Romain Schneider and Jean-Julien Ezvan
End clap.
London this Sunday dropped the curtain on a singular season with the coronation of Daniil Medvedev in the Masters final 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 against Dominic Thiem.
A masterful title after beating the seeds n ° 1 (Djokovic, during the group stage), 2 (Nadal in the semi-finals) and 3 (Thiem in the final).
After the epilogue of an edition that marks the end of the masters tournament in the English capital which will head for Turin in 2021, a look back at the highlights of a singular season hit by the health crisis (with economic and sports), from New York to London, via Roland-Garros.
An incredible moment
@DaniilMedwed, you are a #NittoATPFinals champion!
: @ TennisTVpic.twitter.com / cf9ITXSzYo
- ATP Tour (@atptour) November 22, 2020
Some losses hurt more than others. # NittoATPFinals
- ATP Tour (@atptour) November 22, 2020
Tennis despite the Covid-19 ...
Faced with the Covid-19 health crisis, the tennis world has long swam in fog and the specter of a white season has hovered.
It was after a five-month hiatus that the WTA women's circuit restarted in Palermo at the beginning of August.
The ATP circuit had to wait until August 21 and the Masters 1000 from Cincinnati, relocated to New York to regain its rights.
If Wimbledon was canceled, the US Open (behind closed doors) and Roland Garros (with a tonnage of 1000 spectators) with very strict protocols, took place in late summer and fall with few positive tests at Covid-19.
Among the boys, the breakage was limited since the European indoor tour came to an end with the London Masters.
With girls, it's all the same soup with a grimace.
The very lucrative end-of-season Asian tour has been canceled and a whole business model is shaken.
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For Gaudenzi, the boss of ATP, "tennis will survive the crisis"
Djokovic, heads side and heads side Tails
side, a blazing spring (18 consecutive victories allowing him to cap an 8th crown at the Australian Open), a 6th season completed in place of world No. 1 (record of Pete Sampras equaled), coronations in 2 of the 3 Masters 1000 disputed during a season deeply affected by the health crisis.
On the other side, an exclusion from the US Open in the round of 16 after involuntarily hitting a ball on a linesman, the organization of the Adria Tour (exhibition tour in the Balkans without health protocol which turns into a cluster) , positions taken for the disappearance of linesmen, matches in 5 sets or the launch of a union of players and half-hearted services at the end of the season blocked in the semi-finals of the Masters by Thiem, marked by 4 defeats in 8 matches (6-2, 6-1 elimination in the quarter-finals in Vienna by Lorenzo Sonego, 6-3, 6-3 group loss at the Masters against Daniil Medvedev) which gradually blurred the image of No. 1 worldwide.
A year between shadow and light.
Why Djokovic was disqualified
Nadal, the strength to reinvent himself
Everything seemed to upset him.
A season on earth reduced to the bare minimum (marked by an elimination in the quarterfinals in Rome against Diego Schwartzman), a Roland-Garros tournament played in damp conditions that were inconvenient for his lift, encumbered with the constraints attached to the health bubble, a program serving him a match started at 10:30 p.m. against Janik Sinner in the quarter-finals (finished at 1:28 a.m.), an ensemble that could deeply upset this man of habits and superstitions, nothing however prevented Rafael Nadal from winning a 13th title in Roland Garros.
Without losing a set.
With a lone rider in the final 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 against Novak Djokovic.
The day of his 100th victory (2 defeats) at Roland-Garros.
Rafael Nadal has, until the end of the season (semi-finalist of the Masters 1000 in Paris, then semi-finalist of the Masters) proved his incredible taste for competition, as well as his ability to bounce back and reinvent himself to stay at the top.
At 34 years old.
In a year that allowed him to celebrate (after Connors, Lendl and Federer) his 1000th tournament-winning match.
The highlights of the Roland-Garros final Nadal-Djokovic
The vitality of women's tennis
On the men's circuit, the record is scratched and it has lasted for many years.
At the heart of an upset season and with the end of the season cut off from the Asian season, the women's circuit continues to offer a formidable variety.
In the spotlight this year are the American Sofia Kenin (22 years old, winner of the Australian Open and finalist at Roland Garros) and the Polish Iga Swiatek (who at 19 won her first professional tournament at… Roland -Garros).
In the context of a constantly abused hierarchy, Serena Williams (39 years old; 11th in the world) is still chasing a 24th Grand Slam crown which would allow her to join the legendary Australian Magareth Court.
Since her coronation at the Australian Open in 2017, the American has played 4 unfortunate major finals (none in 2020).
Titled at the US Open, her compatriot Naomi Osaka is building a solid track record at 23 and settles with regularity (3 Grand Slam titles, 1 per year since 2018).
The world n ° 1, the Australian Ashleigh Barty has, for fear of the Covid-19, played only 4 tournaments (11 wins-3 losses; 1 title in Adelaide) and a single major meeting (elimination in semi -finals of the Australian Open).
The highlights of the Roland-Garros Swiatek-Kenin final
Thiem and the new generation are getting closer
They have been, for several years, expected to take center stage, to shade (a little shade) the insatiable star trio (Djokovic, Nadal, Federer) who reigns over world tennis.
In 2020, Dominic Thiem winner of his first Grand Slam title (US Open), finalist of the US Open and of the Masters, Danill Medvedev (winner of the Masters 1000 in Paris before winning brilliantly at the Masters by notably having Nadal, then de Thiem), Stefanos Tsitsipas (who pushed Djokovic in straight sets in the semifinals at Roland Garros), Alexander Zverev (semi-finalist of the Australian Open, finalist of the US Open) have, like Denis Shapovalov (12th world) or Matteo Berretini (10th), continued to advance their pawns.
The frustration at a situation that left little space for freedom has given way to growing patience and confidence in the face of the scale of the proposed challenge.
The highlights of the US OpenThiem-Zverev final
Federer an absent always very present
No offense to fans of Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer remains the undisputed star of tennis.
Even far from the circuit, the living legend is talked about.
Absent since February due to a right knee injury (requiring two operations), the Swiss has been very active with his multiple partners.
And when Federer speaks, everyone listens.
In full confinement, the man with 20 Grand Slam titles spoke of a sea serpent, the merger of the ATP and WTA circuits, and the world of tennis has revived the debate.
The Swiss resumed training at home in early November with a return to the Australian Open in sight.
Even without playing, the Balois recently started his 1000th week in the top 20. Federer writes his legend even when he's not playing.
An exploit favored by the frozen classification linked to the pandemic.
The points won in each tournament in 2019 are therefore not withdrawn in 2020 since many tournaments could not take place ... So instead of approaching the Australian Open in 27th place, Federer will wear bib 5 in Melbourne …
Federer "on track" to return to the Australian Open
The promises of the new blue wave ...
In 2020, Ugo Humbert won his first two ATP titles (Auckland in January and Antwerp in October) and also beat his first two tops 10 (Daniil Medvedev in Hamburg and Stefanos Tsitsipas in Bercy).
The 22-year-old Messin started the year 56th in the world, he finished it with a quarter-final at the Masters 1000 in Paris and a 30th place.
Fiona Ferro, 23, also reached a milestone and finished the year 42nd in the world and number one in France.
She had won both FFT Elite Challenges when the circuit was still dormant and followed with her second career title at the Palermo tournament, the official WTA repeat event.
A rib injury cut her off and deprived her of the US Open, but she advanced to the round of 16 at Roland Garros.
Sofia Kenin stopping her streak of eight consecutive victories between Palermo and Paris.
If he is not yet part of the top 100, Hugo Gaston ignited Roland-Garros by rising to the round of 16.
At 20, the Toulousain, unknown to the general public, who went from 262nd place in the world to 161st in one year, notably brought down Stan Wawrinka and gave way to Dominic Thiem, while showing an atypical game and refreshing.
Promising and to be confirmed.
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… And the twilight of the Musketeers A
year to forget for the four “Musketeers” Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gaël Monfils, Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon, who squatted the top 10 and top 20 for ten years. ) of the decline rang for players aged 34 or over.
Only Monfils still remains in contact with the best.
But for the Parisian, there was a before and an after.
Before confinement, he had gleaned two titles, in Montpellier, then in Rotterdam, 12 victories in a row.
Afterwards he was ghostly.
Back on the courts in Rome (he had overlooked the American tour), the still 11th in the world lost four matches… out of four.
Curtain.
Richard Gasquet, he ended his season on a good note and a semi-final in Sofia.
But physically, the 34-year-old can no longer succeed and it is logical that he ends 2020 in 47th place.
Gilles Simon, 35, still takes pleasure on the courts, but the results are not really there (63rd).
Two tournaments, two matches, two defeats including one retirement (at the Australian Open), and that's it.
The 35-year-old former French number one Jo-Wilfried Tsonga still suffers from the left sacroiliac joint (pelvis) - and was forced to end the season at the end of the summer.
Disturbing.
Still injured in the back, Tsonga puts an end to his season
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Calendar and results for the 2020 season