There are only four players inside the Top 20 of the ATP Rankings who have finished each of the past 10 years inside the Top 20. The first three are the Big Three of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. The fourth: American John Isner, who ends 2019 at World No. 19 even after missing three months due to a broken foot.

You returned to competition at the Charleston tournament this year after 13 months out following knee surgery. Was it always the intention to return at your home event?
​
“I would have liked to start a little bit sooner, maybe at a smaller tournament, but in the end it was the perfect story. Everyone says the first match back after a long break is the hardest, so I was very happy to start with a win [against Evgeniya Rodina]. I had thought about that moment for a really long time and it was even better than I had imagined.”

Court 5 at the United States Open overflowed with spectators on Monday, many standing on their tiptoes, craning their necks and waiting in lines at the small side court to get a glimpse of a teenager who holds some hope for the future of American men’s tennis.
​
Zachary Svajda is only 16, but until full-body cramps overtook him early in the third set against the veteran Paolo Lorenzi, he was the better player. ...

“For sure, he is much better than I was at age 16,” the 37-year-old Lorenzi said.