Success on the ATP Tour isn’t always about racking up the most wins. It’s also about who you beat, and when.

Jannik Sinner knows all too well what toppling a close rival on a big stage can do to a player’s confidence. The World No. 4 has won nine of his past 11 matches against Top 20 opponents, including his past four against players who join him in the field at this year’s Nitto ATP Finals.

After becoming an ATP Masters 1000 champion for the first time in August in Toronto, Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev back-to-back to lift the trophy in early October in Beijing, before doing the same against Andrey Rublev and Medvedev later that month to notch another ATP 500 crown in Vienna.

“When you [feeling] confident, it’s always a little bit easier to play, but you have to gain the confidence,” Sinner told ATPTour.com last month. “It’s not that you can buy it. It’s a very important part. Obviously [it builds up] the more matches you win, but also against what kind of players you win is important. So [the Beijing wins] were very important.”

Sinner had arrived in Beijing with starkly contrasting records against Alcaraz and Medvedev. His straight-sets semi-final win against Alcaraz in the Chinese capital moved the Italian into a 4-3 lead in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, but he entered the championship match against Medvedev without a win in the pair’s six previous tour-level meetings.

“I would say it impacts you a little bit at some point, but in another way, in your mind, you know that every time is completely different when you step on court,” said Sinner, when asked about how past experiences with an opponent can affect him. “Obviously, you can feel that.

“It may be certain game styles can match a little bit better than against other ones, but I think generally, you just have to be ready for the day. Don’t think about the past, even if you’re up in the head-to-head. You have to be really brave at every moment.”

Sinner did just that in China, dominating a pair of tie-breaks to break his duck against Medvedev, before backing up that win by with a three-set triumph against the same opponent in the Vienna final. While the mental baggage of his six previous defeats to Medvedev may have been a challenge for the 22-year-old to overcome, Sinner feels that tactical tweaking actually helped him turn the tide.

“I think it was more [about] tennis than the mental side, because I changed up my game a little bit against him,” said Sinner. “Before I was not feeling ready to do it, and practising every day in the right way. I tried to make it happen. I did it, but obviously it is also mental because you also have to be ready to do it in the match. So I think it’s a mix of tennis and also the mental side.”

The ability to adapt his game to take on different opponents at the top level could be key for Sinner as he prepares for his second Nitto ATP Finals appearance on home soil. Unlike in 2021, when he competed as an alternate after injury ruled out his countryman Matteo Berrettini, Sinner is in no doubt that he deserves his spot at the prestigious season finale.

“It was a tough moment for me because Matteo hurt himself,” the Italian told the ATP Tennis Podcast. “It was tough to play for him, but I felt like I handled the situation well. I also played really well in the two matches, so I’m looking forward to coming back to play as a real qualifier.

“I feel like you feel better when you [qualify directly], because if you’ve qualified it means you had a very good year and obviously, I’m very happy to be there in this situation.”

There will be plenty of eyes on the three youngest singles qualifiers this year in Turin. As well as the 22-year-old Sinner, Alcaraz and Holger Rune (both 20) will look to wrap up their stellar 2023 seasons with a strong showing on their respective Nitto ATP Finals debuts. Sinner is excited at the prospect of sharing the Pala Alpitour stage with two of his former junior rivals.

“It’s nice, I think, for the sport, to see the young players coming through,” said Sinner. “It’s really nice to be part of this rivalry, because it is kind of a rivalry and hopefully we can all show some good moments there and a good level. We’re looking forward to it.”

Unlike Alcaraz and Rune, of course, Sinner will be able to rely on home support as he looks to build on his 1-1 Nitto ATP Finals record. Regardless of how things turn out, the opportunity to compete on home soil again is one he will cherish.

“The crowd is behind me and obviously I will try my best to make all the fans as happy as possible and try to win as many matches as possible,” said Sinner. “I also have to enjoy the moment. It’s going to be a good moment for me and hopefully it’s going to be a good tournament.”

The best things in life come in twos.

Just ask Hugo Dellien, who has earned a pair of ATP Challenger Tour titles this season and whose wife Camila is expecting twins.

The 30-year-old, who triumphed at the Santiago and Curitiba Challengers this season, will always remember another memorable moment from when he was in Luedenscheid, Germany. Dellien was eating dinner with his team when his phone rang.

“My wife called me two or three times and I didn’t answer because I was at dinner but then she sent me the picture of the sonography and she said, ‘What did you see in this picture?’” Dellien told ATPTour.com. “I opened the picture and I said, ‘No, no, no, it’s impossible.’ I took my phone and called her and she said, ‘Yeah we have two, not one!’ and I was like, ‘Wow, unbelievable!’

Already a father to one daughter Mila, Dellien will welcome two more girls to the family in 2024. When the Bolivian became a father for the first time in 2020, a difficult situation meant Dellien would miss the birth of his first child.

Dellien was in Bolivia when border restrictions due to Covid-19 would not let him travel to Paraguay, where Camila is from and gave birth to Mila. The Delliens endured through the trial for two months before Hugo could return to his family.

“The ambassador in Bolivia told me, ‘Okay you have a flight in two weeks but you have to do a 16 day quarantine in a hotel room when you get there and you can’t leave the room.’ I was like, ‘Okay, it doesn’t matter. I want to go,’” Dellien said.

“When I came out of the hotel room, my first touch with my baby was on my birthday, my perfect gift.”

Watch Dellien play and you will find the same endurance from the Bolivian on the tennis court, showing grit and toughness in every point, “When I go on the court, for me all the matches are like a battle. That’s my style,” he said.

No better example of Dellien’s perseverance than when he captured the ATP Challenger Tour title in Curitiba, Brazil, where rain forced the World No. 111 to play his semi-final and final match on the same day, spending nearly six hours on court across two matches to be crowned champion.

Hugo Dellien wins the Challenger 75 event in Curitiba, Brazil.” />
^{Hugo Dellien wins the Challenger 75 event in Curitiba, Brazil. Credit: João Pires}
“In the semi-final, the match was moved indoors and I don’t play much indoors so the conditions were different for me,” Dellien said. “In my first match I played like three hours and I ran the whole match like a warrior and when I finished the match, I went on the bicycle for recovery and I started cramping. I couldn’t walk for 10, 15 minutes and two hours later, I played the final. I don’t know how I did it.

“It was special because the previous four or five months, I didn’t have good results, just one final.”

Jack Draper claimed his first title at any level since March 2022 on Sunday when he triumphed at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Bergamo, Italy.

The 21-year-old rallied past former World No. 7 David Goffin 1-6, 7-6(3), 6-3 in the Trofeo Perrel – Faip final after fending off 14 of 19 break points faced to earn his fifth career ATP Challenger Tour crown.

“David came out playing incredibly well. I felt a bit sluggish after a long match yesterday. I had to really fight hard and change my energy to find my way back,” Draper said. “I’m really proud of the way I competed. My competitive spirit brought me back.

Draper, who hit a career-high No. 38 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in January, was poised to continue his rapid rise in 2023. But injuries soon struck the Briton and have been an unfortunate theme this season for last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals semi-finalist. Now with another trophy in his hands, Draper hopes to maintain his form heading into next season.

“I think this year was to stay healthy after my injury in May. Next year I really want to push to the top of the game, that’s my goal,” Draper said.

In other ATP Challenger Tour action, Kazakh’s Beibit Zhukayev earned his maiden title at that level when he won the Jonathan Fried Pro Challenger in Charlottesville, Virginia. The 23-year-old downed qualifier Aidan Mayo 6-3, 6-4 in the final.

After Zhukayev saved five match points in a dramatic first-round match against Thai-Son Kwiatkowski, the Kazakh was unbroken the remainder of the week.

Beibit Zhukayev wins his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in Charlottesville, Virginia.” />
^{Beibit Zhukayev wins his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in Charlottesville, Virginia. Credit: Al Hoover}
“It was a special week for me. In the first match, I saved five match points. After that I felt like I have to fight for every point and that’s what I was doing all this week,” Zhukayev told commentator Mike Cation. “I’m very happy to win the title. It was a goal for me to win a Challenger title this year and I made it.”

Following his triumph in Charlottesville, Zhukayev climbed 52 spots to a career-high No. 195 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Alejandro Tabilo collected his third Challenger trophy of the year at the Challenger Ciudad de Guayaquil, where he overcame second seed Daniel Elahi Galan 6-2, 6-2 in the final. Tabilo, 26, also triumphed in Francavilla al Mare, Italy and Karlsruhe, Germany this season.

“I’m happy because it was a very hard week, many battles with very good players,” Tabilo said in Spanish. “I have known Galan for a long time, we’ve played several matches and I hope I can continue battling with him. I am very happy with the victory and I hope I can continue with this level.”

Alejandro Tabilo wins the Challenger 75 event in Guayaquil, Ecuador.” />
^{Alejandro Tabilo wins the Challenger 75 event in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Credit: Jose Alvarado}
Antoine Bellier won his first ATP Challenger Tour title of the season on the orange carpet of Ismaning, Germany, where the 27-year-old escaped home hope Maximilian Marterer 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 7-6(6) in the final. Bellier advanced through qualifying and dropped just one set all week en route to his second title on the ATP Challenger Tour.

“I had no expectations and I started from qualies to being the winner. I’m really happy,” Bellier said. “I played a great level.”

Taro Daniel claimed his first title since 2020 and eighth overall on the ATP Challenger Tour after defeating Marc Polmans 6-2, 6-4 in the final at the NSW Open in Sydney, Australia. Following his title run, the 30-year-old Daniel posted on Instagram sharing what it meant to him to win the event on the one-year anniversary of his mother’s passing.

“What a week. Grateful for all the continuous support I receive from my team and family even though physically I was alone this time, it’s all of us together,” Daniel wrote. “Special to do it on the one-year anniversary of the passing of my mom.”

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“It’s almost like a first Zverev Chases Finale Hat-trick To Crown Comeback Year To Remember again,” said an emotional Alexander Zverev in July after becoming champion at his hometown event, the Hamburg European Open, for the first time. “It’s such a long time, 18 months, and I’m just super happy right now.”

If an ATP Tour career can be broken up into chapters, the German has followed up one of the most tumultuous of his career with a stirring comeback storyline in 2023. One that has seen him lift his 20th and 21st tour-level trophies in Hamburg and Chengdu, respectively, and qualify for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals for the sixth time.

Zverev had no such expectations at the start of the season, when he returned to competitive action after missing the second half of 2022 with a serious ankle injury sustained during his Roland Garros semi-final against Rafael Nadal. Although the three torn ligaments in his right ankle may have physically healed, Zverev’s 3-6 start to 2023 reflected the fact that after-effects from such a serious injury remained.

“I think at the beginning of the year I was still managing pain, I was still dealing with pain,” Zverev told the ATP Tennis Podcast. “I was not moving the way I wanted to move, I was not sliding around the court, if you look back at the matches that I played. It was more that for me.”

While he struggled in those early months to rediscover his pre-injury level of physicality, Zverev was carrying something else, something more positive, within him. A renewed love for the game that had developed during his long road back to fitness.

“I think you really appreciate the sport of tennis,” said Zverev, when asked if he had learnt anything from his time away. “You really appreciate the tough days, the fun days. You just appreciate being out there on the court when it gets taken away from you.

“Most players realise that once they quit tennis because they don’t have this period, this injury. I realised it earlier on, so I’m thankful for that, but I want to get back to where I was.”

So where exactly ‘was’ Zverev prior to his injury? Had the two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion gone on to beat Nadal in that 2022 Roland Garros semi-final and lift his first major crown, he would also have risen to No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time. As his comeback season wore on, it was that sort of level the German began to rediscover.

Zverev backed up a return to the semi-finals at Roland Garros in July with a last-four appearance in Halle, before clinching his first title since the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals with his dream run at home in Hamburg. Subsequent semi-finals in Cincinnati and Beijing either side of a quarter-final appearance at the US Open, as well as his Chengdu triumph, were further evidence that the 26-year-old was back as a regular title-challenger.

“I’m playing good tennis and I’m winning tournaments again which is the most important thing,” Zverev said after his Chengdu victory. “I’m a contender. That’s something I missed at the beginning of the year, when I didn’t feel like I was. I’m back to the same mentality of winning tournaments and the same mentality of trying to be one of the best.”

And so to Turin, where Zverev enters the field as the only active player other than six-time champion Novak Djokovic to have won the prestigious season finale more than once. While he will be confident of improving his 12-8 Nitto ATP Finals match record and hopeful that he can add to his 2018 and 2021 titles, the German can reflect on a year of remarkable progress no matter how far he goes at the Pala Alpitour.

“It’s just the prestige to be there. You’re one of the best eight players in the world, so automatically you feel honoured to be at that event,” said Zverev. “The special thing about that tournament is that during normal weeks you have time to get into the matches, you have time to find your rhythm, find your game.

“There, you don’t. You play one of the best eight players in the world straightaway, from the first match, and that is the special part about it. I think that’s why all the players look forward to it and fight so hard to be there.”

Zverev’s past Nitto ATP Finals experiences mean his confidence is unlikely to be dented too badly even if he falls to an early defeat in the round-robin stage in Turin. He lost his second group-stage match in London in 2018 and Turin in 2021, but bounced back with three straight wins each time to lift the trophy.

“Other tournaments, if I would have lost to Novak or Daniil [Medvedev], I would have been out, but there I came back and became a two-time champion,” said Zverev. “I think just enjoying the moment [is important]. Just being one of the best eight players in the world and being able to compete with them is something that I enjoy doing.

“It’s a prestige event, an honour itself just to be there, and I never take it for granted.”

Former finalist Dominic Thiem made a winning start at the Moselle Open on Monday when he brushed past French lucky loser Matteo Martineau 6-4, 6-2 to reach the second round.

The former World No. 3, who advanced to the title match on debut in Metz in 2016, saved the one break point he faced and won 80 per cent (28/35) of his first-serve points to advance after 84 minutes.

Thiem has now won eight of his past nine tour-level first-round matches, with his best result a final run in Kitzbühel in August. Chasing his first title since his US Open 2020 triumph, the Austrian will next play Frenchman Ugo Humbert.

In other action, defending champion Lorenzo Sonego made a winning start to his title defence, clawing past American Marcos Giron 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(3).

The Italian, who holds an 8-2 record at the ATP 250 hard-court event, hung tough in a two-hour, 17-minute battle. The sixth seed won 80 per cent (39/49) of his first-serve points and raced away from 3/2 in the third-set tie-break to reach the second round. Sonego will next face Jordan qualifier Abdullah Shelbayh or Frenchman Hugo Gaston.

Constant Lestienne defeated Calvin Hemery 6-3, 6-2, while Alexander Shevchenko beat Mathias Bourgue 6-4, 7-5.

The Nitto ATP Finals will award a record $15 million in prize money at the 2023 season finale, which will be played at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 12-19 November. 

If the champion at this year’s tournament lifts the trophy with a perfect record, he will earn $4,801,500, an increase over the previous record, which was set in 2022 when Novak Djokovic won $4,801,500. That remains record prize money for a champion in all of tennis.

Like in the 2022 edition of the tournament, three matches at this year’s Nitto ATP Finals will be worth more than $1 million. Each semi-final victory will be worth more than $1.1 million and the championship match will yield the winner $2,201,00.

*Singles Participation Fee Schedule (2023)
1 match: $162,750
2 matches: $244,125
3 matches: $325,500

If a doubles team lifts the trophy without losing a match en route to the title, it will split $943,650.

Doubles Participation Fee Schedule (2023)
1 match: $66,000
2 matches: $99,000
3 matches: $132,000

The world’s best players will compete at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin next week, when Novak Djokovic will chase a record seventh title at the prestigious season finale.

When is the Nitto ATP Finals?

The 2023 Nitto ATP Finals will be held from 12-19 November. The indoor hard-court event, established in 1970, will take place at the Pala Alpitour in Turin. The event director is Adam Hogg.

What is the format & who is playing at the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals?

The event in Turin will see eight players divided into two groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to the semi-finals. Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Holger Rune will compete.

When is the draw for the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals?

The Turin draw will be made on Thursday 9 November at 3 p.m.

What is the schedule for the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals?

* Main Draw Round-Robin Matches: Sunday 12 November – Friday 17 November. Afternoon session starts at 12:00 p.m. (doubles), 2:30 p.m. (singles). Evening session not before 6:30 p.m (doubles), 9 p.m. (singles) from Sunday-Thursday. Not before 6 p.m (doubles), 8:30 p.m. (singles) on Friday.

* Semi-finals: Saturday 18 November. Afternoon session starts at 12:00 p.m. (doubles), 2:30 p.m. (singles). Evening session not before 6:30 p.m. (doubles), not before 9 p.m. (singles).

* Final: Sunday 19 November. Doubles final at 3 p.m. and singles final at 6 p.m.

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What is the prize money for the Nitto ATP Finals?

The prize money for the Nitto ATP Finals is $15,000,000

Singles
Undefeated Champion: $4,801,500
Final Win: $2,201,000
Semi-Final Win: $1,105,000
Each Round-Robin Match Win: $390,000
Participation Fee: $325,500
Alternate: $152,500

Doubles (per team)
Undefeated Champion: $943,650
Final Win: $351,000
Semi-Final Win: $175,650
Each Round-Robin Match Win: $95,000
Participation Fee: $132,000
Alternate: $50,850

How can I watch the Nitto ATP Finals?

Watch Live On Tennis TV
TV Schedule

How can I follow the Nitto ATP Finals?

Hashtag: #NittoATPFinals
Facebook: Nitto ATP Finals
Twitter: @atptour
Instagram: @nittoatpfinals

Who won the last edition of the Nitto ATP Finals in 2022?

Novak Djokovic won the 2022 singles title in Turin with a 7-5, 6-3 win against Casper Ruud in the championship match (Read & Watch).

Who holds the Nitto ATP Finals record for most titles, oldest champion, youngest champion and more?

Most Titles, Singles: Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic (6)
Oldest Champion: Novak Djokovic, 35, in 2022
Youngest Champion: John McEnroe, 19, in 1978
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1s Ilie Nastase (1973), Jimmy Connors (1977), Bjorn Borg (1979-80), John McEnroe (1984), Ivan Lendl (1985-87), Pete Sampras (1994, 1996-97), Lleyton Hewitt (2002), Roger Federer (2004, 2006-07), Novak Djokovic (2012, 2014-15) and Andy Murray (2016)
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 12 David Nalbandian in 2005
Last Home Champion: Andy Murray in London in 2016
Most Match Wins: Roger Federer (59)

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

As he prepares for his fifth consecutive Nitto ATP Finals appearance, Daniil Medvedev has a score to settle. The world No. 3 went 0-3 last season in Turin, but that record tells just a small part of the story.

One year after winning two final-set tie-breaks in a runner-up finish at the season finale, Medvedev lost all three of his 2022 Turin matches in decisive tie-breaks — defeats against Novak Djokovic, Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. But as a former champion, the 27-year-old is not too concerned about a repeat performance.

“I feel definitely maybe a little bit less pressure, because before I won [the 2020 title], I lost three matches in a row,” he pointed out. “But the same time, tennis is such a… let’s call it a cyclic thing. Last year, I lost three matches, and three of them were really close in the decisive tie-break, I think two of them I was serving for the match. 

“So for sure this year coming there, I want to try to be better. And that’s exactly what happened a couple of years ago, when I managed to win it. So let’s hope it’s going to be the same story.”

Medvedev used last year’s misfortune as motivation for his offseason, and he quickly made amends in the early part of 2023. Across a stretch of five tournaments from mid-February to early April, he reached five finals and won four titles, including at the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami.

Daniil Medvedev with his Miami Open trophy in 2023.” />

Medvedev also lifted 500-level trophies in Rotterdam and Dubai during that period. He would later add a second ATP Masters 1000 trophy — his first tour-level clay title — in Rome before reaching the US Open final and advancing to ATP 500 finals in Beijing and Vienna.

“I’ve had an amazing season on many levels, but the 500s have been pretty amazing. I got a lot of points and good wins against great players,” said Medvedev, who earned the most Pepperstone ATP Rankings points across the 13 ATP 500s this season.

“I started the year very strongly by winning the first two 500s I played in Rotterdam and Dubai, so that opened a big gap on a lot of players and I have managed to finish strong at the end here in Vienna,” he added, charting his path in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin.

During his Vienna run, Medvedev said this was probably the best season of his career, though he rued the lack of a Grand Slam title to match his 2021 US Open crown. A second Nitto ATP Finals title would go a long way to consolidate this as a standout season for the baseliner — but he knows he must beat several great champions to become the singular champion in Turin.

“You play against the best players in the world,” he said of the season finale. “So as soon as you go to the third set, and the ending of the third set, it’s going to be tough for both of you, and you both know how to deal with this pressure.

“Last year, I was not strong enough to manage to make it. This year, I’m going to try to be stronger.”

Medvedev tops the ATP Tour leaderboard in matches won this season with a personal-best 64 victories compared to just 16 defeats. But should he suffer a setback against one of his elite foes in Turin, the result will not necessarily end his chances at the title thanks to the unique round-robin format.

While he will not approach the group stage differently than any other tournament — except for the knowledge that he is up against the world’s very best from Day 1 — Medvedev knows he could benefit from that second chance in his back pocket if needed.

“I think what it changes is if you lose a match, that’s when you get the second chance, which in tennis doesn’t happen except this tournament. And that’s the only time,” he explained.

“But when you go into the tournament, the best feeling is trying to not lose [each] match, try to win every match possible and get to the final like this. But I think we have a lot of stories where someone lost the first match and then won the whole thing. So that’s what makes it this tournament special.”