If there’s anything Grigor Dimitrov learned in 2017, it’s how to rebound from big losses. It was the semi-finals of the Australian Open, the season’s first Grand Slam. The opponent was Rafael Nadal, a marquee name on the ATP World Tour with more Grand Slam titles than he had fingers to count them. He won the event in 2009. He was a former World No.1 in the ATP Rankings. Dimitrov? He was ranked lower, had far less experience, and an unfavourable record in their FedEx ATP Head2Head. In a tight five-set, nearly five-hour decision that would end up being one of the best matches of the year, he lost the match. But Dimitrov’s 2017 season would end up being his...
For Nick Kyrgios, the new ATP World Tour campaign means a fresh start, a chance to knuckle down and for fans to buckle up – just expect a tamer rollercoaster compared to previous seasons. Kyrgios warns there will be peaks, minus the same intense levels of drama. "I think, last year, there were periods where I was really good and really bad," Kyrgios said. "But at the end of the day, I just need to know it's a long year. I can't expend too much energy on other things. I want to ride the highs, not as high as I usually do. If I lose a match, at the end of the day, it's a tennis match. I want to...
At 31 years old with 75 tour-level titles and 162 weeks atop the ATP Rankings, one would think there wouldn’t be any more firsts for Rafael Nadal. Think again. The Spaniard arrives at the Australian Open this year with the hopes of going one step further than the dramatic five-set final he played against longtime rival Roger Federer last year, which catalysed a year of unexpected success for the both of them. He aims to become one of just three players after Roy Emerson and Rod Laver to win each of the Grand Slams twice, furthering his already remarkable legacy in the sport. But this year, things are a little different. “It's the first time I am here without playing...
How does it feel to be standing with your first ATP World Tour trophy? It's an amazing feeling; (tennis players) work all their lives to get (a title), and I'm one of the lucky ones who got one. I'm not going to stop, I'm going to continue to work toward getting more titles. Could you believe at 21 you are already a winner on the ATP World Tour? Was this a goal of yours, growing up to win an ATP title? It's very tough to say because growing up, I never thought I'd be a professional player in the Top 100. I went about it step-by-step, I never made any one big step. I was going through the Futures, the...