Fansided

Jack Sock makes tennis history with Paris win, forced to cancel vacation for ATP Finals

By Veronica Elizabeth Bruno

PARIS, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 5 : Jack Sock of USA poses with the trophy after winning the final against Filip Krajinovic of Serbia on day 7 of the Rolex Paris Masters 2017, a Masters 1000 ATP World Tour event held at AccorHotels Arena on November 5, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 5 : Jack Sock of USA poses with the trophy after winning the final against Filip Krajinovic of Serbia on day 7 of the Rolex Paris Masters 2017, a Masters 1000 ATP World Tour event held at AccorHotels Arena on November 5, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Capping off an awesome year, the American tennis player won a Masters 1000 title and made the last spot into the ATP World Tour Finals. 

What a breakthrough year it’s been for Jack Sock, winning two titles earlier in 2017, progressing into the quarters and semis at other Masters 1000 tournaments, and now winning one outright, beating Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 in Paris. While his countrymen have been complaining about the state of American men’s tennis, the Lincoln, Nebraska native has racked up some serious silverware this year.

Sock is ending the year as he started, with strength and the titles to go along with it. He won the ATP 250 tournament in Auckland, his first tourney of the year, and followed up that win with a maiden title in Delray Beach, another ATP 250 crown. Although he didn’t fare as well at the grand slams this year — going out early for the most part — he made it to the semis at Indian Wells, where he was downed by Roger Federer, and the quarters in Miami, losing to the world No. 1, Rafa Nadal. (Considering the years that Fed and Rafa have had, it’s no surprise.) Still, it looks like the seeds were sown at those two Masters 1000 events for the American to break through with his first Masters title at Bercy on Sunday.

And what a boon for American men’s tennis! Sock’s victory is the first Masters 1000 win for an American man since Andy Roddick’s Miami win in 2010, seven years ago.

The win comes with a ticket to the ATP World Tour Finals. Sock moved up 13 rankings to No. 9, and with world No. 7 Stan Wawrinka still out with injury, that leaves the 8 spot open for the 25-year-old to claim in London. The development was a surprise, most especially to the title winner, who already had completely different plans for that week, travel plans that he will now have to cancel.

“To be completely honest, I had no idea I could still make London even if I was to win the tournament,” said Sock, according to Tennis World USA Magazine. “I didn’t know if I was going to be even close.”

Per the ATP, he explained, “I had a golf trip with [John] Isner next week in Augusta, which would have been pretty special. But I’ll look forward to seeing him at his wedding in a couple months.”

https://twitter.com/TennisTV/status/927206794744578048

Prior to this year, the world No. 9 had won only one ATP 250 tournament, a clay event in Houston in 2015. He had no ATP titles last year — although he won Gold in mixed doubles and Silver in doubles at the 2016 Olympics — and now three events this year. And he beat plenty of top guys to get there, including Kei Nishikori, Grigor Dimitrov (who won his own first Masters 1000 title this year), and Milos Raonic, twice.

Next: Each State's Nominee for America's Team

“It definitely hasn’t sunk in yet,” Sock said after the win at Bercy. “I don’t know when it will. Right now I want to enjoy it with my team. They’ve been with me through everything. I’m excited to see my family and just enjoy it with everyone.”

Having achieved a career high of No. 9, Jack Sock will now be packing his bags and on his way to his first London finals. For American tennis fans, the rise of Sock is a great story for 2017.

Home/Tennis