in 1993 and under the guidance of former player Karim Alami, the tournament continues to build its reputation for its superb facility, world-class hospitality and welcoming fans.
The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells (ATP Masters 1000), Erste Bank Open in Vienna (ATP 500) and Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha (ATP 250) have been named as Tournament of the Year in their respective categories in the 2021 ATP Awards. The tournament awards, voted by ATP players, recognise the leading standards set across events on the ATP Tour.
The BNP Paribas Open wins in the ATP Masters 1000 category for a record-extending seventh time. Held amidst the natural beauty and backdrop of the desert landscape, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden offers top-notch player facilities and amenities; plentiful practice courts that allow fans to watch players up close; and unparalleled dining options.
ATP 500 Tournament of the Year honors goes to a first-time winner, the Erste Bank Open. First held in 1974, the indoor hard-court regularly attracts the world’s best players to Vienna in October. Even during COVID-19-impacted times nearly 60,000 fans visited the Stadthalle and the new, second match location “Tennis 2 Go” on the premises of the Wiener Eislaufverein in the city centre of Vienna for the 2021 edition.
“We are very pleased that the Erste Bank Open were voted the ATP 500 tournament of the year for the first time in our long history,” said Tournament Director Herwig Straka. “We take this as an award for the entire team, which prepares and implements the event with great motivation every year. We consistently try to improve and innovate the Erste Bank Open, like this year’s launch of the ‘Tennis 2 Go’ project, to offer both, players and fans world-class tennis and entertainment at the highest level.”
The Qatar ExxonMobil Open repeats as winner in the ATP 250 category, claiming the Tournament of the Year award for the fourth time overall (2015, 2017, 2019). Doha has set high standards since its inception in 1993 and under the guidance of former player Karim Alami, the tournament continues to build its reputation for its superb facility, world-class hospitality and welcoming fans.
Rafael Nadal has been selected by fellow players as the winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for the fourth straight year in the 2021 ATP Awards. The 35-year-old has now received this honour five times, first triumphing in 2010.
The award recognises the Spaniard’s fair play, professionalism and integrity on and off the court.
All ATP Awards Winners
“I can’t be happier to receive one more time the Sportsmanship Award from my colleagues on the Tour,” Nadal said. “It means a lot to me, so thanks a lot to every player that thinks that I am the right one to receive this award.
“Honestly, it means a lot to me because I try to be always correct on court. Thanks for believing in me and I wish all the very best for the 2022 season to all my colleagues on the Tour and I hope to see you soon.”
The Spaniard has won an ATP Award in each of the player-voted categories: Newcomer (2003), Most Improved (2005), Comeback (2013) and Sportsmanship (2010, 2018-2021). He was also named Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year in 2011 and crowned ATP No. 1 presented by FedEx five times (2008, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019).
Nadal won titles on clay in Barcelona and Rome this year and reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros, before concluding his season in August due to injury. The 35-year-old finished at No. 6 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, his 17th straight season in the year-end Top 10, breaking the record he previously shared with Jimmy Connors.