2012 in tennis
This page covers all the important events in the sport of tennis in 2012. Primarily, it provides the results of notable tournaments throughout the year on both the ATP and WTA Tours, the Davis Cup, and the Fed Cup.
Important Events
January
- The Czech Republic has won the Hyundai Hopman Cup for the second time with top seeds Petra Kvitová and Tomáš Berdych going right through the week unbeaten in singles ending with straight-set singles victories in the final inside the Burswood Dome, Perth on January 7 against France's Marion Bartoli and Richard Gasquet. The mixed-doubles match was not played because the championship was decided in singles.
- Andy Murray began the season by playing in the Brisbane International making his debut appearance at the tournament as the top seed in singles and also winning the title against Alexandr Dolgopolov in the final.
- Estonian tennis player Kaia Kanepi won the Brisbane International by defeating Daniela Hantuchová in the final.
- Milos Raonic wins Aircel Chennai Open in Chennai, India, overcomes Janko Tipsarević in the final. Raonic did not drop serve during the tournament, becoming the first player to do so since Roger Federer at the 2008 Gerry Weber Open.
- Zheng Jie began the season by winning the ASB Classic over Flavia Pennetta as she retired due to injury.
- Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, began his 2012 season at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, as the #3 seed of the tournament. After Roger Federer announced an unexpected withdrawal from the tournament due to a back problem, Tsonga had a walkover to the final where he defeated Gaël Monfils to become the champion of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open.
- Finland's best player ever, Jarkko Nieminen won the Apia International Sydney against Julien Benneteau
- Victoria Azarenka won her first tournament of the year by winning Apia International Sydney defeating the defending champion Li Na.
- David Ferrer won his first tournament of 2012 in Auckland, New Zealand at the Heineken Open over Olivier Rochus.
- Mona Barthel achieved her highest singles ranking of world no. 44 in singles on 16 January 2012 by defeating top seed Yanina Wickmayer in the final of Moorilla Hobart International claiming her first WTA Tour title. With this win, Mona became the first qualifier since September 2010 to win a WTA tournament.
- Victoria Azarenka has claimed her first Grand Slam title, becoming the first Belarusian player to win a Grand Slam in singles, by defeating Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open final and over took Caroline Wozniacki as the number one ranked player on the WTA Tour.
- For the first time of his career, Novak Djokovic will enter the season as reigning World No. 1. Novak Djokovic was the defending champion and retain the Australian Open title by winning in the final against Rafael Nadal. It was the longest match in the history of the Australian Open, and in fact, the longest ever final in Grand Slam history; clocked at 5 hours and 53 minutes. It marked the 5th Grand Slam of his career and his 3rd Australian Open. It also marked the first time that he had defended a Grand Slam title. After winning the 2012 Australian Open, Djokovic is on the edge of history, as is having an opportunity to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four Grand Slams at the same time, after winning the previous two in 2011. Nadal went on to become the first player to lose three Grand Slam finals in a row in the Open Era.
- Leander Paes completed a Career Grand Slam while Radek Štěpánek won his first ever Slam after winning the Australian Open in Men's Doubles.
- The unseeded Russian pair Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva defeated the all Italian pair of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci in Australian Open in Women's Doubles.
- Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Horia Tecău won the Australian Open in Mixed Doubles tournament by defeating Elena Vesnina and Leander Paes. Mattek-Sands was the only American, man or woman, to win a title at the Australian Open.
- World number one wheel chair tennis player, Esther Vergeer defended her title against Aniek van Koot in the final of Australian Open in Wheelchair women's singles.
February
- In the first round of Davis Cup, Spain and the United States won all five matches against their respective opponents, Kazakhstan and Switzerland. France def. Canada, the Czech Republic def. Italy, and Argentina def. Germany by 4–1. Austria and Croatia won 3–2 against Russia and Japan, respectively.
- During the week of February 13, Roger Federer defeated Juan Martín del Potro to win the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, a 500 event on the ATP World Tour held in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
- After his defeat in Rotterdam, del Potro played the next week in Marseille, France, winning his 1st title of the year.
- The Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Memphis International, took place from February 17 to February 26. The Regions Morgan Keegan Championships was an ATP World Tour 500 series event, and the Memphis International was a WTA Tour International event. In the final, Jürgen Melzer defeated Milos Raonic, 7–5, 7–6.
- The 2012 Dubai Tennis Championships, an ATP World Tour 500 series event and WTA Tour Premier event, was held over two weeks in the United Arab Emirates. The women's event, took place between February 20 to February 25, and was won by 5th seed Agnieszka Radwańska, after she defeated Julia Görges in the final. The men's event, took place a week later, from February 27 to March 3, 2012. Roger Federer, seeded second, defeated Andy Murray, 7–5, 6–2, to take home his fifth Dubai title. Murray defeated ATP world No.1 and three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.
- During the week of February 27, the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, also an ATP World Tour 500 event and a WTA International event was held in Acapulco, Mexico. David Ferrer, who was ranked 5th but seeded 1st at the event, won the final over Fernando Verdasco, 6–1, 6–2.
March
- The BNP Paribas Open, the first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event and WTA Premier Mandatory event of the year, took place in Indian Wells, United States from March 5 to March 12. The men's singles event was won by Roger Federer who defeated John Isner, 7–6, 6–3.Defending champion Novak Djokovic lost in the semifinals to Isner. The women's singles event was won by Victoria Azarenka who defeated Maria Sharapova, 6–2, 6–3.
- From March 21 to March 26, the second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event and WTA Premier Mandatory event took place in Miami, United States. The men's singles title was won by defending champion Novak Djokovic who defeated Andy Murray, 6–1, 7–6.
The entire year
The 2012 Australian Open was held from January 16 to January 29. Defending champion Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal, 5–7, 6–4, 6–2, 6–7, 7–5, to win the longest final in history. The second Grand Slam event of the year was won by Nadal who defeated Djokovic 6–4, 6–3, 2–6, 7–5 to win a record seventh French Open title. At Wimbledon, Roger Federer would equal this record, held by Nadal and Pete Sampras, by winning the final 4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–4 against Andy Murray. Murray went on to win the last Grand Slam event of the year, by defeating defending champion Djokovic, 7–6, 7–5, 2–6, 3–6, 6–2. At the ATP World Tour Finals, Djokovic won against defending champion Federer, 7–6, 7–5.November
- On November 12, Novak Djokovic won the singles title of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals by defeating defending champion Roger Federer 7–6, 7–5 in the final. Djokovic's win was his 6th title of the year and his 2nd win at the event having won back in 2008.
- On November 12, Marcel Granollers and Marc López defeated Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna 7–5, 3–6, in the final of the doubles draw of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.
- On November 18, the Czech Republic became champions of the 2012 Davis Cup World Group after defeating Spain 3–2 in the final held at the O2 Arena in Prague from the 16th to the 18th of November. The Davis Cup title was the Czech Republic's first as an independent nation.
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Grand Slam events">Grand Slam (tennis)">Grand Slam events
Australian Open
The 2012 Australian Open is a tennis tournament that is taking place in Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia from January 16 to January 29, 2012. It is the 100th edition of the Australian Open, and the first Grand Slam event of the year.The 2012 Australian Open will take place from the January 2012 and is to be held at Melbourne Park. The Men's singles will be staged for the 100th time. There have been different 59 previous winners and the 100th staging of the event was marked by a special coin and the 2012 Champion will receive a special medallion. The tournament will also mark 50 years since Rod Laver won his first Grand Slam. For the first time Hawk eye will be used on the Margaret Court Arena, while Ken Fletcher will be inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame.
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| Men's singles |  French OpenThe French Open is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks between late May and early June in Paris, France, at the Stade Roland Garros. It is the premier clay court tennis tournament in the world and the second of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments – the other three are the Australian Open, US Open and Wimbledon. Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam held on clay and ends the spring clay court season.
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