Football’s premier individual award, the Balon d’or was decided three weeks ago, with Ousmane Dembele taking it home for the first time. Following that, I saw a post on Instagram “If the UFC had a Balon d’or” (they do award a ‘fighter of the year’). Nonetheless, it got me thinking. So, in that light, here are my thoughts on the last 15 years of the ‘racquette d’or’ (yes, the ATP does award a player of the year too).
2010- Rafa Nadal
According to Nadal, 2010 wasthe best year of his career and maybe one of the best calendar years ever. In this year, he took home three grand slams, became the first man ever to win a slam on each surface in the same year and his US Open win made him the youngest man ever to complete the ‘career slam’. On top of this, his clay season, (as usual) was exceptional, winning the masters in Madrid & Rome, before crowning it off with another Roland Garros title. Unsurprisingly, he’d end the year as world #1.
2011- Novak Djokovic
This was the year that Novak Djokovic really came on the scene. Granted, he won the Australian open in 2008, but this was the first of his three-grand-slam years. Like mentioned, it wasn’t his first win down under, but this year he took home his first titles from Wimbledon and New York. Once again, unsurprisingly, he’d finish as year end #1.
2012- Andy Murray
Maybe, this one’s a little bit biased, but this year the slams were split evenly amongst the big four. Murray’s getting my nod however, he’d take no shame in losing a Wimbledon final to Roger Federer, but he’d get some revenge a month later beating him on centre court to take home his first Olympic gold. He’d also win a silver at the mixed doubles. To top it off, he’d win his first ever Grand Slam, beating Djokovic in the final of the US Open.
2013- Rafa Nadal
Two more slams this year for, in my opinion, the greatest (male) tennis player of all time. As well as his usual Roland Garros win, he took home the US Open again. He’d also win the most titles of anyone on tour and regain his #1 spot by year end.
2014- Novak Djokovic
One of the harder ones to pick here. Djokovic ended up taking home his second Wimbledon title, whilst also being the year-end #1 and ATP finals champion.
2015- Novak Djokovic
Another season where Djokovic won three out of four slams. He’d lose the Roland Garros final to Stan Warwinka which delayed his ‘career slam’ (for another year), but like Nadal’s 2010 season- and virtually any early 2000s Federer season, this is widely regarded as one of the best tennis seasons ever.
2016- Andy Murray
This one’s definitely not biased. Murray’s 2016 season is universally agreed to be his personal best and that he was the best in the world that year. He made the final of three grand slams (Roland Garros for the first time) and took home his second Wimbledon title as well as his second Olympic gold, but he’d seriously clean up after the US Open, winning every single tournament he entered afterwards which saw him end the year as #1 and year-end champion.
2017- Roger Federer
His first appearance on this list, which in no way diminishes his monumental career. 2017 was a redeeming year for Federer. At this point in his career, he’d really started to struggle with injuries and inactivity which lead to him entering the Australian Open as the 17th seed. It was at this tournament that he won his first Grand Slam for five years. He’d also win that year’s Wimbledon, his eighth and final title on centre court, the most of any male singles player. The end of year ATP awards would see Federer awarded ‘comeback player of the year’.
2018- Roger Federer
During the 2018 season, Djokovic won two slams and on paper, Federer’s season isn’t ground-breaking. However, I’m going for Federer as his 2018 Australian Open title was his 20th and final Grand Slam, making him the first man to reach the 20 mark. The 2018 win down under was also the first time he had defended a slam in ten years, clinching his sixth Australian Open.
2019- Novak Djokovic
In 2019, Djokovic and Nadal split the slams at two each, but I’ve given it to Djokovic on the basis he beat Nadal and Federer in his finals, whilst also taking home the ATP player of the year award.
2020- Dominic Thiem
COVID-19 largely uprooted the tour suspention from March- August. I’ve given it to Dominic Thiem for a change because at this point in time, he’d been on the rise for a couple of years. Having lost his fair share of grand slam finals, he flipped that and in 2020, he sealed the US Open from two sets down in the final. It’s a real shame how Thiem’s career panned out from here with his injury struggles, but he’ll always have that one grand slam- which is more than a lot of great players can say.
2021- Novak Djokovic
For the third time in his career, Djokovic won three slams in a season. He’d also be the only “big three” member to make a slam final this season. The most impressive of the three wins must’ve been the Roland Garros win against Tsitsipas from two sets down. Regrettably, the one he didn’t win was when he lost the US Open final to Danil Medvedev, which stopped him doing ‘the calendar slam’, which would’ve made him the first to do it since Rod Laver way back in 1969. Of course, he could’ve achieved this in 2015 too.
2022- Rafa Nadal
This is the last season he’d win a slam, winning the first two of the year. His 2022 Australian Open win is an extremely famous one, beating Medvedev from two sets down, and it also marked the second time he’d completed the career slam and put him ahead on the all-time slams list at 21- before winning his 22nd the same year. Of course, he won Roland Garros too. Interestingly, the ATP player of the year in 2022 was a young Carlos Alcaraz, who won the US Open and became the youngest ever world #1 aged just 19.
2023- Novak Djokovic
The FOURTH(!) Time Djokovic had won three slams in a year (at the time of writing). This was also the last time he’d win a slam, but this campaign helped him reach the top of all time slams won as he won his 22nd, 23rd and 24th title in 2023. Each of his three slam wins were all achieved in straight sets, with the one he didn’t win, being a final loss (again) to Carlos Alcaraz in five sets. 2024 was a rare title-less season for him, so I’m sure he’ll look back on 2023 with fondness.
2024- Jannik Sinner
The start of a new generation. The first of two seasons in a row where Sinner and Alcaraz split the slams, but this one must go to Sinner for how completely dominant he was. He’d go 73-6 this season, winning both the hard court slams. After Roland Garros 2024, he’d become world #1 for the first time, which he’d hold until this year’s US open. To top off the season, he’d win the year end finals in Turin.
2025- Carlos Alcaraz
This may be a bit premature as the season hasn’t ended yet, but I’m not sure how it can go to anyone else really. Alcaraz enjoyed a lot of the limelight in the early parts of the season with Sinner’s suspension, his clay season was absolutely fantastic- winning in Monaco, Rome and Roland Garros. The Roland Garros win was truly brilliant; it may have been the greatest tennis final ever as he beat Sinner from two sets down to defend the title. There’s so much to talk about with that final, such as saving three championship points and winning after five-and-a-half hours in the pair’s first ever grand slam final meeting (they’ve met in the last three now). After losing the Wimbledon final to Sinner, he’d bounce back by beating him in the Cincinnati and then the US Open finals with dominant performances. The win in New York was Alcaraz’s sixth slam at only 22- which puts him clear of what Federer and Djokovic had achieved at that age, he’ll no doubt win the most titles on tour this year and has reclaimed the #1 spot.
Going forward, I wonder who else I’ll give this fictional award to, I think it’ll follow even less variety than the last 15 years and like I said in another article, I think the Sinner/ Alcaraz rivalry will follow a narrative closer to Messi & Ronaldo than tennis’ ‘big three’, so I think, like the slams, Sinner and Alcaraz will split this award for years to come.
