PETE ZIEBRON
Heading in to 2020, six players in particular intrigue me with respect to what they may be able to accomplish in the new tennis season.
Regarding the ATP, these players are: Denis Shapovalov, Andrey Rublev and Nick Kyrgios. On the WTA side, they include: Dayana Yastremska, Karolina Pliskova and Venus Williams.
Today, on the last day on this decade, Tennis Acumen will elaborate a bit on the ATP players.
Denis Shapovalov closed 2019 on an absolute tear. In October he earned his first career ATP title in Stockholm, winning all eight sets en route to hoisting the trophy. A few weeks later at the ATP Paris Masters 1000, he reached the final, losing to then world #1 Novak Djokovic. The Canadian defeated #12 Fabio Fognini, #6 Alexander Zverev and #13 Gael Monfils on his way to the final.
Shapovalov is on my radar primarily since he employed the services of new coach Mikhail Youzhny in August. His results improved immediately as he went 19-9 with Youzhny compared to 19-19 without him and he enters 2020 as the 15th best player in the world.
Andrey Rublev also won his first ATP title in October in Moscow. The young Russian was starting to show signs of kicking down the door a few months earlier in Cincinnati when he defeated Stan Wawrinka and Roger Federer on consecutive days to reach the quarterfinals. Rublev needed to qualify for the main draw in Cincinnati but continued to steady his game throughout the week.
Following his run in Ohio, Rublev would post notable wins over: #8 Stefanos Tsitsipas and Nick Kyrgios at the US Open, former USA Open Champion Marin Cilic in Moscow and over #9 Roberto Bautista Agut in Davis Cup play. Rublev enters 2020 with a ranking of world #23.
Nick Kyrgios 2019 highlights include two titles. In February, he won Acapulco where he defeated #2 Rafael Nadal, #9 John Isner and #3 Alexander Zverev. After going just 5-7 after the win in Mexico, Kyrgios would not start playing well until late July when he would win the Washington 500. Here, in the nation's capital, he defeated Tsitsipas in the semifinal and Daniil Medvedev in the final. Medvedev would go on to win 25 of his next 27 matches. Following his title in Washington, Kyrgios would close the year with just five wins in ten matches.
Kyrgios has just 50 points to defend until late February and begins 2020 with a world ranking of #30.