Ranking the 5 Most Physically Gifted Tennis Players on the ATP Tour in 2015
The ATP Tour does not suffer for a lack of physically gifted players. This slideshow will rank the top five heading into the 2015 season.
Young star Nick Kyrgios showed his potential in flashes last year, most notably in his win against Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon.
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer sit first and second in the ATP Tour rankings and are both deserving of a place in this list.
Honourable mentions could go to any number of the top 10, including Kei Nishikori and Andy Murray, while David Goffin and Milos Raonic could also be worthy of inclusion after excellent seasons.
The following slides will rank players on endurance, ability and flashes of physical prowess that made them stand out from the crowd in 2014.
5. Nick Kyrgios
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Although injury will prevent him from showcasing his talent at the Hopman Cup, Nick Kyrgios has already proved that he is among the most gifted players on tour.
John McEnroe ought to know a star when he sees one, which makes his glowing assessment of the Australian worth taking note of.
McEnroe told The Daily Telegraph, "When I saw him at Wimbledon, when he made his breakthrough, I thought this guy is going to be top five in the world for sure."
Of course, his four-set victory over Nadal at Wimbledon is the driving force behind his inclusion here, too. His audacity in the fourth-round match, underpinned by an outrageous shot played through his legs, has given audiences hope that he will fulfill his potential.
4. Grigor Dimitrov
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Grigor Dimitrov's merciless dispatching of Andy Murray at Wimbledon and progression to the semi-finals was one of many moments in 2014 that showed the Bulgarian to be one of the game's most physically gifted players.
Peter Bodo of ESPN.com pointed out Dimitrov's impressive form on different surfaces, believing he is "versatile enough to be a factor at all big events."
Take the fact that he is one of the younger players on tour at age 23 with his impressive record of reaching the quarter-final stage or further in 10 out of his 21 tournaments last year, and it is hard to doubt his physical prowess.
3. Rafael Nadal
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Injuries may have hampered part of Rafa Nadal's year, but he is still one of the game's most physically gifted players.
Another French Open title kept his Grand Slam total ticking over, with a 15th major this year a strong possibility if he can keep his injury worries at bay.
Jimmy Arias told CNN.com, via Ravi Ubha and Isa Soares, that Nadal seemed as if he would be finished with tennis by his mid-20s because "his game was such a grind mentally and physically," but his "psychological strength" saved him.
While this corroborates the fighter image often attached to Nadal, if his body were not so strong, then it would not matter how tough his mind was.
That he pushed Stan Wawrinka in the Australian Open final despite injury and an inability to serve lends itself as much to his physicality as his mentality. Few would have carried on the way he did.
Nadal's physicality remains an integral part of his game that sets him apart from his peers.
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2. Novak Djokovic
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It would be hard to compile any tennis rankings that reward endurance and ability and not mention the world No. 1.
Novak Djokovic is more than just that, though. As with Ed Caeser's comments about John Isner and Nicolas Mahut's marathon match at Wimbledon 2010, numbers only tell you so much. In Djokovic's case, the numbers are still pretty impressive.
Seven titles, including the World Tour Finals walkover against Roger Federer and four Masters 1000 wins, have kept Djokovic comfortably atop the rankings.
His devastating ability in covering every inch of the court, combined with crunching forehands and a knack for returning the ball in situations that would conspire against most players, makes him one of the most physically gifted players on tour.
Kevin Mitchell wrote for The Guardian that "in the jungle of modern tennis Djokovic is not only the best but the strongest."
While Mitchell's assertion is one that is widely agreed upon, there is another factor that the player on the following slide possesses that edges him ahead of Djokovic in the physicality stakes.
1. Roger Federer
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Roger Federer's menace may have dipped slightly, but at 33 years old he remains atop the physicality pile.
His game is remarkably strong given his age, and that keeps him ahead of Djokovic in this particular list. He claimed five titles in 2014 and came close to his 18th Grand Slam at Wimbledon.
This is not the work of an average 33-year-old. In most individual sports, Federer would have been consigned to the has-been section of rankings long ago.
He is still in the top 10 for most of ATP's MatchFacts categories, taking the top spot in second-serve points won and sitting third in the break points saved category.
Paul Malone wrote for The Courier Mail that Federer "would become the oldest man in more than 40 years to win a Grand Slam singles trophy if he takes out the Australian Open."
Would anyone put it past him?
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