ITF

02 REVIEW OF THE YEAR REVIEW OF THE YEAR In an action-packed and emotional Davis Cup Final, Argentina achieved its long- cherished dream of winning the Davis Cup after four previous losses in deciders. Czech Republic captured its fifth Fed Cup title in six years to continue a period of almost unparallelled dominance in the women's team competition, and Germany anointed a new Grand Slam champion: Angelique Kerber, who lifted the Australian Open trophy and did the same again at the US Open to rise to No. 1 in the rankings in place of Serena Williams. There was huge anticipation for Rio 2016 among the players and fans, and the Olympic and Paralympic Tennis Events delivered on multiple levels. Despite challenges along the way, they were amazing tournaments with inspiring moments. Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro staged a remarkable return to the very top of the sport by defeating then world No. 1 Djokovic in the opening round and Rafael Nadal in the semifinals, before falling to Murray in the gold medal match. Nadal himself bounced back from injury to win the gold medal in doubles with his friend Marc Lopez. There were tears and high emotion in Rio, which illustrated just how much our athletes value the Olympic and Paralympic Games and playing for their country. At the Paralympics, there was an all-British men's final, won by first-time gold medallist Gordon Reid over Alfie Hewett. The all-Dutch women's final was won by Jiske Griffioen, who beat Aniek van Koot to capture her first singles gold medal, and a new star was born in Australia's Dylan Alcott, a double gold medallist in the quad events. On all of the ITF Circuits – Juniors, Seniors, Wheelchair, Beach Tennis and the Pro Circuit – every day we see talented players who love tennis and have made it an integral part of their lives. They come from all over the I t was an outstanding tennis season, with the Olympic and Paralympic Tennis Events, two excellent editions of Davis Cup by BNP Paribas and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, and drama and excitement throughout the year peaking at the four Grand Slam tournaments. History was made by Monica Puig, who won the tennis gold medal at Rio 2016 to become the first Puerto Rican athlete to win a gold medal for her country from any sport. Andy Murray became the first tennis player to repeat as Olympic singles champion and, coupled with his earlier Wimbledon victory and end-of-season prowess, finished the year as world No. 1, dethroning the seemingly invincible Novak Djokovic and becoming the first British player to top the rankings. Every four years, the Olympics and Paralympics bring added excitement to the sporting landscape and the tennis calendar, and 2016 – the year of the first Games to be held in South America – was no exception. BY ITF PRESIDENT DAVID HAGGERTY

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