#NextGenATP Jared Donaldson breaks the American mould.

The 20-year-old Donaldson, 20, who lives in Irvine, California, is racing up the Emirates ATP Rankings in 2017, enjoying a career-high position at No. 51 this week. He started 2017 at No. 105, playing a mix of ATP Challenger and ATP World Tour events for the first four months of the season.

Now he is doing damage only in the big leagues, and he is doing it in an unconventional way for an American prodigy.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis reveals that, in general, American players are more proficient on the serving side of the game than returning. For example, there are currently four American players in the Top 26 of the Infosys ATP Stats Serve LEADERBOARDS, powered by Infosys Nia Data. But no Americans are in the Top 30 on the Return LEADERBOARD.

Indeed, the five highest-ranked American players in the Emirates ATP Rankings all perform better on the serving side of the equation than returning.

Who is the best American returner for the past 52 weeks? It’s Donaldson, who is currently the sixth-highest ranked American player overall. It’s quite an accomplishment to be the best performing returner in the United States and not yet be ranked in the Top 50 of the Emirates ATP Rankings.

Top Six American Players: Infosys Serve & Return LEADERBOARDS Ratings, powered by Infosys Nia Data

Donaldson’s Infosys Return Rating of No. 32 in 2017 elevates him higher in this specific category than well-recognized players, such as Lucas Pouille (34), Kyle Edmund (35), Stan Wawrinka (40), Juan Martin Del Potro (41), and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (45).

Donaldson scored one of the biggest wins of his career last week at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, defeating No. 14 Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6(5), 6-3 in the opening round. His break-out victory was 12 months ago at the US Open, where he defeated No. 14 David Goffin 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-0 in the first round, and that was after Donaldson won three rounds of qualifying to make the main draw.

Donaldson is doing very well in 2017 breaking serve right after he has been broken, speaking to the maturity of his emerging game. Donaldson is breaking back 20 per cent (17/85) of the time, which is more than higher-ranked Americans Steve Johnson, who is at 14 per cent (11/76), and Ryan Harrison, who is at just 10 per cent (8/79).

When Donaldson gets ahead 0/30 in his opponent’s service games in 2017, he is breaking serve 63 per cent (37/59) of the time. At 30/40, with an opportunity to break serve, he is breaking 48 per cent (40/84) of the time. These numbers are already impressive and will continue to inch up as he gains more experience on tour.

Donaldson’s solid run in Cincinnati last week elevated him five spots to third place in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan, ahead of fellow Americans Frances Tiafoe (nine), Ernesto Escobedo (10), Taylor Fritz (14), and Tommy Paul (16). The top seven players in the Race will qualify to compete at the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals, to be held 7-11 November in Milan. The eighth player will be determined by wild card.

Donaldson’s days of flying under the radar are about to end.

The life of an ATP World Tour player can become pretty routine. Wake up. Eat. Practise. Eat. Stretch. Workout. Toss in a match here and there, and you have the life of a player when he’s competing at a tournament.

But on Monday at the Winston-Salem Open, players were happy to welcome a historic distraction to their daily routine: the eclipse. Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was close to the path of the total solar eclipse, which cut through the continental U.S., from Oregon on the west coast to South Carolina on the east coast, and players, with the help of tournament officials, made sure to take in the once-in-a-100-year phenomenon.

They wore special eclipse glasses and stared into the sky, gawking at the moon’s ability to shield the sun. Tournament officials purchased about 200 sets of special eclipse glasses so players, ball kids and officials could safely view the event.

“It’s cool. It’s something you don’t get to see every day, with barely seeing any of the sun. We only had 95 per cent coverage of the sun, and it’s crazy how much, with five per cent showing, can still brighten the day,” said Steve Johnson.

The American watched the eclipse from the tournament’s centre court, along with other players and ATP World Tour Executive Chairman & President Chris Kermode and ATP World Tour Chief Player Officer Ross Hutchins.

Eclipse photo credit: Bryan Pollard

“You get a chance to be a part of history. You’ll always know where you were when you saw the eclipse in 2017 here at the tournament,” Johnson said. “Hopefully everybody enjoyed it and was safe.”

Monday marked the first time since 1918 that a total solar eclipse has gone coast to coast in the U.S.

“It was a special moment,” said Pierre-Hugues Herbert, who remembered wearing eclipse glasses when he was a child in Europe. “If it happens once in 100 years, it’s just amazing to be a part of, to live this.”

“It was a great experience,” said Joao Sousa of Portugal. “I think being a part of this activity here at the tournament, it’s a moment of history… I’m not sure the next time I will have the chance to see this in my life. I hope it’s not my last one but as I said, it was a great experience and I really enjoyed it.”

The tournament warned players of the eclipse ahead of time, posting a “WSO Eclipse Day” notice in the players lounge. “Dear Players & Guests: Today there will be a solar eclipse lasting from 1:12PM – 4:03PM. During this time when the sun’s natural light is blocked, all courts will have the lights turned on…”

Almost everyone participated in the event, even Donald Young and Rogerio Dutra Silva, who took the court at 3 p.m. for their first-round match.

“We’re happy,” said Andre Sa. “Something different about our day. Gets you out of your comfort zone… It was nice show by nature. We loved it.”

No. 9 Grigor Dimitrov, +2
The Bulgarian broke back into the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings on the back of capturing the biggest title of his career, the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati (d. Kyrgios), an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament. Dimitrov first spent 15 weeks in the Top 10 starting on 7 July 2014, one further week in February 2015 and two weeks in July this year. He is at his highest position since the week beginning 25 August 2014 (at No. 8). Read Report & Watch Highlights

The 26-year-old Dimitrov also moved up three spots to No. 6 in the Emirates ATP Race To London, which determines the eight players who qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held from 12-19 November at The O2 in London. Dimitrov has never played at the prestigious season-ending tournament.

No. 1 Rafael Nadal, +1
Almost nine years to the day since he first became No. 1, the Spaniard today returned to the top of the Emirates ATP Rankings for his fourth stint at the pinnacle of men’s professional tennis. Nadal, who has already spent 141 total weeks at No. 1, replaces Great Britain’s Andy Murray, who had held the top spot for 41 weeks since 7 November 2016. Nadal, who first ascended to No. 1 on 18 August 2008 at the age of 22, last held top spot three years and 45 days ago on 6 July 2014. Read & Watch Tributes

No. 14 John Isner, +5
The giant American reached his ninth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final (or better) in Cincinnati (l. to Dimitrov), beating Viktor Troicki and three #NextGenATP compatriots – Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe and Jared Donaldson – along the way. In rising five spots to No. 14, Isner is up to his highest ranking since being No. 13 on 21 March 2016. This week he competes at the Winston-Salem Open, where he captured the 2011 and 2012 titles.

No. 18 Nick Kyrgios, +5
The Australian played with great control to beat David Goffin, Alexandr Dolgopolov, Ivo Karlovic, Nadal and David Ferrer en route to his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final – the fifth title match of his career (3-2 record) – in Mason, Ohio. He remains five spots short of his career-high of No. 13 on 24 October 2016.

No. 25 David Ferrer, +6
The 35-year-old Spaniard continues a career resurgence by moving back to his highest position since 6 February 2017, having fallen to Kyrgios in the Cincinnati semi-finals. With a 12-3 record since Wimbledon, including his 27th ATP World Tour crown at the SkiStar Swedish Open in Bastad, former World No. 3 Ferrer is one to watch through to the end of the season.

Other Top 100 Movers This Week
No. 38 Ivo Karlovic, +6
No. 51 Jared Donaldson, +9
No. 60 Nikoloz Basilashvili, +5
No. 63 Alexandr Dolgopolov, +8
No. 67 Damir Dzumhur, +6
No. 71 Frances Tiafoe, +16
No. 90 Victor Estrella Burgos, +22
No. 99 Laslo Djere, +9

Almost nine years to the day since he first became No. 1, Spain’s Rafael Nadal today returned to the top of the Emirates ATP Rankings for his fourth stint at the pinnacle of men’s professional tennis. Nadal, who has already spent 141 total weeks at No. 1, replaces Great Britain’s Andy Murray, who had held the top spot for 41 weeks since 7 November 2016.

Nadal, who first ascended to No. 1 on 18 August 2008 at the age of 22, last held top spot three years and 45 days ago on 6 July 2014. The Spaniard will now look to stay ahead of his great Swiss rival Roger Federer and finish atop the year-end Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time since 2013 and for the fourth time in his career (2008, 2010, 2013).

“Being No. 1 after all the things that I have been going through the last couple of years is something unbelievable, so [it] is, for me, an amazing achievement to be back to that position after [a] few years, three years,” said Nadal.

View Latest Emirates ATP Rankings

The 31-year-old Nadal has spent three previous stints at No. 1 – 46 weeks between 18 August 2008 and 5 July 2009, 56 weeks from 7 June 2010 to 3 July 2011 and 39 weeks between 7 October 2013 and 6 July 2014. He holds the record for the longest gap – nine years and three days – between his debut at No. 1 and his return today, which betters the previous mark of American Jimmy Connors, who was first No. 1 on 29 July 1974 and last at No. 1 on 3 July 1983 – a gap of eight years and 339 days.

Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman and President, said, “To regain the No. 1 ranking nine years after having first reached it is unprecedented. Rafa has been setting records throughout his remarkable career and this one is as impressive as any. It shows incredible dedication and longevity, and we congratulate him on this amazing achievement.”

The Spanish superstar, who ended the 2016 season early due to a wrist injury, has returned in 2017 playing some of the best tennis of his career. In compiling an ATP World Tour-best 49-9 match record, Nadal has captured four trophies this season, including historic 10th titles at Roland Garros (d. Wawrinka), the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (d. Ramos-Vinolas) and the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (d. Thiem), in addition to a fifth crown at the Mutua Madrid Open (d. Thiem). He has also reached three other finals – the Australian Open (l. to Federer), Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco (l. to Querrey) and the Miami Open presented by Itau (l. to Federer).

On 12 June, Nadal became the first player to qualify for the 2017 season-ending Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at The O2 in London from 12-19 November. It is the 13th straight year that he has qualified for the elite eight-player tournament.

THE NUMBER ONES
A list in chronological order of the 26 players who have ranked No. 1 in the history of the Emirates ATP Rankings (since 1973):