The four players with the most impressive serve statistics since records were first kept in 1991 are Ivo Karlovic, John Isner, Milos Raonic and Andy Roddick.

That list makes total sense. What you may not realize is who is fifth.

It’s Nick Kyrgios.

Kyrgios ended 2016 with his career best Emirates ATP Ranking at No. 13, winning three ATP World Tour titles in Marseille, Atlanta and Tokyo, going 39-15 on the season.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the enigmatic 21-year-old Australian reveals he is already establishing himself as one of the best servers in the history of our sport.

Kyrgios is ranked fifth in SERVE LEADERS on the ATP Serve Stats LEADERBOARDS, which is calculated using the percentages of the following six categories.

ATP Serve Stats LEADERBOARDS components

• 1st serve percentage
• 1st serve points won
• 2nd serve points won
• Service games won
• Add average aces/match
• Subtract average double faults

The following table shows Kyrgios’ performance and ranking in the 2016 season in all six serve LEADERBOARD categories.

Kyrgios’ 2016 Season: Serve Statistics / Ranking 

MORE: Kyrgios’ Second Serve Improvements

The beauty of the serve LEADERBOARDS is that it lets you compare identical metrics over different seasons, providing real numbers to some interesting questions. For example, did Kyrgios put up better numbers in 2016 than Pete Sampras put up in his prime? Once again, the answer will surprise you.

From 1993 to 1998, Sampras finished No. 1 in the world in the Infosys Year-end No. 1 LEADERBOARD. Only one of those years, in 1997, did he put up a higher season average than Kyrgios did this season.

Kyrgios / Pete Sampras Serve Leaderboard Comparison

Overall, Kyrgios is fifth best on the Infosys Career Serving LEADERBOARD, ahead of some players that are widely renowned for their prowess serving. The following table compares the young Australian with some of the best server’s our sport has ever seen.

Career Serve LEADERBOARD Rating / Ranking

Saving Break Points

In winning three titles in 2016, Kyrgios greatly impressed with the quantity of break points he saved in Tokyo and Atlanta, and how few break points he faced in winning Marseille. Overall, opponents only converted four of 35 (11 per cent) of break points they generated in the three events combined, which is well below the 31 per cent season average.

Kyrgios: 3 ATP World Tour Titles in 2016

• Marseille: saved 4/4 break points.
• Atlanta: saved 10/12 break points.
• Tokyo: saved 17/19 break points.

Kyrgios is a serving machine. The returning side of the equation is where the focus needs to be for 2017. He is ranked 53rd on the Infosys Return Leaders LEADERBOARD, including being just 62nd best on tour in return points won against 1st serves.

His backhand return technique, in particular, is exemplary, with an extremely efficient, short blocking motion. There is no reason returning won’t develop into a statistical strength as well, and once it does, a future No. 1 ranking beckons.

Continuing our Season In Review Series, ATPWorldTour.com revisits the biggest Grand Slam comebacks of 2016:

4) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga d. John Isner 6-7(3), 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-2, 19-17/3R/Wimbledon

With several second-round matches to be completed, the All England Club announced that play would take place on the Middle Sunday at The Championships for only the fourth time in the tournament’s 139-year history (also 1991, 1997 and 2004). Tickets sold-out within an hour of going on sale on the Saturday afternoon, and it was to Court No. 2 where most fans headed. John Isner, the No. 18 seed, led No. 12 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-7(5). Isner had had a night’s slept to stew over being 5-5, and two break points at 15/40 on Tsonga’s serve.

Six years on from winning the longest match in tennis history, when Isner beat Nicolas Mahut 70-68 in the fifth set, a match that lasted over 11 hours and three days, the American engaged in another tense, lengthy affair. Upon the resumption of play on the Middle Sunday, Tsonga dominated the fourth set but neither player made any impression through the first 30 games of the decider.

Isner’s chance came at 16-15, but Tsonga saved the match point prior to making the decisive breakthrough two games later to close the four-hour and 24-minute encounter. It was Tsonga’s fourth comeback from an 0-2 sets deficit – versus Philipp Petzschner at 2011 Australian Open, versus Federer at 2011 Wimbledon and versus Marcos Baghdatis at 2016 Roland Garros.

“It’s good to be alive,” said Tsonga, who tied Jean Borotra’s record of 103 for most Grand Slam match wins among French players. “I will have a good recovery from this one and tomorrow be fit to play again for sure.” Asked whether he would like to see a tie-break in the fifth set, Isner said: “I would, but I have said that a bunch… It’s fine.”

3) Steve Johnson d. Evgeny Donskoy 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-3/1R/US Open

The new Grandstand court at the US Open had already staged John Isner’s rallying win from two sets down against Frances Tiafoe, now 24 hours on it was the turn of another American, Steve Johnson, to provide the heroics.

Johnson saved six match points to storm back from an 0-2 deficit to defeat Evgeny Donskoy over three hours and 13 minutes. It was Johnson’s second comeback from two sets down in his career, following a victory over qualifier Laurent Lokoli at 2014 Roland Garros. “I have no idea what’s happening right now,” said Johnson, No. 22 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. “But I really felt the crowd was awesome. I had a blast winning and it’s something I’ll never forget. This is why you play; to get through these tough five-setters and move on.”

Johnson was on the brink when he found himself serving down 2-5 0/40 in the third set. Two return errors and a forehand unforced error from Donskoy, as well as a Johnson ace, saw the California native escape. But he was not out of the woods just yet, staring down the barrel of two more at 5-6. After Donskoy fired a return error, Johnson launched a backhand winner to save the sixth and final match point. From there, the reinvigorated American cruised to the finish line, claiming the set in a tie-break and dropping a combined six games in the fourth and fifth.

“I didn’t look so good for a while,” said Johnson. “At 2-5, I just found a way to hold. I got lucky and then we were back even. I have no idea how I got out of that game and just found a way to win those points. My mentally was that it’s not over. My goal walking out today was to win in three sets, but it doesn’t matter how it comes.”

2) Andy Murray d. Radek Stepanek 3-6, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-5/1R/Roland Garros
Andy Murray d. Mathias Bourgue 6-2, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3/2R/Roland Garros

For the first 10 years of his career, Andy Murray won close to 70 per cent of his matches on clay, posting an 88-39 record (.693). But ahead of Roland Garros, the Briton had gone 29-3 (.906) on the red dirt over the past 12 months. With silverware from the Internazionali BNL d’Italia title, and a runner-up finish at the Mutua Madrid Open, on his mantelpiece at home, Murray began his ninth quest in Paris as joint title favourite with Novak Djokovic.

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World No. 2 Murray’s surge to becoming a Roland Garros title contender had stemmed from better movement on the crushed brick. But over seven hours, in the first two rounds in the south-west corner of Paris, 37-year-old Radek Stepanek and wild card Mathias Bourge, No. 164 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, caused all manner of problems.

Murray trailed Stepanek by two sets to one when play was suspended due to bad light, then endured a terrific fight against the oldest player in the draw to avoid a first-round exit for the first time since 2008. It was Murray’s ninth 0-2 sets comeback over three hours and 41 minutes. Murray had been two points from defeat at 4-5 deuce in the deciding set.

The following day, it was the turn of wild card Mathias to put the frighteners on Murray, who led 6-2, 2-0 – only to see his game collapse in spectacular fashion. Bourgue, who had not played a tour-level match prior to his Grand Slam debut and was facing a Top 50 player for the first time, won eight straight games – including 16 unanswered point.

Bourge had three opportunities to break Murray’s serve in the first game of the fourth set, but his fitness began to fail him. Murray finally clinched victory in three hours and 34 winners. “I’d been waiting for this for a long time, that’s what I play tennis for. I’m happy even if I lost,” said Bourgue. “It will remain a great memory.” Murray had now won 10 of his past 11 fifth set matches.

1) Roger Federer d. Marin Cilic 6-7(4), 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(9), 6-3/QF/Wimbledon

For Marin Cilic, the opportunity to reach his first Wimbledon semi-final on his 10th straight appearance at the All England Club was close, but yet so far. The Croatian held all the aces during his eagerly awaited match against Roger Federer, but it was the seven-time former champion who held his nerve and took his opportunity when it mattered.

Federer recovered from an 0-2 sets deficit for the 10th time in his career in a classic match-up on the hallowed lawn, Centre Court. Cilic has three break points in a row in the third set to deliver the knock-out punch, something he did so easily in their 2014 US Open semi-finals en route to the trophy.

Federer initially struggled against Cilic’s barrage of big serves – winning 90 per cent of his first service points in the first two sets – and solid groundstrokes. The Swiss superstar stared down the barrel on serve at 3-3, 0/40 in the third set. Cilic earned three match point opportunities in the fourth set, including two on Federer’s serve at 4-5 and 5-6. “If we would go back to play again, I would try to be more aggressive on the chances when I had them in the fourth,” said Cilic, who missed a third match point in the fourth set tie-break. “Maybe there was a slight hesitation [during] some of them.”

Federer carried that momentum for the entire fifth set, breaking Cilic at 4-3 and ending the match with two of his 27 aces. “Today was epic,” said Federer, who advanced to his 11th Wimbledon semi-final. “Probably going to look back at this as being a great, great match that I played in my career, on Centre Court here at Wimbledon. This is huge for me, my season, my career. I’m very, very happy.” The crowd rewarded Federer with a standing ovation.

Continuing our Season In Review Series, ATPWorldTour.com revisits the biggest ATP World Tour comebacks of 2016:

3) Kei Nishikori d. Gael Monfils 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) – Miami quarter-finals

Kei Nishikori left his comfort zone on an oppressively hot and muggy day in Key Biscayne by finding a way to come through one of the matches of 2016 on the ATP World Tour. At the end, his shirt saturated, he embraced Gael Monfils following a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) victory for a place in the semi-finals of the Miami Open presented by Itau.

After saving five match points in the two-and-a-half-hour contest, sixth seed Nishikori admitted, “When I was down 4-5, love-40, I thought it was going to be it. It was going to be tough to come back, but I tried to play one point at time.”

Monfils started strongly, but after Nishikori overcame an early setback the Japanese kept pace with the explosive Frenchman. By the start of the third set, No. 16 seed Monfils, clothes soaked with sweat, was clearly labouring under the Miami sun. But instead of going away quietly, he began swinging with abandon. Down 2-4 in the deciding set, Monfils swept through the next three games and held four match points with Nishikori serving to stay in the match at 4-5.

“At 3-4 I really raised my level,” said Monfils. “I started to be very aggressive, started to go for it, and still had the strong feeling that I could make it. At the end, I pushed very hard and definitely had an opportunity to close it out, but Kei fought well. In the tie-break he was just better than me.”

2) Gilles Muller d. John Isner 3-6, 7-6(16), 7-6(7) – London/Queen’s Club second round

In their previous four meetings, seven of their 11 sets had gone to a tie-break, so in the genteel confines of The Queen’s Club, in west London, just as the majority of spectators were settling down to watch Andy Murray in his quest for a record fifth title at the Aegon Championships, a battle royale was instigated on Court 1. No quarter was given over two hours and 25 minutes.

Gilles Muller, a finalist at the Ricoh Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch just four days earlier, scraped past John Isner, who fired down a tournament record 43 aces, 3-6, 7-6(16), 7-6(7) for a place in the quarter-finals. Muller had previously held the main draw record at the Aegon Championships, hitting 37 aces in 2015 in a three-set first-round win over Mikhail Youzhny.

The Luxembourg native saved 10 match points – six in the second set and four in the third set. Seventh seed Isner had two match point opportunities on his serve at 13-12 in the second set tie-break and at 6-5 in deciding set tie-break. It was the most match points saved on the ATP World Tour in 12 years, when Rainer Schuettler fought off the same number in a 3-6, 7-6(13), 6-0 win over Andreas Seppi in the 2004 Kitzbühel second round.

The 18-16 tie-break was also the longest at The Queen’s Club since the semi-finals in 1997 when Goran Ivanisevic defeated Greg Rusedski 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(18). It was the longest tie-break on the ATP World Tour in 2016. There had been an 18-16 tie-break in a Davis Cup tie in March, when Mirza Basic came back to defeat Malek Jaziri 5-7, 4-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(16), 6-4.

Isner and Muller’s combined 69 aces was the most in an ATP World Tour best-of-three match (since 1991). The previous most was 65 aces last year in The Queen’s Club second round with Isner (36) and Feliciano Lopez (29). It was a match for the record books.

1) Martin Klizan d. Roberto Bautista Agut 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 6-0 – Rotterdam quarter-finals
Martin Klizan d. Nicolas Mahut 6-7(3), 7-6(7), 6-2 – Rotterdam semi-finals

As the ticker tape floated onto the court at the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, Martin Klizan could only smile at the end of a memorable week that would have impressed Harry Houdini, the illusionist and escape artist. Not once, but twice had the Slovakian been close to packing his bags at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament. But each time he had managed to wriggle free en route to the biggest title of his career.

In saving five match points to beat sixth seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 6-0, Klizan broke a four-match losing streak against his in-form Spanish opponent, who had already picked up two ATP World Tour titles and won 13 of his past 14 matches in the early days of the 2016 ATP World Tour season. Klizan saved two match points when serving at 4-5 in the second set, then saved a further three match points in the next game that saw him convert a break point with a superb forehand return winner down the line. “It was a very, very tough match. I was almost on the plane,” said Klizan, after the two-hour and 44-minute victory. “I saved five match points, which is incredible. I am very happy that I won, breaking his four-match winning streak he had over me. Despite Roberto’s match points, I kept fighting, because it isn’t over until it’s over.”

Less than 24 hours later, the 26-year-old Klizan reached his first ATP World Tour indoor final since the 2012 St. Petersburg Open, with a swashbuckling comeback win over qualifier Nicolas Mahut 6-7(3), 7-6(7), 6-2. Serve-volleyer Mahut held the upper hand for the majority of the match, but Klizan took risks after saving one match point on his serve at 3-5 in the second set. In an emotionally-charged tie-break, Klizan saved two more match points before levelling with a drive volley. The Slovakian then broke Mahut in the opening game of the decider, finishing the match with 45 winners. “It was an incredible moment,” Klizan said. “I will remember this tournament until the day I die. I never thought I could win, because Nicolas was playing great tennis. Maybe I was lucky, but I tried to fight until the last point. I think the crowd enjoyed the show.”

Klizan went on to maintain his perfect record in ATP World Tour finals (4-0) the next day, with another three-set comeback win over fifth seed Gael Monfils. His eight match points saved were the most en route to a title since Felix Mantilla saved nine match points at 2001 Palermo – all versus Albert Portas in the semi-finals. “I cannot believe that it happened,” said Klizan. “It was my dream to be on the board with these unbelievably great players. It’s an amazing feeling. Every day I was just fighting. Most of the time I had three-hour matches every day, so the only thing I could do was fight. In the end I saved so many match points. I still cannot believe it.”

Honourable Mentions

Guido Pella d. [4] John Isner 7-6(5), 5-7, 7-6(8) – Saved 3 M.P. – Rio de Janeiro first round
[WC] Noah Rubin d. Sam Groth 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(6) – Saved 3 M.P. – Delray Beach first round
[4] Rafael Nadal d. Alexander Zverev 6-7(8), 6-0, 7-5 – Saved 1 M.P. – Indian Wells third round
[LL] Horacio Zeballos d. Fernando Verdasco 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) – Saved 1 M.P. – Miami second round
Diego Schwartzman d. [1] David Goffin 7-5, 2-6, 7-5 – Saved 2 M.P. – Antwerp semi-finals

The ATP has announced the Tournaments of the Year in the 2016 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon, with the BNP Paribas Open and Aegon Championships joined by the If Stockholm Open and Winston-Salem Open as the most favoured ATP World Tour events in their respective tournament categories.

The Tournament of the Year awards, voted annually by ATP players, recognise the leading standards set across the three tournament categories on the Tour. Indian Wells repeats at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 level, while The Queen’s Club in London wins for the second successive year as a 500 tournament. In the 250 category, first-time winners Stockholm and Winston-Salem share honours.

Visit the official ATP World Tour Awards section on ATPWorldTour.com

Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman & President, said: “These tournaments have set the benchmark in their respective categories in 2016 and fully deserve this recognition from the players. Our tournaments are continuously striving to reach greater heights, and this is a fitting recognition of the tireless work and effort that has been put in by each tournament’s organising team.”

The BNP Paribas Open has been named as the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Tournament of the Year for the third consecutive season. The tournament received the distinction for the first time in 2014, following the debut of its state-of-the-art Stadium 2, additional practice courts and a new shade structure. Following the 2016 event, numerous improvements have been made to Stadium 1, including upgrading, expanding and adding concessions and suites for the 2017 tournament.

“As a player, I can understand why this event has been named ‘Tournament of the Year’ on the ATP World Tour for the third consecutive year,” said Tournament Director Tommy Haas. “Now as a member of the Indian Wells team, I have even more respect for the countless hours of planning and dedication that the entire staff contributes to make the BNP Paribas Open one of the best sporting events in the world. We remain focused on improving the event every year and hope to make the 2017 edition even more memorable.”

The Aegon Championships receives a Tournament of the Year award for a fourth straight season. It won at the 250 level in 2013-14 before its re-categorisation as an ATP World Tour 500 event for 2015. In 2017, the tournament will expand its Centre Court capacity by 30%, with the addition of more than 2,000 seats.

“Any time a tournament is voted for by the players as the best in its category is something to celebrate, but this year it is particularly satisfying,” said Tournament Director Stephen Farrow. “The weather in 2016 posed a number of challenges for us, and it is a huge credit to everyone involved in the tournament that we were still able produce an event that the players felt inclined to recognise in this way. We look forward to running an even better tournament in 2017 with more people able to watch the action than ever before.”

For the second successive year and the fifth time overall (since 1986), two events have been named joint winners in the ATP World Tour 250 category. The If Stockholm Open hosted its 48th edition in October, while the Winston-Salem Open was held in August for the sixth year running.

“Considering all the great tournaments across the globe, we are so honoured to win the ATP World Tour 250 Tournament of the Year,” said Simon Aspelin, the If Stockholm Open Tournament Director. “It’s a great achievement and a credit to the tournament organisation, the Royal Tennis Club of Stockholm, our sponsors and our volunteers. On behalf of the organization I would like to say thank you to all the players voting for our tournament and giving us the best feedback we could wish for.”

Bill Oakes, the Tournament Director of the Winston-Salem Open, said, “We recognise this award is due to the amazing dedication of not only the tournament staff but because of the many volunteers and those in the Winston-Salem community who work to make our tournament and city a great place for the ATP World Tour players to compete and prepare for the US Open.”

Continuing our Season In Review Series, ATPWorldTour.com revisits the biggest Grand Slam upsets of 2016:

(5) Jared Donaldson d. David Goffin 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-0 – US Open first round
The summer hard-court swing provided the springboard to the Top 100 for American #NextGen star Jared Donaldson. The 20 year old entered the Emirates Airline US Open Series at World No. 153 and he would reel off main draw wins in Washington, Toronto, Atlanta and Cincinnati, before qualifying at his home Grand Slam without dropping a set. A date with 12th-seed David Goffin awaited in the first round and Donaldson would ride the surge of momentum to his first victory at a major, rallying from a set and a break down to prevail in four.

Two weeks after nearly upsetting World No. 4 Stan Wawrinka at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati, Donaldson scored his first Top 20 win in toppling Goffin after two hours and 39 minutes. The Rhode Island native went on to reach the third round, rising 25 spots to crack the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings at No. 97.

“I did a good job of controlling what I could out there,” said Donaldson. “I let the match come to me. I was down a set and a break and things weren’t looking so good, but I stayed calm and played my game.”

(4) Noah Rubin d. Benoit Paire 7-6(4), 7-6(6), 7-6(5) – Australian Open first round
Donaldson wasn’t the only American #NextGen star to spring a first-round stunner at a Grand Slam. Long Island native Noah Rubin made the most of his main draw wild card at the Australian Open, defeating 17th seed Benoit Paire in three tight tie-breaks. Appearing in just his second major, Rubin notched his first tour-level match win behind a flurry of fearless forehands. The 20 year old’s was relentless from the baseline and his youthful exuberance was on full display in tracking down everything Paire sent his way.

At World No. 328, it was a significant upset for Rubin over the 2015 Comeback Player Of The Year in the ATP World Tour Awards Presented by Moët & Chandon. Rubin would fall to another Frenchman, Pierre-Hugues Herbert, in the second round, but his result put him firmly inside the Top 300 and he would later reach a career-high World No. 166 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

“I put in a lot of effort in the offseason and it’s starting to pay off now,” said Rubin. “I saw the finish line in the third, but I was ready to go five sets if I had to. Anything is possible now.”

(3) Albert Ramos-Vinolas d. Milos Raonic 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 – Roland Garros fourth round
Albert Ramos-Vinolas quietly constructed one of the more successful campaigns of the 2016 season, rising 28 spots to a career-high No. 26 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. Early-season wins over #NextGen stars Nick Kyrgios, Borna Coric, Hyeon Chung and Karen Khachanov set the tone and he would enter Roland Garros in late May surging with confidence.

After defeating Argentines Horacio Zeballos and Marco Trungelliti, Ramos-Vinolas scored a signature five-set win over 23rd seed Jack Sock to set a Round of 16 clash against ninth seed Milos Raonic. It marked the first time the Spaniard had progressed into the second week of a Grand Slam in 19 tries. But he wasn’t satisfied with just one milestone. Ramos-Vinolas went on to stun the eventual year-end No. 3, routing Raonic in straight sets in two hours and 21 minutes. Entering the match with a 1-22 record against the Top 10, the left-hander held his nerve throughout the encounter, saving six of seven break points.

“I’m very happy,” said Ramos-Vinolas, who would notch his first ATP World Tour title the following month in Bastad. “I didn’t expect this. After losing last week 6-1, 6-1 against [Stan] Wawrinka, I was a little bit down because I was expecting a little more in Geneva last week. I don’t know why things seem to be falling into place this week. Although this is not Raonic’s favourite surface, I feel quite humbled to have won against him.”

(2) Sam Querrey d. Novak Djokovic 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(5) – Wimbledon third round
Novak Djokovic’s dream of completing the calendar year Grand Slam ended in dramatic fashion on Centre Court at Wimbledon. American Sam Querrey, seeded 28th, dethroned the three-time champion in the third round, marking the biggest upset of his 11-year career. Querrey has shown strong form in his career, winning eight ATP World Tour titles, including at Delray Beach earlier in the season, but he had never advanced past the fourth round of a Grand Slam and had been 0-8 in all prior meetings with a World No. 1.

Querrey survived four rain delays to win in four sets, en route to reaching his first major quarter-final (l. to Raonic). The loss snapped Djokovic’s streak of 30 consecutive Grand Slam match wins, the best of the Open Era. The Serbian, who had won six of the previous eight Grand Slam championships, hadn’t lost this early since 2009 when he fell in the Roland Garros third round to Philipp Kohlschreiber.

“It’s definitely the biggest win I’ve ever had,” Querrey said. “I’m not going to lie and say going into it I thought I was going to win. But I think as the match progressed, I was serving well and holding in the first set, we were kind of going back and forth, I gained a little more confidence with every game. We got to that tie-break and I played a great tie-break. Once I won that, I was like in my head, ‘All right, I can beat this guy, I can hang with him and turn this into a match.’”

(1) Marcus Willis d. Ricardas Berankis 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 – Wimbledon first round
Where there’s a Willis there’s a way! The Cinderella story of 2016 was undoubtedly Marcus Willis at Wimbledon. Leading up to The Championships, the Brit had spent much of the year working as a teaching pro at a local club and after emerging through qualifying, he would play the match of his life to defeat World No. 54 Ricardas Berankis in straight sets. The last direct entrant into the pre-qualifying tournament, the World No. 772 defied his Emirates ATP Ranking, hitting 14 aces and 43 winners while saving 19 of 20 break points.

Willis raised his arms in triumph after hitting a service winner on match point and rushed to celebrate with friends and family. Having only played in an ITF Futures event in Tunisia in January, it was just his second pro tournament of the year. It was also his first tour-level main draw appearance, following significant wins over #NextGen stars Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev in qualifying.

“It’s quite a nice life, isn’t it,” said Willis. “I haven’t experienced this. Goran Ivanisevic just came around and shook my hand. He’s my hero. I lost a lot of confidence, made some bad decisions and went out too much. My lifestyle wasn’t good. I didn’t have the drive. I found it three years ago and it’s worth it now.”

Willis would face seven-time champion Roger Federer in the second round, as his surreal experience extended. The Brit fell in straight sets, but his place in Wimbledon lore was already cemented.

Biggest Grand Slam Upsets Of 2016 By Emirates ATP Ranking

Continuing our Season In Review Series, ATPWorldTour.com revisits the biggest ATP World Tour upsets of 2016:

(5) Mischa Zverev d. Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 – Basel quarter-finals
One of the brightest emerging talents on the ATP World Tour, #NextGen star Alexander Zverev made his presence known in 2016. Just weeks after notching his maiden title at the St. Petersburg Open, the 19 year old soared to a career-high World No. 20 in the Emirates ATP Rankings in mid-October. But Alexander wasn’t the only Zverev to enjoy a breakout run at season’s end.

Older brother Mischa turned back the clock with a slew of inspired performances of his own, employing his fast-paced lefty serve-and-volley brand of tennis with great success. One week after Alexander’s Top 20 milestone, Mischa reached his first ATP World Tour semi-final in six years behind a signature upset of World No. 3 and home favourite Stan Wawrinka at the Swiss Indoors Basel. The 29-year-old qualifier claimed his fifth match win in seven days, putting years of injury woes behind him with an impressive rise to year-end World No. 51 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. Zverev, who entered 2016 at No. 171, claimed just his second victory over a Top-5 opponent, breaking Wawrinka six times. It capped a strong finish to the season that also saw him push Novak Djokovic to the brink in the Shanghai Rolex Masters quarter-finals.

(4) Thiago Monteiro d. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 – Rio de Janeiro first round
The 2016 Rio Open presented by Claro provided many intriguing storylines, with top seed Rafael Nadal and eventual champion Pablo Cuevas staging a late-night semi-final thriller and Argentina’s Guido Pella streaking to his first ATP World Tour final. But arguably the most remarkable performance was turned in by unseeded wild card Thiago Monteiro. To say that the 22-year-old Brazilian’s first tour-level match was a memorable one would be an understatement.

The Rio de Janeiro resident and World No. 338 shocked No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to open the tournament, channeling the energy of the home fans to secure the biggest upset of the year over a Top 10 opponent. Monteiro entered the history books with the victory, becoming the first player to win his debut against a Top 10 player since Guido Pella (d. Tipsarevic) in Dusseldorf 2013 and the first ranked 300 or lower to beat a Top 10 player since Albano Olivetti (d. Fish) in Marseille 2012.

Monteiro would go on to enjoy a breakthrough 2016 campaign, becoming the only player to rise more than 300 spots to a year-end Top 100 position in the Emirates ATP Rankings. The World No. 82 reached a pair of ATP World Tour quarter-finals in Sao Paulo and Gstaad, in addition to claiming his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in Aix-en-Provence, France.

(3) Federico Delbonis d. Andy Murray 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3) – Indian Wells third round
Pressure? What pressure? With his nation on his shoulders, Federico Delbonis stepped up for Argentina, clinching the decisive fifth rubber in the Davis Cup final last month. But the 26 year old has proven he’s capable of big performances under pressure, turning in clutch displays throughout the year. Delbonis did not drop a set en route to the title in Marrakech after claiming one of the biggest wins of his career over World No. 2 Andy Murray at the BNP Paribas Open in March.

The Argentine survived a deciding tie-break against the eventual year-end No. 1 and Barclays ATP World Tour Finals champion in the third round, adding Murray to his list of Top 10 scalps that also includes Roger Federer (Hamburg 2013) and Stan Wawrinka (Geneva 2015). Murray was not at his best on a sun-kissed afternoon in Indian Wells, hitting 44 unforced errors, and World No. 53 Delbonis refused to shy away from the occasion, overcoming a break deficit in the third set to prevail after two hours and 45 minutes. The Round of 16 finish is Delbonis’ best result at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event.

“This was special,” said Delbonis. “For this tournament, for the surface, for me it is my best win.”

(2) Denis Shapovalov d. Nick Kyrgios 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-3 – Toronto first round
Making your tour-level debut on home soil is often a magical moment. Win it and you’re an instant hero. This year, Thiago Monteiro embraced the spotlight in Rio de Janeiro (see No. 4 above) and Marcus Willis thrilled the Wimbledon faithful (stay tuned for the best Grand Slam upsets on Tuesday). At age 17, it was akin to a fairytale for Denis Shapovalov at the Rogers Cup in Toronto. The Canadian teen stunned Nick Kyrgios in a dramatic first-round encounter under the lights at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event.

World No. 370 Shapovalov was unflappable in trading baseline blows with the 11th-seeded Aussie, taking an aggressive approach with his one-handed backhand and refusing to acquiesce to the pressure after dropping the second set. A #NextGen star in the making, he was the youngest player to win an ATP World Tour match this year. Despite falling to Grigor Dimitrov in the second round, Shapovalov says it was a memorable experience.

“I might be dreaming still. It’s still hitting me,” said Shapovalov after defeating Kyrgios. “I didn’t expect to win. I’m just going to go fight for every point. That’s what I did. The outcome was very good today.”

“He’s coming off one of the best results of his career. He has a great future,” Kyrgios said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing how he’s going to progress… He’s a top player.”

(1) Jiri Vesely d. Novak Djokovic 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 – Monte-Carlo second round
Novak Djokovic was an indomitable force to open the 2016 season. The champion in Doha, Melbourne Park, Indian Wells and Miami, the Serbian was 28-1 through the first three months of the year and entered the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters as the heavy favourite to retain the title. But his clay-court opener did not go as planned, as World No. 55 Jiri Vesely made a massive statement on one of the game’s biggest stages.

The Czech earned the biggest win of his young career, halting Djokovic’s run of 106 consecutive matches won against players ranked outside the Top 50. It was also his earliest defeat at an ATP World Tour event in three years, since suffering a second-round loss to Grigor Dimitrov in Madrid in 2013. The inaugural Star of Tomorrow presented by Emirates in 2013, Vesely held his nerve for a stunning victory in two hours and six minutes, maintaining his steely resolve in a tense third set. Djokovic had seemed poised to stage a fightback after reeling off four straight games from 2-2 in the second to level the match. But Vesely regrouped in the decider to claim the memorable victory.

“I’m just very, very happy,” Vesely said. “When I went on court, I had completely different thinking, like, ‘I hope to win a game,’ or ‘I really hope to do well.’ But I really had no idea that I really would be able to beat Novak today.”

Biggest ATP World Tour Upsets By Emirates ATP Ranking

Honourable Mentions
•    In just his third ATP World Tour event, American teen Reilly Opelka made a splash in reaching the BB&T Atlanta Open semi-finals. At 18, the World No. 837 stunned third seed Kevin Anderson and seventh seed Donald Young, before falling to John Isner in three sets. Later in August, the 6’11” Opelka would save two match points in also upsetting Jeremy Chardy 11-9 in a deciding tie-break at the Western & Southern Open.

•    #NextGen star Alexander Zverev became the first teenager to win an ATP World Tour crown since 2008 with a title run at the St. Petersburg Open. He earned consecutive Top 10 upsets of Tomas Berdych and Stan Wawrinka in the semis and final.

•    After nearly a year on the sidelines with a hip injury, 18-year-old Swede Mikael Ymer impressed the home faithful at the If Stockholm Open, routing former World No. 7 Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 6-1 in the first round. The World No. 549 was contesting just his second ATP World Tour event.

•    Di Wu put China on the map in 2016, becoming the first from his country to win an ATP Challenger Tour title (in Maui, U.S.A.) and the first to win a match at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event. At No. 182 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, he upset No. 22 Pablo Cuevas in a deciding tie-break at the Shanghai Rolex Masters.

Coming Tuesday: The biggest Grand Slam upsets of 2016

Thomaz Bellucci and Thiago Monteiro helped to launch the 2017 Rio Open presented by Claro, the only combined ATP World Tour 500 tournament in South America, on Thursday.

Kei Nishikori, Dominic Thiem and 2015 champion David Ferrer will compete at the Jockey Club Brasileiro, alongside Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, who finished 2016 at year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Team Rankings.

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“For the fourth consecutive year, we will have two Top 10 players at the Rio Open, which is very positive,” said Tournament Director Luiz Carvalho. “Nishikori, Thiem and Ferrer are three of the most competitive athletes on the ATP World Tour. In 2017, the Brazilian public will be able to see all the skills and reflexes of Bruno and Jamie who shined around the world in 2016.”

Ferrer will compete for the fourth consecutive year, while 26-year-old Nishikori will be making his debut. Thiem advanced to the 2016 semi-finals (l. to Pella).

Brazilian Soares admitted, “It will be really cool to be able to play with Jamie, my partner, in Rio. This year was very special with two Grand Slam titles and we still ended up as the number one team in the world. I’m sure that Jamie will like it very much in Rio, he likes to play with the fans and will feel at home at the Jockey Club.”

Murray added, “I’m very excited to play Rio Open in February, Bruno has been telling me a lot about the tournament and about Rio, we have very high expectations, we are very competitive and we will do everything we can to win the tournament, We’re going to do our best and I hope we can count on the noisy fans.”

Monteiro recalled during the official launch his emotions in beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in this year’s edition. “It was an unbelievable feeling to play my first ATP World Tour event at home. It was such a long and tough match, but it was all worth it when it finished. I fell on the ground, felt all the energy from the crowd and it pushed me to have the most amazing year of my still young career,” The 22-year-old Monteiro began 2016 at No. 463 in the Emirates ATP Rankings and finished the year at No. 82.