The 2010 ATP World Tour Finals (also known as the 2010 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for sponsorship reasons) was held at the O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom between 21 and 28 November 2010. Nikolay Davydenko was the defending champion, but failed to qualify that year due to a wrist injury.
Finals
Singles
Roger Federer defeated Rafael Nadal, 6–3, 3–6, 6–1 It was Federer's 5th title of the year and 66th of his career. It was his 5th win at the event, winning in 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2007.
Doubles
Daniel Nestor / Nenad Zimonjić defeated Mahesh Bhupathi / Max Mirnyi, 7–6(8–6), 6–4
Qualification The top eight players (or teams) with the most countable points accumulated in Grand Slam, ATP World Tour and Davis Cup tournaments during the year qualify for the 2010 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Countable points include points earned in 2010, plus points earned at the 2009 Davis Cup final and the late-season 2009 Challengers played after the 2009 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.
To qualify, a player who finished in the 2009 year-end Top 30 must compete in four Grand Slam tournaments and eight ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments during 2010. In addition, his best 4 ATP World Tour 500 events in 2010 and his best 2 ATP World Tour 250 events in 2010 will count towards his ranking. All direct acceptance players at the time of an entry deadline who do not play an event will receive a 0-pointer for that event. The Monte Carlo Rolex Masters 1000 became optional in 2009, but if a player chooses to participate in it, its result will be counted and his 4th best result in an ATP 500 event will be ignored (his three best ATP 500 results remain). If a player doesn't play enough ATP 500 events, and does not have an ATP 250 or Challenger appearance with a better result, the Davis Cup is counted in the 500's table (if entered or achieved better results). If a player doesn't play enough ATP 250 or Challenger events, the World Team Championship is counted in the 250's table (if entered or achieved better results). If a player couldn't be present in all required tournament classes (i.e. because of an injury), all uncounted ATP 250 or Challenger results are eligible to be included in his 18 valid tournaments. In case of teams rankings challenger points are excluded. A player who is out of competition for 30 or more days, due to a verified injury, will not receive any penalty. The 2010 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals will count as an additional 19th tournament in the ranking of its eight qualifiers at season's end.
Battle for London: singles #PlayerPointsTourDate Qualified111,450167 June27,6451730 August35,635189 October 45,3802223 October55,3601814 October 63,7552511 November73,7352311 November83,6651711 November
On 7 June, after winning his fifth French Open title, Spaniard Rafael Nadal was announced as the first qualifier.
Rafael Nadal won 7 titles in the year, the most of any player on the tour. Nadal began the year by reaching the final of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open losing to Nikolay Davydenko 0–6, 7–6(8), 6–4. At the Australian Open he lost in the quarterfinals to Andy Murray. Nadal won his first title of the year and his first in 11 months at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters where he defeated Fernando Verdasco in the final with a 6–0, 6–1 victory. This was his sixth consecutive title at the event. He then went on to win his next 3 tournaments, racking up 24 consecutive match wins on the way. He won the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, his fifth in the event, defeating compatriot David Ferrer 7–5, 6–2 in the final. Nadal also claimed his home masters tournament, Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open, for the first time, avenging his 2009 final defeat, to Roger Federer with a 6–4, 7–6(5) win. Nadal then reclaimed the French Open, winning it for the fifth time and avenging his loss to Robin Söderling in last year's 4th round encounter with a 6–4, 6–2, 6–4 victory in the final, with this he also reclaimed the world no. 1 ranking from Roger Federer. Thus making a sweep of the clay-court Masters 1000 and Slam. Nadal's winning streak was ended by compatriot Feliciano López at the quarterfinals of the Aegon Championships losing 7–6(5), 6–4. Nadal's next title came at Wimbledon, where he defeated Tomáš Berdych 6–3, 7–5, 6–4 in the final to claim his second title and his first Old World Triple. Nadal then went on to complete a Career Golden Slam and claim the year-end no. 1 ranking; with his first win at the US Open over Novak Djokovic 6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–2 in a rain-delayed final. Nadal also earned his 7th title of the year at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships beating Gaël Monfils 6–1, 7–5. Nadal missed the last Masters of the event in the BNP Paribas Masters due to a shoulder injury. This was his fourth appearance, having reached the semifinals twice with a 4–7 record. Nadal was looking to improve on last year where he failed to win a set in the tournament.
On 30 August following his victory over Brian Dabul in the first round of the US Open, Roger Federer was announced as the second qualifier.
Roger Federer began the year by winning the Australian Open, his 16th Slam title defeating Andy Murray 6–3, 6–4, 7–6(11) in the final. Federer did not reach another final until the Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open, where he was the defending champion but lost in a rematch of the 2009 final to Rafael Nadal 6–4, 7–6(5). He also fell in his next two finals, at the Gerry Weber Open and the Rogers Cup losing to Lleyton Hewitt 3–6, 7–6(4), 6–4 (ending his 15 match winning streak over the Australian) and Andy Murray 7–5, 7–5. Federer then defended his title in the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters, defeating American Mardy Fish 6–7(5), 7–6(1), 6–4. He then reached his fourth Masters 1000 final in the Shanghai Rolex Masters but lost to Andy Murray 3–6, 2–6. Federer won his third title of the year at the If Stockholm Open defeating Florian Mayer in the final 6–4, 6–3. Equaling Pete Sampras for the number of tournament wins with 64. Federer then broke Sampras' total as he won his 65th career title in the Davidoff Swiss Indoors, outlasting Novak Djokovic 6–4, 3–6, 6–1 in the final. This title places him fourth in the all-time list. Federer reached the semifinals of the US Open and as the defending champion, he fell in the quarterfinals to eventual finalist in the Wimbledon and French Open Novak Djokovic. During the French Open, Federer won his 700th ATP tour level match and his 150th on clay. While at Wimbledon, Federer recorded his 200th Grand Slam match win in the first round. Federer reached his 900th tour match in Stockholm and duly won it. Federer has a 29–7 record in the World Tour Finals, having won it on 4 occasions in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007. This is his ninth appearance in the event, and he made the semifinals last year.
On 9 October after reaching the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters, Serbian Novak Djokovic became the third qualifier.
Novak Djokovic reached a career-high world no. 2 after the Australian Open. Djokovic successfully defended a title for the first time at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships defeating Mikhail Youzhny 7–5, 5–7, 6–3. The Serb struggled first with his serve and then with his health, during the clay and grass season. But after moving back on to hardcourts Djokovic reached his first Grand Slam final since winning the 2008 Australian Open at the US Open. Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in the semifinal ending a run of three consecutive losses at the Open to him. Djokovic beat the Swiss 5–7, 6–1, 5–7, 6–2, 7–5, saving two match points at 5–4 down on his serve in the final set. In the final Djokovic lost to Rafael Nadal in four sets 6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–2. Djokovic went on to win his second title of the year in the China Open defeating David Ferrer 6–2, 6–4 in the final. At the Davidoff Swiss Indoors as the defending champion, he reached the final but lost to Roger Federer 4–6, 6–3, 1–6. At the other Slams, the Serbian was able to reach the quarterfinals of both the Australian Open and French Open, and the semi-finals of the Wimbledon Championships. He was a member of the Serbia's Davis Cup team where he won all of his five singles matches taking Serbia to their first Davis Cup final. Djokovic is making his fourth appearance after winning in 2008, and is looking to improve on last year's performance, where he failed to get out of his group.
On 13 October after reaching the third round of the Shanghai Rolex Masters, Britain's no. 1 Andy Murray was announced as a qualifier.
Andy Murray began the year by reaching his second Slam final at the Australian Open, where he defeated Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals after the Spaniard retired, but lost to Roger Federer in the final 6–3, 6–4, 7–6(11). After the loss to Federer, Murray went on a bad run of form only making it in 2 quarterfinals in 8 tournaments. However, Murray bounced back at the Wimbledon Championships, where he reached the semi-finals losing to Rafael Nadal 6–4, 7–6(6), 6–4. The Scot then reached the final on his next tournament at the Farmers Classic, but was defeated by American Sam Querrey 5–7, 7–6(2), 6–3 in the final. Murray won his first title of the year at the Rogers Cup where he was the defending champion, defeating Roger Federer 7–5, 7–5 in the final. Murray also defeated Roger Federer 6–3, 6–2 in the final to win his second title in the year at the Shanghai Rolex Masters, he also did not drop a set in the tournament. At the other Slams, Andy fell early in both French Open and US Open, in the fourth and third round, respectively. This is his third appearance and has a 5–2 record, and he has a best of the semi-finals in 2008. Murray will be looking to do better than last year where he failed to make it out of the groups by one game.
On 23 October after reaching the quarterfinals of the If Stockholm Open, French Open finalist Robin Söderling was named as the fifth qualifier.
Robin Söderling won his first 500 Series title in the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament won over Mikhail Youzhny when the Swede leading 6–4, 2–0, the Russian retired due to a right hamstring injury. He then reached the final of the Barcelona Open Banco Sabadell losing to Fernando Verdasco in the final 6–3, 4–6, 6–3. At the French Open, Söderling made a repeat of last years upset, but this time around against Roger Federer defeating him in the quarterfinals 3–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–4, ending Federer's 12 match winning streak over the Swede. He then went on to reach the finals for the second consecutive year, but lost to Rafael Nadal 6–4, 6–2, 6–4. He reached his fourth final of the year at the SkiStar Swedish Open, as the defending champion but lost to Nicolás Almagro 5–7, 6–3, 2–6 in the final. At the other Slams, he reached the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open, and the first round of the Australian Open. He also reached the semi-finals of BNP Paribas Open, Sony Ericsson Open and the Valencia Open 500. In mid-November he has won the BNP Paribas Masters against Gaël Monfils by 6–1, 7–6 plummeting his ranking to career-high of world no. 4 and also in seeding of the tournament where this will be his second appearance making it to the semifinals last year.
On 11 November the final three remaining spots were taken after Spaniard Fernando Verdasco lost 6–7 7–6 7–5 in the third round to Gaël Monfils.