Like most major sports, tennis has also been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which broke out two years ago.
However, the unexpected break didn’t matter to many top players, who simply continued where they left off when the tennis action resumed. However, a few new faces also emerged during this time, reaching several finals and winning a few titles.
So, without further ado, here’s a look at the seven male players who have reached the most singles finals since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out:
#7 Cameron Norrie – 10 (won 4)
Cameron Norrie has been one of the most improved players on tour since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Having reached just one final (Auckland 2019) before the pandemic – which he lost to Tennys Sandgren – Norrie has been on a roll, especially over the past year. The southpaw has reached six finals in 2021, winning two. This includes the first title of his career in Los Cabos, followed by his biggest to date – the Indian Wells Masters.
The world number 12 has reached four finals this year, winning two – Delray Beach and Lyon. He fell to Rafael Nadal in the title match in Acapulco before falling to Daniil Medevedev in the Los Cabos final on Saturday.
#6 Andrey Rublev – 10 (won 7)
Andrey Rublev’s title count has jumped from four to eleven since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After starting his 2020 campaign with victories in Doha and Adelaide, Rublev won three more titles that year without losing a title match. The following year was darker in terms of titles, as the Russian won only one, losing three finals – including Monte Carlo and Cincinnati.
Yet the world No. 8 returned in style this year to the winners’ podium, triumphing in Marseille, Dubai and Belgrade.
#5 Casper Ruud – 10 (won 8)
Casper Ruud is one of seven players to have made at least 10 finals on the ATP Tour since the COVID-19 pandemic.
In that span, the world number 7 has won eight titles in 10 finals – including all five of his title matches last year. This year, Ruud reached his first Masters 1000 final (Miami) – losing to Carlos Alcaraz. A few months later, the 23-year-old reached his first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros but lost to Rafael Nadal.
Nevertheless, Ruud is already a three-time winner this year, successfully defending his titles in Geneva and Gstaad and winning his second title in Buenos Aires in three years.
#4 Stefanos Tsitsipas – 10 (won 4)
Stefanos Tsitispas is widely regarded as one of the best players on the circuit. Although he appeared on the scene before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was only after the pandemic that the Greek evolved by leaps and bounds.
Meanwhile, the world No.5 has won four titles, including Monte Carlo two years in a row. Tsitsipas has also played in four ATP 500s, a Masters 1000 and a Grand Slam final.
Last year, against Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros, Tsitsipas had two sets in the final but failed to close the deal. This year he lost to Djokovic in the Rome final.
#3 Alexander Zverev – 12 (won 8)
Alexander Zverev has come into his own after the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the last year, firmly establishing himself as one of the sport’s finest players.
After winning two titles following the pandemic, Zverev came up short in his first Grand Slam final of 2020 at the US Open and the Paris Masters. However, the lanky German had a banner year in 2021.
The world No. 3 has won all six finals, including two Masters 1000 (Madrid, Cincinnati), a gold medal at the Tokyo Summer Olympics and the ATP final in Turin.
This year, Zverev has yet to win a title but has played in two finals – Montpellier and Madrid.
#2 Novak Djokovic – 13 (won 9)
Novak Djokovic is widely regarded as one of the finest players to grace the sport. The 35-year-old has aged like fine wine, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching 13 tour-leading finals and winning nine titles.
After the pandemic, Djokovic continued where he left off, following his Australian Open and Dubai titles with success in Cincinnati and Rome. However, he was beaten by Nadal in the Roland Garros final.
Last year, the Serb reached the final of all four Majors, losing at the US Open which denied him a Calendar Year Slam. He had also come up short in the Rome final against Nadal before beating the Spaniard en route to winning his second Roland Garros title. Djokovic closed the year with a fifth title – triumphing at the Paris Masters for the sixth time.
This year, Djokovic won his sixth Rome title and his seventh Wimbledon title after crashing in the Belgrade final against Rublev.
#1 Daniil Medvedev – 13 (won 7)
Daniil Medvedev won his first title of the year on Saturday in Los Cabos, beating defending champion Cameron Norrie. It was the world No. 1’s seventh title in 13 finals since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Medvedev won the biggest title of his post-pandemic career – winning the ATP Finals in London after clinching his third Masters 1000 title at the Paris Masters. Last year was even better for the Russian as he denied Djokovic a calendar year Grand Slam at the US Open to claim his first major title. Earlier in the year, he lost to Djokovic in the Australian Open final. However, Medvedev failed to defend his title in Paris and the ATP Finals, losing in the finals of both tournaments.
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This year he was just games away from a second major title, leading Nadal by two sets in the Australian Open final. However, the Spaniard roared to win in five. Medvedev then lost back-to-back grass finals at ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Halle before returning to the winner’s circle in Los Cabos.