RF Tennis News 2018

Roger Federer is right: Rogue ATP Finals adds extra dimension to 2018

George Bellshaw | Mettro.co.uk


Sunday 19 Nov 2017 9:17 pm


2018 promises to be a cracker (Picture: Getty, Metro)


Even in the aftermath of a disappointing defeat, Roger Federer often knows how to strike a cord and he neatly highlighted arguably the most fascinating aspect of this year’s ATP Finals.

In a field dominated by debutants, as the ATP Tour battled through the worst injury crisis it’s ever seen, David Goffin and Grigor Dimitrov, who began the week ranked at eight and six in the world came through to reach the biggest final of their careers.

Since 2006, only one man who wasn’t a member of the ‘Big Four’ (Nikolay Davydenko) has lifted the title at the season-ending event, with Federer, Novak Djokovic and eventually Andy Murray all ending on a high.

With Murray and Djokovic struggling throughout 2017, Rafael Nadal and Federer have dominated at Grand Slam level, but there have been far greater opportunities for those who have lived in the shadow of the strongest generation ever seen.


Sock was a surprise winner at Paris-Bercy (Picture: REUTERS)


 Zverev beat Djokovic in Rome (Picture: NurPhoto/Getty)

Dimitrov won a Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati, Alexander Zverev won in Montreal and Rome (beating Federer and Djokovic in the finals), before Jack Sock won Paris-Bercy to secure an unlikely spot in the year’s final event.

No season in the past decade has seen four Masters 1000 titles end up in the hands of non-‘Big Four’ stars, and Dimitrov’s win on Sunday supplied a non-‘Big Four’ winner at the ATP Finals for the first time since 2009.

Of course, Djokovic, Murray and Wawrinka’s absences have played a big role in that, but there’s a sense that 2018 could be the strongest year of men’s tennis we’ve seen, in terms of strength in depth at least.

Players like Dimitrov and Goffin (who has beaten Djokovic, Federer and Nadal this year) are starting to finally realise their potential. Zverev, Nick Kyrgios, Dominic Thiem and Denis Shapovalov are part of a new generation who are pushing through and holding their own against the biggest names in the game, and the ‘Big Four’ plus Wawrinka, Raonic and Nishikori have all occupied spots in the world’s top-five in the past two seasons.


Wawrinka is on the comeback trail (Picture: Getty/WireImage)


Murray will hope to return to challenge Federer (Picture: AFP/Getty)

Federer addressed the state of play nicely.

‘So I expect obviously from the likes who have been extremely high up in the rankings, who have won slams, like Stan, Andy and Novak, of course I expect greatness from them,’ he said. ‘When they return at some stage, not maybe from the very beginning. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it worked out for them as well like it worked out for me. And Rafa, so…

‘I hope also Kei, Tomas [Berdych] and Milos all find their way back on tour and prefer to be in Australia because that would make it quite epic, comeback for all the guys.


Can Raonic return to full fitness?  (Picture: Getty Images


Dimitrov and Goffin reached the season-ending finale (Picture: Getty

‘Then you mix them together with the new guys from the World Tour Finals here who have just come off a great year, obviously are confident, want to stay in the top 10, want to make the World Tour Finals again. They are sort of weaving their way in. Not so fast, guys, we also want to make it. You have the young guys coming through.

‘I think it could be a very cool start to the year, which I’m really looking forward to.’

Put simply, there’s competition coming from all angles. The established guard, the forgotten generation, the young up-and-comers – all have supplied evidence that if they are all fit and healthy then 2018 could be chaotic poetry in motion.


Dimitrov lifted the ATP Finals title (Picture: Getty)

The Australian Open draw could be madness, the Race to London should be hard-fought, the battle for Masters and majors will be frenetic.

Predictions will most likely fly out the window before the season has truly got into full swing, but the returning gang may well be in for a nasty surprise at just how much tougher life on the ATP Tour has got since they were last involved.

And who knows, the ‘Big Four’ days of years gone by may never look the same again.