Nikolay Davydenko

Russian tennis player who reached a career-high ranking of world number three and won the 2009 ATP World Tour Finals, defeating both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal en route to the title.

Born on 2 June 1981 in Sievierodonetsk, Ukrainian SSR, Nikolay Davydenko turned professional in 1999 and built his game around exceptional speed, flat, fast groundstrokes and one of the quickest reaction times on tour. Competing during an era dominated by the 'Big Three' of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, Davydenko nonetheless carved out a highly respectable career, reaching a career-high singles ranking of world number three in November 2006. Davydenko reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament on four occasions — twice at the French Open and twice at the US Open — though he lost all but one of those matches to Roger Federer. He won three ATP Masters Series titles across his career and helped Russia win the Davis Cup in 2006. Davydenko's signature achievement came at the 2009 ATP World Tour Finals in London, where he defeated Rafael Nadal in the round-robin stage before beating Robin Söderling and Juan Martín del Potro in the final to win the year-end championship, one of the most prestigious titles in tennis outside the four majors. Earlier in that same event a year prior, in 2008, he had also notably upset Nadal, and across his career he recorded wins over Federer, Nadal and Djokovic alike, becoming one of the few players of his generation with a winning head-to-head record against multiple members of the Big Three. Davydenko retired from professional tennis in 2014 with 21 ATP singles titles and career prize money exceeding $16 million, the 45th-highest earner in tour history at the time. He remains widely respected as one of the finest players never to reach a Grand Slam final, admired for his consistency and durability across a 15-year career on tour.

Fast, flat groundstrokes with exceptional reaction time and court coverage

Widely regarded as one of the finest players of his generation never to reach a Grand Slam final