Baseline Awards: The best sibling act

As expected, one of the Zverev brothers made an impact at the first Grand Slam of the year. However, it wasn’t the one everyone has tagged for future greatness. Don’t worry, though: That other brother did just fine in 2017.

Mischa Zverev, the 30-year-old German, caused one of the biggest upsets of the year, when he knocked off world No. 1 Andy Murray in the fourth round at the Australian Open. His serve-and-volley style kept Murray off-balance throughout the match.

Throughout the season, the elder Zverev displayed consistency and versatility: He reached his second career singles final—and first in seven years—in Geneva, and advanced to the semifinals on grass in Stuttgart. Mischa hit a rankings high of No. 25 during the year and also made it to the round of 16 at the US Open.

While Alexander "Sasha" was unable to make a breakthrough at the Grand Slam level, he was a force throughout the year. The 20-year-old became the youngest player to win an ATP Masters event in 10 years when he won Rome for his third title of the year.

Sasha added two more titles during the summer hard-court season, going back-to-back in Washington and Canada, which was his second ATP Masters win of the year.

Throughout the year, he led the standings for the inaugural Next Generation ATP Finals, but decided to skip it as he qualified for the ATP Finals, featuring the top eight players in the world.

He finished the year ranked No. 4, while Mischa ended at No. 33. The two brothers will surely continue to inspire and support one another as they continue their respective climbs up the rankings.

Follow Van on Twitter: @Van_Sias