DJOKOVIC HEADLINES WEEK ONE WINNERS

This Week In Tennis
​Season 2, Vol. 1

Many of the games biggest names in tennis made their 2017 debuts during the season's opening week. Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Angelique Kerber were among the players in action during a hectic week across both tours.
​
Week One Winners: Grigor Dimitrov & Karolina Pliskova (Brisbane), Novak Djokovic (Doha), Roberto Bautista Agut (Chennai), Katerina Siniakova (Shenzhen), Lauren Davis (Auckland)

​As always, #ThisWeekInTennis recaps the tennis action through news reports, player tweets, featured articles, rankings, and podcasts.

Chris Hyde/Getty Images

​RUNDOWN
​

• Karolina Pliskova showed no signs of slowing down after a breakout 2016 campaign, losing one set on her way to the Brisbane title. 
• Grigor Dimitrov claimed his 5th career title, and first since Queen's Club in 2014, when he overcame Kei Nishikori in the Brisbane final. 
• Novak Djokovic survived five match points against Fernando Verdasco in the Doha semifinals before besting Andy Murray in a three-set final. 
• As for Murray, you can refer to him as Sir Andrew Barron Murray after the Scot received knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II.
• Katerina Siniakova won the first WTA event of her career, beating Simona Halep, Johanna Konta, and Alison Riske on her way to the Shenzhen title.
• Lauren Davis beat Ana Konjuh to take the title in Auckland. 
• Roberto Bautista Agut snared the fifth title of his career, beating Daniil Medvedev 6-3 6-4 in Chennai.
• Richard Gasquet and Kristina Mladenovic won the Hopman Cup for France
• Rafael Nadal, winner against Milos Raonic the week prior in Abu Dhabi, was unable to do so again against the world #3 in the Brisbane quarterfinals.
• Watch: Venus Williams' Kiwiana carpool, a Kiwi version of Carpool Karaoke. The elder Williams stuck around in New Zealand for a few days after withdrawing from the ASB Classic following her first round win.
• Serena Williams followed Venus Williams out of the Auckland event on the same day, losing in three sets to Madison Brengle. 
• Roger Federer made his return to tennis last week, partnering with Belinda Bencic to represent Switzerland at the Hopman Cup. Federer lost his singles match in three sets to Alex Zverev.
• Bethanie Mattek-Sands supplants Sania Mirza as the WTA #1 in doubles. 
• Francesca Schiavone announced her plans to retire after the 2017 season. 
• Since we've been gone: Ivanovic announced her retirement, Serena Williams got engaged, Victoria Azarenka had her baby, and Peta Kvitova suffered a horrific attack that will sideline her for at least six months.

Sunday morning posing with trophy□□ pic.twitter.com/GSQlGQogDi

— Karolina Pliskova (@KaPliskova) January 8, 2017

□□□□□ @mirzasaniar #1 https://t.co/rhraOSXLOW

— Bethanie MattekSands (@BMATTEK) January 7, 2017

Amazing week with amazing support, hopefully I'll see you all next year again!! Cant wait for whats ahead for me this year, thank you all xo pic.twitter.com/glvfTDAFtk

— Des Aiava (@destaneeaiava) January 4, 2017

Good news : it's nothing major. I'm going to be completely fine, just need a days rest.

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@Naomi_Osaka_) January 6, 2017

Man...felt real good to be out there playing a competitive match after 15 months □ @BrisbaneTennis .. atta boy @jordanthommmo2 #doubslife □ pic.twitter.com/DKNJoGfSso

— Thanasi Kokkinakis (@TKokkinakis) January 3, 2017

@MattyAT eye-ar-va, doesnt really matter though im used to it being pronounced 282828363 different ways my whole life□

— Des Aiava (@destaneeaiava) January 3, 2017

Team effort! So happy with the win! pic.twitter.com/kZzIQfgMyQ

— Grigor Dimitrov (@GrigorDimitrov) January 8, 2017

No tengo mejor manera de empezar la temporada 2017!! Con un título y van 5! □□ □□□ pic.twitter.com/vt7q07Dp23

— Roberto BautistaAgut (@BautistaAgut) January 8, 2017

□□□□□□□□□ https://t.co/BMvm9rT9Yc

— Svetlana Kuznetsova (@SvetlanaK27) January 5, 2017

Had a great warm up with @andy_murray today □□ pic.twitter.com/hM2sV06iSR

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 5, 2017

Sorry for posting such a disgusting thing lol. Just so people can Stop inventing knew "Bencic is injured again" stories □

— Belinda Bencic (@BelindaBencic) January 8, 2017

I would've been defaulted and suspended until 2025 □ https://t.co/HsIoG9IOAL

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) January 8, 2017

Thank you to all my fans in Auckland, who always make my first week back on tour special□ #nextstopsydney pic.twitter.com/jnVJ7OLsjr

— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) January 5, 2017

I laughed a solid 5 minutes at that poor fat koala they gave Sir Andy Murray to hold. Geez....I've missed you tennis! pic.twitter.com/LS9HtGxQco

— Andrea Petkovic (@andreapetkovic) January 2, 2017

​RANKINGS WATCH
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• ​ATP: Dimitrov (+2 to #15), Verdasco (+2 to #40), Coric (-9 to #57), Medvedev (+34 to #65), Pavlasek (+3 to #72), Thompson (+4 to #75), Olivo (+5 to #78), Darcis (+6 to #80), G Melzer (-16 to #84), Sela (+9 to #87), Fritz (-15 to #91), Marchenko (-19 to #93), Kukushkin (-8 to #97)

 

• ​WTA​​:​ Pliskova (+1 to #5), Cornet (+10 to #31), Konjuh (+11 to #36), Siniakova (+15 to #37), Ostapenko (+5 to #39), Riske (-5 to #44), Davis (+15 to #46), Bencic (-5 to #48), Stephens (-17 to #52), Giorgi (+9 to #72), Flipkens (-9 to #73), Friedsam (-11 to #77), Schiavone (+6 to #96)

​ON THE WEB

Father Time: Thoughts on Roger Federer's First Week Back​
​Novak Djokovic's Doha Defeat of Andy Murray was a Drama in Three Acts
​ATP World Tour's coaching carousel keeps spinning
Argentine Senior Lives Her Tennis Dream at 83 Years Old
For tennis players, holidays end and a Slam starts
​Tennis match-fixing charge surfaces as Australian Open looms
​Mikhail Youzhny: I am Motivated to Continue Playing Tennis
​Pat Cash says there's something to be respected about Nick Kyrgios' Donald Trump shirt
​Australian Open 2017: It's time to love Nick Kyrgios again – or at least try
​Sydney International: Eugenie Bouchard laments the ugly side of beauty
​Ash Barty gives world No1 a big scare during Brisbane International comeback
​U.S.T.A. Opens a ‘Tennis Heaven’ and Hopes Champions Will Follow

​PODCASTS

The Body Serve - It’s Not That Bad, Is It? Season 3 Premiere
No Challenges Remaining - Episode 175a: Ana, Auckland, and Anamneses
No Challenges Remaining - Episode 175b: Still Remembering When
​Beyond The Baseline - James Blake on the return of Roger and Rafa, Djokovic in 2017
The Tennis Podcast -  2017 Season Preview
The Tennis Podcast - Djokovic/Murray - Now Where Does The Balance Lie?
​Realz Tenis Fanz - Podcast #75: Just like Federer, WE ARE BACK!!!
WTA Insider - Who can't Karolina Pliskova beat?
WTA Insider - Bethanie Mattek Sands takes over No.1 from Sania Mirza
WTA Insider - Coach's Corner: Is David Kotyza the Czech Whisperer?
Tennis.com - WEEK 1: ARE YOU READY?