This past ATP tennis season was historic – first for Novak Djokovic, then for Andy Murray, with Stan Wawrinka finding his way to another unexpected championship moment. Here is the year that was for the ATP’s best:
French flourishing for Novak Djokovic
From the start of this decade, Djokovic was seen as the top contender at the French Open. From 2011 to 2015, each year saw him slide, glide, scamper and battle for the Career Slam, but each final weekend saw his dream painfully thwarted. It was agonizing for him, and for his fans. Any lesser mortal would’ve felt frustrated from the pain and would’ve hung up the cause, but not Djokovic.
In 2016, he wasn’t to be denied again. The Serbian came back motivated, committed, rejuvenated and finally added the last big prize to his trophy cabinet. No force could stop him. Justice was done. By winning Roland Garros, he did what nobody has done in the last 47 years– held all four majors at the same time. 2016 should be remembered for this remarkable feat from Djokovic, not for his minor regression.
Health emerges as a point of focus for Federer and Nadal
When was the last time you saw Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal both out injured? Never! It was an apocalypse in the tennis kingdom. Federer found himself on an unknown island — he had never been injured before and never had to pull out of Grand Slams. For the first time since the turn of the century, he opted out of a major–the French Open. On his return, he didn’t look sharp either and after a fall in a heartbreaking Wimbledon semifinal loss to Milos Raonic, he called it quits for the rest of the season.
Injuries and Nadal are synonymous. Each time Nadal has been injured, he has come back with a bang. However, 2016 made for ugly readings as far as the Spaniard was concerned. Just when the form seemed to be returning, he had to pull out of his beloved French Open midway through the tournament and it wasn’t until Rio Olympics that he returned. Eventually, Nadal was forced to close out the season prematurely in October.
Andy Murray reaches the pinnacle of his profession, at last
Djokovic slipped in the second half but Murray made merry. He went on to sweep every tournament except the Cincinnati Masters, where he shockingly lost to Marin Cilic, and the U.S. Open, where he went down to Kei Nishikori in a pulsating five-setter. Murray went 78-9 for the season, winning nine titles including Wimbledon and reaching two finals in Melbourne and Paris. In the final match of the year at the World Tour Finals in London, where the No. 1 ranking was at stake, Murray came up triumphant. The Brit who is often seen as fourth cog in the ‘Big Four’ wheel finally climbed the tennis pinnacle.
Won and done for Wawrinka in a New York surprise
Stan Wawrinka has made it the norm to surprise the tennis world at least once every year. He is predictably unpredictable and that makes for fascinating viewing. Wawrinka won titles in Chennai, Dubai, and Geneva but couldn’t defend his French crown. However, when least expected to triumph at the final major of the year, he did just that at the U.S. Open, beating Djokovic in the final.
Del Potro and Argentine tennis find a crown jewel in Croatia
Juan Martin del Potro crunched his forehand and used his slice with lot of guile to stun Djokovic and Nadal in the Rio Olympics. The towering Argentine wasn’t done winning big. He made the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open, where he shed tears after a huge reception from the New York crowd. In the Davis Cup semifinal and final, Del Potro came up with giant killing victories and led Argentina to its first Davis Cup crown. His match win over Andy Murray in the semifinals against Great Britain took over five hours. It might have been the match of the year on tour.
Age is just a number
For some aging gets painful, but some mature with it and it’s beautiful to see that. Ivo Karlovic is in his late thirties but still won two titles and is ranked 19th in the world. Paulo Lorenzi, the Italian veteran, who often struggles to win two consecutive matches on tour, won his first ATP title at age 34. Stephane Robert, aged 36, is the perennial journeyman from France, who often feeds himself from challenger money. He is ranked 54th in the world. While tennis remains a young man’s game, it’s the oldies who continue to inspire.
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