Frank Dancevic
Frank Russell Dancevic is a retired Canadian professional tennis player. He first became the country's top singles player, according to ATP rankings, on February 10, 2003, as an 18-year-old, and remained so from January 30, 2006, until June 20, 2010. Dancevic has reached two ATP singles finals, the quarterfinals of the 2007 Montreal Masters and achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 65 in September 2007.
In August 2011, Dancevic became the first men's singles player, in one calendar year, to enter the main draw of all four Grand Slam tournaments by playing the qualifying competition for each event.
He has been the captain of Canada's Davis Cup team since 2017.
Personal
Dancevic's father is John and mother Doris. His mother is Québécoise, from Rouyn-Noranda, and his father is Serbian who originates from Apatin, Serbia. Dancevic has three younger sisters. Monika, born in 1986, completed her NCAA tennis career at the University of Georgia in 2009. She was the NCAA number 35 ranked singles player as a sophomore for the Bulldogs in 2006–07 and has been ranked by the WTA as high as World No. 775. Sonja and Kristina are twins born in 1989. Frank is married to a Serbian model Nikolina Bojić; in September, 2013 they married in a Serbian Orthodox church in his father's hometown of Apatin.Tennis career
Juniors
As a junior, Dancevic reached as high as No. 20 in the world singles rankings in July 2001. His best grand-slam singles result came when he reached the quarterfinals of the 2001 Wimbledon Championships boys' singles. In doubles, he reached 2 junior boys' grand-slam finals with partner Giovanni Lapentti of Venezuela. They lost in the championship match at the 2001 Australian Open, but they rebounded successfully to win the 2001 Wimbledon Championships title.Pro tour
The right-handed Dancevic turned pro in 2003 and reached his career-high singles ranking in September 2007, at world No. 65. A native of Niagara Falls, Ontario, he was at that time the highest ranked men's Canadian singles player since Daniel Nestor, who was ranked No. 61 in September 1999. It was Fred Niemeyer whom Dancevic overtook to become, in early 2006, Canada's top-ranked singles player.Dancevic's best tournament results to date, all in singles, have been reaching the final of the 2007 Indianapolis Tennis Championships, the final of the 2009 Aegon International, the quarterfinals of the 2007 Rogers Cup, the semifinals again in Indianapolis in 2009, the semifinals of the 2008 Campbell's Hall of Fame Championships, and winning the 2003 and 2006 Granby and 2003 Lexington, 2006 Waikoloa, 2008 Surbiton Challenger, and 2012 Dallas Tennis Classic events. His best doubles result has been reaching the final of the 2007 Japan Open, partnering Stephen Huss and winning Granby in 2004 while playing with Brian Baker.
Dancevic became Canada's top ATP-ranked singles player on February 10, 2003, replacing Simon Larose. He held the position until May 19, 2003, when he was surpassed by Larose. Dancevic regained the Canada-number-one ranking on July 28, 2003, replacing Fred Niemeyer, and held it until August 11. He would not be so ranked again, however, until the following June 14, when he held the position for the week, and again for the week beginning July 12, 2004. Dancevic next was Canada's top-ranked player on August 16, 2004, and remained so this time until July 18, 2005, when he was replaced again by Niemeyer. He regained the ranking once more, nevertheless, from August 1 to October 17, 2005, only to lose it once more to Niemeyer.
Dancevic was coached by former tour player Leo Lavalle from sometime in 2008 until June 2009, when he returned to former mentor and Canadian Davis Cup captain, Martin Laurendeau. From May 2008 until hiring Lavalle, Dancevic worked with Frenchman Boris Vallejo. After being coached by his father John Dančević in 2012, Dancevic's ATP.com profile lists Canadian former player Dejan Cvetković as his current coach.
2000–2002
Dancevic played his professional tour event in July 2000, the Granby Challenger, and lost in the first round to the world No. 381 player, Phillip King, in three sets. He lost in the first round in the same event a year later in straight sets to the world No. 157 player, Axel Pretzsch. In February and April 2002, Dancevic played on Canada's Davis Cup team, going 1–1 in two dead rubbers. In his first Futures event, U.S. F10 in May, he won his first three matches in straight sets, reaching the semifinals. Losing in the first round of F11, he reached the finals of F12. Then in July, he reached the second round of the Granby Challenger. Dancevic then lost his first full-fledged tour event match, at the Canada Masters, to Fabrice Santoro 5–7, 3–6. The following week Dancevic was entered into the Legg Mason Tennis Classic as a wildcard and proceeded to defeat world No. 90 and future world No. 3, Nikolay Davydenko, in the first round, 6–4, 6–7, 6–3. He ended the year however losing two singles matches in a Davis Cup tie with Brazil and in the first round of a Tyler, Texas Challenger. He finished 2002 ranked world No. 434 in singles and No. 414 in doubles.2003–2004
Dancevic began 2003 on a roll, winning the first two tournaments he entered and reaching the semifinals of a third, all Futures played in consecutive weeks in January in Florida. Winning a Davis Cup match in a tie against Peru in April, he reached the final of Canada F1 in June, then won Canada F2 and the Granby and Lexington Challengers in July. This saw his singles ranking climb to world No. 198, allowing him to play in qualifying for the US Open, in his circuit Grand Slam debut, where he reached the second round. He finished the year however losing five of seven matches, and his first five of 2004. He lost in qualifying for the 2004 Australian Open in the second round.In March 2004 Frank's fortunes changed as he reached the final of France F5. He reached the second round in the next two challengers, the quarters in the next, and then the semifinals in Surbiton on grass. The following week, again on grass at Queen's Club, Dancevic reached the second round in just his third full-fledged ATP event. He attempted to qualify for Wimbledon but lost in the first round. In summer play, he reached the semifinals at Granby and the finals at Aptos Challenger in July, but lost again in the first round at the Canada Masters. He followed this up though by reaching the semifinals at the Binghamton, New York Challenger and the second round in US Open qualifying. He had a better autumn playing the American Challenger Tour, posting 11 match-wins against five losses. Dancevic finished 2004 ranked world No. 171 in singles and No. 462 in doubles.
2005
Dancevic began 2005 playing four consecutive International Series or higher events, going two wins, four losses. He went one step better in Grand Slam play too, reaching the third round of qualifying for the Australian Open. He improved at Wimbledon too, reaching the second round in qualifying. Dancevic did not get out of the second round of the main draw in any event, however, until reaching the quarters at the Granby Challenger in June. He lost in the first round at the Canada Masters to Xavier Malisse, 2–6, 2–6, and again reached the second round in qualifying for the US Open.Despite a disappointing year, in September Frank narrowly lost to Max Mirnyi in the deciding rubber of a Davis Cup World Group Play Off tie. In five American Challenger events in the fall, he only got past the second round once, when he reached finals of the Boston Challenger. He lost this match 7–5, 5–7, 3–6 to American Paul Goldstein. Dancevic finished 2005 ranked world No. 188 in singles and No. 403 in doubles.
2006
Dancevic began the year with a bang in winning the first event that he entered, the Waikoloa Challenger, reaching finals of his next event, the Besançon Challenger, and then the semifinals of the Cherbourg Challenger. After moderate success on clay in four events in Mexico played around a tie against the Mexico Davis Cup team, where he lost both of his singles matches, he reached the final of the Atlanta Challenger played on hardcourts.In June for the second time Dancevic reached the second round at Queen's. He then qualified for his first Grand Slam main draw, at the 2006 Wimbledon Championships. He was defeated in the first round by Radek Štěpánek in straight sets, however. Dancevic's better year continued as he won the Granby Challenger in July and in August reached the second round of the Canada Masters for the first time in five attempts. His singles ranking cracked the top 100 for the first time with his title victory in Granby. The top seed for qualifying for the US Open, he failed to make the main draw, nevertheless.
In the autumn, Dancevic reached the second round in three straight ATP Tour tournaments, Bangkok, Tokyo, and Stockholm. Following a first-round loss in St. Petersburg, he reached the quarter-finals in two straight challengers, Louisville and Nashville. He retired from his final match of the year, in the first round of the Champaign Challenger. Frank finished the year ranked world No. 88 in singles and No. 479 in doubles.
2007
Dancevic began 2007 going 1–2 in round robin matches at the International Series event Next Generation Adelaide International. He opened the Australian Open with a straight sets win over Victor Hănescu and lost in the second round to No. 19 seed Lleyton Hewitt in four sets. He then lost in the second round of the PBZ Zagreb Indoors to Marcos Baghdatis after a straight sets win over Alexander Waske. Dancevic lost in the first round of the next three International Series events he appeared in San Jose, Memphis, and Las Vegas, losing to Andy Roddick, Andy Murray, and Igor Kunitsyn respectively. He then reached the second round at the ATP Masters Series Indian Wells, defeating Waske again and losing to Fernando González. Dancevic then dropped down to the challenger circuit, reaching the finals in Bermuda, the second round in Naples, Florida, and losing in the first round at Tunica Resorts and Forest Hills.Dancevic went 3–3 for the grass-court season. He defeated Sergio Roitman, reaching the second round at Queen's Club. He lost in the final round of qualifying in Wimbledon but reached the main draw as a lucky loser. He reached the second round defeating world No. 60, Stefan Koubek, 6–2, 6–4, 6–2 and then losing to No. 25 David Nalbandian, 2–6, 3–6, 7–5, 3–6.
He then reached the second round of the Campbell's Hall of Fame Championships, defeating Kevin Kim in the first round, 6–3, 6–3. He then lost to eventual champion Fabrice Santoro, 7–6, 3–6, 4–6.
In July at the Indianapolis Tennis Championships, Dancevic defeated world No. 46 Benjamin Becker, 6–4, 6–3, marking Dancevic's first defeat of a top 50 player. He has followed that with a victory over No. 54 Juan Martín del Potro, 3–6, 7–6, 6–4. He then defeated Igor Kunitsyn in a rain-delayed match that finished almost nine hours after it began, 6–4, 7–6. He has become the first Canadian to reach the semifinals of a top-level ATP tournament since Sébastien Lareau did so in February 2001. He followed that up with the biggest win of his career to date, by far, beating world No. 5, Andy Roddick, 6–4, 7–6, to reach the finals. He became the first Canadian to reach an ATP final since Greg Rusedski did so in 1995. He then lost in the finals to No. 3 seed Dmitry Tursunov, 4–6, 5–7.
Dancevic has continued his elevated play into August, defeating del Potro again, Wayne Odesnik, and world No. 35, Fernando Verdasco, to reach the quarterfinals of the Rogers Cup where he lost to world No. 2, Rafael Nadal, 6–4 2–6 3–6. This effort raised his ranking to world No. 65, a career-high. He played his first US Open in 2007, and lost a hard-fought three-set match to former world No. 1 and 2000 US Open champion Marat Safin, the 25th seed. Having come through qualifying, whereas in 2006 he was the top seed but failed to make the main draw, Dancevic lost to Safin 5–7, 6–7, 6–7, despite serving for the second set up 5–3 and the third set, up 6–5 in the tiebreak.
Dancevic's form took a slight dip in autumn, as he reached second round of the Thailand Open, lost in the first round of Japan Open, and in the second round of the Stockholm Open to top seed James Blake 2–6, 3–6.