The Most Improved player of the year: Stefanos Tsitsipas:
Twenty-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas became the first Greek player to win an ATP title in Stockholm and triumphed in the final of the Next Gen Finals in Milan. He also lost two finals in Barcelona and Toronto against Rafael Nadal. At this year’s Canadian Open in Toronto Stefanos beat Dominic Thiem, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Kevin Anderson. Becoming the youngest player to score four consecutive wins against top-10 players in the same tournament since the ATP World Tour was established in 1990. The Athens native player started the 2018 season ranked world number 91 and ended the year ranked world number 15. In recognition of his breakthrough season Tsitsipas was also voted by players as the Most Improved player at the ATP World Tour Awards.
The rising star of the year: Alex De Minaur:
The 19-year-old Sydney native player, whose parents are of Spanish and Uruguayan origin, was ranked outside the top 200 at the start of the year and finished the year ranked world number 31. He reached his first semifinal in Brisbane and his first final in Sydney, won a ATP Challenger tournament in Nottingham and reached another ATP 250 final in Washington. At the Grand Slam level, he qualified for the third round at Wimbledon and at the US Open. He lost in the finals of the Next Gen ATP finals to Stefanos Tsitsipas in four sets after winning the opening set. The Australian teenager received the Newcomer of the Year Award during the ATP Finals in London.
The doubles teams of the year: Mike Bryan and Jack Sock, Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic:
Oliver Marach from Austria and Mate Pavic from Croatia ended the year as the world number 1 team in the ATP Doubles Rankings after an impressive season. They won three consecutive titles last January in Doha, Auckland and at the Australian Open, followed by two more triumphs in Geneva and Chengdu. They reached the final in Monte-Carlo, Roland Garros, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Beijing.
Mike Bryan and Jack Sock from the USA also had a remarkable season. Since they teamed up during the Queen’s tournament at the start of the grass season they have won two Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and at the US Open, as well as claiming the ATP Finals title.
