The ATP World Tour Finals—the season-ending championship of men's tennis—begins on Sunday, November 9 in London. Over the next four days, we'll take a closer look at the seasons put forth so far by the eight singles competitors.
You might think that 2014 was a disappointing year for Murray, but that's only if you put it besides his historic 2013 campaign, in which he won Wimbledon and ascended to No. 2 in the world. Despite not winning a major or a Masters event this season, Murray was nonetheless was a late-round factor at almost any tournament he played. He reached the quarterfinals of all four Slams and went on a post-U.S. Open tear, winning three titles in a five-week span. The surge occurred a full year after the Scot underwent back surgery, and it secured his place in the World Tour Finals. After falling out of the Top 10 in mid-September, Murray appears to be peaking in November, which not many players can say. He should expect plenty of support in London, and might be more motivated to win there than anyone else.
Would you have guessed Roland Garros at the start of the season? Murray matched his best result at the clay-court major with a 12-10 in-the-fifth win over Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third round and a five-set comeback over Gael Monfils in the quarters.
The first Brit to win Wimbledon in 77 years relinquished his crown in stunning fashion, in straight sets to youngster Grigor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals.