Sinner maintains 100% record with win over Shelton
Defending champion Jannik Sinner extends his winning streak to 13 matches with a straight-set victory over American Ben Shelton at the 2025 ATP Finals.
Defending champion Jannik Sinner extends his winning streak to 13 matches with a straight-set victory over American Ben Shelton at the 2025 ATP Finals.
ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi spoke to the media at the Nitto ATP Finals on a wide range of topics.
This Q&A has been excerpted from the press conference, and has been edited for brevity and readability.
Nitto ATP Finals
Q. This is the fifth year of the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. What has been your impression of the event so far?
Overall, it’s an amazing edition. We started with COVID, which wasn’t easy, but every single year the event has improved. Kudos to the FITP, they’ve done an incredible job. I think we were all a bit anxious post London, because London was a great event. I think we’ve delivered, and we are above the expectation we had initially.
This one is particularly exciting because we have the No. 1 at stake. It’s super exciting to have the best players in the world fighting for the No. 1 at the end of the year. This is probably the best possible outcome. It’s great for the fans.
Q. Will the Nitto ATP Finals stay in Turin until 2030?
There hasn’t been a decision yet. We’re super happy here. That’s obviously a consideration we need to take into account. We’ve agreed to sit down with the FITP and have a conversation early next year.
Calendar
Q. There’s been a lot of debate about the content of the ATP season with the topic now returning to lower-ranked tournaments like the Challengers and ATP 250s. How do you see the future of the ATP 250 series, especially now we’ve decided to remove the week of Metz and Athens?
Tennis is a very difficult sport to schedule, probably the hardest, for a simple reason: it is direct elimination.
For example, in a Grand Slam or a 12-day event, a player can play one match, or they can play seven matches over 12 days. Look at golf, for example, the top 60 play the 72 holes over four days.
You have Carlos and Jannik playing, I would say, around 80 matches within 18, 20 tournaments. The lower-ranked players play a lower number of matches within 30, 35 tournaments.
In reality, you have four, five calendars within one calendar. Half of the players lose first round, and 75% are done by the second round. For most players, it is a two- or four-day event. For others, it’s a longer event. This highlights the complexity of the calendar.
Obviously, there is a cohort of players saying it is too much. For others, if you remove events, it becomes too few because they need to play. If you lose, you have to go to another tournament and play more matches. That’s why we have the different tiers and categories: Grand Slams, Masters, 500s and 250s.
We try to balance it for all cohorts of players, including challengers, because these events are also very important for the pathway and to build the champions of the future.
In the last few years, we’ve had a strategy of reducing the number of 250s. We are down from 38 to, I think it’s 29. The target to optimize the calendar for ’28, when the new Saudi Masters will come on board, is to continue to reduce the number of 250s.
250s are very important. Every category is important. But we had too many of them. It was really difficult to schedule within the calendar.
We have two problems. The year has 52 weeks and we’re not going to change that. The other thing is that players need a proper off-season. At the moment the off-season is a bit too short.
You need to be able to rest, take a holiday, rebuild your body, restart practicing tennis, then you move into the Australian season.
On top of that we add in the complexity of having seven entities participating in this effort. The four Grand Slams are individual. They have their own dates. Then you have the ITF with the Davis Cup format that has been changing quite a bit in the last few years. You obviously have the ATP and WTA.
If you think of the overall picture, I have sympathy from a player standpoint. You’re dealing with seven entities managing a calendar, seven boards making decisions. So, it’s difficult to have a streamlined effort, which is at the core of the OneVision plan, where you try to unify the governance and try to come up with an ideal, or next-best option of an ideal calendar.
Overall, our strategy has been clear to focus on the premium product, the Masters. The reason for that is simple: we need to provide the best possible experience to the fans. The fans love to watch the best players in the world playing against each other in the best events. The four Grand Slams, the Masters and the Finals are the moments where we get to see this.
Then you have the 500s and 250s where those who play less matches in the Grand Slam and the Masters need to play to keep their level up and improve.
It’s complicated. I have sympathy. For example, Carlos and Jannik have been reaching the final of every Slam, playing very well at the Masters. For those players at the very top, it’s probably very difficult to play a full calendar.
Another problem we have is that we have an open system where players are independent contractors. We have rules and incentives, we try to influence their behaviour, but ultimately a player chooses where to play. They can prioritize a 250 over a 500, a 500 over a Masters. Players often play in lower categories, and in team events and exhibitions outside of our system.
It’s a complex problem to solve. I don’t think there is one solution that fits all. I believe strongly that if everyone was around the same table – Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, ITF – in one room, with one board, one governance, we would do a much better job than we are doing today.
Q. How would you have felt, if when you were a player, the number of 250s was being reduced, making it harder for you to advance to the 500s or 1000s?
You can’t increase the 250s and expand the Masters at the same time.
In my career, I was never one of those guys who went deep into the second week of the Grand Slams and Masters.
Firstly, I was really frustrated by the fact that, even when I was ranked 50, 55, I could only play the main draw of two Masters, Indian Wells and Miami. You end up being 50 in the world and you couldn’t access the premium tier. I thought, why can I play in a Grand Slam main draw and not a Masters main draw? If we have this, we want all the top players playing.
Hence why I think it’s very important to move to a 96 draw. You provide Top 100 players with the possibility of playing main draw in Grand Slams and Masters on at least seven occasions out of nine. The exceptions are Paris, Monte-Carlo, and Saudi will be the same.
In terms of the 250s, I made a lot of mistakes in my career. I often played 250s on clay in Europe the week before the US Open. They were scheduled there, there were swings almost everywhere, tournaments all over.
I learned, improved my behaviour, and realised I was responsible for my own calendar. It was as a little bit of self-discipline. I saw other players who played a smart calendar, who weren’t really attracted by the opportunity for guarantees.
I don’t think players should schedule with guaranteed money as a priority. Players should be playing for ranking points and titles, especially those in the Top 50, Top 100.
The number of 250s is not going to be a problem because our plan is to have exclusive, dedicated category weeks. 10 weeks of 250s, eight weeks of 500s, that’s 18, then the 10 Masters, that’s 28, then the four slams, 32. This is the goal.
This really serves all the Top 100. If you’re at the top, you probably just play Slams and Masters, and a few 500s. If you’re lower in ranking, you play more 500s and 250s. If you are lower in ranking, you play 250s and Challengers. It’s a pyramid. The lower your ranking, the lower you play.
If you’re high in the rankings, in my opinion, you shouldn’t be playing down. If you’re Sinner or Alcaraz, you have no need to play the 250s for money, because it doesn’t fit within your ranking, and it’s not your level. When you’re winning Slams and Masters, you should be playing up.
In Formula 1, for example, a driver is not allowed to race in a lower category. They try to protect their talent. But they have a different system.
Q. Players continue to complain about the Masters 1000s with the extended number of days. Jack Draper called all the Top 20 players, and I don’t think there was a very positive response to these extended events.
On the 12 days’ expansion, I haven’t really invented anything. Indian Wells and Miami were there for 35 years. I came in, I looked at the numbers, and I could see these tournaments were really outperforming the others.
Why are the Slams so successful? Two reasons: incredible infrastructure, and history, the brand. They have big stadiums, and they technically have three weeks, 15 days of main draw plus quallies.
As a sport, we are low in media and very heavy on ticketing for many reasons, one being fragmentation. Ticketing revenue is above 50%, 60%. Compared to other sports, media is probably 60%, 70% of their revenue breakdown.
2025 was year three of the OneVision plan, but in year one of the expanded Masters, you can already see the results. If you look at the top-line revenue, which I cannot disclose, it’s going up very high. It’s changing a lot.
Thanks to the profit-sharing formula the players now have, we paid out almost $20 million in 2024, up from $6 million in 2023. That represents 25% on top of prize money, which was also increased.
This means the total profit of the Masters is close to 110 million, 109 million. The way the profit-sharing formula works – you take the profits, deduct the base prize money, and share the excess.
Simplified, this is working from a financial standpoint and providing a lot of value to all players, because that money goes to the whole ecosystem, including the players ranked 100, 150.
I always knew that the 12-day format would probably not be well received by the top players, because they are the ones who need to arrive a few days early. I have a lot of sympathy for the fact that they are the ones who also stay late. They are really the ones affected by the 12 days. All other players, they lose early. Even in the quarterfinals, there’s not much of a change.
I think we need to be a few more years into the plan or we need to shift more compensation to the top players to reward them for the value they’re driving. It also becomes a debate around compensation per day. It’s simple mathematics. The players probably look and say, I could be making ‘X’ in an exhibition for one day. If I go there, I make ‘X’ divided by 12 days. That’s the issue at the moment.
Again, I want to be very clear. I don’t believe a perfect product exists. All I believe is we’ve started with an assumption, we need to give it a few years to see if it works, then we can review and decide whether to go backwards or continue.
We also need to look at all aspects, because the 12-day format was achieved as part of a deal which included tournaments agreeing to open their economics to the players. Just to be clear, for 35 years the players had no access to the economics of the tournaments. They had no clue how much money we were making.
It’s like saying you and I have a 50-50 partnership. You make $100. You ask me how much I make. I tell you, sorry. Now the books are open. Players have full benefit. They are now equity partners. So that was a compromise.
The other compromise was the aggregation of media. There are a lot of things that we’ve done that will benefit the entire ecosystem over time. All I’m asking is be a little bit patient because I think it will deliver value. The second ask, try to manage your schedule slightly differently in the other tournaments that you play.
Yes, we’ve added in the Masters 1000 category, but if you take away from exhibitions or lower category tournaments that you play, I think you’re going to be fine because it is a matter of the balance between the two.
Q. Do you have an ideal number, in your mind, of weeks you think the off-season should be in tennis?
I don’t know if there’s an exact number. Some players would say six, some say seven, some say eight. Surely a player needs one or two weeks off, then one or two weeks to start building their body, then they pick up the racquet again. I think it definitely needs to be longer than what it is today.
Then the question is, for who? I played the Davis Cup Final once in my career. That was the only time where I had to wait for that. Otherwise, players like me would be done after Paris.
Obviously the top eight finish later. Now the Davis Cup format means players who lost in Paris have to wait until after the Finals for that event.
I love the Davis Cup. I probably had the best matches of my career there. I think it’s an incredible asset. We should all come together to try to make it the World Cup for tennis.
I think the best product is the home and away. The Final I played in Milan is probably the best memory of my career. You go to cities where we don’t take tennis with the Tour. I played quarterfinals against the U.S., Agassi-Sampras, in Palermo. Regardless of which players you have, you’re going to have a full stadium cheering for your country. That atmosphere for me is the core of our product.
The problem at the time was playing it every year and on different surfaces. One year we played the Davis Cup against the Czech Republic in Naples. We won. On Tuesday I had to play on hard court in Dubai. It’s challenging.
In the ideal world I think Davis Cup could go home and away over two years. There is no World Cup in sport that happens every year, to my knowledge. I think it would be better for the product and would also release a lot of pressure from the calendar.
Last but not least, there is the difference between finishing the season in Paris and the Finals. That is where I think the beginning of the season comes into play. I don’t know the stat top of mind, but I believe Novak won the Australian Open seven times without playing anything prior to that. Jannik won the Australian Open without playing anything. For those guys, winning at that level, you have the flexibility to do that. You don’t have to play week one and two.
If there is no Masters, that’s where you create your own flexibility. If you go too deep and play more matches than others, that’s when you have to say, stop. That’s why we’re going to look at ’28 in trying to keep that in mind.
I do believe players need at least seven weeks off, I would say, in the off-season.
Governance
Q. What are the latest movements of the top players with the Grand Slams? How does it affect their relationship between the ATP and the wider ecosystem?
I’ll go back to One Vision, the plan I laid out in 2020 when I started.
There are obviously flaws in our system because of the legacy of having four independent Slams, the ATP, the WTA, and the ITF.
The Slams, and I want to make this very clear, are the best tournaments in our sport. They are incredible assets. The Slams are probably the best way to showcase our sport. I thank them immensely for what they have done and what they’re doing. As a player, you grow up dreaming of being in a Slam. Probably the main two goals are becoming No. 1 and winning a Slam.
In the ATP, 50% of the governance is players. Every decision we make, we need the approval of the player board representative that gets elected by the players council, which is 10 players representing the wider group. So, it is a very democratic environment.
Obviously, you have four independent entities. Maybe that’s to a certain extent an advantage because you just do things and you don’t have to ask everyone permission.
On the other hand, if you look from a player perspective, players have no representation. We have a formula which is very transparent to the players. They deliver value, they gain more value. All they’re asking for generally is fair representation and fair compensation, whatever that is. Maybe the level is already right, but they just don’t know and they don’t feel they’re heard. I think that’s a fair ask.
That is the goal of OneVision. To get everyone in one room, players, men and women, equally represented, then the Grand Slams, Masters, 500s and 250s. Everybody needs to be at the same table because we are talking to the same people. I’ve said many times; it’s like writing a book and the chapters are written by different writers and sold in different bookstores. It’s not optimal.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]The ATP has today announced the renewal of its global partnership with Yokohama Tyres. The premium Japanese tyre manufacturer continues as Official Tyre Partner and Gold Partner of the ATP Tour through 2028.
Under the renewed agreement, Yokohama will further expand its presence in tennis, activating across a broader portfolio of ATP Tour events including the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, Internazionali BNL d’Italia (Rome), Mutua Madrid Open, Bitpanda Hamburg Open and the Nitto ATP Finals.
Yokohama also becomes the Presenting Partner of the ATP Hot Shot of the Month, a monthly fan-voted series celebrating memorable hot-shots on the ATP Tour. This new activation builds on Yokohama’s year-round presence across the ATP Tour’s digital and social platforms, reaching millions of tennis fans worldwide.
Additional benefits include on-court and on-site brand visibility, as well as access to world-class corporate hospitality at key ATP events.
Daniele Sano, ATP Chief Business Officer, said: “Our partnership with Yokohama broke new ground as our first Official Tyre Partner. We’re proud to have made history with a truly global leader in the industry, while staying true to our most important ambition: enhancing the fan experience. We’re delighted to see Yokohama deepen its involvement in tennis and look forward to the next chapter of our partnership.”
Giovanni Angelo Ponzoni, CEO Yokohama Europe, said: “We are extremely proud to extend our partnership with the ATP, one of the most prestigious organizations in world sport. Through this renewed agreement, we aim to sustain Yokohama premium brand awareness on a global scale while creating unique and exclusive experiences for our business partners. The ATP represents an exceptional platform to connect with a global community that shares our passion for precision and high performance. We look forward to continuing this successful journey together.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Carlos Alcaraz clinched ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours on Thursday when he defeated Lorenzo Musetti to move to 3-0 at the Nitto ATP Finals.
The Spaniard and rival Jannik Sinner arrived at the season finale battling for the prestigious honour, but Alcaraz finished the group stage undefeated to secure year-end No. 1 for the second time.
“It means the world to me, to be honest. The year-end No. 1 is always a goal,” Alcaraz said. “At the beginning of the year, I saw the No. 1 really, really far away [with] Jannik winning almost every tournament he plays. But from the middle of the season ’til now, I [gave myself] the goal for the No. 1 because I thought it was there. I had the chance to play great tennis in a lot of tournaments in a row to put myself in with a chance to be close to Jannik for the No. 1.
“Then in the last three, four tournaments of the year, [I was] fighting toe to toe with Jannik for this spot and then finally I got it. For me, it means everything.”
It has been a memorable year for the 22-year-old, who in 2022 became the youngest year-end No. 1 in history (since 1973). He is just the second active player to secure multiple year-end No. 1 finishes, joining Novak Djokovic (8).
Alcaraz began his season by reaching the quarter-finals at the Australian Open, where he was trying to win the one major missing from his resume. But since then, the Spaniard has been a dominant force on the ATP Tour.
The World No. 1 has won a Tour-leading eight titles in 2025, including victories at two majors (Roland Garros and US Open), three ATP Masters 1000 events (Monte-Carlo, Rome and Cincinnati) and three ATP 500 tournaments (Rotterdam, Queen’s Club and Tokyo). The eight trophies are the most he has earned in a season.
Alcaraz emerged victorious at Roland Garros and the US Open, becoming the second-youngest man in the Open Era to lift six Slam trophies behind only Bjorn Borg, who was also 22 when he reached the mark.
Alcaraz’s triumph at Roland Garros was particularly memorable. He saved three championship points against Sinner in the final, which at five hours and 29 minutes was the longest in tournament history. The 22-year-old became just the ninth player in the Open Era to rally from two sets down to win a major final, and the first to do it at Roland Garros since 2004, when Gaston Gaudio battled past Guillermo Coria.
By winning the US Open, which he did with the loss of just one set, Alcaraz became the youngest of four men to earn multiple major titles on clay, grass and hard courts. Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Mats Wilander are the other three.
Alcaraz has been more consistent than ever in 2025, advancing to the final of nine consecutive tournaments from the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in April through the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo in September.
Alcaraz won 17 straight ATP Masters 1000 matches from the start of Monte-Carlo through his championship victory at the Cincinnati Open. Since the introduction of the Masters 1000 series in 1990, only Djokovic, Roger Federer, Nadal and Pete Sampras have earned longer winning streaks at the level.
The Murcia native joins Borg, Stefan Edberg and Lleyton Hewitt with two ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF finishes. He is the 11th player to claim year-end No. 1 more than once.
ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said: “Ending the season as the No. 1 player in the world is an incredible achievement—one that only 19 players have accomplished in more than 50 years of history. To do it twice by the age of 22 makes it even more special. It speaks not only to Carlos’ exceptional talent, but to his relentless drive to improve and his determination to compete against the very best. He should be immensely proud of what he’s achieved, and we look forward to watching him continue to inspire fans around the world.”
Having finished the group stage undefeated at the Nitto ATP Finals, Alcaraz has won the Jimmy Connors Group and will face the winner of Alexander Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime Saturday in the semi-finals. He is two victories from triumphing at the season finale for the first time.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Carlos Alcaraz blocked out the roar of a partisan Turin crowd on Thursday at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he reclaimed one of tennis’ most prestigious honours.
The 22-year-old Spaniard overcame debutant Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-1 inside a rocking Inalpi Arena to secure ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours for the first time since 2022. The victory capped a perfect 3-0 run through the Jimmy Connors Group and also sent Alex de Minaur — who defeated Taylor Fritz earlier on Thursday — through to the semi-finals in second place.
CARLITOS HAS DONE IT AGAIN! 🔥
He clinches the 2025 ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF! 👏#PIF | #ATPRankings | #partner pic.twitter.com/z2abBHlerx
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 13, 2025
“The match was really important for me, playing for Year-End No.1,” said Alcaraz, who improved to 7-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Musetti. “It wasn’t easy at the beginning with the nerves. I tried to handle that pressure the best I could, so I’m just really happy with the level I played and to be able to end the year as the No. 1.”
By topping his group, Alcaraz has also opened the possibility of another final showdown with defending champion Jannik Sinner, who has already sealed his finish at the top of the Bjorn Borg Group with two wins.
Alcaraz absorbed the full force of the home support early on and stayed committed to the high-risk, high-reward tactics that has defined his campaign at the Nitto ATP Finals. Despite tallying 21 unforced errors, he struck 26 winners to Musetti’s eight to unsettle the Italian, sealing his 83-minute triumph with trademark flair.
“It was a really important goal to end the year as the No. 1, but this tournament is really important for me,” added Alcaraz, who is chasing his first Nitto ATP Finals. “I’m excited about qualifying for the semi-finals and hopefully getting to the final. We will see… Part of the job is done, but I’m excited to keep going.”
Needing a win to join Alcaraz in the last four, Musetti produced flashes of brilliance to ignite the crowd in the opening set, including a series of crisp approaches to the net. Yet the Italian struggled to maintain that level in the extended rallies and was unable to convert either of his two break points, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
“I think I managed to start really well and to serve big. That was the only chance I had to try to deal with Carlos’ game,” said Musetti. “Tonight I think he also served pretty well. He was managing to put me in a position where I had to run a lot and be really aggressive.
“At the end, of course, the physical part was tough to deal with. All the credit to Carlos, who played really incredible tennis. Every time he surprises me more. Hopefully one day I will have my revenge.”
Musetti’s stirring victory over De Minaur on Tuesday — in which he reeled off the final four games — had kept his semi-final hopes alive and left the Australian’s fate uncertain. Two days later, De Minaur responded with a clutch win over Fritz and now advances to a semi-final showdown with defending champion Sinner.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Tomas Barrios Vera has enjoyed a late-season surge on the ATP Challenger Tour, boosting his chances of finishing the season inside the Top 100 of the PIF ATP Rankings. In action this week at the Uruguay Open, the Chilean is seeking his third Challenger title since the start of October, having triumphed in Cali, Colombia and then in Lima, Peru last week.
The 27-year-old cruised into the Montevideo quarter-finals on Thursday with a 6-3, 6-3 victory against local wild card Franco Roncadelli.
At No. 110 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, Barrios Vera would have a chance of returning to the Top 100 for the first time in 21 months should he win the Montevideo crown.
Last week in Lima, Barrios Vera saved five match points in a four-hour, 24-minute minute quarter-final thriller against Argentine Juan Bautista Torres 7-6(2) 6-7(6) 7-6(10) en route to lifting his third Challenger trophy of the season and seventh overall.
In other action, Paraguay’s 21-year-old Adolfo Daniel Vallejo rallied past Alvaro Guillen Meza 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the last eight. Guillen Meza conquered top seed Sebastian Baez in the opening round.
Former World No. 17 Cristian Garin beat Alex Barrena 6-2, 6-4 and fourth seed Carlos Taberner ousted Zdenek Kolar 7-6(2), 6-3.
Carlos with the great escape 😱
Taberner fights back from 0-5 to take the opener 7-6(2) before closing out Kolar in straight sets to reach the Montevideo QFs! 🇺🇾#ATPChallenger | @uruguayopen pic.twitter.com/rDNBiY8aFU
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) November 13, 2025
[NEWSLETTER FORM]
The last round-robin singles match at the Nitto ATP Finals will determine the last spot in the semi-finals, with Alexander Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime squaring off for second place in the Bjorn Borg Group.
Jannik Sinner, who is already confirmed as the group winner, will meet Ben Shelton in the afternoon session. The Italian will seek to improve his perfect record this week to 3-0 when he takes on the American, who is eliminated from semi-final contention.
A win-and-in doubles match will also take place Friday, with Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten playing Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic for a semi-final place. Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski will finish atop the Peter Fleming Group and will seek to complete a perfect round-robin campaign against Americans Christian Harrison and Evan King.
[3] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs. [8] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN)
Zverev walked off the court after his Wednesday defeat to Sinner happy with his performance but frustrated by his failure to take any of his seven break points. The Italian, by contrast, broke serve in both return games in which he created a break point.
“The score was 6-4, 6-3, but in my opinion, my humble opinion, I felt like the match was closer than the score maybe says,” Zverev said. “I thought it was a very high-level match. I thought especially from the baseline we played very well.”
After losing to Sinner for a third time in 17 days, Zverev was nonetheless motivated to set up another meeting with the home favourite. They could only meet again in the final: “I hope to see him again this week… It’s as simple as that,” he said.
Zverev was particularly happy with his baseline game against Sinner, with the Italian remarking that both players were hitting fast and flat from the backcourt in the quick Turin conditions. Look for more of the same from Zverev as he tries to stop Auger-Aliassime from taking over the match with his big forehand.
The Canadian kept his semi-final hopes alive with a thrilling comeback against Shelton, coming within two points of defeat in a 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-5 victory. It was a Tour-leading 20th deciding-set win of the season for Auger-Aliassime.
As he worked his way into the match, the eighth seed dismissed any lingering concerns about an apparent calf problem he suffered in his opening defeat to Sinner: “I felt great, physically. We recovered well, did the right things,” said Auger-Aliassime. “I was able to play two-and-a-half hours of high-intensity tennis.”
With both players in good form, this high-stakes showdown has all the makings of a Nitto ATP Finals classic. The pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head history adds to the intrigue: While Zverev leads the series 6-3, Auger-Aliassime produced an attacking masterclass in their most recent encounter on his way to the US Open semi-finals.
<img alt=”Jannik Sinner, Ben Shelton” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/11/13/22/03/sinner-shelton-turin-2025-friday.jpg” />
[2] Jannik Sinner (ITA) vs. [5] Ben Shelton (USA)
Sinner has been pushed close in his two Turin wins, but the home favourite has yet to lose a set — or lose a service game — this week. His superiority in the key moments has been the difference.
“I felt like I was serving very well in important moments,” Sinner said after saving seven break points against Zverev, according to Infosys ATP Stats. “I tried to play the best tennis possible when it mattered, which fortunately went my way.”
With the serving ability of Shelton, this Friday showdown could once again be decided by narrow margins. That was certainly the case in the American’s last outing against Auger-Aliassime, where the American was denied his first Nitto ATP Finals win in his Turin debut.
Knowing his 2025 season will be over after his matchup with Sinner, Shelton rated his year an eight out of 10, pointing to big improvements in his game and a strong season that faded following the US Open.
While he has not been able to produce his very best tennis in Turin, the American took the long view on his year after his defeat to Auger-Aliassime.
“For me this week, it’s been my forehand, which usually is a money shot for me, money-maker,” he said. “The first ball after the serve, things that have been a little off that make it disappointing, [but] a lot of things to be happy about this season.”
Shelton could have one more thing to be happy about if he can upset the World No. 1 on Friday. But Sinner will not earn ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF this season; Alcaraz clinched that distinction with his win against Lorenzo Musetti on Thursday.
Doubles Action
After a Match Tie-break defeat to Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski dropped them to 1-1 in Turin, second seeds Heliovaara and Patten face a must-win match against Arevalo and Pavic. The fourth seeds fought off two match points to defeat Americans Evan King and Christian Harrison in a Match Tie-break of their own on Wednesday, and will now hope to ride that momentum all the way to the semi-finals.
With first place in the Peter Fleming Group secured, fifth-seeded Britons Salisbury and Skupski will be playing for PIF ATP Doubles Rankings points and prize money when they meet King and Harrison, who will hope to end their season with a win.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Henry Patten still has a chance to win the Nitto ATP Finals with partner Harri Heliovaara, but the Briton has already earned a win for life this week.
Sunday, the day before Patten played his first match of the season finale, he got engaged to longtime partner Ellie Stone.
“I’ve been with Ellie now for best part of 10 years, pretty much,” Patten told ATPTour.com. “It was coming at some point and as a tennis player, I don’t get to see her that much throughout the year. And this is one of the trips that she chose to come on.”
Patten secured the ring during Wimbledon and has been waiting for the special moment since, always having an eye on Turin. The 29-year-old arrived a day before Stone and scouted the city for the perfect spot. He ended up discovering Basilica di Superga, which has a view of the city.
“Somehow it was really quiet. Went up there in the morning, really beautiful day, and then I told her to look over at the chimneys, made up some kind of excuse, and then proposed,” Patten said. “She was very, very happy, I’m pleased to report. And [she was] surprised, which I think gets me bonus points.”
<img alt=”Henry Patten and Ellie Stone at the Basilica di Superga in Turin.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/11/13/17/45/patten-turin-2025-engagement.jpg” />
The doubles standout played college tennis at the University of North Carolina Asheville, where he met Stone, who was on the soccer team. They have been together since.
It is difficult for them to spend time together throughout the year because Stone is in her second year of medical residency in North Carolina.
“She’s a doctor, officially, but she is in the process of becoming fully trained as a doctor over there,” Patten said. “She doesn’t get much time off and she can’t travel much. It’s not like she can do her job remotely. She’s in the hospital all the time.”
As excited as he was, Patten needed to refocus quickly to take the court inside Inalpi Arena Monday for his opening match of the year-end championships with Heliovaara against Christian Harrison and Evan King.
“I was much more nervous about getting engaged than I was about playing my first match,” Patten said, cracking a laugh. “I can tell you that for free.”
Heliovaara and Patten are 1-1 in the John McEnroe Group and still have a chance to qualify for the semi-finals. The Briton hopes to make it as far as possible in Turin, but will leave the city with his head held high no matter what happens.
“It’s such a big deal to me, so much more important. We’ve been together for 10 years and I’ll spend the rest of my life with her, which I’m incredibly excited about,” Patten said of his engagement. “It’s crazy, because obviously it is one of the biggest [tournaments], but it’s taken quite a big back seat. That being said, we’re still taking the tennis pretty seriously.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]After a bruising start to his Nitto ATP Finals week, Alex de Minaur found something he has been chasing all season: momentum on his own terms.
The Australian earned his first win at the season finale on Thursday, powering past Taylor Fritz to banish the demons of five previous losses in Turin (0-3 in 2024, 1-2 in 2025). The 7-6(3), 6-3 result restored a sense of belief after he admitted his third-set loss to Lorenzo Musetti on Tuesday was one of the toughest emotional challenges of his career.
“For the first time in a long time, I forgot about the ‘what ifs’, the results, what happens if I miss this shot, what happens if I lose this match,” De Minaur said. “I just committed to the way I wanted to play from the first point to the last. A couple days ago I didn’t. That’s what hurt so much.
“Today I knew that no matter what, I wanted to be proud of my decision making, my aggressive mindset, and I wanted to go out there and try to win the match.”
The turnaround didn’t come by accident for the No. 7 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. Against Fritz, De Minaur played with the conviction that deserted him earlier in the week, dictating from the baseline and stepping forward whenever possible.
He credits this in part to the team that surrounds him, which includes British WTA Tour star and fiancée Katie Boulter, who picked him up after the narrow defeat to Musetti.
“To be honest, I’m incredibly lucky with the support system that I have, the people I’ve got around me, every single one in my team, even Katie,” said De Minaur, who won the ATP 500 in Washington this year. “They were able to — or they tried to — talk some sense into me. A couple of days ago was one of the toughest days I’ve had in my career… I could tell you that I hated the sport. Here we are two days later and I’m feeling great about myself. It’s incredible.
“But more than anything, regardless of the result today, I had made peace with myself. That was a big, big moment. I knew the way I wanted to play. I was going to commit to it from the first point to the last. I was okay with the result not going my way. I had made peace with that. I just wanted to play my way.”
The finish didn’t come without drama. After missing a match point on return at 5-2 in the second set and slipping to 0/30 when serving for victory, De Minaur could have folded. Instead, he laughed it off — literally.
“After that match point, I just started laughing with my team because I was like ‘There’s something up there that’s against me… I’ve got the evil eye or something’,” De Minaur joked. “I’m just not allowed to win matches anymore. Then we go to 0/30.
“Actually, it took some of my best tennis today. I hit an incredible ace, then at 15/30 I served and volleyed. I just had the ultimate aggressive mindset. Even from the toughest moments, which I could have easily gone back into default and tried to play solid and not to lose, I played to win. That’s why I was able to win today. So I’m very proud.”
De Minaur could qualify for the semi-finals in Turin if Carlos Alcaraz defeats Musetti on Thursday evening, but regardless of that result, De Minaur feels like he’s edging closer to the game’s elite. He tested World No. 1 Alcaraz in his first round-robin clash and took eventual Beijing champion Jannik Sinner to three sets in the semi-finals of the ATP 500 event.
“I feel like I’ve gained a lot of momentum recently in these types of matches,” De Minaur said when asked of his and other top players’ ability to challenge the likes of Alcaraz and Sinner. “I’ve gone from a stage where you go out there, you compete, but you’re not really getting a lot of chances. I do feel like I’m getting my chances. Even here against Carlos in the first set [tie-break], 5/3 up, 5/4, two serves, I’m putting myself in pretty good positions.
“Jannik, I played a good match against him in Beijing. In Vienna, he got the better of me, as well. But I do feel like I’m heading in the right direction. I’m gaining momentum. I do think that they feel it, as well. I do think we’re going to be knocking on the door, right? They’ve played at an incredibly high level for an extended period of time. We are just going to keep on getting better and wait for our opportunity.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Cameron Norrie has claimed October’s Hot Shot of the Month award for his dazzling passing shot against World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz at the Rolex Paris Masters.
In a twist on the usual script — where Alcaraz is the one producing the highlight-reel magic — it was Norrie who stole the show in Paris. The 30-year-old Briton showcased exceptional defence and grit before unleashing a stunning flick past the helpless Spaniard, drawing huge applause from the crowd.
Norrie went on to defeat Alcaraz in a thrilling three-set battle, marking his maiden win over a No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. He also narrowed their Lexus ATP Head2Head series to 5-3 in Alcaraz’s favour.
With his latest recognition, Norrie joins the likes of Novak Djokovic and Alcaraz as a recipient of the fan-voted award.
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