2016 ATP World Tour - gallery, fun facts, highlights, review

[Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil]

That is all for the individual competitions in 2016 ATP World Tour season, and we have seen a lot. New world number 1, four consecutive Majors, slow changing at the top, a memorable comeback from one particular player... We got some highlights at both ends, after 8 straight years without a teenage finalist we got 6 teenage finalists this year with one of them winning the title while we was also witnessed the oldest first time title winner and oldest title winner since 1979. One may have been more or less satisfied depending on his/her favorite player and standards but 2016 didn't disappoint.

Here is the gallery, fun facts, highlights and review - a tribute to this season and all the effort that these gentlemen have put in and great tennis they have produced to make sure it's a season not to be forgotten. Enjoy.

Gallery:

Brisbane International
Milos Raonic (def. Roger Federer 6-4 6-4)

Chennai Open
Stan Wawrinka (def. Borna Coric 6-3 7-5)

Qatar Open, Doha
Novak Djokovic (def. Rafael Nadal 6-1 6-2)

Auckland Open
Roberto Bautista Agut (def. Jack Sock 6-1, 1-0 ret.)

Sydney International
Viktor Troicki (def. Grigor Dimitrov 2-6 6-1 7-6(7))

Australian Open, Melbourne
Novak Djokovic (def. Andy Murray 6-1 7-5 7-6(3))

Open Sud de France, Montpellier
Richard Gasquet (def. Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-5 6-4)

Sofia Open
Roberto Bautista-Agut (def. Viktor Troicki 6-3 6-4)

Ecuador Open, Quito
Victor Estrella Burgos (def. Thomas Bellucci 4-6 7-6(5) 6-2)

Rotterdam Open
Martin Klizan (def. Gael Monfils 6-7(1) 6-3 6-1)

Memphis Open
Kei Nishikori (def. Taylor Fritz 6-4 6-4)

Argentina Open, Buenos Aires
Dominic Thiem (def. Nicolas Almagro 7-6(3) 3-6 7-6(4))

Rio Open
Pablo Cuevas (def. Guido Pella 6-4 6-7(5) 6-4)

Open 13, Marseille
Nick Kyrgios (def. Marin Cilic 6-2 7-6(3))

Delray Beach Open
Sam Querrey (def. Rajeev Ram 6-4 7-6(6))

Dubai Tennis Championships
Stan Wawrinka (def. Marcos Baghdatis 6-4 7-6(13))

Mexican Open, Acapulco
Dominic Thiem (def. Bernard Tomic 7-6(6) 4-6 6-3)

Brasil Open, Sao Paulo
Pablo Cuevas (def. Pablo Carreno Busta 7-6(4) 6-3)

Indian Wells
Novak Djokovic (def. Milos Raonic 6-2 6-0)

Miami Open
Novak Djokovic (def. Kei Nishikori 6-3 6-3)

 

[Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil]

US Men's Clay Championships, Houston
Juan Monaco (def. Jack Sock 3-6 6-3 7-5)

Grand Prix Hassan II, Marrakech
Federico Delbonis (def. Borna Coric 6-2 6-4)

Monte Carlo Rolex Masters
Rafael Nadal (def. Gael Monfils 7-5 5-7 6-0)

Bucharest Open
Fernando Verdasco (def. Lucas Pouille 6-3 6-2)

Barcelona Open
Rafael Nadal (def. Kei Nishikori 6-4 7-5)

Estoril Open
Nicolas Almagro (def. Pablo Carreno Busta 6-7(6) 7-6(5) 6-3)

Bavarian Championships, Munich
Philipp Kohlschreiber (def. Dominic Thiem 7-6(7) 4-6 7-6(4))

Istanbul Open
Diego Schwartzman (def. Grigor Dimitrov 6-7(5) 7-6(4) 6-0)

Mutua Madrid Open
Novak Djokovic (def. Andy Murray 6-2 3-6 6-3)

Italian Open, Rome
Andy Murray (def. Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-3)

Geneva Open
Stan Wawrinka (def. Marin Cilic 6-4 7-6(11))

Open de Nice Cote d’Azur, Nice
Dominic Thiem (def. Alexander Zverev 6-4 3-6 6-0)

Roland Garros, Paris
Novak Djokovic (def. Andy Murray 3-6 6-1 6-2 6-4)

Rosmalen Grass Court Championships, 's-Hertogenbosch
Nicolas Mahut (def. Gilles Muller 6-4 6-4)

Stuttgart Open
Dominic Thiem (def. Philipp Kohlscreiber 6-7(2) 6-4 6-4)

Halle Open
Florian Mayer (def. Alexander Zverev 6-2 5-7 6-3)

Queens Club Championships, London
Andy Murray (def. Milos Raonic 6-7(5) 6-4 6-3)

Nottingham Open
Steve Johnson (def. Pablo Cuevas 7-6(5) 7-5)

The Championships, Wimbledon
Andy Murray (def. Milos Raonic 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(2))

 

[Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil]

German Open, Hamburg
Martin Klizan (def. Pablo Cuevas 6-1 6-4)

Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, Newport
Ivo Karlovic (def. Gilles Muller 6-7(2) 7-6(5) 7-6(12))

Swedish Open, Bastad
Albert Ramos Vinolas (def. Fernando Verdasco 6-3 6-4)
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Washington Open
Gael Monfils (def. Ivo Karlovic 5-7 7-6(6) 6-4)

Swiss Open, Gstaad
Feliciano Lopez (def. Robin Haase 6-4 7-5)

Austrian Open, Kitzbuhel
Paolo Lorenzi (def. Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-3 6-4)

Croatia Open, Umag
Fabio Fognini (def. Andrej Martin 6-4 6-1)

Canadian Open, Toronto
Novak Djokovic (def. Kei Nishikori 6-3 7-5)

Atlanta Tennis Championships
Nick Kyrgios (def. John Isner 7-6(3) 7-6(4))

Summer Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro
Gold medal match - Andy Murray (def. Juan Martin Del Potro 7-5 4-6 6-2 7-5)
Bronze medal match - Kei Nishikori (def. Rafael Nadal 6-2 6-7(1) 6-3)

Los Cabos Open, Cabo San Lucas
Ivo Karlovic (def. Feliciano Lopez 7-6(5) 6-2)

Cincinnati Masters
Marin Cilic (def. Andy Murray 6-4 7-5)

Winston-Salem Open
Pablo Carreno Busta (def. Roberto Bautista Agut 6-7(6) 7-6(1) 6-4)

US Open, New York
Stan Wawrinka (def. Novak Djokovic 6-7(1) 6-4 7-5 6-3)

St. Petersburg Open
Alexander Zverev (def. Stan Wawrinka 6-2 3-6 7-5)

Moselle Open, Metz
Lucas Pouille (def. Dominic Thiem 7-6(5) 6-2)

Chengdu Open
Karen Khachanov (def. Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-7(4) 7-6(3) 6-3)

Shenzhen Open
Tomas Berdych (def. Richard Gasquet 7-6(5) 6-7(2) 6-3)

China Open, Beijing
Andy Murray (def. Grigor Dimitrov 6-4 7-6(2))

 

[Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil]

Rakuten Japan Open, Tokyo
Nick Kyrgios (def. David Goffin 4-6 6-3 7-5)

Shanghai Masters
Andy Murray (def. Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6(1) 6-1)

Kremlin Cup, Moscow
Pablo Carreno Busta (def. Fabio Fognini 4-6 6-3 6-2)

Stockholm Open
Juan Martin Del Potro (def. Jack Sock 7-5 6-1)

European Open, Antwerp
Richard Gasquet (def. Diego Schwartzman 7-6(4) 6-1)

Vienna Open
Andy Murray (def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3 7-6(6))

Swiss Indoors, Basel
Marin Cilic (def. Kei Nishikori 6-1 7-6(5))

Paris Masters
Andy Murray (def. John Isner 6-3 6-7(4) 6-4)

ATP World Tour Finals
Andy Murray (def. Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-4)

2016 fun facts:

9 players won their first titles this season:
Nick Kyrgios - Open 13, Atlanta Tennis Championships, Rakuten Japan Open
Diego Schwartzman - Istanbul Open
Steve Johnson - Nottingham Open
Albert Ramos Vinolas - Swedish Open
Paolo Lorenzi - Austrian Open
Pablo Carreno Busta - Winston-Salem Open, Kremlin Cup
Alexander Zverev - St. Petersburg Open
Lucas Pouille - Moselle Open
Karen Khachanov - Chengdu Open

On 14 occasions the defending champion successfully defended his title:
Stan Wawrinka at Chennai Open
Viktor Troicki at Sydney International
Novak Djokovic at Australian Open
Richard Gasquet at Open Sud de France
Victor Estrella Burgos at Ecuador Open
Kei Nishikori at Memphis Open
Pablo Cuevas at Brasil Open
Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells
Novak Djokovic at Miami Open
Dominic Thiem at Open de Nice Cote d'Azur
Nicolas Mahut at Rosmalen Grass Court Championships
Andy Murray at Queens Club Championships
Andy Murray at Summer Olympic Games
Tomas Berdych at Shenzhen Open

On 12 occasions the tournament champion won the title without dropping a set:
Stan Wawrinka at Chennai Open
Novak Djokovic at Qatar Open
Roberto Bautista Agut at Sofia Open
Nick Kyrgios at Open 13
Novak Djokovic at Miami Open
Federico Delbonis at Grand Prix Hassan II
Rafael Nadal at Barcelona Open
Andy Murray at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic at Canadian Open
Andy Murray at China Open
Andy Murray at Shanghai Masters
Juan Martin Del Potro at Stockholm Open

On 8 occasions the tournament champion saved at least one match point en route to the title:
Viktor Troicki at Sydney International - Saved 1 MP against Grigor Dimitrov in the final
Martin Klizan at Rotterdam Open - Saved 5 MPs against Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarterfinal and 3 MPs against Nicolas Mahut in the semifinal
Dominic Thiem at Argentina Open - Saved 1 MP against Gastao Elias in the 2nd round and 1 MP against Rafael Nadal in the semifinal
Dominic Thiem at Stuttgart Open - Saved 2 MPs against Roger Federer in the semifinal
Ivo Karlovic at Newport - Saved 3 MPs against Gilles Muller in the final
Gael Monfils at Washington Open - Saved 1 MP against Ivo Karlovic in the final
Stan Wawrinka at US Open - Saved 1 MP against Daniel Evans in the 3rd round
Andy Murray at World Tour Finals - Saved 1 MP against Milos Raonic in the semifinal

 

[Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil]

Highlights:

 

[Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil]

 

[Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil]

World Tour Finals participants' season review:

Before looking back at the top 8 players of this year, it has to be mentioned that 2016 marked the retirement of the world’s youngest ever number 1 – Lleyton Hewitt. The winner of two Grand Slams, two Tennis Masters Cups, two Masters titles and two Davis Cups with Australia played his last tournament at the 2016 Australian Open, the tournament where he made 20 consecutive appearances. The famous Rusty played his last singles match on 24th of January in the 2nd round of the Happy Slam against David Ferrer, after which he had an on court interview in front of the full Rod Laver Arena and watched the video of the Big 4 and his countryman Nick Kyrgios thanking him for his impact on the game and wishing him all the best in the future.
Thanks for the memories mate.

Now, the best eight.

Even he said that at first it wasn't the goal to become world number 1 this year, but Andy Murray has done it as exceptional consistency throughout 2016 has rewarded him with the top spot. High level on all three surfaces and at least one title on all of them as well. Started the year with a 5th Australian Open final appearance, while he became a father one week later. Early exits at Indian Wells and Miami were bad moments but he hasn't tasted an early loss since. Even better performances during clay season, where he reached Monte Carlo semifinal and the final of all other three tournaments - Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros. Andy won in the eternal city while he had to settle for a runner-up spot to Novak Djokovic in Madrid in Paris. Since then however, the Brit has been near perfect as he suffered only three more losses. He reunited with his old coach Ivan Lendl and swept the grass season, winning a record breaking 5th Queens title and finally winning a 3rd Slam by triumphing at Wimbledon. Then Andy wrote history at the Olympic Games, becoming the first player to defend the Olympic Gold in singles. Despite his 22 match winning streak ending in the Cincinnati final against Marin Cilic, losing the dramatic USO quarterfinal to Nishikori and suffering what turned out to be a crucial Davis Cup semifinal loss to Del Potro, Murray didn't slow down. In fact he went on to win a total of 5 titles in the post-USO season, his personal best run. While he won Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna and Paris (where he became #1) without facing top 10 opponents, Andy confirmed he is the best by beating Marin Cilic, Kei Nishikori, Stan Wawrinka, Milos Raonic and finally Novak Djokovic in the ultimate match for the YE #1.

He lost the number 1 ranking quicker than anyone expected and had some tough and unexpected defeats, but Novak Djokovic has left a huge mark on tennis history in the first six months. Dominating to the same extent he did back in 2011 and 2015, the Serbian won Doha and a record stretching 6th Australian Open with amazing performances in the final stages. Though his streak of final appearances ended in Dubai where he retired due to an eye problem, Novak went on to win Indian Wells and Miami once again, breaking the record for most Masters titles. First clay match resulting in defeat in Monte Carlo wasn't a big setback as he went on to win Madrid which was the 8th different Masters that he won at least 2 times. In Rome he was only rewarded with a runner-up spot to Andy Murray despite the back to back epics against Nadal and Nishikori. But after so many heartbreaking defeats in the previous years, Novak Djokovic has finally triumphed at Roland Garros, getting his revenge on Murray, completing the Career Grand Slam and becoming the first player in 47 years to hold all four Majors, the greatest one year feat. It came at a price however, as being emotionally spent and having less motivation from that point on made him vulnerable on the court and not just to the very best players. Novak went on to win one more title, in Canada, while early exit at Wimbledon to Sam Querrey, early Olympics loss, failure to defend the US Open, upsets in post-USO season and WTF final loss to Andy Murray made him drop to world #2 for the first time in almost two and a half years. Nevertheless, the 12 Slam champion and winner of 30 Masters has a lot to be proud of in 2016 and can look forward to the next seasons with a lot less pressure on his shoulders.

Of all players in mid-20s, Milos Raonic has impressed the most in this season. He only won one title, at the beginning of the year in Brisbane and still hasn't fixed the problem with his injuries, but the Canadian has shown massive improvement. Reaching Australian Open semifinal by beating the former champion Stan Wawrinka and going all the way to five sets against Murray, runner-up in Indian Wells final to Novak Djokovic, quarterfinal appearance at the following three Masters and a 4th round at Roland Garros were his first six quite successful months. The grass season was where Milos impressed even more however, reaching Queens final where he eventually lost to Murray despite leading by a set and a break and participating in the Wimbledon final, beating Jack Sock, coming back from two sets down against David Goffin, outplaying Sam Querrey and most notably inflicting first ever Wimbledon semifinal defeat to tournament's most decorated player Roger Federer. But once again, Andy Murray was too strong for him. Milos Raonic reached Canada quarterfinal and Cincinnati semifinal, losing to Monfils and Murray respectively, and then went on a bad run of form, suffering several early exits. But thanks to Paris semifinal where he withdrew and an impressive display at World Tour Finals where he was a point away from reaching the final, Milos was rewarded with a career high #3. Though he unfortunately hasn't won any big titles yet, there is a suggestion that Milos will be the main threat for the current dominant top two and the first guy to use the opportunity if they don't keep their level.

He won several titles this season, but still Stan Wawrinka struggled for the most periods of 2016. Despite triumphing in Chennai, Dubai and Geneva and reaching the semifinal of Roland Garros and Canada, the Swiss was having big problems against the strongest opponents, not having a single win over top 10 players in the first 9 months. That's precisely the reason why, despite already doing it twice, Stan surprised us all by winning a 3rd Grand Slam, this time in New York. After surviving a big early scare against Daniel Evans against whom he had to save a match point, Stan the Man grew in confidence and went on to defeat in form Juan Martin del Potro in four sets, then Kei Nishikori in four sets after coming back from a set and a break down and finally Novak Djokovic in four sets, in similar fashion to previous year's Roland Garros final where he lost the opening set. That means only Wimbledon is left for Stan Wawrinka to chase in order to complete the Career Grand Slam. With his win in New York, the Swiss also extended his winning streak in final matches to 11 wins, a streak which started at the beginning of 2014, but it ended at the very next tournament as he unexpectedly lost in the St. Petersburg final to a promising youngster Alexander Zverev. Due to poor performances and results in the post-USO season, ending with a round robin exit at World Tour Finals, Stan lost his number 3 ranking to Milos Raonic.

 

[Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil]

Though still in search of a big title, Kei Nishikori has been consistent through most parts of 2016. At Grand Slams, he didn't have any trouble reaching latter rounds. Quarterfinal appearance at Australian Open where he lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic, 4th round at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, losing to Richard Gasquet and Marin Cilic respectively and a semifinal at the US Open, where he registered a dramatic five set win over Andy Murray. He was close to a 2nd final appearance in New York but lost to the eventual champion Stan Wawrinka. In his first five Masters appearances the Japanese was very impressive, reaching a semifinal at all of them and participating in two finals, in Miami and Toronto. However he wasn't able to beat Novak Djokovic in either one of them. At World Tour Finals Kei became only the second man to reach the semifinal with a 1-2 record in round robin but once again he lost to Novak Djokovic, who was by far his biggest problem in 2016, in a very similar way Andy Murray was to Milos Raonic. Kei Nishikori finished the season as a world number 5 and with only one title in Memphis however the best highlight of 2016 for him was winning the bronze medal at the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro after saving a triple match point against Gael Monfils in the quarterfinal and beating Rafael Nadal in three sets in the bronze medal match, becoming the first Asian in the Open Era to win a medal in tennis.

There were some bad moments in 2016, like wasting a two sets lead as well as match points for a Wimbledon semifinal against Roger Federer and separating from his coach Goran Ivanisevic after, but Marin Cilic had a great season nevertheless. Despite winning a Grand Slam before, he had no Masters nor a 500 title to his name. In the second half of this year however the Croat changed that. After making his first ever Masters semifinal appearance, he went all the way to win Cincinnati Masters by beating Andy Murray in the final and ending his 22 match winning streak. Meanwhile his first 500 title came at Swiss Indoors in Basel where he beat Kei Nishikori in the final in straight sets. Also, after 14 straight defeats, Marin Cilic finally registered his first ever win over Novak Djokovic, in Paris Masters quarterfinal, which eventually dethroned his neighbor from the top spot. That great run of form in the final months, as well as Wimbledon and Indian Wells quarterfinal and finals in Marseille and Geneva got him a ticket for the World Tour Finals. In his 2nd appearance in London, he was knocked out after two matches but registered his first win in the O2 Arena in the final round robin match, a three sets win over Kei Nishikori. All of this rewarded Marin Cilic with a career high ranking number 6.

A pleasant surprise of 2016 was Gael Monfils, as he reached latter stages of many tournaments this year, the consistency he didn't show before in his career. The Frenchman registered his best ever result at Australian Open, reaching the quarterfinal and losing to Milos Raonic. Another two quarterfinals followed in Indian Wells and Miami while he even played for the title in Monte Carlo. Despite strong resistance Gael eventually had nothing left in the tank and lost in three sets to a resurgent Rafael Nadal. The rest of the clay season and grass season were disappointing, with several early exits and Roland Garros absence, but then Gael Monfils went on to win his first ever 500 event by triumphing in Washington thanks to a big comeback against Ivo Karlovic. After that he reached the semifinal of Canada and Olympics quarterfinal, where he was a point away from fighting for a medal but eventually lost to Kei Nishikori. The most impressive moment for the Frenchman this year however was reaching his first US Open semifinal, and he did that in style, without dropping a set. Despite losing it to Novak Djokovic, the consistency Gael Monfils has shown, reaching the quarterfinal of all hard court tournaments from AO to USO except Cincinnati was enough for him to participate at World Tour Finals. He lost the opening two matches and injury forced him to withdraw, allowing to David Goffin to play the third match instead of him, but all the results in 2016 rewarded The Showman with a career high ranking number 7.

For this year, Dominic Thiem completes the top 8. The Austrian has played a lot of tennis this year and a total of 27 events, trying to take the smallest opportunity for winning some points. For 2016 it has paid off as he won four titles and played additional two finals. Most notably, Dominic is the only player alongside Andy Murray to win a title on all three surfaces in 2016. He defended the title he won in Nice last year as well, won the hard court tournament in Acapulco, clay tournament in Buenos Aires and grass tournament in Stuttgart. The latter two were particularly impressive, as he defeated Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer on their favorite surfaces, saving one and two match points respectively in the process. The Austrian was rewarded with a career high ranking number 7 in early June, when he backed up his Rome quarterfinal appearance with the semifinal of Roland Garros. After the grass season his form went down though. Cincinnati quarterfinal was his last appearance in latter stages of big tournaments, he was forced to retire in the 4th round of the US Open, while he registered a final appearance in Metz, losing to in form Lucas Pouille. At World Tour Finals in London, Dominic was knocked out in round robin but managed to register a win over Gael Monfils which secured a top 8 finish for the year. It remains to be seen whether all the tennis Dominic Thiem has played this year will help him improve further and whether he will have less demanding schedule in the future.

 

[Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil]

Some honorable mentions:

Though this has been a season to forget when it comes to his health and Slam results, Rafael Nadal still had some memorable moments. Luckily injury wasn’t too serious to make him skip the Olympics again. Spain’s flag bearer had a very successful tournament in Rio, winning a Gold Medal in doubles with Marc Lopez while finishing 4th in singles, just short of another medal. The Spaniard also had an impressive spring period, winning a 9th Monte Carlo and 9th Barcelona title. It meant that, apart from being the player with most titles at one Major which is Roland Garros, Rafa also holds the record for winning the most titles at one Masters 1000 and one 500 event. The most notable thing however is that he equalled Guillermo Villas’ record of 49 titles on clay. Now 2017 is an opportunity for the King of Clay to achieve the unprecedented La Decima in Paris, Monte Carlo or Barcelona and reach half century of titles on his beloved clay.

In a season which marked the first time he went out of the top 10 since 2002 and the first time he skipped a Major since 1999 as he was plagued by injuries, Roger Federer managed to register two semifinal runs at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. The latter made sure the Swiss Maestro is holding or sharing all of the following Wimbledon records - most overall and consecutive titles, most overall and consecutive finals, most overall and consecutive semifinals, most overall and consecutive quarterfinals and most match wins. Though he is in mid 30s now, Federer is still showing hunger for more triumphs and has no intention of retiring any time soon.

While other younger players were receiving more attention, Lucas Pouille won the Most improved player of the year award. The first notable thing he achieved was reaching Rome semifinal as a lucky loser. He backed it up with two consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinals, with his wins against Juan Martin Del Potro and Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon and US Open standing out. After the last Grand Slam, Pouille crowned his season by winning his first career title at Moselle Open in Metz. He beat Dominic Thiem in the final, which was his 5th win over top 10 players of the year.

Though he still kept his consistency to some extent, Tomas Berdych didn't do well enough to qualify for the World Tour Finals, marking it the first time since 2009 that the Czech failed to reach the top 8 in the race to London. He defended the title in Shenzhen while reaching Australian Open and Roland Garros quarterfinals, Wimbledon semifinal and four Masters quarterfinals but it wasn't enough to make up for several early losses as well as absence from the US Open.

Although he didn't win any titles this year, David Goffin reached latter rounds at several tournaments for the first time. Roland Garros quarterfinal, semifinals at Indian Wells and Miami, Rome and Shanghai quarterfinals and Tokyo final were his most notable results in a year where he reached a career high ranking number 11. Thanks to a few opponents not being able to participate on the final round robin day, the Belgian got a chance to play in the O2 Arena for the first time.

Another player who has played a lot of tournaments this year was Roberto Bautista Agut. The Spaniard reached Australian Open and Roland Garros 4th round, pushing Novak Djokovic to 4 sets in the latter. He didn't do anything significant at the big tournaments until Shanghai Masters, where he defeated world number 1 Novak Djokovic and reached his first Masters final. By winning Auckland and Sofia, Roberto Bautista Agut completed a unique trophy cabinet, having one title each on clay, grass, hard outdoor and hard indoor.

Of all first time title winners in 2016, Nick Kyrgios was the best. The Australian won two 250 events in Marseille and Atlanta, beating Marin Cilic and John Isner respectively, while he also won his first ever 500 event by beating Goffin in Tokyo. Reaching the 4th round at Wimbledon and the 3rd round at other three Slams, as well as Miami semifinal and Madrid quarterfinal rewarded Nick with a career high ranking number 13. Unfortunately he didn't finish the season on a positive note, as his own behavior continues to be his biggest obstacle towards reaching greater heights.

Of all the teenagers, Alexander Zverev has shown the most this year. Apart from the 4th round appearance in Indian Wells, where he was a point away from defeating Rafael Nadal, the German reached the 3rd round of Roland Garros and Wimbledon as well as three finals on three different surfaces. Though he lost to Dominic Thiem and Florian Mayer in Nice and Halle respectively, Zverev managed to win St. Petersburg, ending Stan Wawrinka's 11 final match winning streak and becoming the first teenage title winner in 8 years. Thanks to all those results, the 19 year old climbed to world number 20 in October.

And saving the best for last...

Despite serious wrist injury and danger to quit playing tennis, Juan Martin Del Potro didn't give up and returned. At his first tournament since the return in Delray Beach, the Argentine reached the semifinal, while he recorded a win over Dominic Thiem in Madrid. At the Wimbledon Center Court, he knocked out the world number 3 Stan Wawrinka in the 2nd round. The most beautiful moment came at the Summer Olympics in Rio where he defeated Novak Djokovic, Joao Sousa, Taro Daniel, Roberto Bautista Agut and Rafael Nadal and lost a long 4 setter against Andy Murray to win a Silver Medal. More success came at the US Open, where he reached the quarterfinal and received a long standing ovation before the last game of the match. In the Davis Cup semifinal, Del Potro got his revenge on Murray, beating him in a 5 hour match in 5 sets and earning a priceless point for Argentina. Another great moment in Stockholm, where Juan Martin Del Potro won his first title in over two and a half years. With the quarterfinal appearance in Basel, the Argentine finished the year as world number 38, winning the Comeback player of the year award. The final chapter of the amazing 2016 comeback happened in the Davis Cup final against Croatia, where Del Potro defeated Ivo Karlovic and also completed a comeback from two sets down to defeat Marin Cilic and force a deciding 5th match. Thanks to Del Potro's heroic displays and Delbonis winning the decider, Argentina finally won their first ever Davis Cup title.

Check out the WTA Tour gallery if you haven't already and make sure you are ready for 2017 season, because it's going to be awesome.

 

[nowhereman]

World Tour Finals participants' season review:

Before looking back at the top 8 players of this year, it has to be mentioned that 2016 marked the retirement of the world’s youngest ever number 1 – Lleyton Hewitt. The winner of two Grand Slams, two Tennis Masters Cups, two Masters titles and two Davis Cups with Australia played his last tournament at the 2016 Australian Open, the tournament where he made 20 consecutive appearances. The famous Rusty played his last singles match on 24th of January in the 2nd round of the Happy Slam against David Ferrer, after which he had an on court interview in front of the full Rod Laver Arena and watched the video of the Big 4 and his countryman Nick Kyrgios thanking him for his impact on the game and wishing him all the best in the future.
Thanks for the memories mate.

Now, the best eight.

Even he said that at first it wasn't the goal to become world number 1 this year, but Andy Murray has done it as exceptional consistency throughout 2016 has rewarded him with the top spot. High level on all three surfaces and at least one title on all of them as well. Started the year with a 5th Australian Open final appearance, while he became a father one week later. Early exits at Indian Wells and Miami were bad moments but he hasn't tasted an early loss since. Even better performances during clay season, where he reached Monte Carlo semifinal and the final of all other three tournaments - Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros. Andy won in the eternal city while he had to settle for a runner-up spot to Novak Djokovic in Madrid in Paris. Since then however, the Brit has been near perfect as he suffered only three more losses. He reunited with his old coach Ivan Lendl and swept the grass season, winning a record breaking 5th Queens title and finally winning a 3rd Slam by triumphing at Wimbledon. Then Andy wrote history at the Olympic Games, becoming the first player to defend the Olympic Gold in singles. Despite his 22 match winning streak ending in the Cincinnati final against Marin Cilic, losing the dramatic USO quarterfinal to Nishikori and suffering what turned out to be a crucial Davis Cup semifinal loss to Del Potro, Murray didn't slow down. In fact he went on to win a total of 5 titles in the post-USO season, his personal best run. While won Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna and Paris (where he became #1) without facing top 10 opponents, Andy confirmed he is the best by beating Marin Cilic, Kei Nishikori, Stan Wawrinka, Milos Raonic and finally Novak Djokovic in the ultimate match for the YE #1.

He lost the number 1 ranking quicker than anyone expected and had some tough and unexpected defeats, but Novak Djokovic has left a huge mark on tennis history in the first six months. Dominating to the same extent he did back in 2011 and 2015, the Serbian won Doha and a record stretching 6th Australian Open with amazing performances in the final stages. Though his streak of final appearances ended in Dubai where he retired due to an eye problem, Novak went on to win Indian Wells and Miami once again, breaking the record for most Masters titles. First clay match resulting in defeat in Monte Carlo wasn't a big setback as he went on to win Madrid which was the 8th different Masters that he won at least 2 times. In Rome he was only rewarded with a runner-up spot to Andy Murray despite the back to back epics against Nadal and Nishikori. But after so many heartbreaking defeats in the previous years, Novak Djokovic has finally triumphed at Roland Garros, getting his revenge on Murray, completing the Career Grand Slam and becoming the first player in 47 years to hold all four Majors, the greatest one year feat. It came at a price however, as being emotionally spent and having less motivation from that point on made him vulnerable on the court and not just to the very best players. Novak went on to win one more title, in Canada, while early exit at Wimbledon to Sam Querrey, early Olympics loss, failure to defend the US Open, upsets in post-USO season and WTF final loss to Andy Murray made him drop to world #2 for the first time in almost two and a half years. Nevertheless, the 12 Slam champion and winner of 30 Masters has a lot to be proud of in 2016 and can look forward to the next seasons with a lot less pressure on his shoulders.

Of all players in mid-20s, Milos Raonic has impressed the most in this season. He only won one title, at the beginning of the year in Brisbane and still hasn't fixed the problem with his injuries, but the Canadian has shown massive improvement. Reaching Australian Open semifinal by beating the former champion Stan Wawrinka and going all the way to five sets against Murray, runner-up in Indian Wells final to Novak Djokovic, quarterfinal appearance at the following three Masters and a 4th round at Roland Garros were his first six quite successful months. The grass season was where Milos impressed even more however, reaching Queens final where he eventually lost to Murray despite leading by a set and a break and participating in the Wimbledon final, beating Jack Sock, coming back from two sets down against David Goffin, outplaying Sam Querrey and most notably inflicting first ever Wimbledon semifinal defeat to tournament's most decorated player Roger Federer. But once again, Andy Murray was too strong for him. Milos Raonic reached Canada quarterfinal and Cincinnati semifinal, losing to Monfils and Murray respectively, and then went on a bad run of form, suffering several early exits. But thanks to Paris semifinal where he withdrew and an impressive display at World Tour Finals where he was a point away from reaching the final, Milos was rewarded with a career high #3. Though he unfortunately hasn't won any big titles yet, there is a suggestion that Milos will be the main threat for the current dominant top two and the first guy to use the opportunity if they don't keep their level.

He won several titles this season, but still Stan Wawrinka struggled for the most periods of 2016. Despite triumphing in Chennai, Dubai and Geneva and reaching the semifinal of Roland Garros and Canada, the Swiss was having big problems against the strongest opponents, not having a single win over top 10 players in the first 9 months. That's precisely the reason why, despite already doing it twice, Stan surprised us all by winning a 3rd Grand Slam, this time in New York. After surviving a big early scare against Daniel Evans against whom he had to save a match point, Stan the Man grew in confidence and went on to defeat in form Juan Martin del Potro in four sets, then Kei Nishikori in four sets after coming back from a set and a break down and finally Novak Djokovic in four sets, in similar fashion to previous year's Roland Garros final where he lost the opening set. That means only Wimbledon is left for Stan Wawrinka to chase in order to complete the Career Grand Slam. With his win in New York, the Swiss also extended his winning streak in final matches to 11 wins, a streak which started at the beginning of 2014, but it ended at the very next tournament as he unexpectedly lost in the St. Petersburg final to a promising youngster Alexander Zverev. Due to poor performances and results in the post-USO season, ending with a round robin exit at World Tour Finals, Stan lost his number 3 ranking to Milos Raonic.

But you have a nice gallery, so you get some likes from me. Please provide a tl;dr version for us lazy readers. Thenk u.

 

[Gytha]

fantastic thread, 10/10 would read again. Thanks for this!

 

[metsman]

Amazing job..minor correction: Fedr is in his mid 40's not his mid 30's.

 

[Emperor of Belgrade]

Well done!

 

[Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil]

Please provide a tl;dr version for us lazy readers. Thenk u.

mury goat

'MOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNN

 

[Mainad]

That is all for the individual competitions in 2016 ATP World Tour season, and we have seen a lot. New world number 1, four consecutive Majors, slow changing at the top, a memorable comeback from one particular player... We got some highlights at both ends, after 8 straight years without a teenage finalist we got 6 teenage finalists this year with one of them winning the title while we was also witnessed the oldest first time title winner and oldest title winner since 1979. One may have been more or less satisfied depending on his/her favorite player and standards but 2016 didn't disappoint.

Here is the gallery, fun facts, highlights and review - a tribute to this season and all the effort that these gentlemen have put in and great tennis they have produced to make sure it's a season not to be forgotten. Enjoy.


Shanghai Masters
Andy Murray (def. Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6(1) 6-1)


Kremlin Cup, Moscow
Pablo Carreno Busta (def. Fabio Fognini 4-6 6-3 6-2)


Stockholm Open
Juan Martin Del Potro (def. Jack Sock 7-5 6-1)


European Open, Antwerp
Richard Gasquet (def. Diego Schwartzman 7-6(4) 6-1)


Vienna Open
Andy Murray (def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3 7-6(6))

Swiss Indoors, Basel
Marin Cilic (def. Kei Nishikori 6-1 7-6(5))

Paris Masters
Andy Murray (def. John Isner 6-3 6-7(4) 6-4)

ATP World Tour Finals
Andy Murray (def. Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-4)

2016 fun facts:

9 players won their first titles this season:
Nick Kyrgios - Open 13, Atlanta Tennis Championships, Rakuten Japan Open
Diego Schwartzman - Istanbul Open
Steve Johnson - Nottingham Open
Albert Ramos Vinolas - Swedish Open
Paolo Lorenzi - Austrian Open
Pablo Carreno Busta - Winston-Salem Open, Kremlin Cup
Alexander Zverev - St. Petersburg Open
Lucas Pouille - Moselle Open
Karen Khachanov - Chengdu Open

On 14 occasions the defending champion successfully defended his title:
Stan Wawrinka at Chennai Open
Viktor Troicki at Sydney International
Novak Djokovic at Australian Open
Richard Gasquet at Open Sud de France
Victor Estrella Burgos at Ecuador Open
Kei Nishikori at Memphis Open
Pablo Cuevas at Brasil Open
Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells
Novak Djokovic at Miami Open
Dominic Thiem at Open de Nice Cote d'Azur
Nicolas Mahut at Rosmalen Grass Court Championships
Andy Murray at Queens Club Championships
Andy Murray at Summer Olympic Games
Tomas Berdych at Shenzhen Open

On 12 occasions the tournament champion won the title without dropping a set:
Stan Wawrinka at Chennai Open
Novak Djokovic at Qatar Open
Roberto Bautista Agut at Sofia Open
Nick Kyrgios at Open 13
Novak Djokovic at Miami Open
Federico Delbonis at Grand Prix Hassan II
Rafael Nadal at Barcelona Open
Andy Murray at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic at Canadian Open
Andy Murray at China Open
Andy Murray at Shanghai Masters
Juan Martin Del Potro at Stockholm Open

On 8 occasions the tournament champion saved at least one match point en route to the title:
Viktor Troicki at Sydney International - Saved 1 MP against Grigor Dimitrov in the final
Martin Klizan at Rotterdam Open - Saved 5 MPs against Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarterfinal and 3 MPs against Nicolas Mahut in the semifinal
Dominic Thiem at Argentina Open - Saved 1 MP against Gastao Elias in the 2nd round and 1 MP against Rafael Nadal in the semifinal
Dominic Thiem at Stuttgart Open - Saved 2 MPs against Roger Federer in the semifinal
Ivo Karlovic at Newport - Saved 3 MPs against Gilles Muller in the final
Gael Monfils at Washington Open - Saved 1 MP against Ivo Karlovic in the final
Stan Wawrinka at US Open - Saved 1 MP against Daniel Evans in the 3rd round
Andy Murray at World Tour Finals - Saved 1 MP against Milos Raonic in the semifinal

Thank you so much for compiling all this D/L Red Devil and the work you put into creating this thread. I've bookmarked this page for future reference.

 

[Krish872007]

Wow, this must have taken ages to compile! Kudos for putting this all together - great season comes to an end

 

[OhYes]

Wow, just wow for the effort !

Signature of DLRD

 

[nowhereman]

mury goat

'MOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNN

Decided to stop being lazy and read all of it. I must say, well done.

Although, the tl;dr version was fine too.

 

[Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil]

Thank you so much for compiling all this D/L Rec Devil and the work you put into creating this thread. I've bookmarked this page for future reference.

Thanks. I am glad it will be looked in the future as well.

Wow, this must have taken ages to compile!

 

[SpdoC]

Brilliant review of the year!

 

[MichaelNadal]

Very nice job, and kudos on the work. Clay season was the best when Rafa was back, after that, snoozefest.

 

[Gizo]

A fantastic thread once again. Thanks for your hard work in putting this all together.

I'm a Cuevas fan so my highlight of the year was definitely his Brazilian double in February, including his SF victory over Nadal at Rio when he hit 48 winners, and successfully defending his title at Sao Paulo. When he was struggling with chronic knee injury problems for 3 years, including being completely sidelined from the tour for 2 years, it was great to see him winning 5 titles within 20 months from June 2014-February 2016.

He also reached another couple of finals at Nottingham on grass and on clay at Hamburg this year but fell short both times. But still reaching 4 finals and winning 2 of them is pretty good going. I wish he could have reached the second week at RG, but unfortunately he lost against Berdych. I can't complain though.

 

[Sartorius]

LaGuru approves this highly educational thread.

 

[Tiki-Taka]

Great collection. It's probably even better than the previous gallery. Well done.

 

[RF-18]

Bravo majstore.

Great work and effort!

 

[Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil]

It's 5th time lucky for Argentina. Thanks to Juan Martin Del Potro's heroics and Federico Delbonis playing the match of his life, they came back from 1-2 down against hosts Croatia to finally win the Davis Cup title.

Davis Cup
Argentina (def. Croatia 3-2)
Match 1 - Marin Cilic (def. Federico Delbonis 6-3 7-5 3-6 1-6 6-2)
Match 2 - Juan Martin Del Potro (def. Ivo Karlovic 6-4 6-7(6) 6-3 7-5)
Match 3 - Marin Cilic/Ivan Dodig (def. Juan Martin Del Potro/Leonardo Mayer 7-6(2) 7-6(4) 6-3)
Match 4 - Juan Martin Del Potro (def. Marin Cilic 6-7(4) 2-6 7-5 6-4 6-3)
Match 5 - Federico Delbonis (def. Ivo Karlovic 6-3 6-4 6-2)

 

[Tiki-Taka]

Whoever missed it should really check out match 4.

 

[ruerooo]

Amazing job..minor correction: Fedr is in his mid 40's not his mid 30's.

Leave Dadderer ALONE

 

[Charlie]

Fun year, good review... Now try finding the desire for doing the same for next seasons.

 

[Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil]

Fun year, good review... Now try finding the desire for doing the same for next seasons.

Won't be easy but I will try.

 

[Tiki-Taka]

Won't be easy but I will try.

You will end up having a really nice gallery of galleries.

 

[Red Rick]

So many butt ugly trophies. Remind me that, should I accidentally end up being an ATP pro (by having an era weaker than Amy Winehouse ability to stop herself from drinking), I should never play Marrakesh. You may ****ing win your own gravestone. Do they dig your grave as well?

 

[Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil]

-_-

Would you look at that, I could have just posted this video instead.

Thanks @The Green Mile for sharing this in the other thread.