WASHINGTON, November 24, 2020 (by Michael Dickens)
Imagine the feeling that comes with winning your first doubles titles as a team. Then, add this to that feeling: Your first doubles title as a team also comes at the Nitto ATP Finals. That’s what happened to Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands and Nikola Mektic from Croatia on Sunday afternoon at The O2 Arena in London.
The No. 5 seeds Koolhof and Mektic completed their debut season as a team with their first title after they beat No. 7 seeds Jurgen Melzer of Austria and Edouard Roger-Vasselin from France, 6-2, 4-6, 10-5, to win the Nitto ATP Finals trophy. It was like a dream come true.
The Koolhof-Mektic duo formed last January at the Adelaide International and by the end of the season, the Nitto ATP Finals was their third title match they had reached. Earlier, the right-handers lost their first two finals at the Open 13 Provence in Marseille and the US Open in September. By the time they lifted the champions trophy, Koolhof and Mektic completed the 2020 season with a respectable 23-13 win-loss record.
En route to winning the Nitto ATP Finals doubles crown, Koolhof and Mektic went 2-1 and finished first in Group Mike Bryan play. Then, they won their semifinal match over Marcel Granollers of Spain and Horacio Zeballos from Argentina, 6-3, 6-4.
Look at what it means 😍
Their first team title and it’s the biggest of their careers! 🏆
🎥: @TennisTV | @wesleykoolhof | @NMektic | #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/j5m1hYPckx
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 22, 2020
“[It is] a dream come true to have qualified here for this event,” Koolhof said during the trophy ceremony following the final.
“[We] managed to play some very good tennis, made it through the group stage. Won yesterday (Saturday), played a very good match yesterday. Played here the final today (Sunday), which is always a dream, to play every final But to play the final of the [Nitto ATP] Finals is very big and [we are] extremely happy to have won.”
Koolhof became the fourth Dutch doubles player to win a year-end title. He joined previous champions Paul Haarhuis, Jacco Eltingh and Jean-Julian Rojer. “Paul and Jacco were one of the best, maybe the best doubles team, before the Bryans started playing,” said Koolhof, 31, a native of Zevanaar, Netherlands who turned pro in 2008. “I think they achieved so many things and it is always nice when you walk to Centre Court here to see their names on the wall two times and even Jules Rojer is up there. He was always the one, especially in my era, that I looked up against to try to beat him. He was always No. 1 in Holland. It means a lot that I am [alongside] those three big names in Holland and that I am the last one.”
Mektic, 31, from Zagreb, who also turned pro in 2008, became the first Croatian – singles or doubles – to win a trophy at the Nitto ATP Finals. “It’s [an] unbelievable feeling. It’s not just the way to finish this year. This is something to remember throughout the whole life,” Mektic said after the trophy ceremony. “This is for sure my biggest achievement of my life and my career, so this is something that I will remember forever. It’s a great way to finish the year and [there are] a lot of reasons to celebrate now.”
Ending their season in the best way possible 🏆@wesleykoolhof | @NMektic | #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/7aJDAvGGaP
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 22, 2020
The ATP FedEx Top 10 year-end rankings
The @FedEx ATP Rankings Top 10 to end 2020.
🇷🇸 @DjokerNole
🇪🇸 @RafaelNadal
🇦🇹 @ThiemDomi
🇷🇺 @DaniilMedwed
🇨🇭 @rogerfederer
🇬🇷 @StefTsitsipas
🇩🇪 @AlexZverev
🇷🇺 @AndreyRublev97
🇦🇷 @dieschwartzman
🇮🇹 Matteo BerrettiniWho impressed you the most?
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 23, 2020
A message from Nicolas to Dominic
Congratulations @ThiemDomi on your big year, you deserve it for the effort dedication and passion that you put everyday 👏
Thanks to the whole team 🙏
See you on 2021 💪👊 pic.twitter.com/G7f2EfD4mA— Nicolas Massu (@massunico) November 23, 2020
Now it can be told
In November 2020, @DaniilMedwed went 7-0 against Top-10 players.
From November 2019-October 2020, Medvedev went 0-5 against Top-10 players.
— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) November 22, 2020
Happy Birthday messages for Billie Jean King
On Sunday, Hall of Famer Billie Jean King turned 77. How is that possible? It seems like only yesterday she was blazing a trail on the tennis court, winning Grand Slams and helping pro women’s tennis get started. Thanks to social media, we are able to read and enjoy some of the many birthday messages she received from her friends and contemporaries, such as Chris Evert, Zina Garrison, Chanda Rubin and Craig Tiley.
Happy Birthday to the fearless equality warrior @BillieJeanKing! 🎉🎂💓 https://t.co/hnpLNcXgfF
— Chanda Rubin (@Chanda_Rubin) November 22, 2020
Happy birthday to my friend, idol, mentor, therapist,etc… too many roles in my life to name! @BillieJeanKing Hoping you’re having a beautiful and meaningful day today and many more down the road!
— Chris Evert (@ChrissieEvert) November 22, 2020
Happy birthday to an inspirational trailblazer, @BillieJeanKing. Have a great day Billie Jean from the team Down Under. pic.twitter.com/JfcZ5MGMwU
— Craig Tiley (@CraigTiley) November 22, 2020
The Nitto ATP Finals in London: End of an era
As the Nitto ATP Finals completed its 12-year run at The O2 Arena on Sunday, ATP director of corporate communications Simon Higson shared his memories on Twitter in words and photos.
The 1-year Countdown Clock in 2008. Don’t ever forget where it all started @TheRealPatCash… pic.twitter.com/M17iXaVFVa
— Simon Higson (@simonhigson) November 22, 2020
The first draw ceremony – in one of the pods on the London Eye with AM & Bryan Bros. @_markpetchey helping with the proceedings. pic.twitter.com/lxJyOqCKxp
— Simon Higson (@simonhigson) November 22, 2020
We had a Fan Zone which was a hive of activity. We put on an ‘Art of Tennis’ exhibition with players’ stenciled ‘self portraits’ at an art gallery off Piccadilly Circus and then on-site at The O2. Among others, off memory I think @andyroddick‘s sold for an impressive 30K… pic.twitter.com/VP9mK0s11i
— Simon Higson (@simonhigson) November 22, 2020
The celebs flocked to @TheO2. Love this pic of Ronnie Wood with @rogerfederer. Maradona came and got booed by 17500 fans, loved it, and came back for about nine sessions in 2010. He was great to deal with! There was an incredible buzz around the event. pic.twitter.com/yjprNcTsnR
— Simon Higson (@simonhigson) November 22, 2020
. @TheBorisBecker helped us out with a few draws, on BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Radio with Chris Evans, and The One Show. He got stuck in traffic and was late, but delivered! Never in doubt #wheresBoris pic.twitter.com/37h61FIT9G
— Simon Higson (@simonhigson) November 22, 2020
The boat was a permanent fixture up until 2020 – @Nicarzani got all eight players together for a BBC Breakfast exclusive pic.twitter.com/8R8iTsoVEe
— Simon Higson (@simonhigson) November 22, 2020
London didn’t get the send-off it deserved. But the 2020 event took place, a triumph in itself. Full credit to @acphogg and @alice123palace – fellow 12-year comrades! My abiding memory is the full stadium, and the 2.8m that came. Good luck to all today – end of an era! pic.twitter.com/hl251UoZtp
— Simon Higson (@simonhigson) November 22, 2020
Thanks for the memories, London
Thank you London
Celebrating 1⃣2⃣ years of the #NittoATPFinals at @TheO2 pic.twitter.com/iLFJAMW6np
— LTA (@the_LTA) November 23, 2020
What they’re sharing on social media
Petra Kvitova / Team work <-> dream work
Teamwork ↔️ dream work 🌞 pic.twitter.com/nfRJs2vAo4
— Petra Kvitova (@Petra_Kvitova) November 22, 2020
