Kyrgios was serving up missiles and unleashing 150kph winners at will; what chance did a misfiring (and fatigued) Khachanov stand? Scoreline: Nick Kyrgios def. Her run in Paris proved just how resilient she can be. 2: Dominic Thiem. He then thumped a forehand winner far beyond Millman's reach, reminding everyone that even at the age of 38, he should never be written off. He had come excruciatingly close, and yet was still a whole set away from victory. 3 after becoming the first male player born in the 1990s to win a Grand Slam and the first non-Big Three member since 2016 to win a major. He found a way out of the trickiest of spots in the most thrilling fashion possible, unleashing a barrage of jaw-dropping groundstrokes. Thiem … She finished the year with another final appearance at the Ostrava Open and is now ranked No. The Austrian produced a series of stinging forehands and sharp first serves to set up his first match point at 6-5. She shocked everyone by advancing to the quarterfinals. Will 2019 Berrettini return in 2021? Karen Khachanov 6-2, 7-6(5), 6-7(6), 6-7(7), 7-6(10-8). She also fell to Swiatek but cracked the top 100 for the first time at the end of the tournament. He won three more titles, making the quarterfinals in New York and Paris, and cracked the top 10 to qualify for his first ATP Finals. https://www.atptour.com/en/players/daniil-medvedev/mm58/overview Dominic Thiem, the world No. Dominic Thiem features thrice in our list of the top 5 men's matches from 2020, while Novak Djokovic appears twice. "Just a few weeks after being unjustly disqualified from the US Open, being here with you and with this trophy is something very strong," Mladenovic said to Babos after the win. 3, which he first achieved on 2 March 2020, and in doubles is No. But Russian Andrey Rublev did his best to interrupt the status quo. Understandably, not many expected him to topple the King of Melbourne, Novak Djokovic, in his own backyard. There was one player who made her way near the top of the rankings and not only stayed there but stepped up when it mattered most. The winner of the clash between them will most likely earn a place in the knockouts of the tournament, so the stakes are high. Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-7 (10), 7-6 (5). Here's the list of the top five, in ascending order of quality: Scoreline: Roger Federer def. Since he first made the French Open final in 2018, Thiem has established himself as a successful challenger to the Big Three of Roger Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. Al Bello/Getty Images. As the match progressed, it felt like the two players would perhaps tire out from all the exertion they were going through just to win individual points. 1 Thomas Muster. That would be Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion and French Open finalist. Dominic Thiem beat Rafael Nadal in straight sets to continue his unbeaten campaign at this year's ATP Finals. He has to hope so. He ultimately lost to Nadal, his idol, but made a dramatic rise in the rankings. But instead he struggled before and after the restart. And who provided us with feel-good moments at a time when we so desperately needed them? 1 and local favorite Ashleigh Barty in the semifinals before defeating two-time major champion Garbine Muguruza in the final for a three-set victory. His results for the rest of the year only added to his case. Dominic Thiem has made major strides the past few years, but a Grand Slam championship has continued to elude the 27-year-old Austrian. 17 and is a likely front-runner heading into the 2021 Australian Open. While 2020 was undoubtedly a difficult year, Osaka proved she is a young leader ready to create positive change for years to come. Although Williams won the Brisbane International, her first tournament title since coming back from childbirth, the season still feels like a missed opportunity. Matteo Berrettini: After reaching the US Open semifinals and making his first ATP Finals in 2019, the 24-year-old looked poised for a big year. 54, the 19-year-old, who had never advanced past the fourth round at a major, destroyed everyone in her path, including a 6-1, 6-2 rout over 2018 champion and event favorite Simona Halep in the fourth round. She kept fans guessing during the tennis restart about her status but ultimately decided not to risk playing. He also plans to be back in time to play in Australia. (Source: USA TODAY Sports) Tennis welcomed a first men’s Grand Slam champion from outside the ‘Big Three’ since 2016 in Dominic Thiem during a 2020 campaign with… Hopefully he has another high-producing season (or two or three) left in him. But Federer then showed why he is considered the GOAT by so many in the tennis community. But the Russian flipped the script in spectacular fashion, clawing his way back into the match to take it to a decider. 1 and two-time major champion, have been well documented over the past few seasons. Millman controlled his own share of the rallies early on and also retrieved quite well, to take the opening set 6-4. Vasek Pospisil: The Canadian missed much of the 2019 season due to back surgery, then made the final (his first since 2014) at Montpellier and had a career-best fourth-round run at the US Open with wins over fellow countryman and No. Off the court, Pospisil joined Djokovic as co-president of a recently formed Professional Tennis Players Association, a players-only organization that most resembles a players' union. By: Reuters | Updated: December 15, 2020 12:26:46 pm Dominic Thiem celebrates with the US Open trophy after his match against Alexander Zverev. 3: Dominic Thiem! It was easily the Cinderella story of the year. Thiem's ability to sustain his level in a challenging and unprecedented season was more than impressive and vaulted him past the rest of his those in the under-30 category. 3 male tennis player, plans to play in the 2021 Olympics now that the Austrian Open will not overlap with the Tokyo Games. For the second straight year, Dominic Thiem will play for the Nitto ATP Finals trophy, with a first-time champion guaranteed to be crowned in London. 24. 1 and reigning Australian Open champion, and Rafael Nadal, world No. Dominic Thiem features thrice in our list of the top 5 men's matches from 2020, while Novak Djokovic appears twice. The fact is this: No one else played in three finals at the biggest tournaments of the year. The winner of this quarter-final duel will face either the 12-time champion Rafael Nadal or Italian teenage sensation Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals. His career-high ATP ranking in singles is world No. LONDON (AP) — Dominic Thiem ended Novak Djokovic’s bid for a record-tying sixth ATP Finals title, beating the top-ranked player 7-5, 6-7 (10), 7-6 (5) in the semifinals Saturday by He underwent surgery on his right knee in February and had a follow-up procedure in June. Rafael Nadal 7-6 (7), 7-6 (4). The Serb was helped greatly by his serve, winning several big points by producing a timely ace or service winner. World Number 3 Austrian Dominic Thiem made amends for 2019 by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in three sets at the Tour Finals opener on Sunday afternoon. Alexander Zverev takes on Dominic Thiem in the final of the US Open 2020.Don't miss a moment of the US Open! With the coronavirus pandemic shutting down the ATP and WTA tours for months -- including the cancellation of Wimbledon -- and dramatically altering the schedule and conditions at the events that did take place, it is hard to know what to make of the year that was. 1 7-6, 7-6 4-6, 7-6 after four hours and ten minutes! Scoreline: Dominic Thiem def. Djokovic saved that with a gigantic serve, but Thiem's next match point was on his own serve. 37 -- more than 40 spots higher than where he opened the 2020 season. Novak Djokovic eventually won the second set after what seemed like ages, which had to be a crushing blow for Thiem. But the duo -- the defending champions in Paris -- rolled through the tournament to win their fourth major title together with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Desirae Krawczyk and Alexa Guarachi. Despite the start-stop nature of the calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was some high quality tennis on offer - especially from Dominic Thiem and Novak Djokovic. Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev shake hands after the semifinal A winning volley booked his 11th showdown with second seed Djokovic, his third appearance in a Grand Slam final. The personal struggles of Azarenka, the former world No. The Aussie has what it takes to push Federer to his absolute limit, even when the Swiss is on his game. It's not quite as good as winning a major, but it feels as if he's not far off from achieving that, too. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer also produced some brilliant tennis in the year to find a place on the chart. He ended the year ranked No. He is the second-highest ranked Austrian player in history, behind former world No. Thiem had a career-defining year and finally won his first major title at the US Open. She lost to a red-hot Iga Swiatek in the title clash but proved she will be a dominant and stable presence for the foreseeable future. 2 and the reigning French Open champion who tied Roger Federer with 20 major victories. The 23-year-old won the US Open for her third major title in a dramatic comeback over Azarenka, and that wasn't even the most noteworthy part of her time in New York. She defeated world No. Her post-Australia victory tour was cut short due to the pandemic. Federer reeled off five points in a row to find himself match-point up at 9-8. The World No. When Novak Djokovic’s return game is working well, your chances of winning automatically go down. Who had the most impressive year despite the circumstances? Subscribe now! You carried me all the way, I'm proud to have you as a partner.". Sebastian Korda: The 20-year-old American and son of former Australian Open champion Petr Korda (and brother of LPGA stars Jessica and Nelly Korda) made it through qualifying in Paris and upset veterans John Isner and Andreas Seppi as he rolled through into the fourth round. After playing cards with Benoit Paire at the US Open, Kristina Mladenovic was forced to withdraw with doubles partner Timea Babos ahead of their second-round match after Paire tested positive for COVID-19. We will just have to wait and see. Who managed to remain focused and have a breakthrough tournament or season? But some ferocious hitting by Thiem coupled with Djokovic's physical issues saw the Austrian grab a two sets to one lead. But with neither one dramatically outshining the other, it's time to see who is behind door No. "Physically, mentally, I'm exhausted today. You are weighing the 2020 résumés for Novak Djokovic, the year-end world No. And given the way he had been serving in the last set, his victory seemed like a foregone conclusion. Gauff: After becoming the sport's latest teen phenom following her incredible 2019 season, Gauff opened the new year with a fourth-round run in Melbourne, including a win over defending champion Osaka. Diego Schwartzman, a fan favorite and beloved by his peers, cracked the top 10 for the first time in his career and advanced to his first major semifinal in Paris. This season felt familiar in that regard with two first-time major champions and several new faces pulling off upsets. Dominic Thiem lost the last match of the year, but in 2020 the Austrian lived up to his promise. In a year full of ups and downs and stops and starts due to the coronavirus pandemic, Dominic Thiem had his breakthrough moment, finally capturing his first major title at the 2020 US Open. The Aussie is known for fading away when the going gets tough, but on this day he refused to blink; he kept going for his shots, and kept making them. The American finished the season with a career-high ranking at No. The 2020 ATP season has well and truly ended, so now is a good time to look back at the best matches of the year. In Paris, the 27-year-old Italian enamored herself to fans with her story of perseverance and her joy on the court. 13. When critics counted her out, she put together one of the most impressive three-week stretches in recent memory. She opened the year with a final appearance in the Brisbane International but failed to make it past the third round in any of the other four events she entered. At that point it seemed that the Serb had all but guaranteed a deciding third set, but Thiem had other ideas. But he recovered - like he almost always does - just in time, and came out all guns blazing to assert himself in the final two sets. She ultimately lost to Swiatek in the semifinals but nearly tripled her career earnings during her Parisian trip. Scoreline: Dominic Thiem def. Tsvetana Pironkova: Pironkova, who hadn't played a match in over three years following the birth of her son in 2017, used her protected ranking to gain entrance to the US Open. ATP Players of 2020, No. It is time to look back at the best moments from the 2020 tennis season. A couple of days later the Aussie would again produce a special performance, pushing Rafael Nadal to his limit in a highly competitive four-set loss. But the 16-year-old never seemed to find her rhythm in the restart -- losing in the first round at the US Open and in the second round at the French Open. Dominic Thiem 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. With the home favorite working up a 6-2, 7-6, 4-2 lead, the match had seemed like a done and dusted affair. If there ever was a year for the unexpected, this was it. She needed a deciding set in four of her six matches heading into the final but never allowed her opponent to take more than three games in the final set. She missed the start of the 2020 season and contemplated retirement. Madison Keys: A staple of the second week at majors over past several years, Keys was lacking her normal spark this season. In Saturday’s opening semifinal, Thiem survived collapsing against five-time winner Novak Djokovic, 7-5, 6-7 (10), 7-6 (5), to avenge his 2020 Australian Open final defeat to the world No. Nadal had two set points in the first-set tie-break but could not convert with Thiem eventually securing the win on his fourth match point. In the second set tiebreaker, Novak Djokovic came back from 0-2 down to build a 4-2 lead. She followed it up with a quarterfinal run at the Linz Open in Austria. 255, the 23-year-old needed to qualify to get into the main draw, but then won eight straight matches. During the US Open just days later, Osaka chose to wear a different face mask ahead of each match commemorating victims of police brutality, including Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. 25 seed Milos Raonic and eighth-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut. The 27-year-old has a promising future ahead and French tennis star Gael Monfils predicts nothing but success for the hard-hitting talent. If there's one thing tennis fans can say with certainty, no matter how unpredictable everything else seems, don't ever count out Serena. This is really the best revenge moment. Updated 2221 GMT (0621 HKT) November 17, 2020 . Nerves had clearly caught up to Thiem, and the Serb promptly manufactured a set point opportunity for himself - which he squandered with a forehand that sailed wide. Ranked No. But don’t be deceived by the scoreline here, because Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem ensured that every second of this match was worth its weight in gold. Buoyed by the home support, Millman’s gears began clicking once again as he took the match into a fifth set. Jannik Sinner: The 19-year-old Italian became the youngest French Open quarterfinalist since Djokovic in 2006 (and the first to do so in his debut at the event since Nadal in 2005), as he knocked off sixth-seeded Alexander Zverev in the fourth round. The Australian needed just two more points for a victory. Thiem and Kenin were phenomenal on the court, but Naomi Osaka was extraordinary on and off of it. There are breakthroughs and then there's what Swiatek did in Paris this fall. But his level dropped a little after that, and the Swiss took full advantage. Ultimately, Serena rallied from a set down and a 4-2 deficit in the final set to earn the 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory. He also fell to Nadal but followed up his Parisian debut by notching his first ATP title at the Sofia Open in November, becoming the youngest to do so since Kei Nishikori in 2008. Yes, Nadal (and the injured Federer) didn't play at the US Open, and Djokovic was disqualified after hitting a line judge with a ball in the fourth round. Swiatek didn't drop a set or allow an opponent to win more than five games during her run to become the youngest champion at Roland Garros since Nadal in 2005. Rafael Nadal did have his chances in the opening set, at one point leading the tiebreaker 5-2. 4. The Mallorcan did manage to set up a set point for himself at 6-5 - on his serve - but produced an uncharacteristic backhand error to let it slip. Dominic Thiem reached his first Australian Open final, beating Alexander Zverev 3-6, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 in three hours and 42 minutes. But he lost both of his next service points, which allowed Dominic Thiem to get back in it. This was Dominic Thiem’s first-ever hardcourt Major final. After downing Rafael Nadal in an epic round-robin clash, the Austrian outlasted Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the Nitto ATP Finals. Thiem had lost three consecutive Grand Slam finals: the 2018 and 2019 French Opens, followed by the Australian Open earlier this year. But that doesn't take anything away from the fact that Novak Djokovic hung around long enough for the Austrian's game to fall away. You'll rarely find a straight-setter at the top of the ‘best matches of the year’ list, or any tennis list for that matter. The Austrian clinched the US Open to end the ‘Big 3’s’ dominance and earned numerous fans along the way. But Kyrgios somehow found his spots both on the return and serve, and ended one of the points with a stunning backhand down the line winner that took everyone's breath away. She promises to be back and 100 percent for the Australian Open. But even though he couldn't go deep at his home Slam, Kyrgios' win over Khachanov in the third round will linger in memory for a very long time. But now his improved mental strength came to the fore, and he showed the world how to outdo Djokovic at his own formula. US Election 2020 Massachusetts profile: How state voted in 2016, demographics and more Not to mention, she also advanced to the semifinals in doubles with partner Nicole Melichar. This was a match decided by very fine margins, as evidenced by the fact that there was only one break of serve throughout the clash. Dominic Thiem produced two of the best wins of his career in the space of one week. Then she fell to Azarenka in the semifinals and had to withdraw from the French Open before her second-round match due to an Achilles' injury she sustained during the Azarenka match. Those are mind-boggling figures for any tennis match, but they still don't do justice to this titanic, belief-defying contest. Thiem's breakthrough, Osaka's advocacy and Swiatek's rise highlight 2020 tennis season, Kenin, 16-2 in majors, voted WTA Player of Year, Federer says knee not 100%, iffy for Aussie Open, Wimbledon champ, Hall of Famer Olmedo dies, Ralston, Hall of Fame tennis player, dies at 78, Ukrainian player given life ban for match-fixing, USTA calls off youth winter championships, Australian Open reportedly set for Feb. 8 start, Daniil Medvedev finds confidence, composure en route to first ATP Finals victory, Medvedev defeats top 3 to win first ATP Finals, Kyrgios on mental health: I was in a dark place, Time away from tennis and 'Mamba Mentality': 2020 was the year Nick Kyrgios needed, Taylor Townsend excited about future in tennis and motherhood, Bryant: How a phone jack brought out the worst in the NCAA, UMass penalized for hoops, tennis violations, Breaking into singles top 100 remains Ankita Raina's aim post doubles success, Leander Paes eyeing 'unbreakable' record eighth straight Olympics in Tokyo, Lopez Perez banned 8 years for match-fixing, Osaka to star in new manga comic book series, Exacting travel plans and living in a vacuum: Welcome to the brave, new world of sport, Reinvigorated Prajnesh shifts focus to 2021 after promising year-end return, Becker leaves role at German Tennis Federation, Dominic Thiem never stopped believing he could win the 2020 US Open, chose to wear a different face mask ahead of each match, proved she is a young leader ready to create positive change, their second-round meeting at the TopSeed Open in Kentucky, she put together one of the most impressive three-week stretches, the youngest champion at Roland Garros since Nadal in 2005, her first major semifinals at the US Open. Instead of adjusting to life as a major winner and top-10 player, she was in lockdown at her home in Florida. The momentum swung Federer's way as he won the second and third sets, and at that stage many believed he would wrap up the match in four sets. He did not beat a single top-10 player from November 2019 to October 2020 but has now beaten seven in the space of four weeks. Not known for her dominance on clay, Kenin adapted to the unusual conditions and wild weather of the delayed French Open and found ways to win against tricky opponents. The tweets were posted and the votes have been tallied: over the last week, thousands of our fans logged on to make their voices heard in the 2020 US Open Fans' Choice Awards. Both Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem started the ATP Tour Finals 2020 with a victory on Sunday and will be hoping for another one on Tuesday. We know what you are thinking. Khachanov eventually missed one of his backhands, to hand Kyrgios arguably his career-best win. He had not only been to the doorstep of major success, but walked through it. Dominic Thiem (German pronunciation: [ˈdɔmɪnɪk ˈtiːm]; born 3 September 1993) is an Austrian professional tennis player. Scoreline: Novak Djokovic def. The Serbian leads their ledger 6-4, but succumbed in their past two meetings – at the ATP Finals and the Roland Garros semifinals last year. His best result was a fourth-round run at the US Open. But when both his return and serve are firing, even the best in the business can do nothing much except pray. By: Reuters | Updated: December 15, 2020 12:10:46 pm Russia’s Daniil Medvedev lifts the trophy as he celebrates winning the final match against Austria’s Dominic Thiem (Source: Reuters) Tennis welcomed a first men’s Grand Slam champion from outside the ‘Big Three’ since 2016 in Dominic Thiem during a 2020 campaign with compelling storylines despite the […] Thiem saved another set point with a titanic forehand winner that was clocked close to 100 mph. That doesn't take away from Thiem's milestone in New York. After a year like no other, we've made it to the tennis offseason. John Millman, sensing another famous win, went for the jugular and amassed a seemingly unassailable 8-4 lead. She was the first tennis player to speak out, and her actions resulted in the tournament pausing play for the day. Thiem reeled off six points in a row to stun Djokovic and create two more match points. Due to her inability to travel, Azarenka's play suffered. He saved a match point in the third set tiebreak and another in the fourth set before finding himself a mini-break up at 8-7 in the deciding set tiebreaker. Roger Federer wasn’t physically compromised in Melbourne the way he was at the US Open, but he still couldn’t dictate the play like he usually does. Lasting 2 hours, 19 minutes, the sisters battled for every point with vintage intensity. The 28-year-old, 5-foot-6 Argentine qualified for his first ATP Finals after more than a decade on tour and played in his first Masters final at the Italian Open. The 22-year-old American started the year ranked No. Federer: Federer, the 20-time major champion, hasn't played since losing in the Australian Open semifinals. Trevisan upset Kiki Bertens, Maria Sakkari and Coco Gauff en route to the quarterfinals. Osaka made global headlines for her decision to boycott and forfeit her semifinal match at the Western & Southern Open (the first tournament in a two-event bubble in New York) following the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in hopes of raising awareness about racial injustice. Understandably, she was less than thrilled by what transpired and not in prime playing shape weeks later at the start of the French Open. Rafael Nadal appears once on the list, while his arch-rival Roger Federer - who played just six matches all year - also produced some thrilling entertainment while he was on the court. If Swiatek had any nerves entering the first final of her career, she didn't show them, completing her fortnight with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Kenin. Despite the months-long break from competition, the legendary sisters didn't disappoint in their second-round meeting at the TopSeed Open in Kentucky. Serena Williams: The fan-less US Open looked to be the perfect scenario for Williams to tie Margaret Court's record of 24 major victories. Except that he didn't. 67, which he achieved on 7 October 2019. Dominic Thiem won the most important trophy of his career in 2020. The Austrian won 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (7-4) for his second victory of the season-ending event at the O2 Arena in London. 14 and ended it at a career-best No. John Millman 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (10-8). During such a strange season, there was something so comforting about a Serena and Venus Williams battle in one of the first tournaments after the coronavirus hiatus. Facing each other for the sixth time at Majors, Dominic Thiem delivered his first victory over Rafael Nadal, defeating world no. Starting the 2020 season ranked No. Dominic Thiem decided to do a Novak Djokovic on the Serb, Serb was dehydrated through much of this encounter. Having finished the 2019 season in the world's top-five and started the 2020 campaign by making a major final at the Australian Open, Dominc Thiem's prospects were looking great until lockdown. Dominic Thiem set up another match-point with some crushing forehand missiles, but once again failed to convert. He even broke the mighty Swiss’ serve early in the decider, bringing back flashes of New York 2018, but Federer broke back immediately. Dominic Thiem needed two monster tie breaks to overcome Novak Djokovic and advance to the final of the ATP Finals, beating the Serbian …