Rafael Nadal fans must be counting down the days. With Nadal's left wrist looking healthy – see 2017 Australian Open – and the Spaniard back in fighting form, his legion of supporters surely cannot wait until the left-hander slides on red dirt again. The 30 year old has taken multiple tour-level titles on all surfaces since turning pro in 2001, but nowhere has his game been as dominant as it has been on clay. As the European clay-court season approaches, it's worth reminding ourselves of Nadal's most impressive numbers, found in the FedEx ATP Performance Zone. More: View Best Career Clay-Court Records In FedEx ATP Performance Zone Nadal has won almost 92 per cent of the matches he's played on...
The ability to quickly adjust to different surfaces and conditions is a necessity on the 64-tournament circuit. Here's a look at some of the best performers in 2016 by surface this year: Hard Courts (minimum 10 matches) Andy Murray won six of his nine titles on hard courts in 2016, contesting eight finals on the surface (6-2). Juan Martin del Potro, who rose from No. 1041 at the start of the year to No. 38 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, won .750 of his 2016 matches on hard courts, including a win over Andy Murray in the Davis Cup semi-finals. Player W-L Record Winning % Andy Murray 48-6 .889 Novak Djokovic 47-6 .887 Roger Federer 8-2 .800 Juan Martin del...
To be the best, you have to beat the best. To win the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, that means beating a stream of Top 10 players. Four players in the eight-man field – Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Marin Cilic and Milos Raonic – have six or more Top 10 wins this season. As a five-time tournament champion, it's no surprise that World No. 2 Djokovic has consistently been the top performer against the Top 10 in the FedEx ATP Win-Loss Index. This year alone he has posted a ruthless 18-3 record (.857), including a 14-match win streak to open the year. The Serbian's career index of .680 is also the best among the elite eight in London. "I have...
Already a four-time ATP World Tour champion this season, 23-year-old Dominic Thiem is riding high on his formula for success. The co-leader with Novak Djokovic for match wins this season, on 56, the Austrian is on track to qualify for his first Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. An often unrecognised statistic in his winning ways, though, is his enviable tour-leading 21-1 record in deciding sets for the year to date. “Every time I read it I’m impressed about the statistic,” Thiem laughs. It is a huge improvement on last season, a combination of factors the Austrian puts down to luck, fitness and a healthy dose of confidence. “A lot of things have an influence,” he said. “First of all, in...