The Rankings Thread (ATP)

[GameSetAndMath]

Fed moves ahead of DT and get back into top 4.

 

[El Dude]

I'll give it another shot, hope you don't mind, @herios .

New career highs, April 1, 2019:

8. Stefanos Tsitsipas, 20y
14. Daniil Medvedev, 23y
17. Nikoloz Basilashvili, 27y
20. Denis Shapovalov, 19y
33. Felix Auger-Aliassime, 18y
52. Hubert Hurkacz, 22y
59. Mackenzie McDonald, 23y
60. Jaume Munar, 21y
81. Prajnesh Gunneswaran, 29y
88. Miomir Kecmanovic, 19y

The youth movement continues. Tsitispas up to #8, Shapo sneaking into the top 20, and FAA surging. With a solid early clay season, FAA could be seeded for Roland Garros.

 

[Chris Koziarz]

It's remarkable that after the completion of hard court leg of the season (after Miami), the top 4 players (Big3 + Zverev), have been playing just 4 tourneys each. Most other players (with the exception of the injured like Kandy) played 6-7 on average, some of them even 10 (Pella). And in the race to London standing which is an accurate representation of just 2019 season, the Big3 are top 3 with fewest tourneys (4) with no one around them with so many points playing so little.
To an unfamiliar viewer jumping into easy & silly conclusions, it looks like the less you play the better you are & the more points you gain.
I know the truth different: to gain lots of points they have to play (and win) the whole tourney, the final included. Those who ply lots of tourneys (say 10) definitely travel a lot but not necessarily play lot, esp if they lose in quick 1st round match each. That's 10 matches only, twice less than 4 tourneys gone all the way to finals (on average 5-6 matches x 4).

 

[mrzz]

^other way to put it is that the better you play, the lesser you need to play.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

...and I am still amazed by the fact that a country that has so much tennis tradition as Sweden still does not have a top 100 player for ages now. Maybe one of the Ymer boys...

 

[Fiero425]

...and I am still amazed by the fact that a country that has so much tennis tradition as Sweden still does not have a top 100 player for ages now. Maybe one of the Ymer boys...

They had a long series of stars after Borg left the game with multiple players attaining the #1 ranking, winning quite a few majors, with universal respect and popularity! Soderling the last player of note; making more news about upsetting Rafa in '09 FO! Like the USA, they might be paying penance for having such a long stretch of success in singles and doubles! The US hasn't done much of anything on the men's side of the game since Roddick choked away that Wimbledon title in '09! We have a few guys developing nicely, but aren't really in the class of Tsitsipas, Khachanov, Medvedev, A. Zverev, or Thiem! Spain is overdue for a crash after unprecedented success over decades culminating in a GOAT nominee in Rafa! Their players are aging and I'm not sure the next wave is at the ready! I'm sure someone has a blog on the topic! I've read something comparable! :whistle:

 

[isabelle]

...and I am still amazed by the fact that a country that has so much tennis tradition as Sweden still does not have a top 100 player for ages now. Maybe one of the Ymer boys...

really stange if you remember Edberg, Wilander, Nistrom, Sundstrom, Jarry and of course Borg and kingRobin...where are the news Sweedish players ???

 

[El Dude]

I have been a bit disappointed with Mikael Ymer, who a couple years ago I thought had a chance to be really good - much better than his brother, Elias, who seems stuck in Challengers and the 100s in rankings. But Mikael has missed a lot of time and seems to be playing better now, so he's one to watch.

 

[Fiero425]

I have been a bit disappointed with Mikael Ymer, who a couple years ago I thought had a chance to be really good - much better than his brother, Elias, who seems stuck in Challengers and the 100s in rankings. But Mikael has missed a lot of time and seems to be playing better now, so he's one to watch.

Not everyone's meant to hit the big time! There's always something that'll hold them back! That's why individual sport stars are so revered; few are the elite we're talking about even after 100+ years of history! Borg was one of maybe 3 or 4 people in the world that everyone knew; even in the most remote of villages! In my day it was Mohammed Ali, Michael Jordan, & Bjorn Borg! Now Federer has that mantle, but Borg was the 1st to transcend the sport! :whistle:

 

[El Dude]

Not everyone's meant to hit the big time! There's always something that'll hold them back! That's why individual sport stars are so revered; few are the elite we're talking about even after 100+ years of history! Borg was one of maybe 3 or 4 people in the world that everyone knew; even in the most remote of villages! In my day it was Mohammed Ali, Michael Jordan, & Bjorn Borg! Now Federer has that mantle, but Borg was the 1st to transcend the sport! :whistle:

I hear you, but a lot of this had to do with "sex appeal." There were players before Borg--Laver and Gonzales come to mind--who were equally or more dominant, but didn't have the mass media appeal that Borg did.

I also think we need to collectively remind ourselves that only a tiny fraction of players become all-time greats. We like to bag on players like Nishikori or Berdych or Tsonga, but these are players who spent most of their primes as being among the ten best players in the world. That is no small feat. If Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic are the bar, then everyone else "sucks," which is of course ridiculous.

So that's the problem with prospects: When they first show up on the radar it is hard not to hope for--even expect--greatness. But a young player is not a failure if they never win a Slam or make the top 10. I suppose every junior player hopes to be #1 and a Slam winner, but in that grueling gauntlet of development from age 17 to 22ish, we see players separate into tiers. I think by the time a player is 22 or so, we know roughly how good they'll be. There are outliers; In 2007, when Stan Wawrinka turned 22, I'm guessing no one expected three Slams. But again, he's an exception. He was good enough back then that a big title or two could be hoped for. I suppose similar players now would be Coric, Medvedev, Khachanov, etc: it is unlikely that they'll be great, but they all have the potential to be regulars in the top 10 and big title winners, maybe even win a Slam or two.

A player like Mikael Ymer--who is 20 years old and missed a lot of time due to injury (presumably)--still has a chance to rise. But the next year or two will be crucial.

 

[herios]

There are many players who can set a goal just to make it to the top 50 or 100. Those are benchmarks which are still remarkable for a pro player on tour,on another hand top 10 or 20 is really great achievement as far as I am concerned.
The Ymer Brothers will probably never make it to the top 20 ever.
But top 50 at some point could be attainable at least for Mikael. Elias most like will have to settle for a top 100 breakthrough as his goal.

 

[herios]

I know I am almost a week late, but I had a busy week.
So here it goes, new career high as of April 1:

8. Stefanos Tsitsipas 20y
14. Daniil Medvedev 23y
17. Nikoloz Basilashvili 27y
20. Denis Shapovalov 19y
33. Felix Auger-Aliassime 18y
52. Hubert Hurkacz 22y
59. Mackenzie McDonald 23y
60. Jaume Munar 21y
82. Prajnesh Gunneswaran 29y
88. Miomir Kecmanovic 19y

I find it interesting that all 3 teenagers in the top 100 recorded a move upwards.

 

[Federberg]

I know I am almost a week late, but O vad a bus week .
So here it goes, new career high as of April 1:

8. Stefanos Tsitsipas 20y
14. Daniil Medvedev 23y
17. Nikoloz Basilashvili 27y
20. Denis Shapovalov 19y
33. Felix Auger-Aliassime 18y
52. Hubert Hurkacz 21y
59. Mackenzie McDonald 23y
60. Jaume Munar 21y
82. Prajnesh Gunneswaran 29y
88. Miomir Kecmanovic 19y

I find it interesting that all 3 teenagers in the top 100 recorded a move upwards.

I think Dude already posted that

 

[herios]

Almost a week late, here are the career new highs on April 14, 2019:

45. Radu Albot 29y
47. Cristian Garin. 22y
68. Christian Ruud 20y
80. Prajnesh Gunneswaran 29y

 

[herios]

Career high 22 April:

12. Fabio Fognini 31y
24. Dusan Lajovic 28y
28. Guido Pella 28y
31. Felix Auger-Aliassime 18y
44. Radu Albot 29y
45. Camron Norrie 23y
57. Jaume Munar 21y
66. Lorenzo Sonego 23y
75. Prajnesh Gunneswaran 29y
87. Miomir Kecmanovic 19y
90. Lloyd Harris 21y

 

[mrzz]

Interesting thing to note is that, apart from Fedalovic, the top of the race list is quite different from the top of the actual rankings, so maybe lot of changes about to come.

 

[herios]

Interesting thing to note is that, apart from Fedalovic, the top of the race list is quite different from the top of the actual rankings, so maybe lot of changes about to come.

True. The most striking of all is that Sasha us not even in the top 20.
And clay was where he played the best in the past 2 years, so actually Lendl helped him to get the worst not better .
Maybe Tsar Ivan is not such a good coach after all LOL

 

[GameSetAndMath]

True. The most striking of all is that Sasha us not even in the top 20.
And clay was where he played the best in the past 2 years, so actually Lendl helped him to get the worst not better .
Maybe Tsar Ivan is not such a good coach after all LOL

1. Another way to realize the gravity of the situation is that the Bad Boy is ahead of Sasha in race.

2. Ivan may or may not be a good coach in general. But, there is no doubt that without Ivan, Andy would not have achieved what he did.

 

[herios]

New career high at April 29, 2019:

23. Dusan Lajovic. 28y
26. Guido Pella. 28y
29. Laslo Djere 23y
30. Felix Auger-Aliassime 18y
37. Matteo Berrettini 23y
55. Jaume Munar. 21y
57. Mackenzie McDonald 24y
84. Miomir Kecmanovic 19y

 

[herios]

New career high May 6, 2019:

31. Matteo Berrettini 23y
33. Cristian Garin 22y
84. Miomir Kecmanovic 19y
87. Lloyd Harris 22y
94. Alexander Bublik 21y