by Andy Schooler
Grigor the Great - mentally
The man once dubbed the next big thing in tennis looked considerably small when he slipped to a ranking of 40th in the summer of 2016.
Just 15 months on, he's the world number three and ATP Finals champion.
It has been a remarkable transformation from the Bulgarian, who before leaving the O2 Arena on Sunday night spoke eloquently about how the travails he suffered during his slump had made him realise what he needed to.
He spoke of the sacrifices he made and the importance of having the “right people” around him.
Since making the required changes, Dimitrov has been to the last four of the Australian Open – who could forget that semi-final with Rafael Nadal? – won a Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati and now become ATP Finals champ.
Over the last week his tennis was impressive but perhaps most important was his ability to get through the tough moments.
It’s fair to say Dimitrov has not been regarded as the strongest player mentally. Indeed, he was constantly reminded of situations where he had blown match points during the week's press conferences.
But at this tournament, while looking shaky at times, he delivered more often than not at the key moments – winning having stuttered in his opening match against Dominic Thiem was undoubtedly, with hindsight, huge. The same can be said of saving four break points in the opening game of the final’s deciding set.
It was something the player himself referenced and will be key for him going forward.
The next step must be to secure a Grand Slam title. Clearly that is easier said than done but if Dimitrov brings the game – and attitude – of the past week to the Australian Open in January then he will certainly be a contender.
Silverware still on the cards for Goffin
OK, the nice guys don’t always win, but this will still count as arguably the best week of David Goffin’s career.
He became only the sixth player to beat Nadal and Roger Federer in the same tournament. Sadly for him, he is the first to do so without having any silverware to show for it come the end of the week.
Yet there are many positives to take. Both his serve and his forehand showed improvement as good late-season form was continued and the pint-sized Belgian once again proved you don’t have to be a 6ft giant to compete with the best in today’s game.
His wins over Nadal and Federer meant he had two career-best wins in a week.
Now he’ll look to repeat the trick at this week’s Davis Cup final. Success in Lille with his Belgian team-mates would quickly usurp his London week as his best.
For that to happen, Goffin will likely have to win three rubbers in as many days but given the form in which he heads into the tie, it cannot be ruled out.
36 not out - Federer still a leading force
When I spoke to Greg Rusedski this week, he described Federer as "the best 36-year-old I’ve ever seen".
Will he be revisiting that quote and simply changing the figures in 12 months’ time? There are few signs to suggest he definitely won't.
Federer will be 37 at next year's US Open, an event for which he is currently the bookmakers' 4/1 second favourite (Novak Djokovic being the man ahead of him in the market).
OK, it wasn’t vintage Federer we saw this week but his level still looked good enough to win the title heading into the weekend.
He’s just produced his best season, win percentage wise, for a decade and perhaps most importantly retains an enthusiasm for the game which defies that age figure.
At end of a near 11-month campaign, one of Federer's last comments in London was about how he "could not wait" to head to Australia for the new season.
He's mastered his schedule and with his body holding together – there were niggles but no repeat of the serious knee problem he suffered last year – there seems no reason to think Federer will not continue to be a leading force in the game in 2018.
Knee bother a worry for Nadal
As much as he played it down and was staying remarkably positive as he spoke to the media before leaving the tournament after just one match, Nadal’s end to a remarkable season can only be classed as worrying.
The strapping which appeared on his knee in the Shanghai Masters final was a clear sign something wasn't right. He didn’t finish another tournament – withdrawing from Basel and pulling out during both Paris and London.
Knee problems have dogged Nadal's career and in many ways it was surprising they did not resurface earlier in a season during which he played 78 matches.
But there must now be a question mark over whether he turns up in Brisbane for what is due to be his opening ATP event of the new season. It is just six weeks away.
The same can be said of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, the latter reportedly not yet hitting balls despite having rested an elbow injury since Wimbledon.
Tennis missed some of its star names in 2017. When they return, the tour could get very interesting. Just don't expect everything to be hunky dory.
A tennis revolution
The ATP has now confirmed its ground-breaking deal with Amazon over its media rights, meaning the men's game loses its long-term presence on Sky Sports after next season.
It's the first time such a mainstream sport has opted to choose an online partner and how it plays out will be watched closely by other governing bodies from a host of different sports.
Fans have given the news a mixed reception. Some who already subscribe to the Amazon Prime Video service are obviously pleased – they will get tennis added to their package at no extra cost.
However, it's undeniable that to watch all the different tennis competitions you now need several subscriptions.
The biggest issue for me lies in how the sport is now able to attract casual fans.
In 2019, such people will no longer flick through their TV channels and find a men’s tennis match, at least not one at a high level. They will have to actively go out and purchase a tennis-based subscription.
In a period – the deal is a five-year one – which will likely see the retirement of every member of the so-called Big Four, that seems a risk.
Sponsor chase continues
The way the tour is watched is not the only change British tennis fans face in the coming months.
The LTA continues to seek sponsorship partners for its summer grasscourt events with its deal with Aegon expiring at the end of the year. Rather than one big deal to cover all the tournaments, it is expected that multiple sponsors will come on board in the New Year.
One issue to bear in mind is the seating – Aegon’s blue colours have been used at these tournaments of late, most notably at Queen’s Club. Will there be another change, perhaps back to the red used when Stella Artois were the sponsors a decade ago? Getting that many seats changed is, I’m told, a logistical problem that the LTA will want to sort sooner rather than later.