Under the Radar Players to Watch During the 2015 ATP Season
The quartet of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic capture most of the headlines and publicity in men's tennis. Their overwhelming success has left the rest of the ATP World Tour in the shadows for the last decade.
But there are players outside their circle fighting to knock them from their perch.
Because of the Big Four's presence, it's easy to overlook other contenders. While 2014 saw the rise of Stan Wawrinka, Marin Cilic, Kei Nishikori and others, the game in general has seen an influx of depth in the last 10 years. Even guys in the nether regions of the top 100 possess enough talent to stage upsets on any given day.
The following slideshow will examine five players outside the top 10 who fly under the radar but have the game to make noise in 2015.
Dominic Thiem
1 of 5
Whenever there's a discussion about the top young players on the ATP World Tour, the usual subjects are Grigor Dimitrov, Milos Raonic and Kei Nishikori.
One other name could soon be mentioned in the same breath: Dominic Thiem.
The 21-year-old Austrian may not have much experience, but he plays beyond his age. He owns power off both wings and is a consistent shot-maker and volleyer.
When he moves around the court, you can see the potential. And he's already started to put it together.
"20-year-old Dominic Thiem giving Andy Murray a game here. Good to see a young gun showing his promise on the ATP Tour. Rare sight these days
— Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) February 13, 2014"
Considering 2014 was his first season on the ATP World Tour, Thiem showed enormous growth. His best win came in Madrid with a second-round upset of Stan Wawrinka. He even made a final in his native Austria, a loss to David Goffin in Kitzbuhel.
The runner-up trophy didn't deter Thiem. Later in the summer, he made the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career at the U.S. Open.
He even qualified for eight of the nine Masters Series events, no small feat for a player with so little experience.
Though his 22-23 record looks underwhelming, he finished his first full-year at No. 39 in the world.
Wielding a big forehand and lively one-handed backhand, it won't be long before Thiem cracks the top 20 and makes more noise against the best players.
Alexandr Dolgopolov
2 of 5
Eclectic. Unpredictable. Quirky.
No one plays quite like Alexandr Dolgopolov. The sinewy Ukrainian can bring heat on his shots, but he's just as likely to fool opponents with off-speed junk; he's the tennis equivalent of a knuckleballer in baseball.
Dolgopolov's game is unrivaled in its uniqueness. His fluid service motion, loopy groundstrokes and reliance on slices and drop shots makes him an entertaining and creative player.
As ESPN's Howard Bryant wrote: "Dolgopolov, however, is an original on the tour, the antidote for anyone who believes the game has become too homogenized by interminable baseline rallies. Dolgopolov never hits the same shot twice. No two shots ever use the same footwork."
That originality led him to massive takedowns of Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer this past spring.
In Rio de Janeiro, Dolgopolov ousted Ferrer in the semifinals with a commanding 6-4, 6-4 win. He fell in the final to Nadal but redeemed himself in Indian Wells with a shocking three-set win over the Spaniard in the third round.
"Huge upset at the #BNPPO14 .. defending champ Nadal ousted by Alexandr Dolgopolov. Who had never taken a set from Nadal in 5 previous mtgs
— Julie Buehler (@Julie_Buehler) March 11, 2014"
The win propelled Dolgopolov to a semifinal run in Indian Wells, as well as a quarterfinal showing in Miami the following week.
A knee injury suffered after Wimbledon knocked him out of all the U.S. Open Series events and slowed his return to the court in the fall. But the strength of his spring results still allowed Dolgopolov to finish the year ranked No. 23.
Once he shakes off the rust, Dolgopolov and his zany game are poised to wreak more havoc in 2015.
Kevin Anderson
3 of 5
Kevin Anderson towers over most opponents on the court.
Now, the lanky, 6'8" South African is beginning to develop an equally imposing game.
Possessing a rocket serve and blistering forehand, Anderson is a guy players dread to face. Like Ivo Karlovic or John Isner, he's a tough out because his serve is so deadly. Breaking Anderson is like trying to climb Mount Everest.
His career results have been stalled by an inconsistent backhand and return game, as well as a lack of foot speed. But in 2014, Anderson began to make progress.
This past season was his best on tour, as he posted a 38-24 record and finished inside the top 20 for the first time in his career.
The most impressive part of his year came courtesy of his brewing rivalry with Stan Wawrinka. Anderson won all three of their meetings, stopping the fourth-ranked Swiss in Indian Wells, Canada and Paris-Bercy on his way to the quarterfinals at each tournament.
".@kevinanderson18 rallies past Wawrinka 67 75 76 to reach 1st QF @bnppmasters & career-best 4th Top 10 win of yr. Next: @tomasberdych
— Greg Sharko (@SharkoTennis) October 30, 2014"
An evolving game helped Anderson topple Wawrinka and carried him to his current rank of No. 16 in the world. His backhand in particular has showed signs of improvement, which allows him to win more rallies and breaks of serve.
Anderson also played two finals this year, losing tight three-setters to Marin Cilic in Delray Beach and Grigor Dimitrov in Acapulco. He came close to lifting those trophies, and if his game keeps improving, Anderson will take home hardware in 2015.
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Roberto Bautista Agut
4 of 5
Not many players were more consistent in 2014 than Roberto Bautista Agut.
The 26-year-old Spaniard leapt over dozens of men in the rankings this past season, winning 45 matches and titles in 's-Hertogenbosch and Stuttgart. Along the way, Bautista Agut reached the fourth round at both the Australian Open and U.S. Open, as well as the finals of the Kremlin Cup and the semifinals in Madrid.
No matter the surface, Bautista Agut produced. His powerful groundstrokes made him a tough out on clay and carried him to a title on grass, but his best work came on hard courts.
His signature win arrived early in the year with a grinding five-set defeat of Juan Martin del Potro in the Australian Open second round. He followed up that result with another top-10 win over Tomas Berdych in Indian Wells.
"From being ranked 73rd in first week of the year, Roberto Bautista Agut could finish as high as No15. He got my vote for ATP Most Improved.
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) October 30, 2014"
And the ATP agreed, awarding Bautista Agut the Most Improved Played of the Year award.
His quantum jump in the rankings was aided by a penetrating forehand, which might be one of the best in the game. Because of that weapon, he was able to rack up wins against lower-ranked players and push the top guys like Nadal and Berdych.
The next step for Bautista Agut is continuing to build on that momentum and improving his overall record against top-10 opponents. He's still an unknown to casual fans, but that may soon change.
David Goffin
5 of 5
The baby-faced and wiry David Goffin looks overmatched when he steps on the court. He's listed at 5'11" but seems shorter next to his opponents.
Despite his physical limitations, Goffin has serious game.
Goffin, currently ranked No. 22, had a solid 25-15 record in Tour-level events this year. But on the Challenger circuit, the Belgian won 25 of 29 matches, spurring him to one of the all-time hot streaks in tennis history.
From July through late August, Goffin reeled off 25 straight wins. He only lost three sets in that span, capturing consecutive titles in Scheveningen, Poznan, Tampere and Kitzbuhel. It was a sizzling run that eventually ended to Jerzy Janowicz in Winston-Salem.
While most of those wins came in Challenger events, they built up his confidence and ranking.
As a result, his game took off, according to FiveThirtyEight's Carl Bialik:
"It’s not only luck and easy opposition that has propelled Goffin to new heights. It’s also his serve. He hit aces on more than one in nine service points in eight of his 14 tour-level matches on hard courts this summer. He’d done that in just three of 50 prior hard-court matches at that level. It’s a remarkable feat for a player who is 5’11.”
"
Though Goffin is small and doesn't pack a lot of muscle, he's an extremely fast and hardworking player. And that work ethic carried over past his summer run.
This fall, Goffin also won titles in Metz and Mons. But his best result wasn't a tournament win.
In Basel, he swept past Dominic Thiem and Milos Raonic on the way to his first finals appearance at a 500 series event. Though Roger Federer clinched the title, Goffin walked away with more self-belief than ever.
"So proud and honoured to be recognised by my peers as the comeback player of the year 2014. Really happy with this nice award. Thanks to all
— David Goffin (@David__Goffin) November 5, 2014"
Goffin received both acclaim and skepticism for his success at the Challenger events. Critics wondered whether those results would carry over to bigger tournaments.
If his run in Basel is any indication, Goffin may be ready to start silencing those naysayers and challenging at the Masters Series and Grand Slam levels.
All statistics are courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com unless otherwise noted.
Joe Kennard is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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