Make it Year-End Championship #3 for Novak Djokovic, with a convincing win over Rafael Nadal in London 6-3, 6-4 (Nole won the ATP World Tour Finals last year and in 2008). Since his four-set loss to Nadal in this year’s US Open Final, the Serb has been unstoppable, winning 22 consecutive matches, 4-titles, and two key rubbers in a Davis Cup Semifinal against both Raonic and Pospisil of Canada.
Despite picking up 1500-points in the ATP World Tour Ranking, Novak ends the year behind Nadal as World #2, with a 72-9 record and seven titles in nine finals…and he still has tennis left to play. The Davis Cup Final is this weekend at Belgrade Arena with Serbia facing the defending champion Czech Republic. Tomas Berdych is one of only eight players who handed Novak a loss in 2013, in the quaterfinals of the Masters-1000 event in Rome.
Novak Djokovic’s titles in 2013: (Over $11-million in prize money)
- Australian Open (Hard-GS)
- Dubai (Hard-500)
- Monte Carlo (Clay-1000)
- Beijing (Hard-1000)
- Shanghai (Hard-1000)
- Paris (Hard-1000)
- ATP World Tour Finals (Hard-WC)
After nine months off last year to recover from a knee injury, Rafael Nadal put together one of the most impressive years in the history of the sport, even with that first-round loss to Steve Darcis at Wimbledon. The man won ten titles out of fourteen finals appearances and finished 2013 with a 75-7 record overall.
Nadal didn’t start his season until February, missing the Australian Open, yet still managed to regain the #1 ranking after reentering the ranks as #5 in the world. In fact, in that first event back in Vina del Mar, he made the final…then went on to win three consecutive tournaments, including Indian Wells. He dominated the clay season, hiccupped on grass, then won both Masters-series events in the US Open Series AND the US Open Championships in New York.
Rafael Nadal’s titles in 2013: (Over $12-million in prize money)
- Sao Paolo (Clay-250)
- Acapulco (Clay-500)
- Indian Wells (Hard-1000)
- Barcelona (Clay-500)
- Madrid (Clay-1000)
- Rome (Clay-1000)
- Roland Garros (Clay-GS)
- Rogers Cup (Hard-1000)
- Cincinnati (Hard-1000)
- US Open (Hard-GS)
Djokovic and Nadal have now faced each other 39 times in their careers, with Nadal leading the head-to-head to 22-17. They played six times in 2013, each winning three of those matches. Rafa (60 career titles) won in the French Open Semifinals, the Rogers Cup Semifinals and the US Open Final. Nole (41 career titles) bested Nadal in the Monte Carlo Final, the Beijing Final and the ATP World Tour Finals.
Bob and Mike Bryan ended 2013 light-years ahead of the field, and held the #1 doubles ranking throughout all of 2013. This is the 9th time in 11 years they’ve carried the #1 ranking into the next season. The brothers earned 11 titles this year, with 15 finals appearances and a 70-13 match record. After winning Australia, Roland Garros and Wimbledon, they were a match away from winning the Calendar Slam, when Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek beat them in the US Open Semifinals. Needless to say, 2013 was another remarkable year for an historic ATP doubles pairing. The boys have earned 93 career titles over their 18-years on tour together. Mike Bryan, after yesterday’s final: “We have the 100 title mark on the horizon. We’d love to shoot that down next year.”
That said, Spain’s David Marrero and Fernando Verdasco were undeterred and defeated the Bryans 7-5, 6-7(3), 10-7 in the ATP World Tour Doubles Final. Overall in 2013, Marrero and Verdasco were 37-18 including a title at the St. Petersburg Open. Impressively, the pair was 14-6 in match tie-breaks this year.
Next up: The 2013 Davis Cup Final (Friday, Saturday and Sunday)
The draw for this weekend’s Davis Cup Final in Belgrade will be held Thursday, with the first singles rubber played on Friday. Czech Republic is the defending champion and features Tomas Berdych, Lukas Rosol, Radel Stepanek, and Jan Hajek. Suiting up for the home crowd: Novak Djokovic, Janko Tipsarevic, Nenad Zimonjic, and Ilija Bozoljac.
