London
One of the most memorable and exciting ATP World Tour seasons has finished with standout performances by established superstars, an epic battle for the year=end No. 1 on the Emirates ATP Rankings at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals and career-defining wins by young up-and-coming stars.
The 2016 season began with dominating performances by the long-established superstar Novak Djokovic and ended with the stunning late season run to the No. 1 position by 29-year-old Andy Murray, whose sheer persistence and dedication to the game made him the second oldest player in ATP history to debut as No. 1, behind Aussie legend John Newcombe who achieved the feat at 30 years old.
In the process, both Murray and Djokovic achieved career highlights during the year. Murray became the first British player to finish as year-end No. 1, and Djokovic secured his career Grand Slam by finally adding the Roland Garros title to his previous wins at the US Open, Wimbledon and Australian Open.
It was fitting that the battle for the year-end top ranking went right down to the final match of the year at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at The O2 in London, where Murray beat Djokovic 6-3 6-4 in a truly dramatic finale to the year. Despite his loss Djokovic can still be proud of a spectacular year that featured 7 titles including the breakthrough win in Paris and a record 30th career Masters 1000 crown which helped him finish in the top 2 in the rankings for the sixth straight year.
Murray finished his career-best season with nine titles that included three ATP World Tour Masters 1000s, Wimbledon, the Olympic gold medal and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.
But while the spotlight was on those two players at the end of the year, there were many great performances during the season including the heartwarming return to the Tour, and the victory circle, by the ever popular Juan Martin del Potro. The 28-year-old Argentinian, who has battled through serious wrist problems in recent years, won the If Stockholm Open, reached the quarter-finals at the US Open, claimed a silver medal at the Olympic Games and led his country to their first ever Davis Cup triumph.
Del Potro’s return to form this year saw him jump from a lowly ranking of 581 in 2015 all the way up to 38 in the world by the end of the 2016 season, a gain of 543 spots and the biggest jump in the Top 100 for the season. Fittingly he was awarded the Comeback Player of the Year in the player-voted ATP World Tour Awards, presented by Moet & Chandon. It will be fascinating to watch his progress in 2017.
At the other end of the scale the younger brigade also served notice that they will be big-time contenders next season.
The 23-year-old Dominic Thiem reached a career-high ranking of 7 in June as the talented Austrian added four more ATP World Tour titles on different surfaces to his resume, taking his career total to seven already.
German teenager Alexander Zverev surprised nobody when he recorded his breakthrough ATP World Tour win at the St Petersburgh Open, doing it in style by seeing off US Open champion Stan Wawrinka in three exciting sets. He finished the year at a career best No. 24 and is the first teenager to finish in the top 25 since Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray in 2006.
The hugely talented Nick Kyrgios highlighted his year with three ATP World Tour titles that catapulted him to a year-end ranking of No. 13. The 21-year-old Australian is now surely poised for a further push up the rankings in 2017.
American Taylor Fritz has given the United States a player to watch as the 19-year-old reached a career-high ranking of No. 53 in August on his way to earning the ATP Star of Tomorrow award presented by Emirates which goes to the youngest player in the Top 100.
Fritz and all the other young next generation players will now have their own high profile championship to aim at, starting next year. The Next Gen ATP Finals, a brand new season-ending championship for 21-and-Under singles players, will be held for the first time and will be played at the Fiera Milano stadium in Milan, Italy. The five day event will take place from 7—11 November, 2017, and Milan will be the host city for the first five years.
A season-long “Emirates ATP Race to Milan” will see the world’s best up-and-coming talents battle to qualify for the 7 available spots at the elite event. The eighth and final spot will be reserved for a wild card entry. The event will provide a platform for the stars of the future to showcase their talents on a global stage.
The ATP received significant interest in the new event from a number of cities around the globe and is delighted to partner with the Italian Tennis Federation in Milan as the exciting event is unveiled to the world.
The Next Gen ATP Finals promises to be just one part of an exciting season in 2017. The “Big Four” is expected to shine again as Murray and Djokovic get ready to resume battle with the rejuvenated Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The Swiss and the Spaniard took time off at the end of the year to recover physically for next season and their comebacks are eagerly awaited.
The established stars won’t have it all their own way though with the already identified young players ready to make their presence felt as they continue their upward career paths. Watch out for the likes of the aforementioned Thiem,
Zverev and Kyrgios as they join the rest of the Tour in what promises to be perhaps the most competitive season ever on the ATP World Tour.
—Chris Kermode is executive chairman and president of ATP
