Andy Murray, UK
Age: 34
ATP titles: 46
World ranking: 144
The Scots were at the peak of his career in 2016 when he won both Wimbledon and the Olympics for the second time. He took home the ATP playoffs and six more titles and reached the position of world number one. A brilliant year was crowned with his nobility.
Now Sir Andy Murray is trying to fight back after a long period of injury. He has had hip surgery and is coming to Stockholm on a wild card.
“I do not think there are many who would be able to play with a metal hip,” he recently told ATP’s website.
The outspoken Murray has also been noted for raising issues such as equal prize money for women and men, and he has repeatedly corrected journalists who “forgot” the big female players in historical comparisons.
– Until Friday, Alexander Zverev had won 27 of his last 29 matches.
Photo: JB Autissier / Imago
Alexander Zverev, Germany
Age: 24
ATP titles: 18
World ranking: 4
The world four is still waiting for its first Grand Slam title. But he can boast of being the reigning Olympic champion after this summer’s victory in Tokyo, where he defeated this year’s superb Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. Zverev is in great shape and had before Friday’s quarterfinals in Paris won 27 of his last 29 matches, most in straight sets.
But the success is marred by the fact that he is currently being investigated by ATP after accusations from his ex-girlfriend Olga Sharipova about mental and physical abuse (see separate article).
– Casper Ruud is now eight in the world.
Photo: Mathias Schulz / Imago
Casper Ruud, Norway
Age: 22
ATP titles: 6
World ranking: 8
With five ATP titles, the Norwegian is the most victorious player on this year’s tour. And when Ruud won the competition in San Diego in October, he also showed that it is not only gravel that counts, but that he can also win on hardcourt.
For a couple of years now, he has passed father Christian as Norway’s foremost tennis player of all time.
“It’s fun that Norway is good at other things than skiing,” Ruud said in a DN interview in May.
– Jannik Sinner, a great man of the future.
Foto: Vladimir Simicek
Jannik Sinner, Italy
Age: 20
ATP titles: 5
World ranking: 9
Recently 20 years old, Sinner was singled out as one of the heirs to the star trio Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
He is the fifth Italian after Adriano Panatta, Corrado Barazzutti, Fabio Fognini and Matteo Berrettini to make it into the top 10 in the world, and the youngest.
– He has proven that he is the future of the sport, Djokovic said earlier this year about Sinner.
Sinner is registered for the Stockholm Open with the proviso that he can withdraw if he qualifies for the ATP finals in Turin. Right now he is ninth on the list where the top eight can be included.
Hubert Hurkacz, Poland
Age: 24
ATP titles: 4
World ranking: 10
After Wojtek Fibak, who was a contemporary of Björn Borg, Hurkacz is the second Pole to make it to the men’s top 10 list. Fibak never reached higher than tenth place, so Hurkacz has every chance of becoming the country’s highest ranked of all time.
Hukracz has lifted as many as 25 places during the year and reached this summer’s semifinals at Wimbledon. Then, in the quarterfinals, he crushed Roger Federer’s dreams of a perhaps final Grand Slam on grass.
– Felix Auger-Aliassime donates five dollars to charity for every point won on the ATP Tour.
Foto: Christophe Saidi/Shutterstock
Felix Auger-Aliassime, Canada
Age: 21
ATP titles: 0
World ranking: 11
Like Jannik Sinner a player with top 3 potential. But maybe there are questions about how mentally strong the 21-year-old is? Auger-Aliassime has already reached eight ATP finals – but lost all of them. In fact, only one player on the tour has a worse final result: the Frenchman Julien Benneteau who in 2018 retired with 0-10 in the final column.
Auger-Aliassime, whose father was born in Togo, has been donating five dollars (approximately 43 Swedish kronor) per point earned during the season to charity since 2020. According to the company BNP Paribas, which also donates 15 dollars per point, the Canadian has so far won 9,678 points.
– Denis Shapovalov was a disappointment, however.
Photo: Sipa
Denis Sjapovalov, Canada
Age: 22
ATP titles: 1
World ranking: 19
Tremble in Sweden in the Davis Cup play-offs in Madrid. On November 25, Sweden meets a Canada that in its squad nominated Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov. A tough task to say the least for the brothers Ymer & Co.
Left-handed Shapovalov has a spectacular style of play, where he often jumps in his one-handed backhand. He led Canada to the Davis Cup final in 2019 (loss to Spain) and the same year he took home the Stockholm Open. His coach for many years was mother Tessa, who is still on the coaching staff.
Sjapovalov’s girlfriend is Mirjam Björklund, the second highest ranked Swede on the WTA tour.
Grigor Dimitrov, Bulgaria
Age: 30
ATP titles: 8
World ranking: 30.
The physical masterpiece was long believed to be able to challenge the really big stars, but the breakthrough has not come. After the career-high third place in the ranking in 2017, it has gone down, much due to subsequent injuries.
Dimitrov fell ill last year in covid-19 in connection with Novak Djokovic’s show tournament in Serbia, and he has told of long-term side effects.
But the 30-year-old now seems to be in good shape. On Thursday, he pushed the world four Alexander Zverev in Paris in a long three-seater.
Elias Ymer, Sweden
Age: 25
ATP titles: 0
World ranking: 167
Little brother Mikael Ymer turned down the Stockholm Open, but on Thursday it became clear that Elias will receive a wild card, just like the Finnish one Emil Ruusuvuori. Ymer enters the main tournament as the only Swede. Blue and yellow jumps in the qualifying game that starts on Saturday are Leo Borg and Simon Freund.
Other players in the Stockholm Open with a high ranking:
13) Cameron Norrie, UK, 15) Diego Schwartzman, Argentina, 24) Daniel Evans, UK, 26) Taylor Fritz, USA, 27) Lorenzo Sonego, Italy.
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