Tennis News

Why Djokovic's serve, not his return, has helped him stay near the top of the sport

Novak Djokovic has long been considered one of the best returners in tennis history. Although the Serbian is still performing well in that part of the game, he remains near the very top of the sport thanks to his improved serving.

According to an Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis, the Serbian has won a higher rate of service games in 2025 than he has in all but two seasons in his career.

World No. 4 Djokovic has finished inside the Top 3 of the year-end PIF ATP Rankings in 15 of the past 18 years, including earning a record eight ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours. Only twice has he won a better percentage of service games than he has this season.

Novak Djokovic’s Serving Statistics

Djokovic’s best service games won percentage in his career came in 2015, when he ranked fifth on the ATP Tour at 89.5 per cent. In 2023, he ranked second — behind only Stefanos Tsitsipas — at 88.4 per cent. This year the Serbian is fourth at 88.3 per cent, only trailing Jannik Sinner (91.3%), Taylor Fritz (90%) and Reilly Opelka (88.7%).

Entering the Rolex Shanghai Masters, the 38-year-old is well ahead of his career average of 86.1 per cent. He has also outperformed his career averages in first-serve percentage (66.6% to 64.9%) and first-serve points won (76.4% to 74.2%), while remaining near level in second-serve points won (55.3% to 55.5%).

But the key trend is that three of his six best serving seasons in terms of service games won have come since the start of 2022.

Djokovic’s Best Serving Seasons (By Service Games Won)

Djokovic’s service surge is not limited to that one statistic, either. Before 2021, the 100-time tour-level titlist had never won more than 76 per cent of his first-serve points in a season. This year, he is on pace to do so for the fourth time.

The 40-time ATP Masters 1000 champion has averaged 5.5 aces per match in his career. This season, he has averaged 8.4 aces per match.

According to Fritz, Djokovic is able to combine his delivery itself with his baseline game to create a difficult puzzle to solve for opponents.

“I think what makes it tough is he serves well, he serves aggressive on second serves. It’s tough to take advantage of his serve for how well he also returns and just is [playing] from the baseline,” Fritz said before falling to Djokovic in this year’s US Open quarter-finals. “He backs it up incredibly well with the serve. So it’s tough to sometimes get on him the way that he’s, I guess, getting on you with the return.”

From 2010 through 2021, Djokovic was one of the top three players on the ATP Tour in return games won each year he qualified for the leaderboard. He never placed higher in service games won than return games won during those years.

But in 2022 he ranked fourth in both categories, before placing three spots higher in service games won in 2023 (second vs. fifth) and six places higher so far this year (fourth vs. 10th).

Djokovic’s return is still a force, but his serve is what stands out today.

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Marozsan downs Wawrinka; Cilic, Mannarino advance in Shanghai

Fabian Marozsan earned a career-best 24th tour-level win of the season on Wednesday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where he defeated Swiss wild card Stan Wawrinka 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 to reach the second round.

The Hungarian recorded 23 wins in 2024 but surpassed that mark with victory at the ATP Masters 1000 event. Marozsan won 83 per cent of his first serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and converted on his third match point to down the 40-year-old Wawrinka, who was aiming to become the oldest Masters 1000 match winner in the series history (since 1990).

Marozsan has fond memories in Shanghai, having advanced to the quarter-finals in 2023. Last week, the 25-year-old reached the quarter-finals in Beijing, falling to Jannik Sinner. His best result this year was a semi-final showing at the ATP 500 in Munich. Marozsan will meet Taylor Fritz in the second round.

Earlier, Adrian Mannarino overcame former World No. 6 Matteo Berrettini 7-5, 7-6(5) to reach the second round. The Frenchman has performed well on hard courts in recent months, reaching the fourth round at the US Open and in Cincinnati. He will next play Francisco Cerundolo.

Former semi-finalist Marin Cilic advanced, downing Georgian qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-3, 7-6(5). Cilic, who reached the last four in Shanghai in 2017, broke a six-match losing streak dating back to Wimbledon with his win. Cilic meets Novak Djokovic in the second round. The Serbian leads the Croatian 19-2 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

Sebastian Baez beat home favourite Zhang Zhizhen 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, while David Goffin overcame Alexandre Muller 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-1. Zhang reached the fourth round in Shanghai in 2023, the best performance from a Chinese man at the event.

Zizou Bergs beat American Sebastian Korda 6-4, 7-5, Daniel Altmaier defeated Tristan Schoolkate 6-3, 6-4 and Jordan Thompson eliminated Danish qualifier August Holmgren 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Altmaier will play Jannik Sinner in the second round. There were three-set wins for Jaume Munar and Luca Nardi. Munar defeated Marton Fucsovics 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 and Nardi clawed past Sebastian Ofner 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

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Federer, Del Potro among 2026 nominees for International Tennis Hall of Fame

The former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings Roger Federer headlines the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 nominees, joined by 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro and four-time major champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the ballot’s Player Category.

The Player Category recognises ATP and WTA players who have achieved a distinguished record of competitive achievement at the highest international level.

Federer is one of only eight men in tennis history to achieve a Career Grand Slam in singles. He captured his first major title at age 21 at Wimbledon in 2003, going on to become the first male player in tennis history to win 20 major singles titles. Federer then ascended to World No. 1 for a record 237 consecutive weeks, ultimately holding that spot for 310 total weeks through his career.

He finished his career with 103 singles titles, second most in the Open Era, and was voted to receive the ATP’s Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award 13 times. Additionally, Federer was the ATP Fans’ Favourite for a record 19 consecutive years, from 2003 to 2021.

Representing Switzerland, Federer led his country to the Davis Cup title in 2014 and captured Olympic gold in doubles alongside Stan Wawrinka at the 2008 Beijing Games. As part of Team Europe, Federer captured three-straight Laver Cup titles from 2017 through 2019.

Del Potro of Argentina is the 2009 US Open men’s singles champion, one of 22 titles captured over the course of his career. In 2008, while still a teenager, Del Potro earned four ATP singles titles, along the way compiling a 23-match winning streak.

In 2009, Del Potro reached his first Grand Slam final, and secured a five-set victory against Federer at the US Open. He finished the year as the youngest player in the Top 10. In 2016, Del Potro led Argentina to its first Davis Cup title and also earned a silver medal in the Olympic singles competition.

Kuznetsova is a four-time major champion, with two apiece in singles and doubles. She won singles titles at the 2004 US Open and 2009 Roland Garros, and doubles titles at the Australian Open in 2005 and 2012. She reached an additional two major finals in both disciplines. During her 15-year career, she won 18 WTA singles titles and 16 in doubles and reached career high rankings of No. 2 in singles and No. 3 in doubles.

The annual Fan Vote is now open, and will extend through next Friday, 10 October. Click here to cast your vote.

Only the Player Category is eligible for Fan Voting, and fans can vote for any of the nominees they deem deserving. The nominees will receive added percentage points to their vote totals from the Official Voting Group, with first place earning three percentage points, second place two percentage points, and third place one percentage point.

To be elected to the Hall of Fame, candidates must receive an affirmative vote of at least 75 per cent or higher from the combined total of the Official Voting Group result, and any bonus percentage points earned in the Fan Vote.

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Kartal upsets Andreeva to reach China Open quarters

Britain’s Sonay Kartal claims the biggest scalp of her career, beating world number five Mirra Andreeva to reach the China Open last eight.

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Tien, Landaluce enjoy memorable weeks, increase Jeddah hopes

Learner Tien and Martin Landaluce were the big winners in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah in the past week.

Tien made his biggest breakthrough yet at the ATP 500 event in Beijing, where he became the second-youngest finalist in tournament history. The 19-year-old lefty defeated Top 10 star Lorenzo Musetti and former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev at the China Open.

Tien, the third-youngest tour-level finalist this season, lost to Jannik Sinner in the title match but now holds a 7-5 career record against Top 20 opponents. The American is up one place to second in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah on 1,170 points and is set to compete at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF for the second consecutive year, having reached the final last season.

“It’s been a great week,” Tien said following the final in Beijing. “Obviously I would have loved to go all the way. Regardless, I’m super happy with the week. It’s my first semi-final, my first final, so I’m very happy with the progress I’m making.

“I’m learning a lot week to week just playing more matches each week. This is my first year on tour, so I think every week I’m gaining a lot of experience, playing a lot of new players, playing different environments, just a lot of different matchups. It’s all great all these experiences I’m getting.”

View PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah

One player hoping to join Tien in Jeddah from 17-21 December is Landaluce. The Spaniard captured his first ATP Challenger Tour title of the season in Orleans, climbing three spots to fifth in the Live Race To Jeddah on 406 points. He is 165 points clear of ninth-placed Justin Engel, who is the first player outside the Top 8 qualification cut.

The 19-year-old won the US Open boys’ singles event in 2022. He captured his maiden Challenger title last October in Olbia and is now aiming for his maiden trip to the 20-and-under event.

“Martin has a great balance on and off court and it will help him a lot throughout his career,” Landaluce’s coach Oscar Burrieza told ATPTour.com in September. “He is a positive person and he is a happy and very calm guy and that will help. We are working hard on his consistency when he strikes it harder but the big thing is his fitness. Mentally he is ready, he is a very resilient person, so he knows how to suffer and is very brave. He goes big on the important moments. We have a lot ahead of us.”

Germany’s Engel was also a big mover, rising three positions to ninth. The 17-year-old, who reached the quarter-finals on home soil in Stuttgart this year, advanced to the semi-finals in Orleans.

The PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah runs until Monday, 10 November, with the Top 8 players qualifying. Joao Fonseca lifted the trophy in 2024.

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Jannik Sinner lives rent-free in Terence Atmane's head (just like the Frenchman wants)

Swing big, dream big.

That seems to be the motto of Terence Atmane, the explosive, fast-rising Frenchman known for his love of Pokémon and magic tricks.

Having tasted the big-match atmosphere of playing then-World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the Cincinnati Open semi-finals in August, the prospect of a re-match with the Italian was his inspiration during a three-week training block in the Dubai heat ahead of the Asian swing.

The 23-year-old left-hander didn’t need to wait long.

After an opening-round loss to Dino Prizmic in Chengdu, Atmane confronted Sinner in the second round of the China Open in Beijing, claiming the second set before the four-time Grand Slam champion pulled away for a 6-4, 5-7, 6-0 win.

“Honestly, I was thinking about it all the time when I was practising in Dubai before coming to Asia, thinking about what I have to do on court to get closer to him every single day,” Atmane told ATPTour.com in Shanghai. “And the match [in Beijing] showed me that I can win a set, but at the same time, I’m not ready at all to be able to beat him in three.

“It showed me I’m doing the right things because I’ve done a better result than the last time [a 7-6(4), 6-2 loss in Cincinnati]. It’s very important to keep in mind that, for me, nobody is unbeatable, although there is a lot of work to do if I want to be able to beat him.”

Life has changed a lot in the past two months for Atmane, who spent the majority of 2025 playing qualifying and ATP Challenger Tour events. His breakthrough in Cincinnati – where he defeated Top 10 duo Taylor Fritz and Holger Rune and Next Gen ATP Finals champion Joao Fonseca en route to the quarter-finals – slashed his PIF ATP Ranking from 136 to 69 and the $332,000 cheque doubled his 2025 earnings.

Disappointed to miss the US Open with a foot injury, Atmane was happy to make his comeback in Asia, where he enjoyed success earlier in the year, winning Challenger titles in Busan, South Korea, and Guangzhou, China.

But a steady progression up the rankings – with the Top 50 seemingly the next milestone – isn’t what drives the Frenchman. With a ‘go-big-or-go-home’ mentality, it’s big matches with the likes of Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz [whom he has not yet played] that get his juices flowing.

“It’s important to raise the bar, super high,” he said. “I’m not focused on trying to be Top 50, Top 40, Top 30.  All I want to do is become a better player and a better person every single day.

“In Cincinnati, I beat Taylor and Holger. I know that they are better than me, but I can beat them. Jannik, he’s better than me, but for now, I cannot beat him. And this is exactly why I was so motivated to play him again.

“First of all, I wanted to prove to myself that I was able to put a dot on the first stage, of winning a set against him. Now the next stage is going to be winning two sets, but it will take time, of course.

“But I keep giving it my best, because it’s definitely my objective one day to beat players like Jannik and Carlos. That’s pretty much the only objective that I have in mind.”

Known for his wicked lefty serve and destructive forehand, Atmane said that his high-octane game was inspired by former Chilean World No. 5 Fernando Gonzalez. Although the duo has never met, they recently began exchanging messages over Instagram.

“It seems pretty random that he would have been my favourite player, but growing up I loved to watch him play,” Atmane said. “He seemed to bring so much explosiveness every time he played; the forehand was going huge all the time. I really liked that and tried to copy him a little bit when I was younger. Even now I’m still watching his matches, like, every time I have some free moments.”

Appearing as a direct acceptance into the main draw of an ATP Masters 1000 for the first time,  Atmane will play Argentine Camilo Ugo Carabelli in the first round of the Rolex Shanghai Masters Thursday, with the winner to play World No. 7 Alex de Minaur in the second round.

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Fritz moves closer to Turin following Tokyo final

Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur increased their Nitto ATP Finals qualification chances in the past week with match wins at ATP 500 events in Beijing and Tokyo, respectively. ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as of Wednesday, 1 October.

Taylor Fritz – fifth (3,785 points), +1
The American has climbed one spot to fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin after reaching the final in Tokyo. Fritz gained 330 points in Japan in his quest to qualify for the prestigious year-end event, where he advanced to the title match last season. The 27-year-old has now reached three finals in 2025, lifting trophies in Eastbourne and Stuttgart.

Alexander Zverev – third (4,230), +1
Zverev has moved closer to Turin qualification after winning two matches at the China Open in Beijing. The German has competed at the Nitto ATP Finals on seven occasions, winning the title in 2018 and 2021. Zverev is 47-20 on the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

View the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin

Alex de Minaur – seventh (3,345), +1

De Minaur’s run to the semi-finals in Beijing has helped his Nitto ATP Finals qualification chances. The 26-year-old is up one spot to seventh on 3,345 points. He is 640 points ahead of 10th-placed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who is the first player outside the Top 8 cut, with ninth-placed Jack Draper sidelined for the rest of the year due to injury. De Minaur’s run in Beijing was ended by champion Jannik Sinner, who improved to 11-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

Casper Ruud – 11th (2,485), +2

The Norwegian has a lot of work to do if he is to appear in Turin in November, but he boosted his hopes by reaching the semi-finals in Tokyo, where he lost in three sets to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz. Ruud is 850 points behind eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti, who occupies the final qualification spot.

Alcaraz and Sinner have already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, taking place from 9-16 November at Inalpi Arena in Turin.

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Shanghai welcomes ATP Performance & Development Center, Juss International Tennis Academy

Juss Sports and ATP today announced the first official ATP Performance & Development Center and the founding of the Juss International Tennis Academy, in Shanghai.

The Performance & Development Center will leverage the advanced facilities of the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena and provide athlete training, rehabilitation and fitness, tennis technology innovation and a high-end tennis club. It establishes a high-level competition training center and support base in Asia to provide world-class training conditions for professional tennis players from China and across the continent, boosting the development of Chinese tennis.

Inaugurated today, the Juss International Tennis Academy will integrate tennis training, education, and event activities. The Academy will feature top international coaching teams and be equipped with comprehensive rehabilitation and fitness support systems, creating a development path aligned with global standards for young Chinese tennis players. The Academy will also organise youth tennis series competitions, training camps, overseas study programs, and other activities, building a complete development ecosystem from foundational training to professional competition.

Speaking at a press conference Wednesday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, Yang Yibin, Chairman of Juss Sports, said the new development center with the ATP will build on the company’s two decades of experience running the award-winning ATP Masters 1000 event. Wu Di, Head Coach of the Shanghai Juss Tennis Team, was also on hand for the announcement.

Eno Polo, ATP CEO, told assembled dignitaries and media: “Shanghai is one of the great tennis cities in Asia, and Juss Sports have been at the heart of that journey for many years. They’re long-time partners of ours, and it feels like a very natural step to be doing this together.

“With the new ATP Performance & Development Center and the Juss International Tennis Academy, we’re creating a really strong base for players – from the grassroots right up to the professional level – and opening up more opportunities for Chinese talent. It’s an exciting moment, not just for Shanghai, but for tennis across Asia.”

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'Life is too short' – Monfils to retire in 2026

French veteran Gael Monfils announces he will retire from tennis at the end of the 2026 season.

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Monfils announces 2026 season will be his last on Tour

Gael Monfils has announced he will retire from professional tennis at the end of the 2026 season.

One of the most beloved and charismatic stars on the ATP Tour since he made his pro debut in 2004, the Frenchman has lifted 13 tour-level singles trophies and climbed to a career-high No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2016. In a post across social media channels on Wednesday, Monfils explained his decision to retire at the end of next year.

“I had a racket in my hands for the first time at two and a half, and began playing professionally at 18,” he wrote. “Now, after celebrating my 39th birthday just a month ago, I’d like to share that the year ahead will be my last as a professional tennis player.

“The opportunity to turn my passion into a profession is a privilege I have cherished during every match and moment of my 21-year career. Though this game means the world to me, I am tremendously at peace with my decision to retire at the end of the 2026 tennis season.”

I’ve got something to share with you. pic.twitter.com/pBGh58O6pg

— Gael Monfils (@Gael_Monfils) October 1, 2025

Even into his 22nd year as a professional, Monfils has remained a title contender on the ATP Tour. He is 18-15 for the 2025 season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, a tally highlighted by a run to the title in Auckland in the first week of the year. In his post, he thanked members of his team, fans, the French Tennis Federation, fellow players and his parents, as well as his wife, WTA star Elina Svitolina, and their daughter Skai.

“When you love something so much, it never feels like a good time to say goodbye,” wrote Monfils. “But 40 will be the right time for me. Of course, winning one more title before I’m done would be truly incredible. Truthfully though, my only real goal for the year ahead is simple.

“To enjoy every minute, and to play each match like it’s my last.”

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