Flashback to 20 July 2015, and you find 18-year-old Alexander Zverev No. 123 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. His potential was obvious but yet to be fully realised. Fast forward two years to 31 July 2017, and you discover that the now 20-year-old German has skyrocketed to No. 8 in the world. He is now the real deal, and what’s scary is that his potential is still largely unearthed. He is still adding muscle to his 6’6” frame, still putting the subtleties of strategy together, and still discovering what really matters when push comes to shove under the bright lights. Look out world when this jigsaw comes together. The discussion about Zverev rising to No. 1 in the world is...
Novak Djokovic owned 2015. Andy Murray surged to World No. 1 in 2016, and it’s been the Roger and Rafa show so far in 2017. The Big Four have all had their time in the sun during the past two-and-a-half years, and all are ranked in the Top Four of the Emirates ATP Rankings this week. An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers breakdown of their first-serve percentage when serving down break point in both the deuce and ad courts from the 2015 season to the present time provides deeper insight into the metrics that define their greatness. 1. Overall Record Novak Djokovic has the highest match-win percentage of the Big Four since the start of the 2015 season, at 88.6...
What are Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal doing better than anyone else this year? Second serves. Federer and Nadal are the first two players to book their spots at the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held 12-19 November at The O2 in London. The two all-time greats have already qualified by winning a combined nine titles this season, including all three Grand Slam events. Buy Tickets Now Nadal leads the Emirates ATP Race To London with 7,095 points to Federer’s 6,545 points. Dominic Thiem is currently in third place, well back with 3,345 points. See Who's Pushing Nadal, Federer In Emirates ATP Race To London An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis identifies that Federer and Nadal both appear in...
Does Pete Sampras have the best first serve of all time? Sampras finished year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings for six straight years from 1993 to 1998, dominating with pinpoint accuracy, and often backing it up with some of the finest serve-and-volley points our sport has ever seen. Sampras’ first serve has no peer when compared to other players who also ended the season ranked No. 1 from 1991 to 2016. Sampras'’ best season behind his first serve was 1998, where he won a dominant 83.0 per cent of his first-serve points. The following table shows how consistently good Sampras was during his reign as World No. 1 compared to other players ranked No. 1 at the end...
The typical way to improve in tennis is to turn weaknesses into strengths. There is also a second way, which focuses on taking strengths to a whole new level. Case in point: Rafael Nadal’s second serve. Nadal is already the career leader on the ATP World Tour with second-serve points won at 57.1 per cent (12,931/22,657), edging recognised power servers such as Andy Roddick and John Isner in this specific category. An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of Nadal’s 2017 season reveals he is simply blowing his already peerless career average right out of the water. [ALSO LIKE] The Spaniard is winning an astounding 61.9 per cent (628/1015) of his second-serve points so far this season, which has helped...