Novak Djokovic, 2015-09-14 - ATP World Tour, Djokovic Clinches Year-End No. 1 Emirates ATP Ranking For Fourth Time

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/djokovic-clinches-2015-year-end-no-1

Djokovic Clinches Year-End No. 1 Emirates ATP Ranking For Fourth Time

Novak Djokovic celebrates finishing 2015 year-end ATP World Tour No. 1

Novak Djokovic has clinched the year-end No. 1 Emirates ATP Ranking for a fourth time after he captured the US Open title — which represents his 10th Grand Slam championship — on Sunday. In another stellar season, the Serbian has captured seven titles, including three Grand Slams and four ATP World Tour Masters 1000s, from 11 tour-level finals.

The 28-year-old Djokovic previously finished at the top in 2011, 2012 and 2014 and is the sixth player to finish year-end No. 1 on four or more occasions, following in the footsteps of Pete Sampras (6), Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer (5), Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe (4). This is the 12th straight season that the year-end World No. 1 ranking has been held by Djokovic (2011-12, ’14-15), Federer (2004-07, ’09) or Nadal (2008, ‘10, ‘13).

"It's a fantastic feeling to know I will end the year at No. 1 again," said Djokovic. "This is what we fight for since January 1st. We still have a few tournaments left though and I look forward to competing in Beijing, Shanghai, Paris and London."

Chris Kermode, the ATP Executive Chairman and President, said, "Congratulations to Novak on yet another incredible achievement. To secure the year-end ATP World Tour No.1 ranking this early in the season just goes to show what an amazing year he has had. His remarkable level of consistency throughout the season and on the biggest stages has been quite simply awe-inspiring. He’s in his prime, unquestionably at the pinnacle of the game, and fully deserving of this latest accolade – a true credit to our sport."

Djokovic, who began his third stint at World No. 1 on 7 July 2014, has been No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings for 164 weeks and will move past McEnroe’s mark of 170 weeks at the top on 2 November 2015. Only Federer (302), Sampras (286), Lendl (270), Connors (268) and McEnroe have spent more weeks at No. 1 since 1973.

In 2015, Djokovic has become only the third player in the Open Era (since 1968) to reach all four Grand Slam finals in the same season, after Rod Laver (1969) and Federer (2006-07, '09). He won the Australian Open (d. Murray), Wimbledon and US Open (d. Federer both times), but narrowly failed in becoming the eighth player in tennis history to complete a career Grand Slam after a runner-up finish at Roland Garros (l. to Wawrinka) in June.

Overall, he has a 21-4 record against Top 10 opponents this year and has won seven titles, including ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells (d. Federer), Miami Open presented by Itau (d. Murray), Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (d. Berdych) and Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome (d. Federer). He also finished runner-up at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (l. to Federer), Rogers Cup in Montreal (l. to Murray) and the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati (l. to Federer). He currently has a 63-5 match record in 2015.

Later this year, Djokovic will attempt to secure a fourth consecutive Barclays ATP World Tour Finals title (and fifth crown overall, following his first win in 2008) at The O2 in London from 15-22 November. Djokovic will be making his ninth straight appearance at the prestigious indoor event, where he will be officially presented the year-end ATP World Tour No. 1 Trophy in an on-court ceremony.

Djokovic first ascended to No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings on 4 July 2011, following his maiden Wimbledon triumph, and held the top spot for 53 weeks. He reclaimed No. 1 from Federer on 5 November 2012, before relinquishing it to Nadal on 7 October 2013. Djokovic once again returned to No. 1 on 7 July last year, when he went on to become only the fourth player — after Lendl, Federer and Nadal (twice) — to hold, lose and regain the year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

ATP World Tour Year-End No. 1

2015 Novak Djokovic (SRB)

2014 Novak Djokovic (SRB)

2013 Rafael Nadal (ESP)

2012 Novak Djokovic (SRB)

2011 Novak Djokovic (SRB)

2010 Rafael Nadal (ESP)

2009 Roger Federer (SUI)

2008 Rafael Nadal (ESP)

2007 Roger Federer (SUI)

2006 Roger Federer (SUI)

2005 Roger Federer (SUI)

2004 Roger Federer (SUI)

2003 Andy Roddick (USA)

2002 Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)

2001 Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)

2000 Gustavo Kuerten (BRA)

1999 Andre Agassi (USA)

1998 Pete Sampras (USA)

1997 Pete Sampras (USA)

1996 Pete Sampras (USA)

1995 Pete Sampras (USA)

1994 Pete Sampras (USA)

1993 Pete Sampras (USA)

1992 Jim Courier (USA)

1991 Stefan Edberg (SWE)

1990 Stefan Edberg (SWE)

1989 Ivan Lendl (CZE)

1988 Mats Wilander (SWE)

1987 Ivan Lendl (CZE)

1986 Ivan Lendl (CZE)

1985 Ivan Lendl (CZE)

1984 John McEnroe (USA)

1983 John McEnroe (USA)

1982 John McEnroe (USA)

1981 John McEnroe (USA)

1980 Bjorn Borg (SWE)

1979 Bjorn Borg (SWE)

1978 Jimmy Connors (USA)

1977 Jimmy Connors (USA)

1976 Jimmy Connors (USA)

1975 Jimmy Connors (USA)

1974 Jimmy Connors (USA)

1973 Ilie Nastase (ROU)

Bon Jovi, 2014-10-09 - Billboard, Bon Jovi Tour Photographer David Bergman Talks Behind-the-Scenes Details of Traveling the World With the Band

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6274256/bon-jovi-tour-photographer-david-bergman-on-bon-jovi-work-book

Bon Jovi Tour Photographer David Bergman Talks Behind-the-Scenes Details of Traveling the World With the Band

By Michele Amabile Angermiller | October 09, 2014 2:40 PM EDT

David Bergman

Over the span of two world tours, photographer David Bergman had the best seat in the house as the tour photographer for one of the world's hardest working rock'n'roll bands -- Bon Jovi.

The collected images -- culled from over 800,000 frames snapped of the band -- are now available in a new coffee-table book, Bon Jovi: Work, chronicling the action on stage, backstage, and even in the hospital after a show when Jon Bon Jovi tore his meniscus during a show in Helsinki.

"I went with the title Work because that is what the band is about with that New Jersey work ethic and the hard work they do every night," Bergman tells Billboard.


Jon Bon Jovi leads the band onstage in Atlanta on April 15, 2010.

One particular image captures everything the singer feels about his fans, his group and his job, explains Bergman. The band was playing a gig in New York when harrowing skies, pouring rain, then finally ominous lightning strikes postponed the show. This did not sit well with Jon.

"He was hating it," Bergman said. "There is really a flow to a show. He didn't like that at all because it really killed the momentum. It's not fun for the fans and it's not fun for anybody."

Backstage, the band milled around as the rain drenched the venue, but Bergman decided to take some shots. "Jon just kind of peered out waiting for the rain to stop, longingly looking and waiting for the show to get going again, and that was just a moment that won't be captured if you don't have a photographer with you on site," he said. "You are never going to see those moments."

Adds Bergman: "The good thing about Jon is he gets it. He understands the value of documenting these things."

Even in his most unglamorous moments following his injury in the hospital in Ireland, acupuncture and rehab, Bon Jovi was willing to be shot. Bergman said he worked through the pain and did not cancel a single show. "The nurses asked him what he was going to do with the pictures and Jon would always laugh and say, 'They'll do a book after I die,'" he said. Those shots, Bergman says, provided the thesis of the story.

"When we started putting the book together, I told him the knee story is an inspiring story and goes with the theme of the book and the hard work that he has done and the whole band," Bergman explains.

"Jon looked at me and said, 'You know what, if it inspires one kid to work through the pain and push through an injury and come out strong on the other side, it's worth it.' He knows the influence he has over people and the power that he has with his actions and he wanted people to see it. It gets people by surprise to see one of the biggest rock stars in the world in his hotel room, in pain, in agony -- not at his most glamorous -- but I am really glad he agreed to let us put it out because it's a huge part of his story and how he is."

Fireworks at MeLife Stadium on May 26, 2010.

Bergman began his career as a photographer at the Miami Herald, covering news features and sports, until one day he pitched to paper to allow him to photograph singer Gloria Estefan, who was coming off a back injury and embarking on a comeback tour. He became passionate about tour photography after that.

Though Bergman covered many bands, Bon Jovi remained number one on his list. By the time he pitched the group, he was surprised to hear that Jon already knew who he was because of his most famous photo: a GigaPan image of President Barack Obama at his inauguration.

"When I finally did get a meeting and got to talk to them, Jon absolutely knew that photo. He was at the inauguration with his kids," Bergman says. "That photo went crazy. It got 20 million views. They interviewed me on CNN and it went insane, so he knew who I was and he had seen a lot of my sports stuff. He's a big sports fan. He's a football guy and I have a lot of pictures over the years from Sports Illustrated and I have a lot of covers. He knew my work."

After shooting a few shows, Bergman was surprised to be invited into the band's inner circle, joining the group on its private plane and going along for the ride.

Bon Jovi: Work also captures other members of the band in the same light. Drummer Tico Torres is an artist, and Bergman took shots of the musician at home painting in his garage in Florida, as well as on the golf course. Keyboardist David Bryan invited Bergman to his New Jersey home, allowing some up-close shots of the composer working on music for a new play, Chasing The Song.

There are plenty of pictures of guitarist Richie Sambora in the book, but Bergman never made it to his home.

"I did photograph him quite a bit," he said. "Whenever those guys were awake, I was there with a camera to take pictures of the two of them practicing, rehearsing, on the plane -- whatever it was -- day in and day out."

The band in Zurich, Switzerland on July 14, 2011.

One section sure to please fans are the ones taken by Bon Jovi himself. Bergman and the singer spent so much time together that one day, he decided to try photography himself snapping photos of flowers and trees in a park in Vienna.

"Jon is a creative person. He has a good eye and he has always liked taking pictures, but he never really knew the technical side of it," Bergman says.

In a few lessons, Jon proved a quick study. He tried out his skills on family vacations, a safari in Africa, and at the 12/12/12 concert for Hurricane Sandy relief. One photo of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger taken by Jon is featured in the book.

"He was standing there in the photo pit taking pictures of the Stones just like a photographer and a fan, alternating between taking pictures and putting the camera down and watching the show," Bergman said. "The other photographers were taking pictures of Jon."

Other shots in the book -- particularly Jon walking a female fan down the aisle in Las Vegas, a shot of Jon doing a famed concert jump on a boat in Australia, and a spontaneous onstage group hug symbolizing what was the end of a tough touring year -- frame the collection.

Through it all, Jon remained true to his work ethos, overseeing every aspect of the book.

"He is the CEO of this corporation and everything goes through him. I thought when I first came in I would deal with a publicist or a manager that will approve the photos but from the very beginning Jon saw personally every photo that went out,” he said. “I was blown away by him."

See a gallery of photos from 'Bon Jovi: Work,' including an image that's exclusive to Billboard.

Bon Jovi: Work is avaiable exclusively on Bon Jovi's official website.