ATP World Tour’s exciting final few months is defined by withdrawals as race to world No1 is ruined by injuries
When Novak Djokovic held the US Open trophy aloft last month, his return to the elite level of tennis was resoundingly complete.
Alongside confirming his legacy as one of the greats with back-to-back grand slam titles, Djokovic also reignited the race for the world No1 ranking. The Serbian is currently ranked third, and has 6,445 points to his name, 455 behind Roger Federer and more than two thousand behind Rafael Nadal, who leads the way with 8,760.
This might seem an insurmountable margin with no grand slams left this year, but there remains plenty of opportunity for Djokovic to catch up and make for an exciting end to the season.
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Far from winding down, the men’s tour has just begun an extensive cycle in Asia and Europe of highly competitive matches on intense hard court surfaces in front of enthused and partisan crowds. Two Masters 1000 events still have to be played in both Shanghai and Paris, giving grand slam hopefuls the opportunity to challenge the giants and establish their credentials ahead of January’s Australian Open. There are also elite-level events in Tokyo, Basel and Vienna.
The stable outdoor temperatures in Asia and indoors across Europe should be a perfect climate for inspired shot-making and exciting rallies. Potentially, some of the best tennis could be played across these final few months before the season finishes in November.
The best eight players are supposed to play against each other in the season ending ATP Finals at the O2 Arena in London but the tournament is regularly affected by withdrawals and player injuries (Source: Getty)
Sadly, Djokovic’s late-season charge for the No1 spot will not be defined solely by his tennis. Both his main competitors are rationing appearances over the next two months which will affect their points tallies. Federer is minimising his commitments with next year’s grand slams in mind, while Nadal is nursing a knee injury that has kept him out of the Asian swing.
This is the reality of wear and tear on the men’s tour, where rankings factor in four grand slams, nine Masters 1000 events played across three continents, and at least six additional tournaments. Considering that the top eight players also participate in the ATP Finals in London, it’s no surprise that so many suffer injuries during the winter.
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Other famous faces have had to compromise their late-season ambitions. Andy Murray opted to close his season after his quarter-final defeat to Fernando Verdasco at the Shenzhen Open. He is still taking things slowly after 11 months out with a persistent hip problem. Stan Wawrinka is also likely to also turn his focus to 2019 after two injury-affected seasons. Others suffering from physical problems include popular contenders such as Milos Raonic, Kei Nishikori, Nick Kyrgios and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
This doesn’t mean a shortage of drama. Greek wonder-kid Stefanos Tsitsipas is competing with established players such as Grigor Dimitrov, Marin Cilic, Kevin Anderson and John Isner for a place in the ATP Finals at the O2 Arena in November. There are also huge opportunities for grand slam contenders such as Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem to add to their trophy hauls and boost their profiles.
Yet these names aren’t as familiar as Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray, Del Potro and Wawrinka. Regardless of how exciting the next generation could be, it remains a shame that the compelling narratives between the major-winners who have defined the sport are likely to be sidelined.
Djokovic's accomplishment at the US Open completed a dazzling three months for the Serbian, crowning his success at Wimbledon in July with a second grand slam title in a row (Source: Getty)
Tennis lovers have become morbidly acclimatised to this situation in recent years. In 2016 Murray confirmed his place as No1 by beating Djokovic to the ATP Finals title in front of 17,000 fans. Djokovic was clearly depleted at the time, however, and Murray found his pathway to top spot unobstructed by Nadal and Federer who didn’t compete in London that year. Murray suffered his own injuries the following season, and relinquished the No1 ranking while Federer and Nadal competed for the mantle in splendid isolation. Nadal has also missed ATP Finals in the past, in both 2012 and 2014, due to injury.
Alongside such injury problems for elite players, there is also the needless scheduling of the Davis Cup final at the end of the season – a situation that won’t be rectified by its revamp, which will see the entire main draw played over one week in November next year. This tournament has often taken the focus of elite players away from the ATP calendar, with Del Potro and Murray both prioritising the trophy in recent years over individual contests.
As the winter season takes place with a reduced roster of star players yet again, conversations about scheduling and player injuries will likely begin once more in earnest, with no end to the difficulties in sight.