Felix Auger-Aliassime is determined to respond at the Nitto ATP Finals following his round-robin defeat Sunday against Casper Ruud in Turin.

The Canadian arrived at the prestigious year-end event having won 16 of his past 17 matches. However, he was unable to find his best level against the Norwegian at the Pala Alpitour, leaving him with work to do if he is to qualify for the semi-finals.

“My back is against the wall,” Auger-Aliassime said in his post-match press conference. “It would have been better to start with a win here. For Casper, I’m sure it’s a big weight off his shoulders. For me, I need to bounce back and play better, play a little bit better. I’m not far from playing well, but there are a few things I can do better. I will try to use the day tomorrow to do that, to work on a few things.”

The 22-year-old enjoyed an impressive end to the season, lifting tour-level trophies in Florence, Antwerp and Basel. His form propelled him to seventh in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, before he sealed qualification in Paris.

Auger-Aliassime admitted that he felt the pressure in the lead-up to his debut match in Turin, but felt his nerves did not impact his performance against Ruud.

“I was thinking about it the past few days,” said Auger-Aliassime when asked about the pressure of competing in Turin. “It’s kind of strange. You have this stress and pressure, this energy to qualify for this event the whole year. Especially at the end of the year, [with] the way I did it. You [come here], but there are still matches to play and compete. It’s not like, now I’m qualified, I can rest. I was thinking that would be a mistake, to come here and act like I’m happy and this is it.

“I felt good today. No problem. I was thinking maybe my first time I’m not going to feel great. From the first balls, I felt good, I felt normal. I’ve played on other big stages before. This match [didn’t] feel any different.”

Auger-Aliassime will look to bounce back when he faces Rafael Nadal and Taylor Fritz in his remaining Green Group matches in Italy. The 22-year-old feels he will have to return better if he is to advance.

“I feel in the past few weeks and months, when I was playing well, I was returning much better than I did today,” Auger-Aliassime said. “[I was] still serving great, apart from one game where it wasn’t even my serve. I did a few mistakes, bad mistakes, in the second set. I felt like I could have returned much better and given myself chances because I won [only] a few points on my return, and that’s not enough against a player like Casper.”

Nitto ATP Finals debutant Taylor Fritz answers a lightning round of questions about Italy…

Visit the Colosseum or climb Mount Vesuvius?
I would probably visit the Colosseum. It sounds a little easier. Sounds like a more chill day.

Attend a Serie A football match or watch the historic Italian Grand Prix at Monza?
I’d go to the football match. I like soccer.

Films set in Italy: The Godfather or The Italian Job?
The Godfather.

Espresso or Cappuccino?
Cappucino.

Favourite pizza topping?
Probably pepperoni or olive.

Is there a topping you won’t eat?
Anchovies.

Favourite pasta dish?
Probably a truffle pasta or a carbonara.

Which Italian dish can you cook best?
Probably none of them… I guess I can cook pasta. It’s not too tough.

What first comes to mind when you think of Italy?
Probably pasta. The food.

How does it feel to be here for your debut?
It’s great, I’m really excited. It was one of my goals at the beginning of the year to be here, and obviously a week ago I thought I was going to be here as an alternate. So, I’m lucky, I’m fortunate to be playing and I’m really excited to get started.

Thoughts on the format, will you approach it differently?
No. It’s good, if you don’t play a good match or lose a match, you still get two more to try again. I also just like the fact that it’s against the best players. I feel like I always play my best tennis against the best players, so it will be good fun.

In a battle between two of the biggest forehands on the ATP Tour, Casper Ruud downed Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6(4), 6-4 on Sunday to kick-start his 2022 Nitto ATP Finals campaign with a win.

Ruud arrived at the Pala Alpitour for his second appearance at the prestigious season finale off the back of a tough run of form. The 23-year-old won just two matches across four tournaments prior to Turin, but he was sharp from the first game as his consistent heavy hitting kept Auger-Aliassime under constant pressure.

“I think this is some of the best level that I have played since the US Open,” said Ruud after the match. “The last couple of months have been a little bit of a struggle, I have to honestly say that, but you have to accept it as well. You will face difficult moments in your career, and maybe these last couple of months was one of those… It doesn’t matter how hard you practise if you don’t win matches, so today was a great win for me.”

A Green Group encounter largely dominated by serve was decided by a few crucial moments. Ruud stayed the more consistent to pull clear in the first-set tie-break after the first five points had gone with serve, while a solitary break in the seventh game of the second set proved enough for the third seed to wrap a one-hour, 51-minute victory in the opening singles match of the week.

Although Auger-Aliassime outhit Ruud by 30 winners to 19, the Norwegian offered his opponent little in his service games. Ruud did not face a break point in the match as he improved his ATP Head2Head record against the Canadian to 3-1.

“Felix has been on a roll this fall and I knew he was going to come out strong,” said Ruud. “I was playing well, I found some of my best level that I have played in recent months, so I am extremely happy to be able to bring that out here in the finals. I knew if I wanted to have any chance against any of the guys in my group I would have to bring my A-game, and today I was able to do so.”

The third-seeded Ruud is looking to progress from the round-robin stage for the second consecutive year in Turin. The Norwegian fell to Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals in 2021.

“I had a great start, just the way I needed to,” said Ruud. “[Winning in straight sets]. The next match is going to be tough no matter who I play, but at least I have a win in the bag.

“I’m not going to try to relax, but I know that I don’t need to sort of stress or try to rush things to try to turn it around, so that’s hopefully a good thing… I’m not going to count on anything, I’m just going to focus on the next two matches and in a way pretend that this never happened. So, I need to bring my A-game in the next two matches as well.”

It was a tough tournament debut for Auger-Aliassime, who was unable to find the level that saw him win 16 straight matches and lift three consecutive ATP Tour titles across October and early November. The 22-year-old Canadian will seek to bounce back in his remaining round-robin matches against Rafael Nadal and Taylor Fritz.

Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara tasted victory on Sunday at the Nitto ATP Finals, where the sixth seeds opened their debut campaign at the season finale with a 7-5, 7-6(3) triumph against Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer.

The British-Finnish pair produced a high-class serving performance to seal victory at the Pala Alpitour in Turin, firing 11 aces and winning 83 per cent (39/47) of points behind first serve against the reigning Roland Garros champions.

After saving two break points to keep parity at 2-2 early, Glasspool and Heliovaara clinched a decisive break at 6-5 to seal the first set. With little to separate the two teams in the second set, Glasspool and then Heliovaara fired stunning returns on consecutive points to open a 4/1 lead in the tie-break. The debutants did not let slip their advantage, as they dropped just two more points to wrap a a 91-minute triumph.

Heliovaara let out a jumping roar of delight as he and Glasspool notched their maiden Nitto ATP Finals victory, just less than two years after they first teamed at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Portugal.

The pair’s win also avenged their straight-sets defeats to Arevalo and Rojer in both the Dallas and Stockholm finals this season. Despite those disappointments, the sixth seeds have enjoyed a consistent year on Tour, highlighted by winning their maiden ATP 500 title in Hamburg in July.

More to follow…

When Andrey Rublev saw the Nitto ATP Finals groups, the World No. 7’s eyes lit up as it was revealed that he would collide with all three of the tournament’s former champions in the draw: Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas. A heavy-hitting, tough-as-nails Red Group.

But as Rublev anticipates his opening match Monday, a first encounter this season against Medvedev, the 25-year-old is narrowing his focus to the job at hand.

“Against Daniil, that’s going to be a real chess match,” Rublev said. “I’m not even looking at my other matches. I believe both of us will show a great level that spectators will enjoy. “My first reaction [to the group] was not good. “I thought, ‘What am I doing here, in this group?’”

Rublev is aiming towards a strong run in his third appearance at the season finale, which showcases the world’s best eight players. He hopes to improve upon his previous round-robin exits. But there is no easy path.

“You cannot escape it,” Rublev said. “If you want to play against the best and try to beat them, you have to face them. I just want to enjoy my time and give all my best.”

Rublev, who boasts a 49-18 match record in 2022, is tied with Cameron Norrie at fourth-most Tour-level wins this season, behind Tsitsipas (60), Carlos Alcaraz (57) and Felix Auger-Aliassime (56).

A four-time titlist this season (Marseille, Dubai, Belgrade, Gijon), Rublev still enjoys the bright lights of the year-end event.

“This moment feels special, I enjoy it,” Rublev said. “For the spectators too, it’s fun to see not just tennis, but to see the players in a different atmosphere. I think it’s great entertainment for them and also for us. It brings something new and refreshing.”

The Nitto ATP Finals runs from 13-20 November at the Pala Alpitour in Turin, Italy. Rublev’s showdown against Medvedev is set for Monday afternoon local time.

Jiri Lehecka may not have finished the 2022 season by lifting the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals trophy on Saturday, but the 21-year-old leaves Milan with a positive outlook thanks to his performance at the year-end showcase.

After winning his third ATP Challenger title in August on home soil in Liberec, the Czech’s rise up the Pepperstone ATP Rankings was slowed by an inconsistent close to the season. Now Lehecka can look forward to 2023 with renewed confidence after reaching the final in Milan.

“This has been a great end to the season,” he said of the 21-and-under event. “After some tough losses in the past few weeks, after the US Open, I wasn’t feeling very comfortable on court. I didn’t feel like it was going the right way.

“So this for sure has been a great impact to my game and to see what I need to work on again. To [help] improve stuff we need to improve to get to the highest level and compete against the best guys. In the past few weeks, I’ve shown that I have the game to beat top guys — that I have the tennis I need for playing very good tennis.”

Despite his 4-3(5), 4-3(6), 4-2 defeat to Brandon Nakashima in Saturday’s final, Lehecka enjoyed his time at the Allianz Cloud this week.

“This is an incredible event. I enjoyed this week fully,” he said. “I’m very happy that the ATP organised something like this, because it’s a nice gift for players to be able to compete in this event. For me, it was the best end of the season that I could wish for. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a win today, but if somebody told me before this season that I would be in the final, I would take it, for sure.”

Lehecka finishes the season at No. 74 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, after reaching a career high of No. 59 in April. His best result came at the ATP 500 in Rotterdam, where he reached the semi-finals after coming through qualifying and earning his first tour-level wins.

The Czech recorded a 13-19 tour-level record in 2022 and a 17-9 mark on the ATP Challenger Tour. 

“Now I will focus for sure to keep in the Top 100 and to stay there,” he said, “and to move on and forward to make that transition from the ATP Challenger Tour level to ATP Tour level, and to [reach the] Top 50 even faster.”

Lehecka will begin the 2023 season by joining Petra Kvitova and other Czech teammates at the inaugural United Cup in Australia from 29 December-8 January.

It is not often the fifth seed at the Nitto ATP Finals enters the season finale with the most momentum of any player in the field. However, that is the case for Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The Canadian arrives in Turin playing the best tennis of his career. Before the ATP 250 in Florence last month, the 22-year-old owned one ATP Tour title. He then rattled off 16 consecutive victories and captured three trophies along the way in Florence, Antwerp and Basel.

“There’s not really a specific moment when it clicked,” Auger-Aliassime told ATPTour.com. “But I can say after the first title, I felt like, ‘If I keep playing this way, I’ll give myself a chance to win more’.”

Auger-Aliassime has dominated with a not-so-secret weapon. The 6’4” righty has powered past opponents behind the strength of his serve, winning 95 per cent of his service games (167/175) during his winning streak. He has won 86 per cent of his service games for the year.

Felix hit 175 aces during the 16-match stretch and saved 31 of the 39 break points (79%) he faced.

“Nothing changed. I think I’ve been serving well if you look at other matches, tournaments I’ve played in the past. I feel like I’ve always had the qualities to be one of the good servers on Tour. But it’s been very consistent,” Auger-Aliassime said. “Of course it helps to play indoors, no wind, no different conditions, so if you find your rhythm and you feel like you’re serving well, you’re able to keep that consistent. That’s been a big key.”

Former World No. 4 Brad Gilbert has followed Auger-Aliassime’s hot play closely. The renowned coach has noticed improvement in one particular aspect of the Canadian’s serve.

“The big thing I noticed this year early in the year from Felix is he’s dramatically improved the ball toss from a few years ago when it used to go right a lot and really far forward. But now the ball toss is really improved,” Gilbert told ATPTour.com. “His serving numbers have gone up a lot and I think it’s helped the accuracy on his serve a lot, which has led to his one-two [punches], too. That’s [had] a big effect on his serve, the ball toss.”

Losing serve just eight times in 16 matches speaks for itself. Auger-Aliassime lost in the Rolex Paris Masters semi-finals to eventual champion Holger Rune, but remains full of confidence leading into the year-end championships.

“Three titles in a row is of course amazing. I never expected it to happen like this. I was coming into Florence having played well in Davis Cup and Laver Cup, feeling good about my game. But nothing was granted,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I just went in, won a title. I was just really happy that I got another one this year then went day by day. Then this whole run started.”

^{Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour}
Before Auger-Aliassime’s run, there was no guarantee he would qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. Now he will make his debut at the season finale in Turin as the fifth seed.

“It’s really a dream come true, it’s special. It just means that you’ve had a great year and that you are one of the best players in the world. For me, it’s really on the to-do list, your goal list in life, and it’s one that in my career I for sure wanted,” Auger-Aliassime said. “To be able to do that for the first time, it’s an amazing feeling, the accomplishment is great. It would of course be surreal to win it all, it would be fantastic, but just to have qualified already feels great.”

The 22-year-old knows it will not be easy to dominate in the same fashion at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he is in Green Group with Rafael Nadal, Casper Ruud and Taylor Fritz.

“It’s [a sense of] excitement, but it’s motivation as well. We kind of have a good mix of legends, with Rafa and Novak, and then all the others are 26 and under. That’s also different,” Auger-Aliassime. “I just feel like there’s one part where I’m going to play Rafa in a couple of days, but then I’m also going to be competing with guys that I’ve competed with for many years, so it’s a mixed feeling.

“Not only are you playing legends, but you are playing great players of your time as well.”

Auger-Aliassime knows his serve will be key to continuing his high level of play at the Pala Alpitour.

Felix has the honour of playing the first singles match of the tournament on Sunday when he faces Ruud not before 2 p.m. CET. He will look to avenge his loss to the Norwegian on home soil at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Montreal in August.

Brandon Nakashima made a list of goals at the start of the season. Eleven months on and the American revealed that he had achieved his targets as he reflected on his impressive season after winning the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals.

The 21-year-old American downed Jiri Lehecka in the Milan final on Saturday to round off a year that also saw him win his maiden tour-level title in San Diego and rise to a career-high No. 43 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

“I think it has been a great season for me,” Nakashima said following his straight-sets win. “I’ve definitely learned a lot every match and every tournament. At the beginning of the year, I had some goals. [One was] to win my first ATP title and to be able to do that in San Diego was super special. Then to finish off the year here winning the title at Next Gen is super special.

“I think the whole year for me has been very consistent. I have such great memories both on and off the court and I’m super thankful for everyone that has been a part of it.”

Nakashima won all five of his matches at the 21-and-under event, which plays host to a range of rules and innovations. The fourth seed feels that the tournament provides the perfect opportunity for the Tour’s up and coming stars to make their mark.

“I think this tournament is great,” Nakashima said. “Especially the ATP organising it and the Italian Tennis Federation. I think it’s great that all the young and upcoming players come together in a nice fun format. I think it really exposes the younger generation as well with the media. I think this tournament is a great stepping stone. [To be] mixed will all the past champions is a great achievement. I’m just going to keep working hard and I am looking forward to next year.”

Nakashima is the fifth champion at the 21-and-under event, joining Hyeon Chung, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. The American believes his victory is reward for the hard work he and his team have put in over the past 12 months.

“I think I have a great team with me here,” Nakashima said. “Eduardo [Infantino] has been great this past year. He’s kind of brought us all together with Franco [Davin] and also with the fitness and physio. I’m super thankful for all of them. They work so hard for me and just to be able to share this moment with all of them, the last tournament of the year.”