Two years on from gritting his teeth through compulsory military training in Austria, Dominic Thiem is now among the elite eight, who are set to compete on the illuminated blue court, at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. “In 2014, it was difficult for me to have a decent off-season, but last year I watched it and thought the [Barclays ATP World Tour] Finals was so difficult to amass so many [Emirates ATP Rankings] points, to compile so many good results,” Thiem told ATPWorldTour.com. “So to have qualified is a big dream.” Watch: The Story Of Thiem The youngest player in the field at The O2 in London is also the first Austrian to compete at the year-end championships since...
This has been a good year for the man who styles himself “the CEO of Milos Raonic Tennis” (for those who aren’t aware, that’s the Wimbledon finalist himself). In addition to a wicked serve and blistering forehand, this chief executive officer has also brought some idiosyncrasies to the task. That was most evident with the sleeve he had on his right arm for a couple of years – he first wore that at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells in 2014 to protect a heat rash, and he then didn’t take it off until this season’s European clay-court swing. And he has since appeared to be just fine without it. Something new that he believes could be...
Break points are the kingmakers in a tennis match. They are the moments in time that carry the most weight, the most influential points to the final outcome. Saving break points when serving will once again go a long way in anointing the king of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals this month. An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of saving break points for the Elite Eight during the 2016 season identifies three critical areas to watch: percentage of break points saved behind a first serve, behind a second serve, and the percentage-point gap between between the two, which highlights just how critical it is for players to make their first serve in this crucible of the 2016 season....
Only five men have done it, and it's been almost 20 years since the last player making his debut at the ATP World Tour season finale won the tournament at the first attempt. But Alex Corretja, who triumphed at the season finale in 1998, says fans shouldn't count out Gael Monfils and Dominic Thiem when they make their debuts at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London next week. Sure, other players – namely, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic – have more experience at The O2 and will likely be favoured to reach the semi-finals and final. But Monfils and Thiem have proven all year that they belong among the Top 8, winning ATP World Tour titles and advancing...
Combine a massive serve with gargantuan groundstrokes, sound volleys and an ability to produce your best on the biggest occasions, and what do you have? In Marin Cilic, someone none of the other seven competitors at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals will enjoy seeing on the other side of the net. This is the second time Cilic has qualified for the season-ending tournament. On his debut in 2014 – the same year he won his first and, to date, only Grand Slam title at the US Open – he lost all three of his group matches in London, hampered by a niggling arm injury, and he left hugely disappointed, determined to return. Motivation, then, will be high for the...
