Whether it was the vintage seasons of superstars such as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, the exploding talents of the young brigade typified by Germany’s 20-year-old Alexander Zverev, or players like Grigor Dimitrov firmly establishing themselves as star players, the ATP World Tour season grabbed the headlines on many fronts in 2017.
It was a record-breaking year that for the first time saw more than 4.5 million fans attending ATP World Tour events to watch the world’s best players, who without question are among the finest athletes of any sport in the world.
The season ended in great style in London at the Nitto ATP Finals, with popular Bulgarian Dimitrov posting a drama-filled 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 win over Belgium’s David Goffin, with the 31-game scoreline the second longest in a three-set final in the storied history of our season-ending event. Only John McEnroe exceeded that total when he took 34 games to see off a determined challenge from the great Arthur Ashe in 1978 in New York.
Dimitrov’s dramatic win capped a stand-out year on Tour. He won his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati on his way to a dramatic rise in the Emirates ATP Rankings during the year, finishing the season at a career-high No. 3 up from No. 17 at the end of 2016.
In doubles in London, Henri Kontinen and John Peers became the first team to successfully defend the season finale title since Bob and Mike Bryan triumphed in 2004 in Houston. However, it was Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo that sealed the year-end No. 1 doubles team ranking in their first full season together.
Elsewhere, South Korea’s 21-year-old Hyeon Chung became the first player to be crowned at the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals held in Milan. The exciting new event showcased the best 21-and-under players and delivered some thrilling encounters between the best #nextgenATP players, with Chung eventually claiming his first title with four-set win over Andrey Rublev.
The event in Milan featured many innovations aimed at enhancing the excitement and drama during matches, including a first-to-four games shortened set format, with a tie-break at 3-all, and played over the best-of-five sets. Other innovations included a shot clock, no lets, a reduced warm-up, free crowd movement, coaching via headsets, as well as Hawk-Eye Live on all lines. It made for a fresh look for our sport, with the tournament delivering on its mission to provide a platform for experimentation. We will be reviewing all the innovations across all stakeholders as we look determine if any changes should be incorporated onto the regular Tour.
Top honours on the Emirates ATP Rankings of course belonged to the extraordinary Nadal who, at 31 years, became the oldest season-ending No.1. It was the fourth time in his career that he had achieved the year-end top spot, and it truly was a season to savour for the popular Spaniard.
Nadal’s great rival and friend Federer also defied the years in 2017, putting together another remarkable year that saw him win seven titles that included two Grand Slam crowns as well as 3 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles. That haul by the 36-year-old took his career title tally to 95 and he finished the season as No.2.
The season also saw numerous other standout performances. The enormously talented 20-year-old Zverev finished at No. 4, right behind Nadal, Federer and Dimitrov. His impressive season produced five titles, including breakthrough Masters 1000 titles in Rome and Montreal.
Congratulations are also in order for some other high flyers who rocketed up the rankings achieving career-high year-end positions. Notably Jack Sock’s compiled an impressive late season charge that saw him finish at No. 8, while Pablo Carreno Busta finished at No. 10.
Elsewhere, Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov climbed from No. 250 at the start of the year to finish at No. 51. In recognition of his achievements, the Canadian was awarded the Most Improved Player of the Year award, as voted by his fellow players, and the ATP Star of Tomorrow, presented by Emirates, for being the youngest players in the Top 100.
On the tournament side, congratulations are in order for the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, and the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, for winning the best tournaments of the year awards in their respective categories (Masters 1000, 500, 250), as voted by players.
With 2017 now behind us, attention turns to the start of the 2018 season as the ATP World Tour heads through India, Australia and the Middle East on its way to the first Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne in mid-January.
With so many strong performances in 2017, the new season promises so much. Several big names including Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka will return after injury breaks and the younger generation led by Zverev will hope to further establish themselves as major players. Of course, the likes of Nadal Federer will also be there, hoping to continue their age defying brilliance. The Tour is at a fascinating cross-road, and next season will undoubtedly make for more compelling viewing to our growing global audience.
— Chris Kermode is Executive Chairman and President of ATP, and writes a special column for Gulf News.
