By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday November 28 2022
As we put a bow on the 2022 ATP season, we take stock of the numbers that moved the needle.
Photo Source: Getty Images
With Canada’s stunning victory at the Davis Cup – marking the nation’s first triumph in the history of the event – we can officially say goodbye to men’s tennis until the 2023 season.
It has been an amazing thrillride over the last 11 months, marked by a teenager’s rise to No.1 and a bevy of breakout performances by the tour’s top players. And, of course, there was the handiwork of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, who continued to assert themselves at the top of the sport, taking home three Slam titles and many of the biggest non-Slam titles on offer.
What did we learn? That men’s tennis is in a period of upheaval, yes, but also that the legends of the game are keen to maintain their domination whenever – and wherever – possible.
Let’s start with a review of the season by looking at some of the numbers that defined it.
22 – Rafael Nadal wins a pair of Grand Slams to move to the top of the all-time men’s singles Grand Slam titles list. The 36-year-old Spaniard celebrates on multiple levels in 2022 – he also became a father for the first time.
21 – Novak Djokovic missed a lot of key events in 2022, including two Grand Slams, but the 35-year-old managed to bring home a seventh Wimbledon title, which is his 21st major title overall. Djokovic is building a grass legacy that might one day surpass even the legend Roger Federer.
He is 86-10 overall at the Championships, and Djokovic has won 28 in succession at the All England Club (he is the fourth man in history to win four consecutive titles at Wimbledon, joining Federer, Sampras and Borg). The four-time defending champion has not lost at Wimbledon since falling to Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals in 2017.
Djokovic also won the title at the ATP Finals, tying Roger Federer on the all-time title list at that prestigious event.
20 – The length of Rafael Nadal’s season-opening win streak, which lasted until his loss to Taylor Fritz in the final at Indian Wells. Nadal’s run is the longest winning streak of his career.
32 – Did you know that Djokovic has reached more Grand Slam finals than any other male in history with 32? He is just two behind the all-time record for Grand Slam singles finals appearances, a record set and held by Chris Evert (34).
36 – Nadal was the oldest champion on tour in 2022, winning Roland-Garros at the age of 36.
897 – As of November 28, 2022, Nadal has spent nearly 900 consecutive weeks inside the Top-10, a streak that dates back to April 24, 2005.
1 – The Big Two had the run of the Slams, but one other player raised a major trophy in 2022: that would be Carlos Alcaraz, who became the youngest World No.1 in ATP history after winning his maiden Slam at the US Open. Alcaraz finishes a groundbreaking 2022 with the following records under his belt:
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At 19, youngest men’s champion in 20-year history of Mutua Madrid Open. Youngest player to defeat Djokovic and Nadal and first to do so at same clay-court event (Madrid).
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On 25 April, became the youngest player to break into Top 10 since Nadal, 18, on 25 April 2005.
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Youngest men’s champion and 1st Spanish men’s champion in 37-year history of Miami Open.
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At Miami, Alcaraz also became the third-youngest ATP Masters 1000 champion since series started in 1990.
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Thanks to his work at Miami and Madrid, Alcaraz became the second-youngest player to reach 2 ATP Masters 1000 finals in 285-event series history.
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Weeks earlier in California, Alcaraz became the second-youngest men’s semi-finalist in 46-year history of BNP Paribas Open.
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At the US Open Alcaraz became the youngest US Open men’s singles champion since Pete Sampras in 1990 and the youngest Grand Slam men’s singles champion since Nadal in 2005.
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On the day after the US Open, Alcaraz became the youngest No.1 in ATP history at the age of 19 years and 214 days.
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Alcaraz is also the youngest year-end No.1 in ATP history.
2 – Joining Alcaraz inside the Top-10 is Denmark’s Holger Rune. The achievement marks the first time two teenagers have been ranked inside the Top 10 in more than 15 years. Djokovic and Murray were last inside the Top-10 as teens on 14 May 2007.
Alcaraz, the first Dane to reach the ATP’s Top-10, won three titles in 2022. He finishes the yar at No.11 in the world.
205 – Dutchman Tim Van Rijthoven is the tour’s lowest-ranked title winner in 2022. He defeated Daniil Medvedev in the ‘s-Hertogenbosh final with a ranking of 205.
54 – American John Isner is the single-match ace leader in 2022. The Georgia Bulldog fired 54 aces in his first-round match at Wimbledon, a 676 763 46 63 75 win in the first round over Enzo Couacaud.
12 – Number of first-time winners on tour in 2022:
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Thanasi Kokkinakis (Adelaide-2)
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Alexander Bublik (Montpellier)
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Felix Auger-Aliassime (Rotterdam)
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Pedro Martinez (Santiago)
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Holger Rune (Munich)
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Sebastian Baez (Estoril)
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Tim van Rijthoven (‘s-Hertogenbosch)
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Francisco Cerundolo (Bastad)
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Maxime Cressy (Newport)
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Lorenzo Musetti (Hamburg)
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Brandon Nakashima (San Diego)
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Marc-Andrea Huesler (Sofia)
9 – Number of American men that finished the season in the ATP’s Top-50, the most since 1996.
4 – Number of singles titles won by Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime. The 22-year-old, who entered the season with an 0-8 record in ATP Finals, also won the ATP Cup, the Laver Cup and the Davis Cup.
5:24 – the longest match played on the ATP Tour in 2022 happened in the Australian Open final, as Rafael Nadal rallied from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.
24-22 – The score of the longest tiebreak played in 2022. Reilly Opelka defeated John Isner 7-6(7), 7-6(22) in the Dallas semis. The marathon breakers was the longest tiebreak in ATP history (since 1970). Opelka saved TEN SET POINTS and converted his EIGHTH MATCH POINT.
14 – Number of times a No.1-seeded player won an ATP title in 2022, compared to 16 unseeded champions. 14 is also the number of ATP singles titles won by Spanish players, which is double the amount of any other nation.
2 – For the first time in ATP rankings year-end history, Spaniards (No.1 Alcaraz and No.2 Nadal) occupy the top two spots.
360 – Number of Grand Slam rankings points that Novak Djokovic earned in 2022. The man who has held the ATP’s No.1 ranking for 373 weeks – more than any other player – is currently 2,000 points behind Carlos Alcaraz at No.5 in the world.