Ranking the Top 10 Men's Players After Australian Open 2017
The 2017 Australian Open men's final was one for the ages as Roger Federer defeated Rafael Nadal in a five-set classic that redeemed his heartbreaking loss to the Spaniard in the 2009 Australian Open climax.
It's the Swiss Maestro's most amazing major title, defeating his longtime antagonist and finding solace to go with the sheer joy he displayed in winning the title.
The Fedal renaissance also shakes up the top 10, showing that the two legends could overcome injury-racked 2016 seasons and drive for major titles.
They will leapfrog other stars who have achieved their ATP ranking with healthier and consistent results since last year, but who have not shown they have the same major-winning ceiling.
The Big Four is still the power family of tennis, and then there is everyone else. The Golden Age continues.
Our Bleacher Report top-10 rankings are compiled from two primary factors. First, it weighs recent player performances, especially the Australian Open. Second, how are the players expected to play in the upcoming weeks? Nobody wants to play a hot player whose confidence is riding high.
Here are the best 10 players in tennis following Melbourne’s unforgettable classic.
Missing the Cut
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A few worthy players fall short of the top 10. Marin Cilic is ranked No. 7 in the ATP but he's been trending down since November's Davis Cup collapse against Juan Martin del Potro.
The Croatian lost an uninspiring match in Chennai, India, survived a five-setter in the first round at Melbourne and was unceremoniously dumped by Dan Evans in the second round.
Cilic is not expected to play as well in the first half of the year, especially in spring's clay-court season. He's still a force, but his eyes will light up more when Wimbledon and summer heats up.
David Goffin deserves congratulations for getting the ATP's No. 10 ranking for the first time after a nice run to the Australian Open quarterfinals. He was then overpowered by rising talent Grigor Dimitrov. Goffin's been a solid performer for a year, but he lacks the punch to beat the top superstars on a consistent basis.
And let's forget about Nick Kyrgios until he earns his way into the top 10. He's got a long way to go on that count.
10. Dominic Thiem
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Austrian Dominic Thiem still does not look like the player who rode a clay-court wave to the French Open semifinals and a top-10 ranking.
He opened 2017 by splitting four matches at Brisbane and Sydney, both in Australia, losing a tough three-setter to Dimitrov in the former. He fell to Goffin in the fourth round of the Australian Open.
So why give Thiem the nod over Goffin? His orange-and-white tennis attire is not top-10 caliber material, but the future should bring better change.
Thiem has greater potential in the weeks and months ahead. He's got power and grit to compete on clay, and he was a semifinalist at last year's French Open. Once he gets his groove, he's capable of winning big titles.
Besides, you might have heard that one-handed backhands are trending up.
9. Alexander Zverev
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Lost in Nadal's march to the Australian Open final was his third-round win over 19-year-old sensation Alexander Zverev.
The wiry German has the footwork, big strokes and talent to compete at the very highest level, and he also showed his mettle in those five gritty sets. Finally, he cramped up, and Nadal had enough left to close him out in the final frame.
Zverev is officially listed at No. 22, but he's ready to beat top-10 players right now. He won a title in St. Petersburg, Russia, in September against Stan Wawrinka after the Swiss won the U.S. Open title. Nobody will want to play him at Indian Wells in California, Miami or big clay-court tournaments in the spring.
"That was a great fight," Zverev said following the Nadal loss, per ATP World Tour. "There are a lot of positives in this match. I think he's probably one of the fittest tennis players in the history of the game. Obviously I wanted to win. I could have won."
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8. Kei Nishikori
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Glass half full or half empty? There's no shame in losing a fourth-round match to Federer, but it also illustrates why Kei Nishikori has only played in one major final (the 2014 U.S. Open) in his career.
The Japanese star was up two breaks in the first set but rushed his attack and let Federer back into the first set. It was impatience and nerves. Even with younger legs, he could not grind out nor punch through the Swiss Maestro. He should have been the fresher player in the fifth set, but he faded when it mattered.
Expect more consistent winning at mid-majors and during the clay-court season. He could absolutely compete for the French Open title, but he needs to keep lifting his game and take a page from the biggest superstars when it's time to close out big matches.
7. Milos Raonic
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Another snakebite against a legendary player when Grand Slam opportunities heat up—Milos Raonic has had a year of painful near-misses in more ways than one.
In 2016, he lost a five-set semifinal match at Melbourne, the Wimbledon final and the World Tour Finals to Andy Murray. He also dealt with perpetual injuries, which is turning out to be a rewind for 2017.
The Canadian star came into Melbourne ranked No. 4 but lost three tight sets to Nadal in the quarterfinals. He also came away talking about an adductor injury once again, and that followed a fever he had during the week, according to Tennis.com.
On one hand, Raonic has improved to be more than just a big server. He's improved his timing and sense for attacking with admirable work ethic, and he is showing the desire and ability to be a future major-title winner.
Wimbledon looks like a great chance, but for now he has to get healthy, find a way past the Big Four and hold off other rising talents like Dimitrov and Zverev.
6. Grigor Dimitrov
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Before 2017, Dimitrov was already moving his way back inside the top 20. He was the most impressive player before Melbourne, winning Brisbane with three consecutive matches over top-10 players Thiem, Raonic and Nishikori.
He upped the ante with a semifinal run in the Australian Open where he fought toe-to-toe in a five-hour, five-set classic against Nadal. There were important takeaways from that match.
Dimitrov's backhand power and depth has improved significantly and supplements his fluid forehand and A-level serve. He has remarkable defensive tenacity that might rank just behind Novak Djokovic and Murray.
The key is that he must continue to impose himself on the baseline and stay fearless. He's very close to joining the top stars, and he should be just starting his peak.
Dimitrov has edged past Raonic as the favorite player to get that breakthrough slam. He can compete on all surfaces and is finally showing the conditioning and belief to be a star.
5. Stan Wawrinka
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Maybe Wawrinka is still not getting the respect he deserves.
He's the reigning U.S. Open champion, a title that marked his third major in three years at three different venues. He battled his way back to a fifth set in the Australian Open semifinals on a knee injury that needed bandaging after the second set. He finally lost to Federer after a gutsy display.
Wawrinka also moves up to No. 3 in the ATP Rankings, but he falls behind the Big Four once again in the pecking order for winning major titles.
Most tennis observers would list him behind Nadal at the French Open or Federer at Wimbledon, but he's also more likely to beat Djokovic at the French Open or stay healthier than Fedal to win big matches in the second week at the U.S. Open.
His durability matters, even if he's not consistent enough to be the No. 1 player. Stan the Man is a tough winner with plenty left to bust the best laid plans of the Big Four. That's probably the way he likes it.
4. Rafael Nadal
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The chase to catch Federer's career major total is really over now after Federer moved ahead 18-14, but take nothing away from Nadal's incredible comeback fortnight at the Australian Open.
He played three five-set matches and was up a break in the fifth set in the final, but he clearly ran out of gas while Federer elevated his game.
It won't be easy for Nadal to recover from missing his chance at the double career major once again. His body will be fatigued, and there will be disappointment—even with so much heart, restoration of confidence and deserved acclaim for all that he represents in tennis.
Is Nadal now the favorite for the French Open? Today, yes, but so much will depend on staying healthy and playing with fresh legs in May and June. He's going to target his favorite tournaments prior to Roland Garros, but he must be cautious that he does not burn himself out before going after that 10th Musketeers' Cup.
It was a special return by Nadal, a gift for all tennis fans around the world. Maybe he's got that last major title left in his arsenal. It's the least the tennis gods can offer.
3. Roger Federer
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The superlatives for Federer cannot be numbered. He has reinvented so many subtleties to his game, to play with such variety, poise and offensive pressure, and most of all to erase so many of the demons with past losses to Nadal. Simply remarkable.
The match was unique in another respect. We've wondered what it would have been to see Federer and Nadal battle it out on the faster U.S. Open hard courts during their prime years. In some ways, this was a close approximation with the way Melbourne's Plexicushion surface played—faster and without as many high hops to trouble the Federer backhand.
Federer picked his spots to come in, but he won from the baseline with blistering pace that hearkened back a decade.
He's the complete champion, more than ever the standard that has redefined tennis in the 21st century.
Going forward, Federer looks like the favorite on any fast surface. With Djokovic struggling, Federer's belief will be as strong as ever to go after Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
Like Nadal, he will need to take care of his body, pace himself and peak for his priorities, but the floodgates to his mental confidence has been opened once again.
Appreciate the Swiss Genius each and every match for as long as he plays. There will never be another like him, and for the majority of tennis observers, he's a deserving front-runner to be considered the greatest player of all time.
2. Novak Djokovic
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It's not like Djokovic is done winning majors, but he's no longer in that Grand Slam zone well ahead of the rest of the ATP tour. His struggles in the second half of 2016 are well documented, but he did come back and defeat Murray in the Doha final in Qatar before the Australian Open.
Then he got ousted in the second round by a fearless Denis Istomin who played with nothing to lose. Former coach Boris Becker said on Eurosport that Djokovic was "way too defensive and way too passive."
Djokovic will figure things out and win another major title, but it's going to take more hard work and renewed commitment. He needs time, fearless hitting and big-match wins to reinstate his dominance.
Nothing should awaken his competitive spirit more than watching Federer vs. Nadal in the Australian Open final.
Djokovic is the superior player to Murray, but he does not deserve to rise above him for the No. 1 ranking in the near future—not until he bags a couple of Masters 1000 titles or defends his French Open crown. Anything else is just window dressing.
But tennis fans know the Serb is the most complete player in tennis, a brilliant returner and offensive thinker. King Novak will be back on a Grand Slam post-tournament ceremony, holding up the winner's trophy.
1. Andy Murray
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It wasn't going to be easy for Murray in 2017, but he has to be bitterly disappointed in losing a fourth-round match to journeyman Mischa Zverev—especially after his biggest rival Djokovic had already been eliminated.
Despite his comfortable lead with the No. 1 ranking, the super Scot only has the 2016 Wimbledon title in the exclusive battle for majors in the past year. With the double resurgence of Nadal and Federer, Murray's quest for the French Open and Wimbledon probably became twice as difficult.
But don't dismiss Murray's dogged resilience. He has spent his entire career looking up at his Big Three rivals; the only difference is that his hot streak late in 2016 has him sitting in the top spot, at least for the moment.
He's No. 1, but few observers will list him as the best player or the favorite to win any of the majors. So he will be banking on his health, drive and consistency, hoping for more major-winning chances while he keeps playing his best tennis.
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