Projected 2014 top 10 ATP World Tour Rankings

by: Nima Naderi

With the Australian Open ready to kick start the new calender year in about six weeks, there’s no better time than to turn on that crystal ball and throw our hands into the prediction pot for the 2014 year-end rankings.

In a fascinating season that featured Rafa Nadal storm back from injury to reclaim the No. 1 ranking, Roger Federer by contrast had his worst season in a decade, falling to No. 6 and winning only one smaller-tier title. Stan Wawrinka made himself a name to remember over the holidays as he finished a proud member in the top 10 for the second time in his career; so to did Richard Gasquet, who chalked up three titles and squeaked by Milos Raonic to claim the 10th position on the computer.

With that said, where will we be in a year from now? Will Nadal have equaled or nearly caught up to Federer’s mark of 17 majors? Will Novak Djokovic grab his elusive title at Roland Garros and join Rafa and Roger with all four slams? How will Andy Murray fit into the sport’s dominated rivalry that Rafa-Nole have captured? Will the Scot rebound after minor back surgery to reclaim his Wimbledon title, while imposing himself at the other majors? Finally, could we see Jerzy Janowicz or Grigor Dimitrov finally make that push into the elite top 10 and live up to their much-hyped potential?

The world of tennis is certainly a wacky place and trying to predict what will happen in a year’s time is never easy. Nevertheless, we’ll give it another shot and see how high we can hold our heads come mid-November in 2014.

For the Projected 2013 ATP top 10 rankings piece, click here.

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Projected 2014 year-end ATP World Tour Rankings:

1. Rafael Nadal:The Mallorcan could very well seal the year-end ranking in January if he can win the Aussie Open. Why? Because he has zero points to defend Down Under and showed over the course of 2013 that no pressure usually means a win by week’s end. Oh, did I mention that he has zero points to defend at Wimbledon and Miami as well? Although Nadal has a ton of points to defend between March-September (and we mean a ton), he should clean up again on the clay and do well enough on grass and asphalt to roll to another No. 1 finish.

2. Novak Djokovic:Nole won’t be happy to finish No. 2 again for the second straight year, but it’s hard to see him claiming his fifth title in Oz, especially after everything he put into his post US Open run. Yes, Djokovic is one heck of a player, and yes, he can go on long winning streaks throughout important parts of the year. But, the Serb still hasn’t claimed the title in France and the clay season has such great implications on the rankings come year’s end.

3. Juan Martin del Potro:This is where it starts getting interesting. At 25, Delpo is certainly coming into his own. Defeating all Big Four members throughout ‘13, the Argentine used his wrecking ball forehand to showcase his elite talent on court. Coupled with the fact that he knows his way around a clay-court and proved that he can play on grass (see Wimbledon semifinal run), Juan Martin could very well win his second slam and his first Masters title in 2014.

4. Andy Murray:Still in the prime of his career, one wonders how Murray will perform the first half of the season? He has finals points to defend at the Oz Open and he won the tune up event in Brisbane. The Scot did little to nothing on the clay in ‘13 and that could once again dent his chances of finishing higher. Still, Murray is a tough out at any event and he will continue to be solid—and a slam threat—throughout 2014.

5. David Ferrer:I wrote off Ferrer from a top 10 position at the end of 2013 and boy was I wrong. Not only did the Spaniard finish in the top three, he also made his first slam final at the French Open and reached eight other finals. Ferrer will have a tough task in reaching the RG final in ‘14, but he will continue to beat the players that he should.

6. Stanislas Wawrinka:I like what I’ve seen from Stan the man in the past 12 months and I’d be shocked if he wasn’t hungrier for more success. Magnus Norman has done wonders for his career and the decision to stick with him is a great one. Wawrinka will have to continue to work on his forehand for better use in pressure situations and his transition game could also be stronger. However, Stan looks like he’s enjoying himself out there and that will only lend to more success on Tour.

7. Tomas Berdych:Always a Bird and never a champion? Tomas played well throughout 2013 but with no singles titles in his pocket, it will certainly be difficult to break the top five and challenge for the majors. However, the Czech is still good enough to reach the quarters or semis in most events and that will aid him in finishing in the top 10 once again.

8. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga:I hate to say it but Tsonga’s best days are behind him. His coaching situation has never been great, he’s injury prone, his backhand continues to be weak, he’s dabbling with different rackets and his return of serve is one of the worst in the top 10. With that said, Tsonga’s forehand, serve and athleticism are top notch and that should enable him to stick around the elite 10 for at least one more season.

9. Milos Raonic:Finishing near the top for yet another year, it appears Raonic has finally embraced his innate attacking style courtesy of Ivan Ljubicic. Raonic has the desire and professionalism to be a top tenner, but his movement and backhand still need fine tuning in order for him to break into the top five and become a perennial slam candidate.

10. Jerzy Janowicz:Why not show some love for Jerzy? The man can smoke his forehand, rain down serves and his competitiveness amongst his piers is second to none. The Pole believes that he belongs with the big boys and his foot speed and deft touch at net are more than good enough for a place at the top. However, for Janowicz to make that leap into the top five and challenge for the slams, he’ll have to understand his game a tad more and learn to control his temperament on the big points.

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Notice the lack of a high profile name missing from the year-end predictions for 2014? Even though Federer will continue to gather the most fan and media attention around the globe, the Swiss legend simply doesn’t have the same movement and consistency as he once did. Can we really see him taking out Djokovic, Murray and Nadal in consecutive slam matches? Can we really see a season where his back is not a problem? Does Federer himself want to grind and get his socks dirty for the first time in his career? It’s really a shame when the greats fade from glory but if 2013 was any indication as to what the future holds for Roger Federer, his follow up season could produce even poorer results. My guess is that he finishes somewhere between 11-15.

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Agree with my picks? Have your own top 10 for 2014? Kindly share them below in the comments section.

—Nima (@tennisconnected)

Del Potro Headlines In Sydney

World No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro is set to be the top seed in a packed field at Apia International Sydney 2014, comprised of five Top 25 contenders.

Del Potro, of Argentina, leads an outstanding men’s field that boasts a main draw entry cut-off inside the Top 50, with gritty world No. 13 Nicolas Almagro of Spain and flashy Italian world No. 16 Fabio Fognini among the highest-ranked players entered.

Tournament officials will allocate their first wild card to defending champion and Australian No.1 Bernard Tomic to ensure his participation; his current Emirates ATP Ranking of No. 51 meant he fell just shy of the main-draw cut-off of No. 49.

Also set to make his mark in Sydney for the first time is Wimbledon semi-finalist and World No. 21 Jerzy Janowicz, whose powerful serve and big groundstrokes will make him a favourite to take out the prestigious title.

Former champions Jarkko Nieminen and Dmitry Tursunov will return for another shot at the title as well as popular big-serving American Sam Querrey.

Apia International Sydney Tournament Director Craig Watson is delighted to have such a strong field assembled in Sydney.

“To have our defending champions, seven top 10 stars and three Grand Slam champions bound for Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre is an outstanding result for the event and an exciting prospect for Sydney tennis fans,” Watson said.

“Our confirmed entry lists are incredibly strong; having a pair of top five stars headlining a multitude of Top 50 players ensures we will all witness some outstanding and memorable tennis action this January.”

Australian players including Marinko Matosevic, Matt Ebden and Nick Kyrgios could also take part in the event as potential wild card participants.

The official ATP field for Apia International Sydney 2014 is as follows:

Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG)
Nicolas Almagro (ESP)
Fabio Fognini (ITA)
Jerzy Janowicz (POL)
Andreas Seppi (ITA)
Dmitry Tursunov (RUS)
Vasek Pospisil (CAN)
Julien Benneteau (FRA)
Marin Cilic (CRO)
Marcel Granollers (ESP)
Jarkko Nieminen (FIN)
Florian Mayer (GER)
Carlos Berlocq (ARG)
Radek Stepanek (CZE)
Denis Istomin (UZB)
Sam Querrey (USA)
Lukas Rosol (CZE)
Pablo Andujar (ESP)
Joao Sousa (POR)

Apia International Sydney 2014, proudly supported by Apia in association with Volkswagen and The NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, will take place at Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre from 5 to 11 January 2014.

Apia International Sydney single session tickets and series packages are now available. One ticket provides access to every court with prices starting from just $20 for adults and $10 for children.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.ticketek.com.au/booksydney or call 1300 888 104. For further tournament information please visit www.apiainternational.com.au

Wawrinka extends his coaching relationship for the foreseeable future with Magnus Norman

The tennis player Stan Wawrinka has confirmed that he will continue working with the former number 2 Magnus Norman who heads up The Good to Great Academy, based in Sweden.

Stan Wawrinka, a former gold medallist in Beijing and the 8th rank player in the world has had the best year of his career to date having made both the Semi-Finals of the US Open and the ATP World Tour Finals.

“I have had one of the best years of my career and I feel that the relationship, trust and confidence I have built over the last 10 months with Magnus has obviously paid off gauging from my results to date” said Wawrinka. “To me, Magnus is without question the right person to guide me through my career. And there is no question, that I truly believe that he is able to help my game and in turn help me progress even further on the tour”

“Stan is an amazingly talented tennis player and a true professional. He is a pleasure to work with and I believe this is just the beginning. We had initially agreed to work on a trial basis but after seeing how well we work as a team it was only natural for me to commit long term” said Magnus Norman. “We have agreed that I will be on the road more than I have been in previous years and I very much look forward to the seasons ahead as I feel that with hard work and commitment Stan has the potential and ability to excel even further.”

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5. Sloane Stephens Breakthrough

Tennis Ace Milos Raonic Crowned Sportsnet’s 2013 Canadian Athlete of the Year

TORONTO (November 28, 2013) Game, set, match. Announced this morning on Brady & Walker on Sportsnet 590 The FAN, Canadian tennis star Milos Raonic has been named Sportsnet’s 2013 Canadian Athlete of the Year. Raonic’s win will be celebrated in a special half-hour interview with Stephen Brunt today at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, and Pacific.

Sportsnet’s 11th annual Athlete of the Year award was voted on by a panel of contributors from Sportsnet’s TV, radio, web and magazine platforms. Past winners include soccer star Christine Sinclair (2012), figure skater Patrick Chan (2011), and three-time winner UFC champ Georges St-Pierre. In honour of the award, Sportsnet is donating $10,000 to Raonic’s charity of choice.

“It’s a great feeling. There’s an aura around Canadian athletes,” said Raonic. “Whether it’s in the NBA, college sports, figure skating or hockey, there’s a bit more of a spotlight, and I think it’s special to be part of that and to receive this award for 2013 is an honour.”

Raonic’s storied year includes recently becoming the first Canadian male to crack the top 10 of the world rankings and pushing his country’s Davis Cup team to its first tournament semifinal in the Open Era.

Also nominated this year were IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe, bobsledder Kaillie Humphries, PGA golfer Graham DeLaet, No. 1 NBA draft pick Anthony Bennett, and Chicago Blackhawks centre Jonathan Toews. For a special feature on each nominee, fans can visit sportsnet.ca and watch Connected today at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

For more on Raonic’s banner year, fans can pick up Sportsnet magazine’s annual awards issue, on newsstands today. In addition to Brunt’s interview with Raonic, the issue also hands out dozens of accolades for 2013’s best and worst – and weirdest – in sports.

Gasquet to be coached by former French Open winner Bruguera in 2014

According to lequipe.fr, world No. 9 Richard Gasquet will begin a coaching/player partnership with two-time French Open winner Sergi Bruguera begging in February of 2014. Sébastien Grosjean will continue on Gasquet’s team as the co-coach in Australia. Italian coach Riccardo Piatti left Gasquet’s side during the World Tour Final in London for no reported reason.

Bouchard named 2013 Tennis Canada female player of the year

World No. 32 also receives honours for Most Improved Female Player; Dabrowski wins Doubles Player of the Year

Toronto, November 26, 2013 – Tennis Canada announced Tuesday that Eugenie Bouchard (Westmount, Que.) has been named 2013 Tennis Canada Female Player of the Year. A former Junior Player of the Year, Bouchard also is receiving honours for Most Improved Female Player for the second straight year. In her first full season as a professional, 19-year-old Bouchard rose over 100 spots in the rankings from a 2012 year-end of world No. 144 to a high of No. 32, her current position. She reached her first WTA final at Osaka in October, defeated four Top 15 players throughout the course of the year, and was named WTA Newcomer of the Year. Rounding out the female high performance Excellence Awards is Gabriela Dabrowski (Ottawa), who is receiving the Female Doubles Player of the Year award for the first time.

“Eugenie’s career is just starting but what she has already accomplished in one short year on the WTA tour is very impressive,” said Michael S. Downey, president and CEO, Tennis Canada. “Her ceiling is so high, and Eugenie is so focused and determined to create even more success for herself and her country. She is well on her way to becoming a star not only in Canadian tennis but all over the world. Congratulations to Eugenie, and best of luck in what I’m sure will be an exciting 2014.”

Bouchard, who became the first Canadian to win a junior Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon last year, started off her season having to play qualifying at WTA events. She made her first big push at the Premier tournament in Charleston in April, where as a qualifier she reached the quarter-finals, defeating fellow up-and-comer Laura Robson and world No. 9 Samantha Stosur en route. She then made the semifinals at Strasbourg – her first at the WTA-level – before playing in her first career Slam main draw at the French Open, where she fell to Maria Sharapova in the second round. At Wimbledon, she played on tennis’ biggest stage and made the most of the opportunity, ousting No. 12 Ana Ivanovic on Centre Court to reach the third round.

She added another semifinal at Quebec City in September before eliminating No. 13 Sloane Stephens and No. 10 Jelena Jankovic at Tokyo on the way to a quarter-final finish. In her second-last tournament of the year, Bouchard made her first WTA final, where she lost to Stosur in three tough sets. Also leading Canada’s ascension into Fed Cup World Group II for next season, going 6-1 through the year, Bouchard has thoroughly earned her place as the nation’s No. 1-ranked WTA player.

“It’s great to be recognized with these awards for the first time,” Bouchard said. “2013 was a great season for me with so many firsts and so many highlights that I will always remember. I learned a lot in my first full year on the Tour. I’m working really hard in my off-season and can’t wait for next year.”

Dabrowski is the recipient of Female Doubles Player of the Year for her incredible season in which she became Canada’s top-ranked doubles player and reached two WTA finals. Finishing 2012 as the No. 138-ranked doubles player in the world, Dabrowski reached a high of No. 60 this season. She played in her first WTA final at Brussels in May, finishing as runner-up alongside partner Shahar Peer. Later in the season, she also was a finalist at the WTA event in Linz with Alicja Rosolska. One of her biggest results was defeating the world’s No. 1 doubles pair of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci at Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Toronto. She and fellow Canadian Sharon Fichman (Toronto) ousted the three-time Slam champions to advance into the semifinals. Dabrowski also made her Fed Cup debut in 2013, winning the deciding doubles rubber with Fichman to send Canada into the World Group II play-offs. In addition, the 21-year-old captured three ITF Pro Circuit titles to bring her career total to nine and she reached one other final.

The Tennis Canada Excellence Awards are selected by a committee comprised of high-ranking Tennis Canada personnel and the country’s top national coaches.

Tennis Elbow: The Elbows of 2013

Welcome toTennis Elbow, a new column that will look back on the week that was in the world of tennis. This week, Charles Blouin-Gascon hands out his totally fictitious year-endElbows.

For the second year in a row, a year-end edition of this column will serve as a de facto awards ceremony. Just like for the 2012 season, these categories are absolutely arbitrary and reflect nothing but my own subjective experience of the 2013 tennis season as a fan and columnist.

…Envelopes please!

TheAlpha Male of the YearElbow

…To Rafael Nadal. Just about any- and everything that could be said of Nadal’s prowess this year has already been said, but still let’s pile on. After seven months away from the ATP World Tour, he finally came back this year and warned us not to call this a comeback. No one knew, really, what to expect, and maybe that’s why we got exactly what no one could have foreseen—the best season of his career. The Spaniard concluded 2013 with 75 wins in 82 matches, over $ 14 million in prize money and no fewer than 10 titles. The 27-year-old added a Coupe des Mousquetaire and a U.S. Open trophy to his mantle, the 12^th and 13^th Grand Slam titles of his career. And suddenly, Federer’s haul doesn’t seem so out of reach.

The Who’s That Girl Elbow

…To Serena Williams. The younger of the two Williams sisters had herself quite the 2013 season and was equally as impressive on the WTA Tour as Nadal was on the men’s circuit—78 wins in 82 matches, 11 titles and over $ 12 million in prize money. What’s perhaps most remarkable is that this season came just on the heels of an equally great 2012 season. After two such great seasons at her age, Serena Williams is more than just the best player of her generation—she’s now in the same class as Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert as the best player ever.

TheKleenex Moment Elbow

…To Andy Murray after the 2013 Wimbledon final. Murray became the first British man to win Wimbledon in 77 years, since Fred Perry did so if we’re to believe the record books—though I hear the jury remains out on these. The 26-year-old gave an entire country whatpoor lad Tim Henman could never give them, and nobody was unhappy to see him celebrate with the members of his team and, really, just about everyone else. Nobody, and that includes the mighty Novak Djokovic fan that I am, despite the fact that it’s Djokovic who Murray defeated in three little sets in the final.

ThePhenom Elbow

…To Eugenie Bouchard. In a season where the young 19-year-old gained more than 100 spots on the WTA Tour rankings to end the season at No. 32, Bouchard was deservedly named the WTA’s newcomer of the year. She reached at least the quarterfinals of five events, and defeated top 10 mainstays Jelena Jankovic and Samantha Stosur on her way to 39 wins in 63 matches. Her breakout season was not unlike Milos Raonic’s own, in 2011—and, oh by the way, Raonic himself was named the ATP newcomer of the year when he finished that year ranked No. 31. There are a lot of similarities between Bouchard and Raonic, including this one—let’s give the young Eugenie all the time that she needs to become a star. She’s not that, not yet.

TheWe Like Our Apples With Maple Syrup, Thanks For Asking Elbow

…To Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil. The two Canadians dazzled the Montreal public this summer, as they served and aced their way—apologizing for every win, because they’re Canadians—to an all-Canadian Rogers Cup semifinal. If Raonic couldn’t eat his cake in the final against Nadal, losing 6-2 and 6-2, by then Montrealers didn’t mind because the 2013 Rogers Cup had been perfect, already. Not only that, but the two musketeers joined forces with the ageless wonder Daniel Nestor to bring their country to within one rubber of a spot in the 2013 Davis Cup final. So while many are gonzo over the potential of Eugenie Bouchard, they would be wise not to overlook the actual results of these two great players.

TheCandy Cane Elbow

…To Maria Sharapova. The resident diva of the WTA Tour had a seemingly difficult 2013 season, though she still only lost 7 of 44 matches played. Sharapova is still a great champion, and this year she showed that she had business acumen too—though that was probably never really in doubt—when she released her first line of candy, the incredibly tacky-namedSugarpova. I’ve yet to try it, and I’ve made righting this wrong my No. 1 resolution for 2014.

TheAndy MurrayElbow

…To Andy Murray himself. Incredibly, Murray gets a secondElbow for the 2013 season, this time taking home the one named after him. Meant in no way to diminish what a player accomplished in the previous 12 months, this award recognizes the person for whom it seems like 2013 was nothing but a year-long walk on the treadmill. Of course, Murray thrilled everyone with a major win at Wimbledon…and then, he pretty much packed it in the rest of the way. With the win, Murray was supposed to have turned a corner—and maybe he has, but he’s still looking up to Nadal and Djokovic.How very Andy Murray of him.

TheHello, Old Sport Elbow

…To Stanislas Wawrinka. At age 28, he enjoyed his finest year to date on the ATP World Tour and reached a career-high ranking of No. 8 in October—where he’s been entrenched since. Stan the Man even momentarily lived down his nickname of “the other Swiss,” as Roger Federer enjoyed one of his most frustrating seasons in recent memory (i.e. more on that later). But for all his excellence this season, he didn’t quite break through—twice he had Djokovic on the ropes and twice he lost in agonizing fashion. And Wawrinka remains “that other Swiss,” even on the Tour rankings.

TheFoot In My Mouth Elbow

…To Serena Williams. Williams shined on the court in 2013, but not necessarily off of it. In a lengthyRolling Stone feature—which wasn’t without its problems itself, as the lede compared the tennis player to the leader of North Korea—the great champion had a bit of afaux pas. When she decided to voice her opinion on the Steubenville rape case, what she said came across almost as victim blaming. It wasn’t that, and those who read the entire quote will understand—but a “I’m not blaming the girl, but…” doesn’t look good.

TheTonight We Die In Hell Elbow

…To Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro, for their epic battle in Wimbledon—a match that wins my choice as match of the year. Sure, that match probably cost Djokovic a much better shot at the title against Murray, but boy it was a thrill. Watching theDjoker andDelPo exchange haymaker after haymaker after haymakerafter haymaker over five sets and four hours and 40 minutes—the longest Wimbledon semifinal in history—was unlike anything ever. Well, actually, that’s not true. It reminded me of watching that incredible Australian Open in 2012—and thankfully, it all unfolded a tad later during the day.

The My name is my name Elbow

…To myself. While covering the 2012 Rogers Cup in my native Montreal was an exercise in overcoming giddiness and maintaining professionalism,covering the tournament in Toronto this year also had its challenges—but mostly its perks. In the past two years, I’ve been lucky to have the freedom to file only once a day and write on the matches, and players, that I personally want to write about. Another perk was attending a great second round match between Sorana Cirstea and Caroline Wozniacki and afterward finding aTennis TV link to it on YouTube. That’s how I saw myself on TV.

The60-degree day Elbow

…To Marion Bartoli. The Frenchwoman was among the unlikeliest winners of the sport’s biggest prize at Wimbledon, riding a streak of good fortune where she didn’t face a single player ranked higher than her all the way to the top. Always a bit of a character, Bartoli won the prize of a career on the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club—and six weeks after her Wimbledon title, she decided to retire. Somehow, it all wasthe perfect ending.

The1a Elbow

…To Novak Djokovic. In any other year, the Serb would have been the undisputed King on Tour—and despite Nadal’s signature season, Djokovic really wasthis close of finishing on top for a third straight year. With 74 wins in 83 matches, over $12 million in prize money and 7 titles, including his third Australian Open in a row, Djokovic did just about everything possible this season. Except that he lost a fifth-set lead against Nadal in the semifinal of Roland Garros. The 26-year-old will have another shot at completing the career Slam this season, and something tells me he may do just that. Until then, he and Jelena Ristic got engaged. #DjokovicWins.

The One Last Kiss Elbow

…To King Roger. By most accounts, 2013 wasn’t kind to Roger Federer, as he finished with as many as 17 losses (against 45 wins). That total was his highest in 10 years but unlike during his breakout 2003 season, this year the King only had one crown—that of the Gerry Weber Open, a Masters 250 event. Beyond the losses, it’s the quality of them that shocked: seeing the great champion lose to Gael Monfils, Tommy Robredo or, gulp, Federico Delbonis is not a pretty sight. He’s currently ranked No. 6 and he’s just about hopeless against Nadal these days. More and more, the 2014 season feels like a swan song for King Roger. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Follow Charles Blouin-Gascon on Twitter @RealCBG

Raonic named 2013 Tennis Canada male player of the year

Pospisil receives honours for Most Improved Male Player; Nestor is Male Doubles Player of the Year

Toronto, November 25, 2013 – Tennis Canada announced Monday that Milos Raonic (Thornhill, Ont.) has been named 2013 Tennis Canada Male Player of the Year for the third consecutive year. Building on his past two seasons, Raonic made Canadian tennis history in 2013. He became the first Canadian to be ranked in the Top 10 on the ATP World Tour thanks to his runner-up performance at Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Montreal – where he was the first Canadian to make the final since 1958. Ending the season at world No. 11, Raonic also went 5-1 in Davis Cup action to lead Canada to its first-ever World Group semifinal appearance. Vasek Pospisil (Vancouver) and Daniel Nestor (Toronto) also received honours for their 2013 seasons, Most Improved Male Player of the Year and Male Doubles Player of the Year, respectively.

“In his young career, Milos has already hit so many pinnacles in Canadian tennis, and his commitment to continue developing as a player shows his potential is nowhere near being fully realized yet,” said Michael S. Downey, president and chief executive officer, Tennis Canada. “Milos, along with Vasek and Daniel, are helping to grow Canada’s reputation as a tennis nation, and I know they are training hard to accomplish even more in their careers. Congratulations to our trio of male Excellence Awards winners – it has been a treat to watch you play this year and Canada can’t wait to follow your seasons in 2014.”

Raonic also added two more trophies to his collection, winning his third straight San Jose crown in February and ousting two Top 10 players, Richard Gasquet and Tomas Berdych, en route to the Bangkok title in September. In addition to reaching the final at Rogers Cup – his first Masters 1000 championship match – Raonic also finished as runner-up at Tokyo for the second straight year. At the Grand Slams, Raonic matched his career-best result by advancing into the round of 16 at the Australian Open and US Open. He also was a semifinalist at Barcelona.

In Davis Cup, Raonic won the clinching matches in both Canada’s first round tie versus Spain and quarter-final against Italy. His only loss on the year came against then-world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals in Serbia.

“It feels great to be honoured with this award from Tennis Canada for another year,” said Raonic. “It was definitely a good season for me, and it’s been incredible to receive so much support from Canadian fans. Being able to play at home at Davis Cup and Rogers Cup, it was amazing to see how passionate Canadians can be about tennis. I’m looking forward to 2014 now, and working hard to achieve everything I can.”

Pospisil has been named Most Improved Male Player thanks to a season which saw him climb nearly 100 spots in the rankings after closing out 2012 at world No. 125 and ending this year at his career-high ranking of No. 32. Still outside the Top 100 in June, Pospisil’s rise is thanks to an incredible second half of the season. Kicking off in Bogota, where he made his first ATP World Tour semifinal, Pospisil’s confidence grew as he then captured the Odlum Brown Vancouver Open, a $100K ATP Challenger event at the end of July. After winning his hometown title, he went straight to Rogers Cup in Montreal. Clinching his first Top 10 win against Tomas Berdych in the third round, the 23-year-old ultimately advanced all the way into the semifinals before falling to fellow Canadian Raonic. After nearly defeating world No. 4 David Ferrer in Beijing and ousting No. 10 Richard Gasquet in Shanghai, Pospisil advanced into his third ATP semi of the year at Basel. There, he played Roger Federer in a tight, thrilling battle before losing to the 17-time Slam champion in three sets. Because of his improved performance in 2013, Pospisil was the only player on the ATP World Tour to make both his Top 100 and Top 50 year-end ranking debuts in the same year.

Completing the male high-performance Excellence Awards is Nestor, who is being honoured with the Male Doubles Player of the Year award for the 13th consecutive year. In 2013, Nestor hit two more major career milestones, adding to his already immense legacy. En route to capturing the Winston-Salem title in August alongside partner Leander Paes, Nestor became the first player to reach 900 career doubles match wins. When he won the trophy, it also marked the 20th consecutive year in which he has clinched at least one ATP World Tour title. The 41-year-old was also crucial to Canada’s Davis Cup success, as he and Pospisil won two marathon doubles matches this year to give their country 2-1 leads – in the quarter-finals against Italy and semifinals versus Serbia. Nestor also enjoyed success in mixed doubles, winning the Wimbledon crown with Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic. The duo reached the French Open final together as well.

The Tennis Canada Excellence Awards are selected by a committee comprised of high-ranking Tennis Canada personnel and the country’s top national coaches. The recipients of the female high-performance athletes will be announced on Tuesday, November 26.

New Shenzhen Event Strengthens ATP’s China Presence

The 2014 ATP World Tour will feature a tournament in Shenzhen, China, following the ATP Board of Directors’ approval of the relocation of the ATP World Tour 250 tournament previously held in Bangkok, Thailand.

The tournament in Shenzhen will be played from September 22-28 at the Shenzhen Longgang Sports Center, a state-of-the-art facility with more than 20 outdoor match courts. The transfer means that, for the first time, China will play host to an ATP World Tour 250, 500 and Masters 1000 event across three successive weeks during the Asia swing from 2014.

Alison Lee, ATP Executive Vice President, International Group, said, “China has long been a growing market for men’s professional tennis and we’re delighted to strengthen our presence in the region through the addition of this ATP World Tour 250 tournament in Shenzhen. The opportunities for growth in China continue to abound, and we look forward to working with the tournament organisers in delivering a first-class event in 2014. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have supported the Thailand Open in Bangkok over the past 11 years.”

Tournament Director, Allon Khakshouri, said, “I want to thank BEC-Tero, the LTAT, and all the sponsors and supporters of the Thailand Open, as well as all the Thai fans, for making this tournament such a success. The entire tennis world will miss the warm and friendly Thai hospitality. At the same time, it is a privilege for me to share my experience as the Tournament Director with the new team in the host city of Shenzhen. The new ATP World Tour event, Shenzhen Open, confirms the exponential growth of tennis in the People’s Republic of China.”

For more than a decade, the ATP has played an instrumental role in the growth of tennis in China through the strategic development of its top tier of tournaments. The Tennis Masters Cup, first held in Shanghai in 2002, and from 2005-‘08, catapulted tennis into the limelight in China. Since 2009, Beijing and Shanghai have hosted ATP World Tour 500 and Masters 1000 events respectively. The addition of the ATP World Tour 250 event in Shenzhen from 2014 means that China becomes the first country outside the United States to host tournaments across all three ATP World Tour tournament categories.

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