Tennis News

Alcaraz & Rublev meet again in Turin

The 2024 Nitto ATP Finals continue to close in on the knockout rounds with Wednesday’s action, as players in the John Newcombe Group take to the Inalpi Arena for their second round-robin matches.

Carlos Alcaraz and Andrey Rublev both seek their first wins of the week in a critical afternoon matchup, before Day 2 winners Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud battle it out in the evening for top spot in the group. The Day 4 doubles action will see top seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic face Matthew Ebden and Rohan Bopanna, before Italians Andrea Vavassori and Simone Bolelli play Germans Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz.

[3] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs. [8] Andrey Rublev

Alcaraz struggled with lingering effects of a stomach illness in his opening defeat to Ruud, but the round-robin format of the Nitto ATP Finals could provide the cure. Rather than being sent home with his opening defeat, the No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings has a chance to recover and advance to the knockout rounds in Turin.

“Given how I’ve felt, it’s difficult to think about the semis,” Alcaraz said on Monday. “The good thing in this sport is that your game can feel very bad one day and very good the next.”

Last year in his Turin debut, Alcaraz lost to Zverev in his opening match before rebounding to reach the semis. He began to turn his tournament around by beating Rublev in their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

“There have been many players who have lost the first match of the [Nitto] ATP Finals and ended up winning,” Alcaraz pointed out. “Now I want to take it day by day, to feel better, and see how the next match is. I’ll approach it as best I can. Let’s hope things turn out well.”

Rublev avenged his Turin defeat to Alcaraz by beating the Spaniard en route to winning the Madrid ATP Masters 1000 crown this season. Ironically, it was Rublev who was feeling sick in the buildup to that event.

“In the end I guess it forced me to play much more free, because the only way I could somehow win the matches was to play aggressive and try to run less,” Rublev recently told ATPTour.com, recapping his year.

Rublev never needs an excuse to play attacking tennis, but his experience against Alcaraz in Madrid could lead to a similarly all-out approach in Turin. In quick conditions at the Inalpi Arena, whoever can throw the first punch in the rallies could knock out his opponent in this heavyweight fight.

<img alt=”Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/11/12/19/42/zverev-ruud-turin-2024-h2h.jpg” />

[2] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs. [6] Casper Ruud [NOR] While this will be their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting in Turin, Zverev and Ruud have played exclusively on the game’s biggest stages in their five previous encounters. After meeting at the ATP Masters 1000s in Cincinnati, Paris and Miami, they split a pair of Roland Garros semi-finals in 2023 and 2024. Zverev leads the series 3-2, including the win that sent him through to his first Roland Garros final this year.

Zverev did not face a break point in his opening Turin win against Rublev, according to Infosys ATP Stats. He also converted on both of his break opportunities in an efficient and commanding opening performance. More than any other competitor this year, the two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion knows the formula for success at the season finale.

“Against anyone here, you have to play your best to have a chance, you have to be solid [and] mentally strong,” he said after his opening win. “I feel like I did that today, I felt like I used my chances quite well and I’m obviously happy with this win.”

Ruud was even more pleased with his opening victory against Alcaraz, even accounting for the Spaniard’s off day.

“It’s only one match, but it’s definitely one of the best wins of the season for me,” he said. “I have not been [full of] confidence in the past weeks or months, so it was a great win for me and hopefully I can build on it, and I would like to get some more wins while I am in Turin.”

Both Zverev and Ruud will need to recalibrate their games after taking on aggressive opponents in their first match. While both players pack plenty of punch — particularly in Zverev’s serve and Ruud’s forehand — they are more content to bide their time in the rallies as they prod for an advantage.

The result of this chess match will determine who ends Wednesday in first place in the John Newcombe Group with a 2-0 record. While the winner will be in pole position to reach the knockout stage, the loser could face a must-win situation in his final round-robin match.

Doubles Action
Top seeds Arevalo and Pavic bid to bounce back from an opening defeat to Krawietz and Puetz on Day 4. The El Salvadoran/Croatian team, champions at Roland Garros and Cincinnati this year, will take on sixth seeds Bopanna and Ebden, who won the Australian Open and Miami in 2024. Neither team took a set in their opening match.

Home favourites Bolelli and Vavassori hope to continue the Italian success in Turin when they take on Krawietz and Puetz. Bolelli and Vavassori are bidding to match what the Germans did this year in Hamburg by winning a title on their own home soil.

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Koolhof/Mektic save MP in Turin turnaround triumph

Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic came back from the brink to rejuvenate their Nitto ATP Finals campaign on Tuesday evening in Turin.

The Dutch-Croatian pair bounced back from an opening loss at the prestigious season finale by saving a match point to down second seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 4-6, 7-6(6), 10-8. Koolhof and Mektic crucially held their nerve across the business end of the match to improve to 1-1 in Mike Bryan Group.

“It was a huge battle from the beginning,” reflected Mektic. “We fought. We had some chances in the second set to break, but it didn’t happen. We were somehow holding our serves. Then both tie-breaks went really far. The first one was [8-6], we saved the match point, and we just pushed each other every point. Every point was vital in the end and it went our way.”

A pair of FIGHTERS 🥊@wesleykoolhof & @NMektic keep their hopes alive in Turin with a crucial victory!#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/7HyUrUnuwI

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 12, 2024

On the cusp of a straight-sets defeat that would have eliminated them from the tournament, Koolhof and Mektic reeled off three consecutive points from 5/6 in the second-set tie-break to force a decider inside Inalpi Arena. The emotional driving force of the comeback was Koolhof, whose desire to keep alive his chances of winning a title in the final ATP Tour event of his career was clear to see.

There was still a late wobble from the Dutchman and Mektic, however, as they let slip their first three match points from 9/5 in the Match Tie-break. The pair made no mistake with their fourth match point, however, as they wrapped a victory in which they won 88 per cent (44/50) of points behind first serves, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“The first match was a pretty high quality as well,” said Koolhof, when asked if he and Mektic had made any tactical changes after their opening defeat to Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson in Turin. “We always play great battles against Zeballos and Granollers every single time we play them. So it’s fun points, fun matches. Luckily we got the better of them again, but we didn’t really do much different than in the previous match.”

Read More: Koolhof’s ‘My Point’: A farewell to tennis

View The Best Photos From Behind The Scenes At The Nitto ATP Finals Vogue Shoot

With their one-hour, 52-minute victory, the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals champions extended their Lexus ATP Head2Head series lead against Granollers and Zeballos to 4-0. Three of those victories have come this year, when Koolhof and Mektic prevailed against their Spanish-Argentine rivals in Auckland, Indian Wells and now Turin.

Koolhof and Mektic’s Match Tie-break win ensured that Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten became the first team to seal a semi-final spot in Turin. Heliovaara and Patten earlier improved to 2-0 on their Nitto ATP Finals debut by defeating Purcell and Thompson 7-6(3), 7-5.

A second defeat of the week in Turin was a blow to Granollers and Zeballos’ hopes of claiming ATP Year-End Doubles No. 1 presented by PIF honours. The pair remains second in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, 210 points shy of Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic. Arevalo and Pavic play their second match in Turin on Wednesday against Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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'It is the year of Jannik', Carota Boys ready for Sinner show in Turin

The atmosphere built to fever pitch levels at the Nitto ATP Finals on Tuesday night, when fans made their way inside the Inalpi Arena to watch Italian star Jannik Sinner take to court in Turin.

The home favourite, who faces Taylor Fritz, is competing in Italy for the first time this season after missing Rome due to injury. Unsurprisingly Sinner’s fan club, The Carota Boys, were in the house to watch their guy.

“We are really excited because Jannik is playing in Italy for the first time this year. We are excited to see him with the Italian crowd,” said Carota Boy member Alessandro Dedominic, who has travelled around the world watching the Italian this year. “It is the year of Jannik, it is unbelievable. Two Grand Slam crowns, World No. 1. He has a good chance here because indoor conditions are good for him. I think he played really well in the first match and has a great chance to win the title.”

The Carota Boys have become famous in the tennis world for showing up at tournaments in carrot costumes. The act stems from a changeover in Vienna four years ago when the Italian chowed down on a whole carrot, with Sinner joking in the past that The Carota Boys are more famous than him.

Sinner reached the final in Turin last year. Twelve months on and the Italian returns as the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, lifting majors at the Australian Open and the US Open in 2024.

Alessandro Bianchet, an Italian tennis fan, recalls watching Sinner lose to Holger Rune in Monte-Carlo in 2023 and believes that was a key point in Sinner’s development.

“We watched him in Monte-Carlo and at the Finals here in Turin last year. I have a memory of him when he lost in Monte-Carlo against Rune last year,” Bianchet said. “I think that was the turning point, that match against Rune was the start of him going to the top.”

Another Italian, Davide Carrara, lives in Bolzano, the region where Jannik Sinner grew up. Carrara highlighted the impact Sinner has had on youngsters in Italy.

“I am from the Bolzano, the region where Jannik grew up and we are so proud we have the number one player in the world from Bolzano,” Carrara said. “It is incredible now the number of youngsters who turn up to tennis and want to start tennis and be like Jannik. It is very important for Italian tennis.

“I watched him first when he was 16 years old in Italy. He had a wild card and was so young but he was already so good mentally. His mindset was there.”

<img alt=”Jannik Sinner fans” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/11/12/18/31/sinner-fans-1.jpg” style=”width: 100%;” />
_{^{Davide Carrara, first from left, and Alessandro Bianchet, fourth from left, with friends in Turin}}

Juan Ribadeneira travelled with his son Jose from Ecuador to watch the action in northern Italy. They have enjoyed their experience so far and are relishing the opportunity to watch Sinner take on Fritz on Tuesday in the Ilie Nastase group.

“It is our first time here,” Ribadeneira said. “Being here with the best eight players is very special. We have seen every match so far and we are here for the whole week. The atmosphere is fantastic, it is so well organised and a nice venue.

“Sinner is my favourite player,” son Juan added. “He is the favourite here and he plays the best. He is the best in the world and there are no holes in his game. If he plays well, I think only Carlos can match him.”

<img alt=”Jannik Sinner fans” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/11/12/18/33/sinner-fans-5.jpg?w=100%25″ />
_{^{Juan Ribadeneira, first from left, with his son Juan, third from left, and father.}}

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Bopanna & Ebden seek fairytale finish to partnership in Turin

Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden’s two-year partnership is coming to and at the Nitto ATP Finals this week, and they are preparing to finish with a flourish, despite dropping their opening group match. 

The Indian-Australian duo knows what it takes to win big titles, and 2024 was no different. Bopanna and Ebden raced out the blocks in a blistering start to the season which saw them both reach No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings after clinch the Australian Open trophy. 

“I think it would be beautiful to finish the year with a title, especially [with] the way we started off this year,” Bopanna told ATPTour.com. “It has been an up and down journey. We had a great first three months, and then we had a few challenges along the way in terms of our performance.”

Battling a mid-season slump, Bopanna and Ebden ignited deep runs at big events, including the semi-finals at Roland Garros, to secure their spot at the Nitto ATP Finals and put them in contention to end on a high. Bopanna, who became the oldest player to reach World No. 1 at 43 in January, has twice triumphed at the season-ending finale.

This year, the Indian is seeking a hat-trick for what would be Ebden’s maiden trophy at the prestigious event.

“I think we have had a great two years together, and to finish on a high note, I think it will be beautiful,” added Bopanna. “I think one of the advantages is that you do have a second chance here. Of course, you try and win all the matches, but if that doesn’t happen, you still have a great chance to qualify and do well. It is the only one of a kind tournament we have where we do have a second chance.”

Bopanna and Ebden will indeed be hoping to capitalise on the unique format, having fallen to the fired up Italian duo of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in their opening-round match. On Wednesday, they bid to secure their first win in Mike Bryan Group, but face an arduous task against top seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic.

“Last year, we obviously had a successful season,” Ebden recalled. “We made Turin, and we talked at the end of last year. But this year, we decided that we are going to continue, to go again for another year.

“It was great we did, because we got our outcomes, particularly in January, winning the Australian Open, moving on to winning Miami, and being the No. 1 team. Those were some of our big goals when we started. Now we’ve hit nearly all those goals, we said ‘Let’s try to go together for one more big title [in Turin] and finish on a big high.”

Having together reached the pinnacle of the sport and won dazzling titles, Bopanna and Ebden will begin their new chapters in the 2025 season.

”[I’m] looking forward to finding a good partner and definitely looking forward to continuing playing in 2025,” added Bopanna, who will turn 45 in April.”

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After Alcaraz upset, Ruud visits The Green Wall

Casper Ruud made waves at the Nitto ATP Finals on Monday, when he stunned Carlos Alcaraz at the Inalpi Arena.

With his day off Tuesday, the Norwegian checked out the area surrounding the venue, paying a visit to The Green Wall next to the Fan Village.

The Green Wall is a sustainability-focused installation designed with live plants, which invites fans to engage directly with the theme of sustainability. Fans are able to take photos in front of the wall before it is relocated within Turin after the tournament.

Watch Ruud vs. Alcaraz Highlights:

The Nitto ATP Finals Torino Green Project champions the event’s sustainability efforts and supports the local city. Turin has committed to reaching climate neutrality by 2030 and is one of the European Commission’s 100 ‘Mission Cities’.

“Hey guys it’s Casper here in front of the beautiful Green Wall here in the Fan Village in Turin,” Ruud said. “If you have the chance you should come check it out, it’s great. See you on court tomorrow!”

Ruud will play Alexander Zverev on Wednesday evening in John Newcombe Group action. The winner will move to 2-0 in the group.

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The Aftermatch: Medvedev goes Live, opens the lid on iconic celebrations

Fresh from his first win at this year’s Nitto ATP Finals on Tuesday, Daniil Medvedev made his way to the hot seat in Turin, where he joined Max Whittle on Instagram Live for the latest installment of ‘The Aftermatch’.

The 28-year-old is a larger-than-life character and showed off his full personality with Whittle. The No. 4 player in the PIF ATP Rankings discussed his iconic celebrations and was put to the test with a number of fast-paced games. 

Watch the interview you didn’t know you needed below as Medvedev becomes the third star to go Live this week.

Tune in across ATP Tour and Nitto ATP Finals social channels after every daytime singles match during the event to watch more of your favourite stars go Live.

Another day, another Instagram Live, with Casper Ruud the latest star to take the hot seat for ‘The Aftermatch’.

Following his win against Carlos Alcaraz at the Nitto ATP Finals on Monday, Ruud joined host Max Whittle in Turin, where the pair discussed Ruud’s James Bond-based fashion, Norwegian fans, Sinner’s hair and much more…

Catch the must-watch live interview below as Ruud spills the tea.

On Sunday, Taylor Fritz brought his A-game on Sunday not just to the court but also to Instagram Live, where he became the very first guest on ‘The Aftermatch’ with host Max Whittle.

Fans got to see Fritz’s fun side when he spilled the tea in this lively post-match chat!

After clinching a win against Daniil Medvedev at the Nitto ATP Finals, the 27-year-old shared all. He cracked jokes about his recent viral hair transformation, dished on who stole the show as the best-dressed at media day, and even got a surprise gift from Whittle.

Catch the must-watch Live interview below – it’s the post-match breakdown you didn’t know you needed!

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Medvedev defeats De Minaur at ATP Tour Finals

A rejuvenated Daniil Medvedev defeats Alex de Minaur 6-2 6-4 in his second match at the ATP Tour Finals.

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Medvedev outfoxes De Minaur to open account in Turin

Daniil Medvedev further outlined his credentials as one of the Tour’s sharpest tacticians on Tuesday at the Nitto ATP Finals.

The fourth seed produced an expertly measured performance to prevail 6-2, 6-4 over Alex de Minaur and get up and running at the season finale. Medvedev, the 2020 champion, had all the answers in a chess-like battle to improve to 7-3 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry. 

In a match that thoroughly contrasted his opening-round defeat to Taylor Fritz, Medvedev was ruthless in attack throughout the encounter. The 28-year-old was particularly dialled in during the opening set, during which he effectively limited the Australian’s ability to take the upper hand, winning 20 out of 31 baseline points.

The second set was more evenly contested, but Medvedev came alive in a crucial ninth game to break serve and close in on his first Top 10 win on hard courts since March. 

Read more about the Vogue photo shoot here ^{_{(Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour)}}

Medvedev’s 78-minute triumph means that Taylor Fritz could qualify for the semi-finals if he overcomes World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in their Tuesday evening clash. Medvedev will seek to bolster his hopes of progressing from the John Newcombe Group when he takes on the Italian on Thursday. 

More to follow…

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Champions On Champions: 'Can I move like Demon?' Fritz & De Minaur don't hold back!

Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur were not afraid to hold back ahead of the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, where they sat down and joked with each other, answering a series of savage questions.

The American and Australian, who will face off in the Ilie Nastaste Group Thursday, played nicely to start, praising each other’s games

“Can I move like Demon? Can I take that? I just want to move like Demon,” Fritz said when asked about the De Minaur’s on-court attributes.

“I just want to serve like Taylor,” De Minaur replied with a smile. “Then we are set. That is what makes a champion.”

However, things quickly heated up during ‘Savage Mode’. The questions got spicier, with both giving an honest assessment of each other’s skills. Watch the video below to see the full exchange.

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Wesley Koolhof: A farewell to tennis

Last year at Wimbledon I experienced as close to euphoria as I imagine is possible in tennis. I was playing doubles with Neal Skupski, who is from Great Britain. It was a dream of mine to play on Centre Court and it was incredible to have the opportunity to compete on such a grand stage in the championship match.

To lift the trophy in front of Neal’s home fans at The Championships made it even more special.

Winning a Grand Slam title was one of the big things I really wanted to achieve in my career. In 2020, I won the Nitto ATP Finals with Nikola Mektic. I am a six-time ATP Masters 1000 champion. In 2022, I became the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings and was part of the year-end No. 1 team. Finally, I was able to call myself a major titlist.

There was so much media attention back home and other things that went with capturing the trophy. I remember going to the Wimbledon Ball on Sunday evening, thinking about how few players earn the chance to do something like that. It was just an incredible feeling.

For the next three weeks I was home with my fiancee, former WTA player Julia Goerges, and really enjoyed that time. Less than two months after winning Wimbledon I was sitting in my hotel room in Cincinnati thinking, ‘Okay, what am I going to do now with my life?’

I had accomplished everything I wanted to achieve, and winning the title on the hallowed grass was basically the last thing to tick off. One day I would love to start a family. You see a lot of doubles guys traveling with their little ones, or need to leave their kids because there is a tournament to play. I don’t see myself doing that.

It was not that long after that moment when I decided that the 2024 season would be the last of my career.

I’m really happy that I was able to make the Nitto ATP Finals one more time and while I will compete for The Netherlands in Davis Cup, this is my final tournament.

<img alt=”Wesley Koolhof/Neal Skupski” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2023/07/15/17/21/koolhof-skupski-wimbledon-2023-saturday-trophy-shot.jpg?w=100%25″ />
^{2023 Wimbledon champions Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski. Photo: Getty Images.}

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I began playing tennis like many kids, hitting against a wall aged three. My parents, Monique and Jurrie, enjoyed tennis and would take me to a club called Columbae in Duiven, my hometown.

I also played football — my father was a professional, which made it easier to take up the sport. But there was something about the individuality of tennis I liked more. I began taking lessons at four and pretty early on local talent scouts picked me to practise with better players.

Growing up, I looked up to Andre Agassi. I loved how he played. He had an amazing baseline game, was returning super solid and his tempo in rallies was really high. That style attracted me.

That was also my game when I was younger. When I was playing singles, I was only hitting forehands from the back, a little bit like Rafael Nadal, running around backhands all the time and only hitting forehands. I was okay at the net, but not very comfortable during my singles career.

Andre wasn’t known for his best volleys, either. He only came to the net to shake hands, basically. Maybe it’s a bit ironic that my idol played that way and I’ve had my success playing doubles.
My parents took me to the Rotterdam tournament every year, but I was not one of the kids chasing autographs and trying to meet the players. I just wanted to watch tennis, no matter who played.

A dream of mine was to perform once on centre court in Rotterdam, to try to be as good as the players I watched. It came full circle earlier this year when I won the title there.

When I was young, I was only thinking about singles, not doubles. But the longer you play, the more you dream, and the more you try to challenge yourself and make it very far.

In singles, I reached a career-high World No. 462 in 2013. Two years later, I gave up on that dream of being a great singles player and shifted my focus towards doubles, not knowing how that was going to go.

I knew how to play it. I liked it. I thought I had a pretty good eye for it. I had some anticipation skills and knew what was happening. I always played both because I liked the doubles game, and I also thought it was good for my singles as well, to improve myself at the net.

In 2019, my career began to take off. I played some with Stefanos Tsitsipas, which helped my ranking a lot, and we made my first Masters 1000 final in Miami. I made two more Masters 1000 finals that year with Robin Haase and while I did not win any of those finals, it changed my trajectory.

Since then it has been a dream, winning tournaments like the Nitto ATP Finals with Nikola — and we hope to do it again this year. That event was our last together before this season.

<img alt=”Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/11/11/18/58/koolhof-mektic-2022-nitto-atp-finals.jpg” />
^{2020 Nitto ATP Finals champions Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic. Photo: Ella Ling/ATP Tour.}
But I was able to thankfully have more success. Neal and I began our partnership in 2022 and it went through the roof. I became No. 1 at the end of the year after winning Paris and finishing at the year-end No. 1 team was extremely special.

When I made the decision to retire I wanted to go one more year, for the Olympics, Davis Cup and trying to earn as much glory as possible. I’m still happy with the decision and we’ve had an incredible start and end of the year.

I’d like to also thank Julia, whom I think most people will know, especially the tennis fans. We met in 2019 at the wedding of another WTA player, Kiki Bertens. She reached the Top 10 and beat the best players in the world, so she has so much experience at the upper levels of tennis.

Since I met Julia, my career has been on the rise. She helped me make decisions with my tennis and most importantly is an incredible human being. She has played such an important part in making my dreams come true.

We are getting married at the end of the year, which is a great way to end things. This is the end of my career, and the start of a new life. After we get married and take our honeymoon, I look forward to just relaxing at home together and just enjoying life.

I don’t know what will be next, but after taking some time off I’d love to stay in tennis. In this world, you meet so many people, and tennis has always been part of my life. I am also open to things other than tennis, too. I will just wait and see what comes around the corner, and you’ll see me somewhere.

For now, I’m excited for one last ride at the Nitto ATP Finals.

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