Zverev & Rublev renew rivalry in Turin
The 2024 Nitto ATP Finals continues Monday, after which all eight singles players and all eight doubles teams in Turin will have played one match.
The John Newcombe Group begins singles play on Day 2, with Alexander Zverev taking on Andrey Rublev and Carlos Alcaraz meeting Casper Ruud. In doubles action, top seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic face Germans Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz before Italians Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori play Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden.
[ATP APP][2] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs. [8] Andrey Rublev
Zverev played the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals at the seventh seed to cap his comeback season from ankle surgery. He notched two wins, but it was not enough to make the knockout rounds.
This season, the German enters Turin as the No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings behind his ATP Masters 1000 titles in Rome and Paris, as well as a runner-up finish at Roland Garros.
“In 2023, I didn’t feel like I was competitive in big events. I was far away from winning them,” Zverev said in Turin. “Being able to compete and make Grand Slam finals, win Masters 1000 events, that is a big satisfaction to me because there were obviously question marks if I was ever going to do that again after the injury.”
While Zverev clinched his return to the Nitto ATP Finals on 1 September, when he advanced to the US Open quarter-finals, Rublev had to battle through the final week in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. In what he called a “rollercoaster” season, the 27-year-old won titles at the Madrid ATP Masters 1000 and in Hong Kong.
“It doesn’t matter what negative thoughts I was giving myself about this season — that the season might not be as good, or could be the worst season of my career, or whatever — but realistically I was able to make it here.” Rublev said in Turin. “And to make it here you need to have a really good season.”
He will hope to make his year even better by reaching the knockout rounds for the second time in his fifth consecutive Nitto ATP Finals appearance.
Zverev leads Rublev 6-3 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, though Rublev won three of their four 2023 meetings. Zverev’s lone victory against Rublev last season came in Turin. While Rublev is wary of Zverev’s aggressive yet high-percentage serving, Zverev is focused on neutralising his opponent’s power in their rematch.
“[He’s a] powerful, extremely fast player,” the German said of Rublev. “He tries to overpower you. The most important thing against him is to not let him.”
[3] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs. [6] Casper Ruud (NOR)
Champion at four tour-level events this season, including Wimbledon, Roland Garros and Indian Wells, Alcaraz is seeking his first Nitto ATP Finals title. The Spaniard is making just his second appearance at the year-end event, after reaching the semi-finals last year. Alcaraz also qualified for the season finale in 2022, when he earned ATP Year-End No.1 presented by PIF honours — but he missed out with an abdominal injury.
Alcaraz lost his opening match last year in Turin to Zverev, but enters this year “with a lot of motivation” to make a fast start: “I come here a little bit different,” he said. “I approach this tournament a little differently, knowing there are things I have to change if I am to have a good result here and go far.”
The Spaniard owns a 4-0 Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Ruud, including a four-set win in the 2023 US Open final that doubled as a shootout for World No. 1.
While Alcaraz rated his 2024 season to date an 8.5 out of 10, Ruud gave the Spaniard top marks on his young career as a whole.
“His career [is] already close to legendary,” the Norwegian said of his opponent. “I love watching him play. He is so great for the sport. I don’t necessarily always love playing him because [he is] really tough. It typically comes down to fun points. He is so electric, he can hit any shot in the world.”
While Alcaraz may have the more glittering career, Ruud has a leg up when it comes to Nitto ATP Finals success. The Norwegian has advanced to the knockout rounds in each of his two previous appearances, reaching the 2021 semis and the 2022 final. He owns a 5-4 record at the season finale, compared to Alcaraz’s 2-2 mark.
Doubles Action
Top seeds Arevalo and Pavic won four titles together in their first season as a team, including at Roland Garros and the ATP Masters 1000 in Cincinnati. The first doubles team to qualify for Turin this year, the Salvadoran/Croatian pair also reached the final at the Rome Masters 1000. They take on Krawietz and Puetz, the 2019 and 2020 Roland Garros champs whose lone 2024 title came on home soil in Hamburg.
Bolelli and Vavassori earned the fourth seed in Turin with three titles this season, one on each surface. Their opponents, sixth seeds Bopanna and Ebden, won the Australian Open and Miami crowns in 2024.
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