Which component of our game is most closely linked to becoming a Top 10 player? The ATP Stats LEADERBOARDS, powered by the Infosys Information Platform, track six Serve categories, three Returning, and four Under Pressure areas of our game. This Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis focuses on how many in the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings in the 2016 season, and also the first month of 2017, featured in the Top 10 in each of those categories. The winner was Second Serve Points Won. Six of the Top 10 players in the world during this period also featured in the Top 10 in Second Serve Points Won. The leaders were Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who both...
The first quarter of 2017 is in the books, so let's see who had the hot hand to start the new year. The big picture clearly shows Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal out in front in the Emirates ATP Race To London. But what about the specifics of serving, returning and elevating in the pressure moments? That’s where the specific metrics of our game step in to paint a clearer picture. An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the first quarter identifies four players who are outperforming their peers, laying the foundation for a rise up the Emirates ATP Rankings this season. No. 1 Service Games Won = Nick Kyrgios 93.3% (208/223) Ivo Karlovic has been the leader in...
There is unpredictable, and then there is Nick Kyrgios. The enigmatic 21-year-old Australian is a master of the mysterious when hitting second serves, keeping opponents off balance with his massive range of speed and spin. Sometimes it's an 83 mph kicking mule that deceptively comes at you slow, but then leaps off the court up over your head. Other times it's a 129 mph fastball that whizzes right by you for an ace. It's unreadable, often unhittable and unrelenting in the clutch. Kyrgios takes the standard guidelines for hitting second serves on board, and then proceeds to throw them out the window. He is not the first player to have such a prolific mix of second-serve deliveries, but he is...
Roger’s backhand return. It used to get picked on. It used to misfire and shank and generally underperform relative to the genius of the rest of his arsenal. And now, all of a sudden, it’s a beast. The most under-rated part of Roger Federer’s game throughout his illustrious career is now the main attraction. “I am just able to step into the court much easier than I ever have,” Federer said in a post-match interview at the BNP Paribas Open last week, after defeating Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-3 in the fourth round. “I think by coming over my backhand on the return from the get-go in the point, I can then dominate points from the start.” An Infosys ATP Beyond...