Sock turns tough year around

Jack Sock’s 2017 did not always go as planned. Still, he’s having quite a finish. He won a total of three matches at Grand Slam tournaments, making it as far as the third round just once and bowing out in the opening round twice. During one particularly rough stretch from August to early October, he lost five times in a row.

The 25-year-old American turned things around at the end of the season, so much so that he ended up earning a debut appearance at the ATP Finals, starting with a match against 19-time major champion Roger Federer on Sunday in London.

“He had to get back to doing the things he does really well and really believing in those things,” said Jay Berger, Sock’s coach. “His ability to come forward, his hands at the net, his ability to use his touch, his ability to hit pretty dynamic shots in very uncomfortable and difficult positions. And to have fun. The No.1thing for us was also to have fun out there. I told him, ‘We’re going to have a good time, win or lose.’ ” In Wednesday’s draw for the round-robin format, Sock was put in a group with Federer, 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic and Alexander Zverev. The other group has 15time Grand Slam title winner Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem, Grigor Dimitrov and David Goffin.

Sock grabbed his spot by rising to a career-high No. 9 in the rankings thanks to his first Masters Series title, at Paris last week. That made him the first U.S. man to win a tournament at the level right below the majors since Andy Roddick in 2010. Sock is also the first American to qualify for the eight-player seasonending finals since Mardy Fish in 2011. And Sock will finish a season as the highest-ranked man from his country for the first time.

“They were all, obviously, goals of mine,” Sock said. “For it all to happen at the same time is pretty special.”

Now Sock wants more consistency, and success, in singles, something he hopes this year’s ending will help spur at the beginning of 2018.