The ATP World Tour has launched a new global marketing campaign entitled “Greatness Within” and its goal is to showcase players and tournaments in a powerful new way. With that campaign in mind, it was highly appropriate that two of the game’s greatest ever players in Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal set the stage for the new season with their epic and historic Australian Open final showdown.

The evergreen Federer secured his 18th Grand Slam title with a dramatic and emotional five-set win over his great and longtime rival Nadal. Their somewhat unexpected, but highly savoured clash produced some of the best television ratings ever around the world and was a perfect highlight to the start of the new season.

Part of the new campaign is to obviously recognise all players who compete on the ATP World Tour, but starting at the top was a fitting way to launch the campaign. Nobody can deny the inner greatness of two of the game’s biggest and brightest stars.

While the Tour has been experiencing an unparalleled golden era with the “Big Four” of Federer, Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, the next generation is also starting to step up and is prepared to challenge. This transition year will identify many of the newer names as they do battle with the established doyens on the Tour.

Early season results already bear that out and a wide range of younger and older players have already put their names on various trophies in opening season tournaments.

The highly talented and fan favourite Grigor Dimitrov wasted no time in raising his profile becoming the first player in 2017 to claim two singles titles. The Bulgarian won the season opening Brisbane International presented by Suncorp and then followed it up a month later with success at the Garanti Koza Sofia Open.

The dynamic and powerful game of rising star Alexander Zverev has already delivered an early season win, with victory at the Open Sud de France. Zverev, without doubt is one of the brightest #NextGenATP prospects and 2017 could be a big breakthrough year for him. The 19-year-old German currently leads the Emirates ATP Race to Milan, where the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals will be held in November, featuring only the best 21-and-under players in the world.

American tennis got a boost with wins for Ryan Harrison (at the Memphis Open), Jack Sock (at the ASB Classic in New Zealand) and Sam Querrey with a win over Rafael Nadal at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel tournament in Acapulco.

Gilles Muller broke through for his first ATP World Tour title at the Sydney International, while Roberto Bautista Agut, Victor Estrella Burgos, Alexander Dolgopolov, and Pablo Cuevas also tasted early success.

The established stars of the Tour were not to be outdone either, with Djokovic winning at the Qatar Exxon Mobil Open, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga coming out on top at the ABN AMRO World Tennis International in Rotterdam and Murray securing his first win of the year at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Djokovic was also in the headlines for another good reason as well, with his Novak Djokovic Foundation selected among nine recipients in the ATP ACES for Charity for 2017.

Grants of $15,000 (Dh55,095) have been awarded to the individual charitable causes, nominated by ATP World Tour players, tournaments and alumni. Eight of those grants will benefit youth through various programmes worldwide.

The other recipients for 2017 are Jonas Bjorkman (The Zelmerlow & Bjorkman Foundation), Pablo Cuevas (The Corazoncitos Foundation and Fundacion Tenis Uruguay), Jamie Murray (Children Change Columbia), Jean-Julien Rojer (The Greater Curaçao Tennis Patrons Foundation), European Open Antwerp (SOS Children’s Villages), China Open Beijing (The Beijing Golden Wings Art Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children), the Rio Open presented by Claro (four social projects including Tenis Para Todos) and Apia International Sydney (CSJ leMoNaiD).

- Chris Kermode is ATP executive chairman and president and writes exclusively for Gulf News.