The Top 5 Player of the Year male contenders of 2020

Dec 12, 2020
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The Top 5 Player of the Year male contenders of 2020

Published Dec 12, 2020

Over the past two weeks, TENNIS.com has highlighted the Top 5 men and women of 2020. In honor of a complicated yet still important year, let's take a look at who made the list.

Take a look at the women's best, and now, the men:

5

Daniil Medvedev

The Top 5 Player of the Year male contenders of 2020

The Top 5 Player of the Year male contenders of 2020

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What looked like a season to put behind him became a finish to commemorate, as Daniil Medvedev ended 2020 on a 10-match win streak, with seven Top 10 victories and a pair of significant titles.

Titles: Nitto ATP Finals, Paris Rolex Masters
Win-loss record: 28-10
Key wins: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev (x2)

4

Andrey Rublev

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The Top 5 Player of the Year male contenders of 2020

The Top 5 Player of the Year male contenders of 2020

Andrey Rublev started the season ranked No. 23 with two ATP titles to his name. Twelve months later, he stood at No. 8 with five more trophies, largely thanks to an improved mental game.

Titles: Doha, Adelaide, Hamburg, St. Petersburg, Vienna 
Win-loss record: 41-10
Key wins: Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas, David Goffin, Matteo Berrettini, Roberto Bautista Agut

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3

Rafael Nadal

The Top 5 Player of the Year male contenders of 2020

The Top 5 Player of the Year male contenders of 2020

Approaching unfamiliar circumstances on his terms, the world No. 2 made sure the world knew his sweet tooth for Roland Garros hasn’t waned, 15 years on. In winning again in Paris, he pulled even with Roger Federer's record of 20 majors.

Titles: Roland Garros, Acapulco
Win-loss record: 27-7
Key wins: Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Diego Schwartzman

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2

Dominic Thiem

The Top 5 Player of the Year male contenders of 2020

The Top 5 Player of the Year male contenders of 2020

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With a 17-2 record at the majors, his first Grand Slam title and wins over Djokovic and Nadal in London, the Austrian's 2020 was full of memorable experiences in a shortened, surreal season.

Titles: US Open
Finals: Australian Open, Nitto ATP Finals
Win-loss record: 25-9 (17-2 in Grand Slams)
Key wins: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal (x2), Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev (x2)

1

Novak Djokovic

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The Top 5 Player of the Year male contenders of 2020

The Top 5 Player of the Year male contenders of 2020

Titles: ATP Cup, Australian Open, Dubai, Cincinnati, Rome
Finals: Roland Garros
Win-loss record: 41-5 (16-2 in Grand Slams)
Key wins: Stefanos Tsitsipas (x2), Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev

To say that 2020 was a memorable year for Djokovic would be an understatement, it just might not be remembered for entirely good things despite his sizable on-court achievements.