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ATPWorldTour.com previews the 2018 season

The 2016 battle for No. 1 finished in a sprint, with Andy Murray winning 24 consecutive matches and five consecutive titles to edge Novak Djokovic. The 2017 season also featured a two-man race, as Rafael Nadal beat out Roger Federer to finish atop the Emirates ATP Rankings for the fourth time, and, at 31, become the oldest year-end No. 1.

But the 2018 battle for the top spot hardly looks as if it will be a mano-a-mano contest. Rather, next year's fight for No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings looks as wide open as any in recent memory. The seven men who could finish on top:

Nadal

1) No. 1 Rafael Nadal

Nadal could very well back his 2017 and finish atop the Emirates ATP Rankings for a fifth time. Spoiler alert: The Spaniard will again likely pick up thousands of Emirates ATP Rankings points on the European red clay. He will be going for his 11th title at each of the following tournaments: Monte-Carlo, Barcelona and at Roland Garros. Not to be overlooked, though, Nadal's game on hard courts in 2017 was as good as anyone's. The Spaniard won two of his six titles on the surface, including his third US Open crown, which was his 16th Grand Slam trophy.

But can Nadal's body – namely his left wrist and his right knee – withstand another full season on the ATP World Tour? He's already pulled out of the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp because he needs more time to recuperate from his right-knee injury, which forced him to participate in but eventually withdraw from the final two tournaments of 2017 – the Rolex Paris Masters and the Nitto ATP Finals.

Federer

2) No. 2 Roger Federer

It's hard to imagine Federer, who will turn 37 in August, having a better season in 2018 than he did in 2017. To refresh: He played in 12 tournaments and won seven of them, including two Grand Slams – the Australian Open and Wimbledon – and three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events – the BNP Paribas Open, Miami Open presented by Itau and the Shanghai Rolex Masters. Before 2017, Federer hadn't won a Grand Slam in five years – the last coming at 2012 Wimbledon – and he hadn't captured a Masters 1000 since August 2015 (Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati).

Federer's masterful managing of his 2017 schedule was one of the keys to his success – he played in only 12 tournaments, and did so after a six-month break in 2016. Before the 2018 season, however, the Swiss right-hander will have only a six-week break. How will his back and left knee hold up with such little time to recover after his 2017?

Dimitrov

3) No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov

Say what you want about Dimitrov before 2017, but the Bulgarian officially arrived as a Top 5 player this season. He won his maiden Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati and backed it up by going unbeaten in his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals to win the biggest title of his life. On paper, he is a clear contender to compete for the year-end No. 1 spot in 2018. Dimitrov finished 2017 at No. 3 in the year-end Emirates ATP Rankings, a career high.

But he's never been in this position before, having to defend so many Emirates ATP Rankings points and having to back up a Top 5 season. How will he respond? Then again, Dimitrov had never played in the season-ending finale in London before, either, and he had no trouble finishing his year on a perfect note at The O2.

Zverev

4) No. 4 Alexander Zverev

The Grand Slam fanatics will point to his record in Slams, something Zverev has been reminded of often. The 20-year-old has never made it past the fourth round of a Grand Slam, and he's reached that stage only once, at 2017 Wimbledon. But look no further than his record in finals as a potential rebuttal: In 2017, Zverev was 5-1 in title matches, and two of those wins came against two of the best players in the world.

Zverev beat Novak Djokovic to win his first Masters 1000 title at the the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, and the 6'6” German defeated Federer to win his second Masters 1000 crown at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal. Surely, as Zverev bulks up in the off-season and gains more experience in five-set matches, his success at all tournaments, including Grand Slams, will come.

Wawrinka

5) No. 9 Stan Wawrinka

Climbing to No. 1 is one of the bullet points missing from Wawrinka's Hall of Fame resume, which includes three Grand Slam titles and a Masters 1000 trophy (2014 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, d. Federer). Wawrinka was No. 3 before he had to end his season after an early Wimbledon exit (knee injury).

Wawrinka and coach Magnus Norman have split, but the 32-year-old Swiss still has someone else very important on his side: Pierre Paganini, the trainer he shares with Roger Federer. Paganini guided Federer during his delicate recovery and comeback in 2017, and he'll try to do the same with Wawrinka next season.

Novak
6) No. 12 Novak Djokovic

The top Emirates ATP Ranking spot was Djokovic's home for 223 weeks, including four year-end No. 1 finishes (2011-12, 2014-15). And Djokovic was there as recently as 31 October 2016, before Murray took over the top place at the Rolex Paris Masters.

But the 30-year-old Serbian hasn't played a match since retiring against Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals of The Championships, Wimbledon, and just how well is his right elbow, which forced him to miss the second half of the 2017 season and had bothered him for 18 months?

Do not, however, underestimate two things about Djokovic's comeback: He has had six months to rest his mind and body, a tactic that seemed to work out well for Federer, and Djokovic appears to have his team set. After splitting with long-time coach Marian Vajda in May 2017, Djokovic has brought on former World No. 1 Andre Agassi and the recently-retired Radek Stepanek.

<a href='https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/players ... view'>Andy Murray</a>

7) No. 16 Andy Murray

The Scot surely would have preferred a more fruitful stay at No. 1. Murray, who ascended to the top place in November 2016, fell from No. 1 in August after eight months of not playing his best tennis. In 2016, Murray finished 78-9, including his 24-match win streak to end the year. In his injury-shortened 2017, the Brit went 25-10, calling it a campaign because of his lingering hip injury after a Wimbledon quarter-final loss to American Sam Querrey.

But if Murray is healthy, why not expect the Brit to once again beat the very best in men's tennis? In 2017, neither Federer nor Nadal matched Murray's 24-match win streak, and the three-time Grand Slam champion and 14-time Masters 1000 titlist relishes facing a doubting audience.

ATPWorldTour.com previews the 2018 season

The 2016 battle for No. 1 finished in a sprint, with Andy Murray winning 24 consecutive matches and five consecutive titles to edge Novak Djokovic. The 2017 season also featured a two-man race, as Rafael Nadal beat out Roger Federer to finish atop the Emirates ATP Rankings for the fourth time, and, at 31, become the oldest year-end No. 1.

But the 2018 battle for the top spot hardly looks as if it will be a mano-a-mano contest. Rather, next year's fight for No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings looks as wide open as any in recent memory. The seven men who could finish on top:

1) No. 1 Rafael Nadal

Nadal could very well back his 2017 and finish atop the Emirates ATP Rankings for a fifth time. Spoiler alert: The Spaniard will again likely pick up thousands of Emirates ATP Rankings points on the European red clay. He will be going for his 11th title at each of the following tournaments: Monte-Carlo, Barcelona and at Roland Garros. Not to be overlooked, though, Nadal's game on hard courts in 2017 was as good as anyone's. The Spaniard won two of his six titles on the surface, including his third US Open crown, which was his 16th Grand Slam trophy.

But can Nadal's body – namely his left wrist and his right knee – withstand another full season on the ATP World Tour? He's already pulled out of the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp because he needs more time to recuperate from his right-knee injury, which forced him to participate in but eventually withdraw from the final two tournaments of 2017 – the Rolex Paris Masters and the Nitto ATP Finals.

2) No. 2 Roger Federer

It's hard to imagine Federer, who will turn 37 in August, having a better season in 2018 than he did in 2017. To refresh: He played in 12 tournaments and won seven of them, including two Grand Slams – the Australian Open and Wimbledon – and three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events – the BNP Paribas Open, Miami Open presented by Itau and the Shanghai Rolex Masters. Before 2017, Federer hadn't won a Grand Slam in five years – the last coming at 2012 Wimbledon – and he hadn't captured a Masters 1000 since August 2015 (Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati).

Federer's masterful managing of his 2017 schedule was one of the keys to his success – he played in only 12 tournaments, and did so after a six-month break in 2016. Before the 2018 season, however, the Swiss right-hander will have only a six-week break. How will his back and left knee hold up with such little time to recover after his 2017?

3) No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov

Say what you want about Dimitrov before 2017, but the Bulgarian officially arrived as a Top 5 player this season. He won his maiden Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati and backed it up by going unbeaten in his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals to win the biggest title of his life. On paper, he is a clear contender to compete for the year-end No. 1 spot in 2018. Dimitrov finished 2017 at No. 3 in the year-end Emirates ATP Rankings, a career high.

But he's never been in this position before, having to defend so many Emirates ATP Rankings points and having to back up a Top 5 season. How will he respond? Then again, Dimitrov had never played in the season-ending finale in London before, either, and he had no trouble finishing his year on a perfect note at The O2.

4) No. 4 Alexander Zverev

The Grand Slam fanatics will point to his record in Slams, something Zverev has been reminded of often. The 20-year-old has never made it past the fourth round of a Grand Slam, and he's reached that stage only once, at 2017 Wimbledon. But look no further than his record in finals as a potential rebuttal: In 2017, Zverev was 5-1 in title matches, and two of those wins came against two of the best players in the world.

Zverev beat Novak Djokovic to win his first Masters 1000 title at the the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, and the 6'6” German defeated Federer to win his second Masters 1000 crown at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal. Surely, as Zverev bulks up in the off-season and gains more experience in five-set matches, his success at all tournaments, including Grand Slams, will come.

5) No. 9 Stan Wawrinka

Climbing to No. 1 is one of the bullet points missing from Wawrinka's Hall of Fame resume, which includes three Grand Slam titles and a Masters 1000 trophy (2014 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, d. Federer). Wawrinka was No. 3 before he had to end his season after an early Wimbledon exit (knee injury).

Wawrinka and coach Magnus Norman have split, but the 32-year-old Swiss still has someone else very important on his side: Pierre Paganini, the trainer he shares with Roger Federer. Paganini guided Federer during his delicate recovery and comeback in 2017, and he'll try to do the same with Wawrinka next season.

6) No. 12 Novak Djokovic

The top Emirates ATP Ranking spot was Djokovic's home for 223 weeks, including four year-end No. 1 finishes (2011-12, 2014-15). And Djokovic was there as recently as 31 October 2016, before Murray took over the top place at the Rolex Paris Masters.

But the 30-year-old Serbian hasn't played a match since retiring against Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals of The Championships, Wimbledon, and just how well is his right elbow, which forced him to miss the second half of the 2017 season and had bothered him for 18 months?

Do not, however, underestimate two things about Djokovic's comeback: He has had six months to rest his mind and body, a tactic that seemed to work out well for Federer, and Djokovic appears to have his team set. After splitting with long-time coach Marian Vajda in May 2017, Djokovic has brought on former World No. 1 Andre Agassi and the recently-retired Radek Stepanek.

7) No. 16 Andy Murray

The Scot surely would have preferred a more fruitful stay at No. 1. Murray, who ascended to the top place in November 2016, fell from No. 1 in August after eight months of not playing his best tennis. In 2016, Murray finished 78-9, including his 24-match win streak to end the year. In his injury-shortened 2017, the Brit went 25-10, calling it a campaign because of his lingering hip injury after a Wimbledon quarter-final loss to American Sam Querrey.

But if Murray is healthy, why not expect the Brit to once again beat the very best in men's tennis? In 2017, neither Federer nor Nadal matched Murray's 24-match win streak, and the three-time Grand Slam champion and 14-time Masters 1000 titlist relishes facing a doubting audience.

What a difference a year can make. Twelve months ago the tennis world wondered what Roger Federer's body and mental state would be in after a lengthy absence. Two grand slams later and seven titles earning £9.6m in prize money to bolster his bulging bank balance it leads us to one question: How had he been written off as a spent force?

As the ageless superstar heads into a new season as the favourite for a sixth Australian Open title and an unprecedented 20th grand slam, there could be no stopping the 36-year-old and here's why.
Survival of the fittest

Of the so-called 'Big Five' in the men's game, Federer is the run away healthiest member of the elite gang.

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Andy Murray's gut-wrenching decision to under go hip surgery has taken him out of the mix for five months at least but the other three players aren't exactly in fine working order.

Novak Djokovic is still dealing with pain from his elbow complaint which kept him sidelined since Wimbledon. Stan Wawrinka is showing match rustiness after spending six months on the treatment and physio table with a knee issue. World No 1 Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, couldn't complete a whole season without his troublesome knee injury flaring up again.

Blisters have also been a problem for Nadal during his practice sessions and the scorching temperatures in Melbourne will not help his situation.

Nadal was Federer's biggest rival last year but even the Spaniard was flummoxed as to how tackle the rejuvenated Swiss wonder.
Nadal holds his finger up
Nadal has blisters to contend with as well as a knee complaint Credit: Getty Images

In the four matches they played last year, Nadal won just two sets. Both came in Melbourne in their first grand slam final head-to-head since 2011.
Competition away from 'Big Five' remains weak

For all the talk of the next generation coming through in the men's game, still no man born after 1988 has yet claimed a major.

Milos Raonic, now 27, climbed to No 3 in the world rankings in November 2016 yet has reached one grand slam final in 26 attempts and reached two other semi-finals.

Grigor Dimitrov is another player of unfulfilled talent. The Bulgarian is a year younger than Raonic and while he has an all-round asethically pleasing style, hasn't flexed his muscles in the majors. A return of two semi-finals and one quarter-final showing is remarkably bleak for a player who promised so much.

The moment may have passed for Raonic, Dimitrov and even injury-struck Kei Nishikori but the new guard have time on their hands.

Alexander Zverev couldn't handle the pressure at Flushing Meadows as one of the pre-tournament favourites and fourth seed and is yet to move past the last 16 of a slam.

Russia’s Andrey Rublev and Canada’s Denis Shapovalov are exceptional explosive talents but at 20 and 18-years-old are still a season or two away from troubling and unseating Federer from his throne.

Marin Cilic was the last man other than a Big Five member to win a major back in New York in 2014. But his emotional loss to Federer in last year's Wimbledon final is likely to have left mental scars.

The most obvious player to challenge Federer's potential stranglehold could yet be Nick Kyrgios who has shown he is not intimidated to get in the Swiss master's face.
Krygios vs Federer in Miami
Kyrgios gave Federer a run for his money in Miami last year Credit: Getty Images

Kyrgios arguably provided Federer with one of his toughest matches last year in Miami and only lost on a third-set tie-break.

The mercurial Australian has started the season well with victory in Brisbane earning unlikely fans along the way.

A colourful character, the pressure of ending Australia's long search for their next men's slam champion could yet prove a task beyond his broad and bold shoulders this year at least.
A liberated force

From the moment Federer rocked up in Australia, cosying up to take a selfie with the 'world's happiest animal' his demeanour has been one of contentment.

While Federer has previously revealed he is a "little scared of dogs", he was perfectly on board with allowing a handful of quokkas at Rottnest Island clamber over him while he lined up the perfect photo that once posted on his social channels went viral.

It was all a PR ploy to promote his appearance at the Hopman Cup where Federer's liberated and carefree nature saw him win a second title in Perth, 17 years after his first success alongside Martina Hingis.

Federer has nothing left to prove in the game. He could swan through the season in exhibition mode confident in how to get the best from his ageing but seemingly ageless body.

His love of playing the game has never diminished. Even in those barren years Federer's energy and passion for tennis remained. His decision to cherry-pick his events and not chase ranking points has safeguarded his body and sustained the hunger.

"Federer is a tennis maniac," Rogers Cup tournament director Eugene Lapierre said at the end of last season.

“His agent Tony Godsick told me that recently, before one of his matches, he sent messages of support to the Swiss team 14 years and under who participated in an international competition!

“He follows everything, absolutely everything.”

That passion was also evident in his invitation to up and coming Canadian player Felix Auger-Aliassime to join him in a training session in Dubai last month.

Auger-Aliassime, who won the US Open boys' title in 2016, became the latest name in a growing list of players who have had the honour of joining Federer at his training camp during the off season.

Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis and American Jared Donaldson are two of the young guns who have been invited to train with Federer in recent times.

Federer wants to inspire the next generation to take over his mantle. But as the signs indicate, it could be some time before they are able to remove him from his perch.