ATP Trivia Time!

[MargaretMcAleer]

I was surprised Noah was so tall. I thought of him, and Guga, but decided not to google. I also read the spoiler, and was shocked by the shortest! That is someone who played much taller to me, on TV, or in memory.

I actually remembered Noah being tall and finally I got 1 right answer lol!

 

[rafanoy1992]

If I could add to this:

Who is the two youngest male players in the Open Era to reach a slam final on Clay, Grass, and HC in the SAME season?

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

The youngest was Borg in 1978. 2nd is literally a tie between Courier (1993) and Sinner (2025).

Edit: I just realized if Carlos makes the final at the US Open, the answer would change to him and Borg.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

If I could add to this:

Who is the two youngest male players in the Open Era to reach a slam final on Clay, Grass, and HC in the SAME season?

Hello long time no see, I hope you are well
I hope you are coming back to TF you have been missed!

 

[El Dude]

Haven't done this in awhile. Not a question, just a random trivia tidbit.

2025 is only the fifth time there have been five new Masters winners in a year since 1990 (with a chance for a sixth in Paris, would be a first in the 1990-present "official Masters era"):

1991: Jim Courier, Sergi Bruguera, Karol Novacek, Emilio Sanchez, Guy Forget
1998: Carlos Moya, Albert Costa, Petr Korda, Richard Krajicek, Greg Rusedski
2001: Juan Carlos Ferrero, Andrei Pavel, Albert Portas, Tommy Haas, Sebastien Grosjean
2022: Fabio Fognini, Carlos Alcaraz, Pablo Carreno Busta, Borna Coric, Holger Rune
2025: Jack Draper, Jakob Mensik, Casper Ruud, Ben Shelton, Valentin Vacherot

All 25 men were not only first time Masters winners, but first time big title winners. Below is a list of years in which 6 or more players won their first big titles:

Seven first-time big title winners...
1991: Masters as above. Michael Stich won his first at Wimbledon, and David Wheaton his one and only at the Grand Slam Cup.

Six first-time big title winners...
1997: Rios, Corretja, Woodruff, and Korda won Masters, and Kuerten and Rafter won their first as Slams.
2001: As above for Masters, plus Hewitt at Wimbledon.

 

[El Dude]

And on the other side of the spectrum:

Seasons with no new big title winners (1990-2025):
1995: This was the year that Sampras, Agassi, and Muster just dominated, winning 4 big titles a piece. Andrei Medvedev, Boris Becker, and Goran Ivanisevic won one each.
2011: Peak Big Four Era. Novak dominated with 8, his second best total; the other three won 2 each.
2013: Peak Big Four Era, with Rafa winning a career high 7 big titles, Novak 5, Andy 2. Roger had his first season since 2001 that he didn't win a big title.
2015: Novak's greatest year, winning an Open Era best of 10. Murray won 2 and Federer and Wawrinka 1 each.
2016: The Djokurray year, Novak and Andy winning 6 each. Rafa, Wawrinka, and Cilic won one each, but none their first.
2020: A short season with only 7 big titles, no firsts (Thiem won his first Slam, but had won a Masters the year before).

Seasons with only one new big title winner (1990-2025):
2004: Gaston Gaudio at Roland Garros
2007: Fedal dominance: Roger won six big titles, Rafa four. Only Novak won his first big title at Miami, and a second later in the year. David Nalbandian won two Masters, but had won the ATP Finals two years before.
2009: Early Big Four era. Only Del Potro won his first big title that year.
2012: Peak Big Four - Novak 5, Roger 4, Rafa 3, Andy 2. David Ferrer won his lone big title.

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

2011: Peak Big Four Era. Novak dominated with 8, his second best total; the other three won 2 each.
2013: Peak Big Four Era, with Rafa winning a career high 7 big titles, Novak 5, Andy 2. Roger had his first season since 2001 that he didn't win a big title.
2015: Novak's greatest year, winning an Open Era best of 10. Murray won 2 and Federer and Wawrinka 1 each.

I'd argue 2011 is Novak's greatest year due to competition. The deciding factor for me is that Nadal was very near his peak in 2011, while he was well on the decline in 2015.

 

[El Dude]

I'd argue 2011 is Novak's greatest year due to competition. The deciding factor for me is that Nadal was very near his peak in 2011, while he was well on the decline in 2015.

It is a valid perspective. This is where I would differentiate between peak level and best year. The latter can be derived statistically, but the former is harder to pinpoint. I think that it is hard to get around the stats of Novak's 2015 relative to 2011: +2 Masters, + Tour Finals, Slam F instead of SF.

But, as you say, Rafa was in his "lost years" and pretty much in his peak in 2011, which I've pointed out before is exactly the same as 2010 except against Novak (69-10 in 2010 vs everyone else, 69-9 vs everyone else in 2011).

Against Rafa, Novak was 6-0 in 2011, 4-0 in 2015. Against Roger, Novak was 4-1 in 2011 and 5-3 in 2015. Against Andy, 2-1 in 2011, 6-1 in 2015. Against the three combined, 12-2 in 2011, 15-4 in 2015. Pretty close, but a slightly better win% in 2011, and that's even more impressive when you consider that Rafa was in peak form then but a bit of a hot mess in 2015.

Anyhow, I think you can argue that Novak played at a higher level in 2011 than he did in 2015, but not that it was a better (statistical) year. Either way, he was incredible in both. They're two of the five or so best seasons in Open Era history, imo - along with Laver in 1969, McEnroe in 1984, and Roger in 2006.