Congratulations Novak Djokovic!

With the ATP World Tour Finals now over, I must reflect on Novak Djokovic's greatest seasons in his career. A straight sets defeat over Roger Federer in the ATP Final serves as an example of just how dominant Djokovic has been during the 2015 season.

First, let's take a look at his performance in ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments. Of the nine tournaments, Djokovic took home six final trophies. He withdrew from the Madrid Open and suffered defeats in the finals of Montreal and Cincinnati, losing to Andy Murray and Roger Federer respectively. Regardless of the two losses, six final trophies is an almost insurmountable task for a tennis player, but Djokovic is of another class. The amount of consistency needed for a feat like that is demonstrative of his devotion to a strict training regime.


Masters 1000 tournaments are not enough to mark a tennis player as truly great. It seems the best players in history are measured by the amount of grand slams they've been able to attain. Djokovic's did not disappoint in the 2015 season, taking home three of the four grand slam trophies. His only loss came in the finals of the French Open to Stan Wawrinka. A devastating loss I'm sure, but to the rest of the ATP, merely a blemish to an otherwise perfect season. Defeating Andy Murray in the Australian Open and then Roger Federer in Wimbledon and the US Open, Djokovic is a force to be reckoned with. The US Open win marked his tenth grand slam win. He is slowly, but surely edging towards Federer's coveted count of 17 grand slam titles.

There's no contesting that Djokovic is the greatest player currently on tour. He is in the prime of his career and I'm excited to see how the 2016 season plays out. For now, Djokovic can enjoy the post-season and stay away from tennis. It's well deserved. Congratulations Novak Djokovic!

Check out highlights from the ATP World Tour Finals below.

The Backhand Part 2: Single Backhand

The single backhand is not as popular as it once was in professional tennis, but that does not mean that it should go away.

Roger Federer is a single backhand user and he is considered one of the greatest tennis players ever. That is in part do to his phenomenal backhand. Stan Wawrinka is another notable single backhand user. Coincidentally both players are Swiss. The Swiss may have a few tennis secrets worth sharing.

Here's a breakdown of the steps to perfecting a single backhand:

How to: Single Backhand

Step 1: Grip
Grip the bottom of the racquet with your dominant hand. The other hand will act as a guide when preparing to hit the ball. The non-dominant hand can lightly touch the frame when gripping.

Step 2: Foot Placement
As the ball approaches step forward with your dominant foot. Your foot should point in the direction of the ball.

Step 3: Shoulder Turn
Turn the shoulder enough to look over your dominant shoulder to the incoming ball and slightly bend your knees (the turn will bring your racquet back as well).

Step 4: Racquet Placement
Drop the racquet head below the ball. The handle end should be facing the ball.

Step 5: Accelerate
Accelerate the racquet forward into the ball in a forward and upward motion.

Step 6: Follow Through
Follow through contact, your dominant arm should finish high. When following through, your non-dominant arm should be held back to keep the shoulders sideways.

Step 7: Prepare
Prepare for the next shot by going into an open stance (body facing the net).

Roger Federer demonstrates the single backhand with ease. It may be tough for beginning players to execute each step, but this video is great when trying to see where any mistakes are being made.