WATCH: Novak Djokovic and Other ATP Players Who Produced Unbelievable Shots in 2020

The 2020 ATP season was somehow completed with a few hindrances here and there. Nonetheless, we were treated to some extraordinary events in both the first half of the year and the second, after the hiatus. Naturally, ATP Tour released a video comprising the best shots of the season and Novak Djokovic unsurprisingly makes the cut! 

This is a tradition that we get to see every year. The best plays and the most brilliant shots from the season. ATP action always has us on the edge of our seats and the same happened in 2020 even though there were several restrictions in place. 

The best and bizarre shots of 2020 featuring Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas

There are several plays from 2020 that one could pick, but ATP Tour took on the strenuous task of drafting a Top 10 list. They’ve added blistering winners and elegant drop shots and one can’t help but remain glued to the screen as the athletes weave magic. 

1. Benoit Paire – ATP Cup 

Frenchman Benoit Paire opens the list with his athletic abilities. Paire secured an incredible point when he met South African Kevin Anderson in the inaugural ATP Cup group stage.

Paire invited Anderson to the net with a drop, to which the latter replied with one of his own. As a result, Paire had to run to the other end of the court to make the return which he successfully did! 

1. Stefanos Tsitsipas – ATP Cup 

The ATP Cup once again makes the list as we witnessed an exciting event early in the year. Greek tennis stars Michail Pervolarakis and Stefanos Tsitsipas took on German counterparts Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies in their Group F encounter. 

Tsitsipas’ team lost the match, but the ‘Next-Gen’ star made an astonishing around the net backhand which stunned his opponents. 

1. Grigor Dimitrov – ATP Cup

Well, it’s a hattrick of selections for the ATP Cup, isn’t it? The tournament overflowed with quality players and delivered brilliant matches throughout. Grigor Dimitrov won his Group stage match against Britain’s Dan Evans and the Bulgarian delivered an unbelievable forehand in the process. 

The match went into the deciding set and Dimitrov was forced to run for a point as Evans came up to the net. The Brit sent Dimitrov to the baseline with a net return, to which he received an unstoppable forehand from the 29-year-old. 

1. Gael Monfils – Rotterdam Open

Frenchman Gael Monfils suffered a bitter ending to his 2020 campaign, but he showcased a one-of-a-kind move during a match against Dan Evans at the Rotterdam Open.

Monfils was leading 4-0 in the second set and it was Evans’ service game. The Brit who is a strong serve and volley player, attempted the same and ran up to the net by delivering a strong backhand to Monfils. 

But Monfils was on the top of his game and sent a spinning forehand down Evans’ way and the skill looked like it came out from an NBA game! 

1. Jaume Munar – Rio Open

Jaume Munar took on Dominic Thiem in Rio Open’s Round of 16. The Spanish international unfortunately lost the battle but delivered a peach of a drop shot during the match which beat Thiem all ends up. 

Thiem sent out a thundering serve in the second set to which a prepared Munar jogged a few steps ahead of the baseline and delivered an elegant drop. It was immensely soft that his Austrian opponent had no chance of making it. 

1. Pierre-Hugues Herbert – Open 13 Provence

29-year-old Pierre-Hugues Herbert locked horns with Canadian youngster Felix-Auger Aliassime at Open 13 Provence or otherwise known as the Marseille Open.

Auger-Aliassime would end up winning the match, but Herbert delivered a gem of a return which has earned him a place in ATP’s year-end list! 

1. Jannik Sinner – Open 13 Provence

There’s yet another entrant from the 2020 Marseille Open. The extremely talented Jannik Sinner took on Slovakia’s Norbert Gombos in the first round and Sinner won comfortably. 

During the match, Sinner produced an unbelievable reflex shot which even earned him a point. Gombos hit a smash against Sinner and the latter instantly held his racquet up in defense which went cruising to the other end of the court! 

1. Alexander Bublik – German Open

Two young stars in Alexander Bublik and Cristian Garin locked horns in the quarterfinals of the German Open in Hamburg. Bublik was leading the match 3-2 in the first set and he had the chance to extend his lead in his service game. 

With the scoreboard displaying 40-30 in favor of Bublik, the 23-year-old from Kazakhstan did the unthinkable and delivered an underarm serve. It won him the game but left Garin raging in protest! 

1. Novak Djokovic – Western & Southern Open

Novak Djokovic won the Cincinnati Masters (Western & Southern Open) in 2020 and gained confidence heading into US Open. 

Djokovic faced Tennys Sandgren in his R16 encounter and dismissed the American in straight sets. Furthermore, Novak Djokovic produced a scary return that hit Sandgren’s racquet causing it to slip away from his hand owing to the ball’s force. 

Sandgren was shell-shocked as he turned away when Novak Djokovic ran near the net to receive the sloppy smash. But the Serbian aimed straight at his opponent and luckily it didn’t hit his body. 

1. Ivan Dodig – ATP CUP

It just had to be, didn’t it! A surprise entrant at #1 and furthermore, the ATP Cup getting the bragging rights for the top spot.

Now for the point, Croatian Ivan Dodig stunned viewers by winning an extraordinary point. Dodig and his partner Nikola Mektic were up against Polish opponents Hubert Hurkacz and Lukasz Kubot in the group stage match when this happened. 

Dodig received a tough return at the net and had to think quickly. His reflexes didn’t let him down on that occasion as Ivan Dodig attempted a spinning shot that came off his backhand. The ball flew in the air, but fortunately for Dodig, it landed inside the baseline giving his team the point. 

ATP ranked this as the best play of 2020 among the others that made the cut. However, no complaints as the video takes us through a wide list of tennis events that happened and numerous matches that enthralled fans all over the world!