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Kevin Anderson is making the most of his first appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals, working hard on the court in preparation for the season finale and also enjoying his time in London.

“It’s important for me to enjoy being here too,” said Anderson on Friday. “The main priority is the tennis, but as I arrived here a week before the start, it’s important for me to train and then be able to switch off and do something else – visiting attractions.

“It’s been a very enjoyable few days so far, not just for me but also my team. We went to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. It was a really great day for us.”

As South Africa’s first participant for 23 years, Anderson has enjoyed a career-best year including two ATP World Tour titles at the New York Open (d. Querrey) in February and also at the Erste Bank Open 500 in Vienna (d. Nishikori) last month. His previous-best finish to a campaign came in 2015, when he was year-end No. 12 in the ATP Rankings.

“It means a lot and it’s a goal of mine for a pretty long time,” said Anderson, who sits in sixth position in the 2018 ATP Race To London. “I’ve been close a couple of times. It’s something that’s very important to me. It’s such a great event with the top eight players in the world. I’ve been watching this tournament since I was a little kid.

“It’s fantastic to be here for the first time. I’ve done some fun things this week and as we get closer to closer to the tournament starting, it’s essential that I focus on the tennis. I’ve got the prepare to play my best tennis as it’ll come down to the day.

“I’ve achieved some of my goals. Winning two tournaments in a year was one of them and it was great to win my first [ATP World Tour] 500-level tournament in Vienna last month. I would have liked to have competed in a few Masters 1000 finals, but I reached a couple of semi-finals. That was important for me, as I will set new goals for next year.”

At 32 years, six months, Anderson is also the fifth oldest first-time Nitto ATP Finals singles qualifier, behind Australia’s Ken Rosewall (36, at the inaugural 1970 event in Tokyo) Andres Gimeno (35) and Bob Hewitt (32), who both competed at the 1972 event in Barcelona, and also another first-year participant in 2018, John Isner (33).

Anderson plays Dominic Thiem in the first Group Lleyton Hewitt round-robin match on Sunday afternoon.

Watch Hot Shot as Jaume Munar charges from one side of the court to the other, before finding the target with a cross-court forehand passing shot at the Next Gen ATP Finals.

Watch as Roger Federer shares his thoughts on potentially winning his 100th tour-level trophy at the Nitto ATP Finals and his form heading into the elite eight-man event.

Watch highlights as Alex de Minaur battles past Jaume Munar in five sets to reach the championship match at the Next Gen ATP Finals. Photo credit: Peter Staples/ATP World Tour.

Watch as Alex de Minaur discusses his five-set win over Jaume Munar and what it would mean to lift the Next Gen ATP Finals trophy.

Watch as Novak Djokovic looks ahead to the Nitto ATP Finals after clinching the year-end No. 1 ATP Ranking for the fifth time.

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It was March 11, 2018. Novak Djokovic was facing Taro Daniel on Court 1 at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. On paper, a 30-time ATP World Tour Masters 1000 champion was battling a qualifier with just one match win at the level. But, peel back the layers and it was far from straightforward.

It was the Serbian's first match in his return from elbow surgery and the former World No. 1's career was in a state of flux and uncertainty. He would go on to lose five of eight matches as his position in the ATP Rankings fell to No. 22. But where many would acquiesce to defeat and succumb to the pressure, Djokovic is wired differently. It wasn't long before he began his ascent to the top once again, creating a seismic shift across the ATP landscape.

After a one-year hiatus, as Djokovic makes his return to London for the Nitto ATP Finals, he enters on the heels of a history-making ascent to No. 1 in the ATP Rankings. He is the first player to be ranked outside the Top 20 and climb to the year-end top spot in the same season. Where many might have been surprised by his rapid return to form, the Serbian admits that deep down he knew it was possible from the start. 

"Next to the Grand Slams and the ATP Finals, being No. 1 is probably the ultimate challenge in our sport," Djokovic told the assembled media on Friday in London. "It's the pinnacle of the entire season. I'm very proud of that achievement and it's extra special this year because of the whole process and the journey that I've been through in the past 15 months. In particularly, the past 8-10 months. 

"After February's elbow surgery, it looked quite improbable that I'd be in this position as a year-end No. 1. Not just because of the rankings, being No. 22, but also because of how I felt on the court and how I played. But there was always a part of me that believed I could make it back and I never thought it was impossible. 

"I thought it would take more time than I wanted it to be. But it was a perfect last five months of the year with two Grand Slam titles. Unfortunately, Nadal had to withdraw from all of his tournaments after the US Open, so he was not in that race for No. 1. But at the same time, I thought it was a great five months that I crowned with this achievement."

Everything changed when Djokovic entered Wimbledon, subsequently posting a 31-2 record including Grand Slam titles at the grass-court major and the US Open, as well as ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns in Cincinnati and Shanghai. With his victory at the Western & Southern Open, he notched the Career Golden Masters, becoming the first player to complete the set of all nine Masters 1000 titles. 

Djokovic once again displayed the elite form that has seen him reign atop the ATP Rankings for 224 weeks. It was always there, but it just took some time for the Serbian to rediscover his rhythm and confidence.

As the Belgrade native enters The O2 with a record-tying sixth Nitto ATP Finals crown within reach, he reflected on his tumultuous, yet highly rewarding, journey. Djokovic has drawn parallels to his return and that of close friend and longtime rival Andy Murray. The Scot has laboured in his comeback bid from hip surgery and is looking to find his top form in 2019.

"One of the biggest things is knowing who to trust in this process. At the same time, you feel like you know there's a certain way or procedure of recovery that is not the appropriate one. Then you change the direction and you lose a lot of time and get emotionally disturbed because you've wasted time and are not playing on the tour and 31 years old. 

"All of these things were going through my mind and I can certainly understand what Andy's going through. For me, that was the most difficult thing for me to deal with. Just understanding which protocol and experts to follow. After that, to create a long-term plan and stick with it. I was fortunate to recover pretty quickly from my surgery in February. 

"I was on the court a month and a half later, but I was far from ready to compete. Probably everyone was against the decision for me to play Indian Wells, but I went there regardless. I don't regret anything, but I learned from that experience. If it does happen again, I hope I'll be a bit wiser approaching it."

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Having previously finished at year-end No. 1 in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015, Djokovic joins Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer for the second-most top finishes, behind only Pete Sampras (6).

The World No. 1 enters The O2 in London as the top seed and looking to do damage yet again. He faces a stern test, however, with Alexander Zverev, Marin Cilic and John Isner in Group Guga Kuerten. But, with coach Marian Vajda in his corner, Djokovic is ready for any challenge. No test is too big.

On Friday, Vajda was recognised for his contributions to his longtime pupil's return to No. 1, earning Coach of the Year honours in the 2018 ATP World Tour Awards Presented By Moët & Chandon. 

"First of all, I have to say that Marian is more than a coach to me. He's a friend, he's family, he's someone I can always rely on. Even when we hadn't worked for 12 months, we were closely communicating, talking about life, family and tennis. We have that relationship that has an unbreakable bond. Hopefully it stays like that for the rest of my life. 

"To have him back as a coach was a treat for me. At that time I was splitting with Radek and Andre and deciding which direction I wanted to go. At this stage of my career, I needed to go back to the basics and have people around me that know me and can contribute to my game and my life and can get the best out of me. Having Marian on board definitely contributed a lot to the success."

Djokovic will conclude the opening round of group play, capping Monday's night session with an 11th FedEx ATP Head2Head clash against Isner. He leads the series 8-2.

The eight singles players and doubles teams competing at the Nitto ATP Finals came together at London's iconic Houses of Parliament for the Nitto ATP Finals Official Launch presented by Moët & Chandon on Friday night. All the players took the Jubilee line on the London Underground from North Greenwich station to Westminster station.

World No. 10 John Isner said, "Although we've probably all ridden on the tube a time or two, this was very different. It's a very cool way to make an entrance. There were quite a few surprised looks on the faces of folks, especially when Roger and Novak walked by. It was a pretty cool treat for them."

World No. 6 Kevin Anderson said, "We take the tube almost every year from where we stay at Wimbledon. We go downtown into the city, so I know a few of the lines. It was a bit of a different journey this time with the company and all the cameras. It was pretty exciting."

The season finale gets underway on Sunday at The O2.

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Aussie Alex de Minaur’s breakthrough season got even better on Friday evening, as the 19-year-old defeated Spaniard Jaume Munar 3-4(5), 4-1, 4-1, 3-4(4), 4-2 to reach the championship match at the Next Gen ATP Finals.

De Minaur is now an impressive 28-22 on the year after entering 2018 with just two tour-level match wins to his record. The second seed has not lost a match at the Fiera Milano, winning Group B before battling past Munar in exactly two hours.

While De Minaur and Munar had never contested a FedEx ATP Head2Head match before, Munar had won their two previous professional meetings, both in straight sets. One of those clashes came in the final of an ATP Challenger Tour event in Segovia, Spain last August, when the Spaniard lifted his first trophy at that level. Munar cruised past his Aussie counterpart in that match, triumphing in just 70 minutes.

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But De Minaur has grown his game tremendously since then, making the largest jump of any player into the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings this year, moving from No. 208 to No. 31. And he showed how he has soared that high on Next Gen Arena, saving all five break points he faced to advance to the final.

The semi-final got more complicated than it appeared it would, though. After losing an opening-set tie-break, De Minaur grabbed control, using his speed to frustrate Munar, while stepping in aggressively when appropriate. And at 3-2, 0/40 in the fourth set on the seventh seed's serve, the Aussie was on the verge of victory. But on his final two match points in the game — his third and fourth match points overall — De Minaur missed a forehand passing shot just wide and then a high backhand volley just wide as well. And Munar used that momentum to force a decider.

De Minaur was in uncharted territory, having lost just one set throughout round-robin play, but he quickly regrouped. The No. 1 Aussie in the ATP Rankings immediately broke in the decider and did not let slip his advantage, winning 80 per cent of his service points in the fifth set to earn the right to play for the title against top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or 2017 runner-up Andrey Rublev. Munar will compete against the loser of the second semi-final on Sunday in the third-place playoff.

The Next Gen ATP Finals showcases the best 21-and-under tennis players in the world, giving Milan contenders an opportunity to perform on one of the most prestigious stages in the sport.

And with that chance inevitably comes more fans. Perhaps Munar’s biggest fans are back home in Spain, at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar, where the #NextGenATP star trains. Students and staff at the academy have been gathering each day to watch Munar play.

“It's emotional. I mean, people who are watching you do something, they’re trying to learn and to be that person who they watch. It's special. I mean, the kids you are seeing in the pictures, I'm meeting them every day there in the academy when I practice. So it's really special,” Munar said. “I don't know. I'm just trying to be someone that they can look [up to]. I'm just trying to do the things well to be an example.

“But the most [motivating] example there in the academy is Rafa. So I'm looking higher, and I'm looking to Rafa, and they will also do this.”

One of Munar’s mentors has been Rafael Nadal, an athlete whom countless people have looked up to for years. And now Munar is using the lessons he’s learned from the Spaniard to carve his own path. Nadal recently underwent season-ending ankle surgery after going 45-4 in 2018.

“I've been chatting with him. I don't know. Difficult moments for him for sure. But I know he can just come back stronger as he did a lot of times already,” Munar said. “And Rafa is a fighter. So I am pretty sure that he will be able to come back to the highest in the world.”

Munar is representing the academy plenty well himself at the moment, advancing to the semi-finals in Milan. The pressure was on this year’s Kitzbuhel semi-finalist, as he needed to win to have any chance of continuing his pursuit of the trophy. And he did so emphatically, dismissing this year’s Delray Beach Open champion Frances Tiafoe in straight sets to earn himself a clash against second seed Alex de Minaur on Friday evening.

And while time will tell how high Munar will climb on the ATP World Tour, the Spaniard has proven this week that he has plenty of potential to thrill fans for years to come. And just as he has looked up to Nadal, people are beginning to idolise Munar, too.

Hubert Hurkacz broke through in a big way in 2018. The Pole started the season at No. 238 in the ATP Rankings. And thanks to a clutch ATP Challenger Tour title run in Brest, Hurkacz finished the year by earning a berth at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.

Hurkacz's coach is Rene Moller, who is based in Florida. Moller has worked with and continues to coach American John Isner, who is set to compete at the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. So how did Moller's partnership with Hurkacz come about? Find out that and more:

How did you go from working with Isner to Hurkacz?
His agent sent him to Saddlebrook Resort and Tennis Academy around Roland Garros time to do some training weeks and it just sort of kicked off from there. He’s been at Saddlebrook probably four or five times and this is the first tournament I’m with Hubi. Still working with John, obviously. But trying to juggle both if I can. [Hubi] is just a real down to earth, humble kid. I think the physical talents are very obvious. He likes to work hard and in my opinion he’s got everything it takes to do some damage here.

How weird is it to have a guy like John, who’s in London and Hubi, who’s on the way up?
John’s obviously a veteran. He’s 33 years old, he knows what he needs to do to get himself ready and doesn’t need that much input. And he’s got other coaches that help him also in David [Macpherson] and Justin [Gimelstob] and all three of us sort of tag team him, so he’s got a lot of good people around him. Hubert is obviously a lot younger and a little bit of an unknown commodity. I’m still getting to know him on the road.

Like I said, I’ve been working with him for a few months now, so I know him fairly well. But he’s definitely trying to figure out his game, his strengths and weaknesses and I'm trying to get him to understand the best ways to use them right now. There’s definitely a lot more time spent on the practice court talking about how to adjust and how to use his weapons.

So for Hubi, it’s more about trying to get him to know his own game whereas with John, coaching him involves more talks around match tactics?
Yeah, absolutely. John knows what he has to do and knows how he has to play in order to win matches. Getting John in the right mindset before the match is the key. As far as tactics go, he’s been on the ATP World Tour so long that he knows everyone’s game by now, there are no real secrets out here when you’ve been around for a while. Someone young like Hubi, there are a lot of guys he hasn’t played and he’s still trying to sort of figure his way around. So it’s a good challenge, I’m enjoying it.

What do you believe this experience has been like for Hubi, playing the best in the world his age?
There are nothing but positives from this week. It’s all new: all the press, all the media, all the off-court stuff he’s had to do. He’s not quite used to doing all of that. But it’s something that just comes with the territory.

Moving forward, how do you help him learn from an event like this, perhaps the biggest stage he’s been on thus far?
It can only help him grow. Obviously it’s not going to get any easier from here on out. At all the other tournaments, there won’t be as much going on off the court and hopefully he gets to the point where he does have a lot of extra media going on because that will mean he’s winning a lot more matches. So hopefully he does get to that point.

You guys have had very down-to-earth conversations over the headsets, one of the innovations here in Milan. What are your impressions of that innovation?
It’s a little stressful with the format and whatnot, but I do like it. I think we’re in such an instant gratification type of world right now that in order to get new fans and get people to turn TVs on, sell tickets, it’s something the ATP may have to think about doing in the future, maybe changing the format a little bit and this format certainly lends itself to that.

Watch as we look back on the past three days of action at the Next Gen ATP Finals, with just four players left to battle for the trophy in Milan.

Watch as 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov reviews the eight players bidding to lift the trophy at The O2 in London.

Watch as we take a closer look behind the scenes at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.

Heading into the Nitto ATP Finals, Roger Federer took a moment to reflect on his 2018 season as he looks to end his year with a milestone 100th tour-level trophy at The O2 in London.

After a stunning 2017 season which saw the Swiss capture seven titles, including Grand Slam crowns at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, Federer was clear that his 2018 season has been a success as he heads into the elite eight-man event. After defending his Australian Open title to win his 20th major trophy in January, Federer has lifted three further titles this year and compiled a 46-8 tour-level record.

"If I would have known that last year, this would have been the season [I would have], I would have taken it," said Federer. "I am very happy that I won a Grand Slam. I am very happy that I played as well as I did throughout the season. Maybe Wimbledon and the US Open didn't go the way I was hoping, but those were really the only two disappointments of the season.

"I won a bunch of tournaments again and played great at the Australian Open. Again, I won my home tournament in Basel... I have just had a really solid season. I stayed injury free also, for most of the year, so I am actually very happy with this season so far."

With a record six titles at the Nitto ATP Finals, second-seeded Federer is eager to capture his first trophy at the season-ending tournament since 2011. Including his debut in 2002, the 99-time tour-level champion has competed in 15 of the past 16 editions of the event. Only in 2016, after cutting his season short to aid rehabilitation from knee surgery, has the Swiss not appeared at the season finale.

"I love playing this event. I always have, ever since I qualified for the very first time back in 2002," said Federer. "It was a massive highlight in my career to be amongst the best eight and I actually had a great run too, that first time in Shanghai."

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Two of Federer's six triumphs in the unique competition have come in London, having lifted back-to-back titles at The 02 in 2010 and 2011. Playing in front of a packed crowd, in a world-renowned venue, has always provided Federer with the perfect end to a successful season. More than 250,000 fans attend the event annually, with global viewership figures reaching an average of 95 million viewers each year.

"Here at The O2 we have really had some great crowds, a beautiful, great venue and also some good matches too," said Federer.

Having hosted the event since 2009, when Nikolay Davydenko defeated Juan Martin del Potro in the championship match, the 10th edition of the event begins with questions over the future location of the tournament. With a contract in place until 2020 at The O2, plans for the future of the event, from 2021 onwards, will be announced early next year. Alongside a number of interested cities, London will be up for consideration when the ATP World Tour makes its decision not before March 2019.

"If [the tournament] stays I think it is definitely a good choice," said Federer. "I don't know what the options are. I think the options are clearly important to look at... If The O2 is happy and the crowds keep coming here to this venue and the Tour has a good deal, why not stay here?

"I don't see a reason to change, unless there is somewhere else. A city that really wants it badly and is really willing to come in and support the Tour in a major way for many years to come... I have enjoyed playing in a city that knows tennis very well and has got a strong media following. It has been a good place for us players to showcase our talents."

The BNP Paribas Open, Fever-Tree Championships and Intrum Stockholm Open have been named Tournament of the Year in their respective categories in the 2018 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët and Chandon. The tournament awards, voted annually by ATP players, recognise the leading standards set across events on the ATP World Tour.

The BNP Paribas Open wins in the Masters 1000 category for a fifth straight year. Ahead of the 2018 tournament, the BNP Paribas Open unveiled a brand-new “Full Bloom” marketing campaign that highlighted the world-class venue and players set amidst the stunning natural beauty and backdrop of the desert landscape. In parallel, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden underwent a beautification project to further amplify the feeling of Tennis Paradise. Inside Stadium 1, video walls were replaced and upgraded to complement the action on court. Earlier this year, BNP Paribas extended its title sponsorship of the tournament through 2023.

“We are honoured and humbled that for the fifth straight year, our event has been recognised by the players as Tournament of the Year,” Tournament Director Tommy Haas said. “Our entire staff works incredibly hard to deliver a world-class experience, and our goal will be to make the 2019 event even better this March.”

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The Fever-Tree Championships reclaims the distinction as Tournament of the Year after previously winning in the ATP World Tour 500 category in 2015-16 and the 250 category in 2013-14. The grass-court event has been staged for more than a century at The Queen’s Club in London, and has increased its centre court capacity by more than 30 per cent over the last two years. In 2018, the tournament welcomed Fever-Tree, the premium mixer drinks company, as its title sponsor.

Stephen Farrow, Fever-Tree Championships Tournament Director, said: “The ATP-500 category is full of excellent tournaments, so for the players to vote the Fever-Tree Championships as their favourite event is immensely satisfying for everyone involved, particularly our tireless tournament team and The Queen’s Club grounds staff who maintain our magnificent grass courts year after year. I’d like to thank the players for voting for us, and our spectators, sponsors and media partners for their support.

“The Lawn Tennis Association has a vision to open up tennis in Britain to anyone with an interest, from players of all abilities and backgrounds to its millions of fans. As part of that vision, we want to entice people who have never experienced live tennis to come along to our tournaments and see it for themselves in 2019.”

The Intrum Stockholm Open wins the Tournament of the Year award in the 250 category for the second time. It previously shared the honour with the Winston-Salem Open in 2016. The indoor hard-court tournament marked its 50th anniversary this year. With the help of new tournament promoter Game Set Events, it celebrated unique moments of the tournament, including interviews on court with Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg.

“On behalf of Stockholm Open AB and Game Set Events I want to thank everyone involved in planning and delivering this event,” said Tournament Director Simon Aspelin. “It is such an honour to receive this award from the players and makes us very happy as we want all players to feel at home enjoying the best Swedish hospitality. A special thanks to all our loyal sponsors, volunteers and spectators for making this event possible and pushing us to keep improving every year.”

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas have been named among the recipients of the 2018 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon, with winners revealed ahead of Friday evening’s award presentations at the Official Launch of the Nitto ATP Finals.

Djokovic, who will receive the 2018 year-end ATP World Tour No. 1 trophy this Sunday at The O2, has also been selected by fellow players as the Comeback Player of the Year following his historic return from elbow surgery and a No. 22 ATP Ranking in June to clinch year-end No. 1. Marian Vajda, who guided Djokovic in his return to the top with the pair reuniting in April, has been named by his peers as ATP Coach of the Year.

Nadal has been honoured by players as winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for a second time, while fans have selected Federer as the ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favourite presented by Moët & Chandon for a 16th straight year. In doubles, a new pair – Americans Mike Bryan and Jack Sock – has been crowned Fans’ Favourites.

A pair of #NextGenATP players win in two player-voted categories, with 19-year-old Australian Alex de Minaur awarded Newcomer of the Year and 20-year-old Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas taking Most Improved Player of the Year honours. Other winners include Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic, the year-end ATP World Tour No. 1 Doubles Team, and Tommy Robredo, who receives the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award.

The ATP World Tour's best tournaments have also been revealed, with the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells (Masters 1000), the Fever-Tree Championships at The Queen’s Club (500) and the Intrum Stockholm Open (250) named the Tournaments of the Year in their respective categories.

And the BBC’s Sue Barker has been recognised as the recipient of the Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award for her long-standing contribution to the popularity of the game.

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

 

2018 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon

ATP World Tour No. 1
(determined by ATP Rankings)
Comeback Player of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
Novak Djokovic: The Serbian secured a historic return to year-end No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, becoming the first player to be ranked outside the Top 20 and climb to the top spot in the same season. Djokovic fell as low as No. 22 in June after undergoing right elbow surgery earlier in the year. Everything changed when he entered Wimbledon, subsequently posting a 31-2 record including Grand Slam titles at the grass-court major and the US Open, as well as ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns in Cincinnati and Shanghai. With his victory in Cincinnati, he notched the Career Golden Masters, becoming the first player to complete the set of all nine Masters 1000 titles. Having previously finished at year-end No. 1 in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015, Djokovic joins Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer for the second-most top finishes, behind only Pete Sampras (6).

ATP World Tour No. 1 Doubles Team
(determined by ATP Doubles Team Rankings)
Oliver Marach & Mate Pavic: The Austrian-Croatian duo clinched the year-end top spot for the first time, becoming the first players from their respective countries to achieve the feat in any of the ATP Rankings (singles, doubles, team). Marach and Pavic completed a dominant campaign, beginning with a 17-match win streak and titles in Doha, Auckland and the Australian Open. Also champions in Geneva and Chengdu, they reached a total of nine finals, including runner-up finishes at Roland Garros and Monte-Carlo. Marach, 38, is the oldest member of a year-end No. 1 doubles team since 38-year-old Sherwood Stewart in 1984. The 25-year-old Pavic is the youngest member of a year-end No. 1 doubles team since Todd Woodbridge, 24, in 1995. It marks the fifth straight year in which a different team has finished as year-end No. 1.

Most Improved Player of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
Stefanos Tsitsipas: The 20-year-old became the top-ranked Greek in ATP Rankings history after rising to a career-high No. 15 this season, and he also became the first player from Greece to win a tour-level title. The champion at the Intrum Stockholm Open, Tsitsipas dropped just one set en route to the indoor-hard court crown. He rose from a season-opening ATP Ranking of No. 91 to become the youngest member of the Top 20. He also finished runner-up at the ATP World Tour 500 event in Barcelona and the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Toronto, falling to Rafael Nadal in both finals. In Toronto, Tsitsipas became the youngest player to beat four Top 10 opponents at a single tournament since the ATP World Tour was established in 1990.

Newcomer of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
Alex de Minaur: From outside the Top 200 to open the year, de Minaur soared to a career-high No. 31 in 2018. De Minaur began his campaign with a first tour-level semi-final in Brisbane and final in Sydney. He would carry the momentum to the Challenger circuit, where he captured his maiden title in Nottingham in June. The 19-year-old also reached his biggest final at the ATP World Tour 500 event in Washington and earned third-round finishes at Wimbledon and the US Open. In 2017, de Minaur won two tour-level matches. In 2018, he secured a total of 24 victories. Making his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, he is one of just two teenagers in the year-end Top 100 of the ATP Rankings.

Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award
(voted by ATP players)
Rafael Nadal: Fellow players voted Nadal as the winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for a second time, recognising the Spaniard for his fair play, professionalism and integrity on and off the court. Nadal also received this honour in 2010. This season, the 32-year-old Spaniard spent 36 weeks atop the ATP Rankings and won five titles, including record 11th titles at Roland Garros, Monte-Carlo and Barcelona. Off the court, Nadal supported flood relief efforts in Mallorca. 

Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award
(awarded by ATP)
Tommy Robredo: To honour the memory of his close friend, the Spaniard launched his foundation and an international wheelchair tennis tournament, the Santi Silvas Open, in 2009. Robredo’s foundation organises activities which encourage sports training for disabled people, especially wheelchair tennis. It also creates awareness of the importance of sport as beneficial to mental and physical health, and at the same time as a stimulant to personal growth and wellbeing.

ATP Coach of the Year
(voted by ATP coaches)
Marian Vajda: Vajda and long-time pupil Novak Djokovic reunited this past April at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters after a one-year split in 2017. The 53-year-old Slovakian guided Djokovic to a return to No. 1 in the ATP Rankings and Grand Slam victories at Wimbledon and the US Open, as well as ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns in Cincinnati and Shanghai. Vajda is a former World No. 34 and won a pair of ATP World Tour titles in the late 1980s.

ATPWorldTour.com Fans' Favourite presented by Moët & Chandon (Singles)
(voted by fans)
Roger Federer: The 37-year-old Swiss extended his reign in this category, winning the popular vote from fans for a 16th straight year to take his record tally of ATP World Tour Awards to 37. This season, Federer became the oldest World No. 1 in the 45-year history of the ATP Rankings and also claimed his 20th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Ahead of the Nitto ATP Finals, he won his 99th tour-level title at his hometown tournament in Basel.

ATPWorldTour.com Fans' Favourite presented by Moët & Chandon (Doubles)
(voted by fans)
Mike Bryan & Jack Sock: The Americans claimed the fan-voted award in their first year as a duo. Mike Bryan previously won this Award with his brother Bob Bryan from 2005-17. With Bob sidelined with injury since Madrid, Mike Bryan and Sock teamed up during the grass-court swing and won the Wimbledon title in only their second tournament together. They followed with a second Grand Slam title at the US Open.

Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award
(awarded by ATP)
Sue Barker: As accomplished in a television studio as she once was on a tennis court, the former Roland Garros champion and World No. 3 anchors BBC's tennis coverage, including this coming week from the Nitto ATP Finals. Each summer at the All England Club, Barker performs what has become a Wimbledon tradition: an on-court interview with the new men’s and women’s singles champions.  Barker started her television career with Channel 7 in Australia, before working for SKY and then becoming one of the most celebrated presenters at the BBC.

ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Tournament of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells): The BNP Paribas Open wins in the Masters 1000 category for a fifth straight year. Ahead of the 2018 tournament, the BNP Paribas Open unveiled a brand-new “Full Bloom” marketing campaign that highlighted the world-class venue and players set amidst the stunning natural beauty and backdrop of the desert landscape. In parallel, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden underwent a beautification project to further amplify the feeling of Tennis Paradise. Inside Stadium 1, video walls were replaced and upgraded to complement the action on court. Earlier this year, BNP Paribas extended its title sponsorship of the tournament through 2023.

ATP World Tour 500 Tournament of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
Fever-Tree Championships (Queen’s Club): The Fever-Tree Championships reclaims the distinction as Tournament of the Year after previously winning in the ATP World Tour 500 category in 2015-16 and the 250 category in 2013-14. The grass-court event has been staged for more than a century at The Queen’s Club in London, and has increased its centre court capacity by more than 30 per cent over the last two years. In 2018, the tournament welcomed Fever-Tree, the premium mixer drinks company, as its title-sponsor.

ATP World Tour 250 Tournament of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
Intrum Stockholm Open (Stockholm): The Intrum Stockholm Open wins the Tournament of the Year award in the 250 category for the second time. It previously shared the honour with the Winston-Salem Open in 2016. The indoor hard-court tournament marked its 50th anniversary this year. With the help of new tournament promoter Game Set Events, it celebrated unique moments of the tournament, including interviews on court with Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg.

After a thrilling final day of round-robin action at the Fiera Milano, four men remain at the Next Gen ATP Finals with ambitions of capturing the trophy.

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev will meet for the first time at tour-level on Friday, in a repeat of a blockbuster first-round encounter on the ATP Challenger Tour last season. With both players yet to enter the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings for the first time, Rublev battled past Tsitsipas 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(7) in Quimper. But a lot has changed, for both men, since that meeting in France.

Top seed Tsitsipas arrives into the semi-finals with a 3-0 unbeaten record in Milan, dropping just one set in round-robin play to Jaume Munar. After a breakthrough season on the ATP World Tour, which included capturing his first title at the Intrum Stockholm Open, the World No. 15 will be looking to cap his stellar season by capturing the title at the Fiera Milano in Milan.

"[Andrey] won't give me that many opportunities like Hubert [Hurkacz] today," said Tsitsipas. "It's going to be a fight. It's going to be tough match to deal with.

"I'm going to have to be ready for that, for the battle. I'm going to have to be ready mentally to work hard to get that win."

As the only returning player from the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals 12 months ago, 2017 runner-up Rublev will be eager to make his way back to the championship match after falling to Hyeon Chung last year. The Moscow native qualified for the semi-finals with a 2-1 record, defeating Taylor Fritz and Liam Caruana in his first and final group stage matches.

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In the first semi-final, Alex de Minaur will meet Spaniard Jaume Munar for a place in Saturday's final. Like Tsitsipas and Rublev, the pair has previously met below tour-level. On both occasions, Munar defeated the Australian in straight sets to win trophies in Spain. But De Minaur will be confident of notching his first win against the Mallorcan after an impressive Group B performance.

De Minaur dropped one set in three matches to emerge as the winner of Group B, beating Rublev, Fritz and Caruana to book his place in the last four. The 19-year-old, who reached tour-level finals in Sydney and Washington, D.C, this year, will be aiming to maintain his high level of performance as he bids to reach another championship match in 2018.

"Going into each day you've got different tactics. And tomorrow will be different," said De Minaur. "But I just want to go out there and keep doing what I've been doing. I've been serving well. I've been playing confident and just leaving it all out there."

Munar's chances of reaching the last four appeared bleak after losing his opening two matches in Milan, but an impressive three-set victory over Frances Tiafoe, coupled with Tsitsipas' victory over Hubert Hurkacz, earned the Spaniard a shot at reaching the championship match. After two victories below tour-level against his semi-final opponent, will Munar be able to maintain his winning record against De Minaur on such a big stage? That remains to be seen.

Watch as Stefanos Tsitsipas shares his thoughts on his straight-sets win over Hubert Hurkacz and semi-final opponent Andrey Rublev at the Next Gen ATP Finals.

Watch as Stefanos Tsitsipas defeats Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets to end Group A play with a 3-0 record. Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images.