Five years ago, Matthew Ebden and Cedrik-Marcel Stebe were playing the best tennis of their careers. Both the Aussie and German had made the leap to the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time and were on the ascent as they continued to realize their dreams on the ATP World Tour. But no path to stardom is identical and everyone takes a different route to the top. Ebden and Stebe would see their thriving careers cut down due to serious injury setbacks and after many years on the sidelines, both players would make triumphant comebacks in 2017 as the top performers on the ATP Challenger Tour. Ebden and Stebe were the biggest movers to the year-end...
The Comeback Player of the Year Award in the 2017 ATP World Tour Awards Presented by Moët & Chandon recognises those players who have overcome injury in re-establishing themselves as one of the top players on the ATP circuit. The winner, as selected by the players, will be announced ahead of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Kevin Anderson Injuries derail many careers, and some players never can play their sport at the same level again. But not Anderson. Not because of an ankle operation last spring, a dental operation or a hip injury. Sure, a difficult 2016 health-wise set the South African back physically and literally at the beginning of this year — the right-hander did not play until...
Cedrik Marcel Stebe looks back on a memorable week in Sibiu, Romania, where he claimed his third ATP Challenger Tour title of the year. Video courtesy of Sibiu Open.
UPDATE: Stebe did not drop a set in qualifying for the US Open, his first Grand Slam main draw since 2013. Cedrik-Marcel Stebe had his doubts if he would ever play professional tennis again. Every player has a breaking point and the 26 year old was closing in on discovering his, as he sat at home recovering from a multitude of injuries... for nearly three years. "I was struggling with myself. I was thinking 'What did I do to deserve this?' I didn't do anything wrong. Was there something wrong with my body? It was as much of a mental struggle as it was a physical one." Hip impingement surgery. Lower back ailment. Pubic bone inflammation. Pelvic surgery to insert...
