Tennis News

The 2025 ATP Awards Nominees Are…

Nominees have been revealed today for the two player categories and Coach of the Year in the 2025 ATP Awards.

The past three winners of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award – Grigor Dimitrov (2024), Carlos Alcaraz (2023) and Casper Ruud (2022) – are once again up for the honour, with Felix Auger-Aliassime rounding out the list of nominees. Meanwhile, Jack Draper, Joao Fonseca, Jakub Mensik and Valentin Vacherot will vie for the new Breakthrough of the Year award. 

In the Coach of the Year category, the nominees are: Benjamin Balleret (Valentin Vacherot), Darren Cahill & Simone Vagnozzi (Jannik Sinner), Juan Carlos Ferrero & Samuel Lopez (Carlos Alcaraz), Frederic Fontang (Felix Auger-Aliassime) and Bryan Shelton (Ben Shelton).

Nominees for Breakthrough of the Year and the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award are determined by an International Tennis Writers’ Association (ITWA) vote. Coach of the Year nominees are selected through first-round voting by ATP coach members.

For the first time, members of the exclusive ATP No. 1 Club – the 29 current and former players to have reached World No. 1 – will decide the winners of Breakthrough of the Year and the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award. The Coach of the Year winner is selected by fellow ATP coach members.

ATP Awards winners, including Fans’ Favourite, will be revealed during Awards week, starting 8 December. Fans can vote for their favourite singles player and doubles team through Friday, 21 November. 

View the complete list of 2025 ATP Awards nominees:

Breakthrough of the Year
Breakthrough of the Year goes to the player who made the biggest breakthrough on the ATP Tour this season, with consideration given to milestone wins, significant jumps in the PIF ATP Rankings and first ATP Tour titles. Whilst there are no age restrictions, the award is aimed at Next Gen and young players.

Jack Draper
Joao Fonseca
Jakub Mensik
Valentin Vacherot
 
Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award
The Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award goes to the player who, throughout the year, conducted himself at the highest level of professionalism and integrity, who competed with his fellow players with the utmost spirit of fairness, and who promoted the game through his off-court activities.

Carlos Alcaraz 
Felix Auger-Aliassime
Grigor Dimitrov 
Casper Ruud
 
Coach of the Year
The Coach of the Year award goes to the coach who helped guide their player to a higher level of performance during the year.

Benjamin Balleret (Valentin Vacherot)
Darren Cahill & Simone Vagnozzi (Jannik Sinner)
Juan Carlos Ferrero & Samuel Lopez (Carlos Alcaraz)
Frederic Fontang (Felix Auger-Aliassime)
Bryan Shelton (Ben Shelton)

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On This Day: Djokovic begins 400th week as World No. 1

Novak Djokovic ushered in a record-extending 400th week atop the PIF ATP Rankings in style in November 2023.

More than 12 years after he first rose to World No. 1, the Serbian downed Jannik Sinner to earn a record seventh title at the coveted Nitto ATP Finals. His reward for that Turin triumph was an unprecedented 400th week at World No. 1, beginning the following day, 20 November 2023.

“It’s a pretty good achievement, 400 weeks at No. 1. It’s never been done in history,” said Djokovic, who also clinched ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF for a record eighth time that week. “Someone will eventually break it, but hopefully it stays there for a long time.”

Djokovic’s journey to the milestone achievement began on 4 July 2011, when he became the 25th player to join the ATP No. 1 Club. At age 24, Djokovic downed rival Rafael Nadal in the Wimbledon final, claiming his first of seven triumphs at the All England Club. Djokovic had already secured his debut atop the PIF ATP Rankings by defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semi-finals.

Spanning from December 2010 to Roland Garros in 2011, Djokovic enjoyed an impressive 43-match winning streak, only halted by Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the clay-court major. But Djokovic’s dominance was just taking flight. He tallied a standout 70-6 match record in 2011.

Djokovic has at times dominated the sport, collecting 101-tour level trophies and spending a record 428 weeks at No. 1. His 419th week as World No. 1 was historic: On 1 April 2024 — then 36 years and 321 days old — Djokovic surpassed Federer as the oldest No. 1 in PIF ATP Rankings history.

The Belgrade native has lifted a record 24 major titles and 40 ATP Masters 1000 crowns. In 2018 in Cincinnati, Djokovic became the first player in Masters 1000 history to win all nine elite tournaments and complete the career Golden Masters. Two years later, at the same event, Djokovic completed his second career Golden Masters.

With 10 stints as World No. 1, Djokovic has claimed a 485-78 match record (86.1 per cent) while holding that position. His longest consecutive streak as World No. 1 was 122 weeks, from July 2014 to November 2016. On 27 February 2023, Djokovic secured the all-time record across men’s and women’s tennis, overtaking Stefanie Graf with his 378th week in the pole position.

Throughout his two-decade career, Djokovic has shattered records, redefined milestones and turned history into his own personal playground. When it comes to the ATP No. 1 Club, which features 29 players, Djokovic stands in a league of his own.

Learn more about the ATP No. 1 Club

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On This Day: Safin caps mid-2000 turnaround with remarkable rise to No. 1

If Marat Safin’s career often appeared to be defined by fleeting moments of genius, the 2000 ATP Tour season was when it all consistently came together for the powerful right-hander.

Safin won seven of his 15 career tour-level titles from April to November of that year. Such a burst of prolonged success was somewhat unexpected from a 20-year-old who had started just his third full year on Tour poorly, yet Safin’s form proved so hot that he rose to become the 18th No. 1 in PIF ATP Rankings history on 20th November.

After beginning 2000 with 11 defeats in his first 16 matches, Safin headed to the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell as the World No. 35. Six wins later, he was lifting his second ATP Tour title after a run which included victories against Top 10 stars Nicolas Lapentti and Magnus Norman and home favourite Juan Carlos Ferrero in the championship match.

Safin entered the Top 20 for the first time after lifting the trophy in Catalonia. Perhaps more importantly, the success also appeared to flick a switch in his head. He added another clay-court trophy to his collection one week later in Mallorca and then reached his second ATP Masters 1000 final in Hamburg, before lifting his maiden trophy at that level in Toronto in early August.

In New York in September, Safin dispatched Pete Sampras in straight sets with a stunning display to claim his maiden major crown at the US Open. Hard-court titles in Tashkent and St. Petersburg, and another Masters 1000 crown on indoor carpet in Paris, completed his 2000 title haul. From the start of Barcelona in April, Safin racked up a 68-16 record across the rest of the year.

Having risen to No. 2 after the US Open, it was the Paris triumph that proved the clincher for Safin in his pursuit of top spot. At 20 years and 10 months, he was at the time the youngest player to reach the top of the PIF ATP Rankings, although that record was soon beaten by Lleyton Hewitt (in 2001) and later by Carlos Alcaraz (2022).

Entering the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals (then the Tennis Masters Cup), Safin needed three match wins to guarantee he would finish as ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF but lost to Sampras in the group stage and Agassi in the semi-finals, enabling Gustavo Kuerten to pip him to that honour. Despite the disappointing end, Safin’s charge to No. 1 remains one of the most remarkable mid-season turnarounds in ATP history, one that Safin later acknowledged perhaps even took himself by surprise.

“For me it was very strange in my experience reaching No. 1 and being No. 1,” Safin, who twice returned to top spot in 2001 and spent nine weeks there overall, told ATPTour.com. “I wasn’t ready for that because I couldn’t imagine just a few months earlier that I’d have the chance to become No. 1. I was Top 50, dropping, playing very badly. I underestimated myself… I didn’t believe in myself, and I was seeing myself weaker than others, which is unbelievable.”

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Becker to Federer on Hall of Fame news: 'You're the most important sportsman of all time'

It was a major milestone when Roger Federer learned of his election into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Legends he heard from in the immediate aftermath made the moment even more special.

Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg, fellow ATP No. 1 Club members who were among the Swiss’ idols growing up, joined Federer on a video call to share their congratulations.

“You really put tennis on a different map. Whenever you started winning, people that had nothing to do with tennis liked tennis. It was because of you,” Becker said. “So you’re not only one of the best players in tennis of all time, you’re the most important sportsman of all time.”

Edberg shared a special relationship with Federer, serving as his coach for two seasons.

“Congratulations [on] being part of the Tennis Hall of Fame. You really, really deserve it,” Edberg said. “You’ve had an incredible career and 20 Grand Slam titles tells it all.”

Other members of the International Tennis Hall of Fame also shared their well wishes with the 103-time tour-level titlist, including Billie Jean King and Martina Hingis, Federer’s countrywoman.

“You meant so much to so many of us,” King said. “You had such guts, such focus, such intensity. I could see how much it meant to you and just watching you brought out every aspect of your character.”

Hingis said: “Everything always looked so perfect and easy when you were on court. Many people don’t see all the sweat that is behind it, because you kind of make it look so easy.”

Federer will be officially inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame during the Induction Celebration in Newport from 27-29 August 2026.

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Nadal back on court a year after retirement

It may still seem like it was yesterday, but exactly one year ago, on 19 November 2024, Rafael Nadal played his last professional match in the Final 8 of the Davis Cup. In doing so, he brought an end to a career during which he earned 1,000 tour-level match wins, 92 titles —22 of them at majors — and spent 209 weeks at No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

On Wednesday, the anniversary of his retirement, the Spanish legend picked up his racquet again at the Rafa Nadal Academy in a practice session with Alexandra Eala, the current WTA World No. 50.

“After a year, it felt great to be back on a tennis court. It was great to practise with you, Alex Eala. Next time I’ll be stronger,” Nadal wrote on social media.

Nadal is still heavily involved in his eponymous academy and closely follows the progress of players like the hugely talented 19-year-old Filipina, who rose from No. 143 into the Top 50 this year.

This practice session with the ATP Tour great is a reflection of the connection he maintains with players that train at the Academy, his commitment to excellence, a comprehensive education, and instilling the values that defined his career.

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Wimbledon expansion plan to be challenged in court

Plans were approved for 38 new tennis courts and an 8,000-seat stadium at Wimbledon.

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Hewitt father-son duo drops one game in Sydney Challenger debut

Lleyton Hewitt came out of retirement Wednesday to partner his 16-year-old son Cruz Hewitt in doubles, and the duo made an emphatic start. The father-son team, competing at the NSW Open in Sydney, earned a convincing 6-1, 6-0 victory against 19-year-old Aussies Hayden Jones and Pavle Marinkov.

Now into the quarter-finals at the ATP Challenger Tour event, Lleyton and Cruz will face another Australian team in Calum Puttergill and Dane Sweeny. Lleyton and Cruz’s opening match at the hard-court event came on the 24-year anniversary of when Lleyton first climbed to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings (19 November 2001).

A day they’ll never forget 🇦🇺✨

Lleyton Hewitt comes out of retirement to team up with his son Cruz as they cruise to a 6-1, 6-0 debut win in Sydney!#ATPChallenger | @TennisAustralia pic.twitter.com/e00TkW15PE

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) November 19, 2025

The pair received a wild card into the Sydney Challenger, where Cruz also competed in the singles main draw and earned a victory, his second career win at that level.

Fans can watch the father-son team Thursday on Challenger TV not before 5 p.m. local time / 1 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. CST. The stream can also be viewed below.

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Italy edge closer to Davis Cup three-peat

Holders Italy overcome Austria to move a step closer to becoming the first nation to win three consecutive Davis Cup titles for 53 years.

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Tennis Australia and players’ association near deal over lawsuit

The Professional Tennis Players’ Association and Tennis Australia say they are likely to reach a settlement in the “near future” in relation to the lawsuit filed against multiple governing bodies.

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Berrettini leads charge as Italy overpowers Austria to reach Davis Cup SFs

Italy booked its fourth consecutive semi-final berth at the Davis Cup Finals on Wednesday, overcoming Austria with the help of a thunderous home crowd and confident performances by Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli.

The atmosphere inside the SuperTennis Arena in Bologna set the tone early, and two-time defending champions responded with the assurance of seasoned contenders.

Berrettini, the former No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings, handed Italy a 1-0 lead with his 6-3, 7-6(4) victory over Jurij Rodionov. The second set was briefly delayed due to lighting issues in the stadium, but the Italian rallied from a 2-5 deficit and saved three consecutive set points on serve at 4-5, swinging the momentum back in his favour before dominating the tie-break.

That flick is OUTRAGEOUS, @MattBerrettini 🤯@DavisCup | #DavisCup | @federtennis pic.twitter.com/oeFNZ58R37

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 19, 2025

Cobolli then stepped up and delivered a resounding 6-1, 6-3 win against Filip Misolic in just his third Davis Cup rubber, sending the home fans into a frenzy. With its win, Italy extended its winning streak to 12 ties and set a semi-final showdown with Belgium on Friday.

As Italy pursues a fourth Davis Cup crown, Berrettini’s influence remains pivotal. Last year, he did not drop a rubber, compiling a perfect 6-0 record — five wins in singles and one in doubles — on the country’s march toward the title.

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