First serves are all about dropping heat and hitting spots, and there is no better return on investment for the Top 10 than going down the T in the Deuce Court.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the current Top 10 uncovers who thrives the most at which first-serve location, and where the highest win percentages are located.

The six serve locations are wide, body and T in both the Deuce Court and Ad Court, with the data set coming from ATP Masters 1000 events, Nitto ATP Finals and Next Gen ATP Finals from 2011 to 2019.

The breakdown starts with the highest average win percentage location (Deuce Court T) and finishes with the lowest (Ad Court Body). It’s interesting to note that Roger Federer was the only player to feature in the top three at all six serve locations.

No. 1: Deuce Court T (Average Win % = 76.9%)
Only three players were able win north of 80 per cent at any of the six locations. Matteo Berrettini, who was ranked outside the Top 50 to begin 2019, boasts a new career-high ATP Ranking this week of No. 8, and out of all six serve locations, Berrettini had the highest win percentage at 82.5 per cent. He did it by going down the T in the Deuce Court.

Berrettini averaged hitting his first serve at 133 mph to this location, accumulating 82 aces and 83 unreturned serves.

The leading three players at this location:
M. Berrettini = 82.5%
R. Federer = 81.1%
S. Tsitsipas = 81.0%

No. 2: Ad Court Wide (Average Win % = 75.6%)
Russian sensation Daniil Medvedev led the Top 10 with winning first-serve points out wide in the Ad court, at 79.4 per cent.

He averages 123 mph with his first serve to this location, hitting 150 aces and having 168 first serves unreturned. Medvedev sits at his career-high ATP Ranking of No. 4, with four titles under his belt this season, including Masters 1000 crowns in Cincinnati and Shanghai.

The leading three players at this location:
D. Medvedev = 79.4%
R. Federer = 78.9%
S. Tsitsipas = 78.6%

No. 3: Deuce Court Wide (Average Win % = 75.3%)
Austrian Dominic Thiem is the leader with the wide slider in the Deuce Court, winning 78.4 per cent of first-serve points.

Thiem’s average first-serve speed to this location is 113 mph, which is considerably slower than the 121 mph he averages going down the T in the Deuce Court. This identifies that slice becomes more of a factor with the wide serve, carving the ball away from the returner.

The leading three players at this location:
D. Thiem = 78.4%
M. Berrettini = 77.3%
R. Federer = 77.2%

No. 4: Ad Court T (Average Win % = 73%)
Federer and Berrettini tied for the lead at this location, with both players winning 75.1 per cent of their first serves. Federer’s average first-serve speed is 117 mph, while Berrettini is considerably higher at 128 mph.

The leading three players at this location:
T1. R. Federer = 75.1%
T1. M. Berrettini = 75.1%
3. S. Tsitsipas = 75.0%

No. 5: Deuce Court Body (Average Win % = 65.4%)
It’s interesting to note that Thiem led the Top 10 with the wide and body serves in the Deuce court, two locations that are that side by side.

The leading three players at this location:
D. Thiem = 70.3%
R. Federer = 69.8%
R. Nadal = 66.3%

No. 6: Ad Court Body (Average Win % = 62.8%)
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic leads this category with a considerable 2.2 percentage-point lead over his nearest rival, winning 68.5 per cent of first serves at the body in the Ad Court.

Djokovic averages 116 mph to this location, which is faster than the 114 mph he averages going out wide and equal with when he goes down the T in the Ad court.

The leading three players at this location:
N. Djokovic = 68.5%
R. Federer = 66.3%
R. Nadal = 65.4%

Current Top 10: First Serve Win Percentage At All Six Serve Locations
(Bold = leader)

Mikael Ymer continued his indoor success this season at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, scoring a 4-3(2), 1-4, 4-2, 4-1 victory over Frenchman Ugo Humbert on Tuesday in Group B.

“It was a lot of fun,” Ymer said. “I saw how big the arena is and was a little bit nervous before going out there, but I felt good from the start. I managed to stay in the rallies and get the early break, so there were a lot of positive things.”

The 21-year-old Swede has excelled on the ATP Challenger Tour with four titles this year, but earned his two biggest Challenger crowns at back-to-back indoor events in Orleans and Mouillleron le Captif. Ymer arrived in Milan at No. 74 in the ATP Rankings, just one spot away his career-high standing that he reached last month.

Tuesday’s schedule concludes with another Group B match as second-seeded American Frances Tiafoe takes on Italian Jannik Sinner.

More to follow…

The doubles groups are set for the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals, with top seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah leading the way in hopes of capturing their first title at the season finale.

Cabal and Farah, who have already clinched the year-end No. 1 ATP Doubles Team Ranking and have a 5-2 record in tour-level finals in 2019, lead Group Max Mirnyi, which begins on 11 November. The Colombians made their debut at The O2 last season, advancing to the semi-finals as the second seeds. They are back in London looking to go two steps further.

Also in their group are third seeds Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies, the Roland Garros champions who are making their Nitto ATP Finals debut, and sixth seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau have plenty of experience at this event. They triumphed in 2015 and are making their fourth team appearance.

Rounding out Group Max Mirnyi are Frenchmen Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, who completed their Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open. They carry momentum into the event after triumphing at the Rolex Paris Masters.

Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo, the second seeds, headline Group Jonas Bjorkman, which begins play on 10 November. Last season’s year-end No.1 Doubles Team will try to raise the Nitto ATP Finals trophy for the first time.

They are joined by two first-time team qualifiers and one returning pair. The fourth seeds are Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, who came together as a team to start 2019. Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus, the fifth seeds, are making their second straight appearance.

An interesting wrinkle is that Klaasen and Ram made the final in 2016 as a team, and they also played in 2017 as alternates. The last team in the group is eighth seeds Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek. The duo first partnered in June, but titles in Cincinnati and Beijing helped propel them to London.

Henri Kontinen and John Peers, winners of the Nitto ATP Finals titles in 2016 and 2017, will serve as first doubles alternates at the season finale. Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin are the second doubles alternates.

Max Mirnyi and Jonas Bjorkman won the 2006 season finale doubles title in Shanghai. Additionally, Mirnyi lifted the 2011 trophy with Daniel Nestor at The O2 in London, while Bjorkman partnered fellow Swede Jan Apell to the 1994 crown in Jakarta.

Top-seeded Aussie Alex de Minaur held off a determined Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Tuesday at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, winning eight of the last nine games to prevail 4-2, 3-4(5), 4-1, 4-1 in Group A

De Minaur arrived in Milan at a career-high No. 18 in the ATP Rankings. The 20-year-old used the momentum from his runner-up finish at last year’s event (l. To Tsitsipas) to create a breakout season that includes his first three ATP Tour titles at the Sydney International (d. Seppi), BB&T Atlanta Open (d. Fritz) and Huajin Securities Zhuhai Championships (d. Mannarino). He further proved his mettle indoors by reaching the final two weeks ago at the Swiss Indoors Basel. (l. to Federer).

The Aussie joined Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic as the winners from Group A in Tuesday’s day session. Action in Group B kicks off in the night session, with Swede Mikael Ymer taking on Frenchman Ugo Humbert and second-seeded American Frances Tiafoe squaring off with Italian Jannik Sinner.

More to follow…

Frances Tiafoe can confidently call his third season on the ATP Tour a learning experience, both on and off the court.

In between the lines, he has experienced some of his best moments, making the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and the Miami Open presented by Itau in the first three months of the year.

But the American, who won his maiden ATP Tour title in 2018 (Delray Beach), didn’t reach a semi-final all season and returns to the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan with a 21-25 record.

“It was tough. Obviously, your head gets a little big, you think you can just show up [at] the big events,” Tiafoe told ATPTour.com. “I think I learned a lot this year, and it’s going to to help me for next year and the years to come.”

More About Tiafoe
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Tiafoe On #NextGenATP Friendships: ‘Togetherness Is A Big Thing’
Groups Locked In For Milan

Off the court, however, might be where Tiafoe has learned the most in 2019. The 21-year-old became a spokesperson for ThanksUSA, a nonprofit organisation that provides scholarships and employment support to children and spouses of U.S. military personnel.

Every Wednesday, when Tiafoe is around his home club, the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland, USA, he plays tennis with members of the organisation as part of ThanksUSA’s Tennis Corps program. They joke around on court and open up off it.

“We play a bunch of tennis. We take breaks and just kind of talk about life, talk about some of the things they went through in the past and some of the things I’ve gone through,” he said.

Tiafoe’s mother, Alphina, and father, Frances Sr., moved from Sierra Leone to the U.S. in 1996. As a child, Frances sometimes stayed overnight at his home club, with his twin brother, Franklin, and their father, who was the Head of Maintenance. The Tiafoe boys began to play tennis at the club at the age of three.

Watch From 2017 Uncovered: Tiafoe Revisits College Park Roots

The veterans and their families like chatting with Tiafoe about the ATP Tour and follow his results. He enjoys measuring their tennis progress, or lack thereof.

“It’s a great organisation. Military families, they don’t get enough praise… I love being a part of it. I love playing with those veterans,” he said. “They love seeing me. [We] talk about my results. I talk about, ‘Man, you guys haven’t improved since I’ve been gone. What’s going on?’ They’re great people. They deserve that praise. I’m just more than happy to speak for them.”

The experiences remind Tiafoe of his unlikely beginnings and why he plays and travels the world 11 months out of the year.

“I just love being at home in general. Obviously, D.C. means everything to me. Something to have at home like that is great for me. Keeps me grounded, keeps me humble. Understanding where I came from, understanding that it’s not a ‘me thing,’ it’s a ‘we thing,’” he said. “In due time, I want to do much more. I think that would also give me much more motivation out here to know that I’m [contributing to] something bigger than myself.”

Tiafoe also has plans to do much more this week in Milan. The American didn’t advance out of the group stage in 2018, falling in straight sets to Spain’s Jaume Munar in his final match.

But Tiafoe is eager to make good on his final appearance at the award-winning 21-and-under event and apply what he’s learned this year. (Tiafoe was born in 1998, making him ineligible for the 2020 Next Gen ATP Finals.)

“This year was a huge learning curve. He did some really great things along the way,” coach Zack Evenden told ATPTour.com. “But it’s more of an important year for him, because he can learn a lot from it.”

Despite his occasional struggles, Tiafoe has never stopped working hard this season. “We always say whether any player is struggling, if you’re putting in the work, good things are going to come eventually,” Evenden said.

For Tiafoe, that good thing would be his first – and final – Milan title, a head-turning finish to match his click-worthy start.

“First priority is to get out the group and, obviously, see where you can go from there,” Tiafoe said. “But ultimately, I want to be playing on the last day and competing for a title.”

Giulio Zeppieri is prepared to step in if needed at the Next Gen ATP Finals. The 17-year-old Italian earned his alternate spot at this year’s event by winning a qualifying tournament last week that featured eight of the top Italian players in the ATP Race to Milan. NextGenATPFinals.com looks at five things to know about the rising star.

1. He’s used to the format in Milan.
The qualifying tournament Zeppieri won also featured the unique scoring system on display this week at the Allianz Cloud. Zeppieri rose to the occasion by defeating Enrico Dalla Valle 4-1, 4-3(3), 3-4(3), 1-4, 4-1 in the championship match. 

2. He’s soared up the ATP Rankings this year.
Zeppieri finished 2018 at No. 1035 in the ATP Rankings, having played just five tournaments. He made the most of his first year focussing on pro events and now sits at No. 393. The teenager’s highlights this season include a maiden ATP Challenger Tour semi-final in Parma and his first ITF Futures title last month in Santa Margherita di Pula. 

3. He prefers hard courts, but rarely plays on them.
The Italian prefers a speedy indoor court, but has played almost all of his pro events on clay this year. Although it may seems counterintuitive, there’s a method to his strategy. 

“We have a lot of ATP Challenger [Tour events] on clay in Italy,” Zeppieri explained. “I get a lot of wild cards in these tournaments, so I’m happy to play them.”

Read More: Scouting Report: The Next Gen ATP Finals Field

4. He had an outstanding junior career.
Zeppieri reached the boys’ singles semi-finals this year at the Australian Open and peaked at No. 12 in the ITF Junior Rankings two months later. After his run in Melbourne, the 17-year-old felt he had maximised his time in junior competition.

“The biggest difference [from junior to pro events] is the consistency,” Zeppieri explained. “You can do a couple of errors in the juniors and still win matches, but at the Challenger level, you have to be 100 per cent focussed. You can’t make too many mistakes or else it’s not enough.”

5. He looks up to Paolo Lorenzi.
Paolo Lorenzi is known for mentoring rising Italian stars and the veteran has taken Zeppieri under his wing. They practise regularly during the year and the teenager believes he’s benefitted from the experience.

“For us in Italy, Paolo is an idol,” Zeppieri said. “He did something very big [by] getting to No. 33 in the ATP Rankings. It’s always special for me to play with him.”

Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic opened this year’s Next Gen ATP Finals in style on Tuesday, scoring a 4-3(5), 4-3(5), 4-2 win in a serving duel with Norwegian Casper Ruud in the first match of Group A in Milan.

“I’ve had some experience with this format, so I was prepared for it,” Kecmanovic said. “I served pretty well, so that got me through today. I was able to stay calm and play aggressively.

”We’ve known each other since we were 12. We play together a lot, played doubles with each other before. We’ve professionals and have gotten the hang of playing each other, but we’re still good friends off the court.”

Kecmanovic improved to 2-0 in his FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry with Ruud. The 20-year-old has jumped more than 70 spots in the ATP Rankings this year and currently sits at No. 60, with results including his maiden ATP Tour final at the Turkish Open Airlines Antalya (l. to Sonego) and first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final at the BNP Paribas Open.

Read More: Under Pressure, Kecmanovic Already Plays Like A Top 30 Player

Both players held serve comfortably in the first set to set up a tie-break. Ruud started slowly and went down 0/3, but fought back to even the score with a three-point run of his own. But at 4/4, Ruud’s baseline game betrayed him and a pair of errors gifted the Serbian two set points. Kecmanovic continued to control most of the rallies and leaned into a big forehand at 6/5 to take the early advantage.

The second set began identically to the first, with neither player earning a break point to set up another tie-break. It appeared Ruud might level the match after prevailing in a 22-shot exchange to take a 5/3 lead, but Kecmanovic increased the pace on his shots and cracked a big forehand two points later to tie the score. The Norwegian mistimed a forehand at 5/5 and Kecmanovic converted on set point with a big serve for a commanding lead.

A well-timed forehand volley winner from the Serbian gave him the first break point of the match at 2-2 in the third set. He made good on it after a forehand error from Ruud and held serve comfortably to advance in one hour and 16 minutes. Kecmanovic finished the day with an impressive 20 winners to just 10 unforced errors,

Action in Group A continues in Tuesday’s day session as top-seeded Aussie Alex de Minaur takes on Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were the top three seeds when they first competed together at the ATP season finale in 2007. Twelve years later, the trio again leads the field at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Nadal, who returned to World No. 1 on Monday, and five-time champion Djokovic will battle for year-end No. 1 at The O2. The 38-year-old Federer, who is set to to be third seed, will be looking to win a record-extending seventh title here. They will be joined in London by defending champion Alexander Zverev, four-time qualifier Dominic Thiem, and three young debutants: Daniil Medvedev (23), Stefanos Tsitsipas (21) and Matteo Berrettini (23). 

Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, who will be presented with their year-end No. 1 trophy in a special on-court ceremony at the Nitto ATP Finals, lead doubles contenders.

The event, which features only the world’s best eight qualified singles players and doubles teams, is contested in a round-robin format with the best four players and doubles teams reaching the knockout semi-finals stage. 

Established: 1970

Tournament Dates: 10-17 November 2019

Tournament Chairman: Chris Kermode

Draw Ceremony: Tuesday, 5 November

Schedule (View On Official Website)
* Main draw: Sunday, 10 November to Saturday, 16 November – doubles at 12:00pm, singles not before 2.00pm; doubles not before 6:00pm, singles not before 8.00pm. *Friday, 15 November evening session doubles not before 5:45pm.
* Doubles final: Sunday, 17 November at 3:30pm
* Singles final: Sunday, 17 November not before 6:00pm

How To Watch
Watch Live On Tennis TV 
TV Schedule

Venue: The O2
Main Court Seating: 17,800

Prize Money: US $9,000,000

Tickets On Sale: Buy Now 

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

Honour Roll (Open Era)
Most Titles, Singles: Roger Federer (6)
Most Titles, Doubles: Peter Fleming, John McEnroe (7)
Oldest Champion: Roger Federer, 30, in 2011
Youngest Champion: John McEnroe, 19, in 1978
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 12 David Nalbandian in 2005
Most Match Wins: Roger Federer (57)

2018 Finals
Singles: [3] Alexander Zverev (GER) d [1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) 64 63   Read & Watch
Doubles: [5] Mike Bryan (USA) / Jack Sock (USA) d [8] Pierre-Hugues Herbert / Nicolas Mahut 57 61 13-11  Read & Watch 

Social
Hashtag: #NittoATPFinals

Facebook: @ATPTour
Twitter: @atptour
Instagram: @atptour

Did You Know… Eight different countries are represented at the Nitto ATP Finals for the fourth consecutive year: 

One year ago, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was sitting on the sidelines, questioning his future as a professional tennis player. The French stalwart had just undergone surgery on his left knee and was in the midst of a long and arduous recovery.

It is something that would test the spirit and resilience of any player. But for a 34-year-old former Top 5 star, rebuilding his ATP Ranking has its own inherent challenges. An experience like this reveals a lot about a player’s motivation and sheer passion for the game.

As Tsonga’s comeback got underway in 2019, his desire was evident from the start. The charismatic Frenchman was forced to find his game on the ATP Challenger Tour, entering the season outside the Top 250. A perennial Top 20 player for his entire career, he found himself in uncharted territory, competing in his first Challenger since 2007.

Despite only needing to play in three events on the circuit this year, Tsonga admits it was nonetheless a humbling experience. And one that reminded him why he first picked up a racquet.

“The reason why I went there was to have matches under my belt, but it was also many other things,” Tsonga said while competing at the Rolex Paris Masters last week. “Playing in Challenger tournaments helped me find the reasons why I was playing tennis again. The conditions are always more difficult. There’s always a battle. You meet with players who are dreaming of being great champions. And even the crowd that is attending is a different crowd.”

For today’s stars, competing at the highest level in professional tennis should not be taken for granted. It is a privilege to be embedded on the ATP Tour for months, years and especially an entire career. That said, returning to the ATP Challenger Tour can humble even the most seasoned veterans.

This year, Tsonga competed on home soil in Bordeaux, Cassis and Orleans. But success did not come easy. In fact, he would fall in straight sets in both the Bordeaux quarter-finals and in the semis in Orleans.

Movers To The Top 50 In 2019

In Cassis, however, Tsonga was in vintage form, streaking to the title and becoming one of five players to win on both the ATP Tour and Challenger circuit this year. He credits his victory at the Cassis Open Provence to his subsequent triumph at the ATP 250 in Metz, which propelled him back inside the Top 50.

And the Frenchman is not alone. Last year, Kei Nishikori returned to the ATP Challenger Tour after an extended absence due to a wrist injury, lifting the trophy in Dallas. He would go on to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. Earlier this year, Kyle Edmund called his title at the Indian Wells Challenger one that “can get you going again” as he returned from a knee injury. And two months ago, former World No. 1 Andy Murray continued his comeback from hip surgery with an appearance in Mallorca, before lifting the trophy at the European Open in Antwerp.

“It’s always pleasant to play such tournaments, because then we realize that what we do is exceptional,” Tsonga added. “We get closer to the public when we play Challengers and we listen to what people say and it makes you feel good. It helps you have a different view of your career, of tennis at large and to find pleasure again in playing tennis. There’s no pressure anymore.”

Tsonga has risen 230 spots in the ATP Rankings since the start of the year, ascending to No. 29. It is the biggest jump to the Top 50 in 2019. Last week, he would reach his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final in three years in Paris, claiming an impressive Top 10 win over Matteo Berrettini along the way.

With new experiences comes a new perspective – on both tennis and life.

“One should not forget that it’s not given to everyone to play tennis.”