Tennis News

Norrie Records 100th Match Win, Stays In Turin Mix

Cameron Norrie recorded the 100th tour-level match win of his career on Monday at the Rolex Paris Masters to keep alive his chances of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

The 10th-seeded Briton won nine straight games from 2-2 in the first set to overcome Federico Delbonis of Argentina 6-2, 6-1 in 73 minutes. “It’s been a phenomenal year and I’ve been really enjoying my tennis,” said Norrie. “I’ve been moving and playing well, and I’m enjoying being in Paris.”

Norrie is currently in 11th position in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin and started the week 140 points behind eighth-placed Jannik Sinner (3,015), in the final automatic qualification spot. Norrie is now one match win shy of 50 victories (49-21) in a career-best season.

Having won 30 of his 36 first-service points against Delbonis, Norrie will next prepare to challenge Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic or American Reilly Opelka, the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers finalist in August.

The 26-year-old Norrie surged into contention for a spot at the season finale after he captured his first ATP Masters 1000 trophy at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells (d. Basilashvili) and he will have to do the same in Paris if he wants to complete at the 14-21 November event at the Pala Alpitour in Turin. He won his first ATP Tour title in July at the Mifel Open in Los Cabos (d. Nakashima) and has reached the final of three other events in 2021.

Later today, former World No. 1 Andy Murray, the 2016 champion in Paris, plays German lucky loser Dominik Koepfer during Monday’s night session. Koepfer replaced American Jenson Brooksby, who withdrew on Monday afternoon due to an abdominal injury.

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Shining Sinner Storms Into Top 10

Jannik Sinner makes history on Monday when he becomes the youngest Italian to crack the Top 10 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. The 20-year-old climbed to World No. 9 following his run to the Erste Bank Open semi-finals.

The five-time ATP Tour titlist is the fifth player from his country to break into the elite group, joining Adriano Panatta, Corrado Barazzutti, Fabio Fognini and Matteo Berrettini. Overall, Sinner is the youngest man in the Top 10 by more than two years, with Casper Ruud nearing his 23rd birthday.

It is not only impressive that Sinner is in the Top 10 — it is how quickly he got there. The San Candido native skied competitively as a junior and did not turn his focus to tennis until his early teens. Four years ago, he did not have a FedEx ATP Ranking. Now, he is near the very top of the sport.

Sinner’s Ranking This Week Since 2017

Sinner is not blinded by his accolades, though. Far from it. The 20-year-old often speaks about the “long road” that represents his career. He is focussed on the practice or match in front of him, not his impressive rise.

“For sure I don’t want to rush so much,” Sinner said in Indian Wells. “I’m just trying… to play match after match in the best possible way, and we’ll see. [I’m] trying to improve.”

Although Sinner did not begin his ascent until just a few years ago, he quickly earned the respect of his peers and the fans. The 2019 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champion has consistently held his own against the best in the sport and in many cases challenged them. The Italian, who made his first ATP Masters 1000 final this year in Miami, played Alexander Bublik during that run. The Kazakhstani asked him afterwards if he is human.

“He’s not [human]. That’s a fact,” Bublik said. “I asked him if he’s a human or not because for me, it’s very surprising that the guy at his age has this mental toughness that many, many other players don’t have. I called him a robot a couple of times during the match, but I do it in a very sincere way because he’s a really, really great player.”

Sinner played World No. 1 Novak Djokovic for the first time just two weeks later in Monte Carlo. The Serbian won the match, but had high praise for the protégé of Riccardo Piatti, who once worked with Djokovic.

“[Jannik] has got a lot of talent and he has proven that he is the future of our sport. Actually, he is already the present of our sport [having] played a final [in an] ATP Masters 1000 [event] already,” Djokovic said. “He is making big strides in professional tennis.”

Players rave about Sinner’s power, mental toughness, maturity and professionalism. Those traits have propelled him into the Top 10 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, and also into eighth in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, putting him in position to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals with a strong finish to the season. But Sinner is not allowing that to distract him.

“Honestly, I love to play tennis, and this is the reason why I play,” Sinner said in Vienna. “Obviously you would like to go to Turin or you want to win this match or that point, but sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t happen. You have to accept that. Honestly, I just try to play tennis.”

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Korda Ends Karatsev’s Turin Bid In Paris

#NextGenATP American Sebastian Korda recovered from squandering two match points in the second-set tie-break on Monday at the Rolex Paris Masters, edging Aslan Karatsev 6-2, 6-7(9), 7-6(5) to reach the second round in Paris, ending the Russian’s Nitto ATP Finals hopes in the process.

In a high-quality match, both players produced an array of winners as they looked to dictate with their groundstrokes from the baseline. However, it was Korda who found his best tennis in the third-set tie-break, overpowering the 28-year-old to advance on his fourth match point.

“I knew what to expect and it all came down to the clutch moments,” Korda said in his on-court interview. “It was so much fun to play in front of the Paris crowd, they get so fired up and it is so awesome.”

Karatsev captured his second tour-level title of the season in Moscow last month to keep alive his slim chance of qualifying for the season finale, to be held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 14-21 November 2021.

But, after falling in his opening match on home soil in St. Petersburg last week, the 28-year-old needed a deep run in Paris to remain in contention. With his defeat to Korda, Karatsev, who is 13th (2,290 points) in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, will no longer be able to catch eighth-placed Jannik Sinner (3,015), who occupies the final qualification spot.

In a tight battle, Korda, who is making his debut in Paris, played aggressively against the Russian, breaking four times as he hit with great depth to force the 28-year-old into errors. After failing to convert two match points at 7/6 and 8/7 in the second set tie-break, the American kept his focus in the decider to advance after two hours and 52 minutes.

“I had a lot of chances in the second set and I didn’t take them,” Korda added. “Then he broke me and I broke back and it was a dog fight in the end. I had match points in the second set and learnt a few things in the tie-break. It was just getting myself back into those break point opportunities and finding a way.”

The 21-year-old now leads Karatsev 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series and will next face St. Petersburg champion Marin Cilic or Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Korda has enjoyed a breakthrough season, capturing his maiden tour-level title in Parma, before reaching the fourth round at a major for the first time at Wimbledon. The American is set to compete at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, to be held 9-13 November.

Marton Fucsovics kept his composure on Monday to set up a second-round clash against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the Rolex Paris Masters.

Having squandered a match point in the second set, the Hungarian was broken at 4-4 in the decider but recovered immediately en route to beating Fabio Fognini of Italy 6-1, 6-7(6), 7-6(5) over two hours and 44 minutes.

Fucsovics, who won the first five games of the match, was unable to control a lob on match point at 6/5 in the second-set tie-break and an aggressive Fognini carried the momentum to lead 2-0 in the deciding set. Fucsovics recovered to win 13 of the next 14 points and broke back at 4-5 prior to a tense finale.

Elsewhere, Belarus’ Ilya Ivashka struck 15 aces past Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain in a 6-3, 7-6(2) win for a meeting against second-seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev, the defending champion. Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic will take on last year’s finalist, fourth seed Alexander Zverev, after he defeated Mackenzie McDonald of the United States 6-3, 6-4.

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Ons Jabeur: Tunisian 'honoured' by support after breaking into WTA top 10

Tunisian tennis player Ons Jabeur on breaking into the world’s top 10 and her admiration for football star Cristiano Ronaldo.

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What's At Stake In Paris: Ruud, Sinner On Nitto ATP Finals Bubble

Casper Ruud and Jannik Sinner are both in strong positions to clinch the final two Nitto ATP Finals singles berths in Turin, ahead of the start of the Rolex Paris Masters, but three other players — Hubert Hurkacz, Cameron Norrie and Felix Auger-Aliassime — also remain in contention for the 14-21 November season finale at the Pala Alpitour.

Ruud, a winner of five ATP Tour titles this season, has 3,105 points in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin and is just 90 points ahead of eighth-placed Sinner (3,015), who sits in the final automatic qualification spot and beat the Norwegian en route to last week’s Erste Bank Open semi-finals. They will be hoping to keep matters in their owns hands at the final ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the year.

Put simply, Ruud will qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time if he reaches the Paris final, while Sinner can join fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini in Turin should he lift his fifth trophy of 2021 in the French capital.

Poland’s Hurkacz (currently 2,955 points), a three-time titlist in 2021, and recent BNP Paribas Open champion Norrie (2,875 points), who have both compiled career-best seasons, may also become first-time qualifiers with a title run. The FedEx ATP Race To Turin is set to end at the Stockholm Open, with the conclusion of the regular ATP Tour season on 13 November.

Current FedEx ATP Race To Turin As Of 31 October 2021

*Out for rest of 2021 due to foot injury

Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev and Berrettini have already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. 

Additionally, four teams — Kevin Krawietz/Horia Tecau, Jamie Murray/Bruno Soares, Simone Bolelli/Santiago Gonzalez and Filip Polasek/John Peers — are vying to secure the last two doubles spots at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Krawietz and Tecau, who are currently seventh in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings on 3,110 points, will clinch their spot by advancing to the Paris doubles final, while last week’s Erste Bank Open champion Murray and Soares (eighth position on 2,915 points) could stamp their Turin ticket with the Paris title.

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Sinner Strengthens Turin Bid, Mover Of Week

8th Jannik Sinner, +2
The Italian continues his rise up the FedEx ATP Race To Turin after reaching the Erste Bank Open semi-finals (l. to Tiafoe) in Vienna. Sinner, who has won four ATP Tour titles this year, rises two spots to eighth place — the final automatic qualification position — for a place at the Nitto ATP Finals. The 20-year-old is bidding to qualify for the first time to join his compatriot, Matteo Berrettini, at the prestigious 14-21 November event at the Pala Alpitour in Turin.

View Latest FedEx ATP Race To Turin Standings

14th Diego Schwartzman, +2
The Argentinean, who competed at the Nitto ATP Finals in London in 2020, is up to 14th place with a two-spot rise after he advanced to the Vienna quarter-finals (l. to Tiafoe).

Other Notable Top 100 Movers
No. 20 Carlos Alcaraz, +20
No. 24 Frances Tiafoe, +13
No. 27T Marin Cilic, +8

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Medvedev: ‘I Do Follow The Race’ To Turin

With his position secured for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, Daniil Medvedev has the luxury of watching the last remaining contenders fight it out for the final two berths as the Tour heads to Paris this week. While the defending Rolex Paris Masters champion cannot afford to look too far forward, he admits he does keep an eye on the FedEx ATP Race To Turin.

We finally made it ? // Мы это сделали ? @DjokerNole @LACOSTE pic.twitter.com/MXXM4zDQm1

— Daniil Medvedev (@DaniilMedwed) October 28, 2021

“I do follow the Race, but not because I care who to play, honestly, but because it’s just so fun that [three] guys have big chances,” Medvedev said. “Casper [Ruud] just went a little bit in front, so I think he has quite good chances, but it’s never sure, especially with still two tournaments coming up, Stockholm included, and of course Paris being the biggest one.

“They can all make big points. They can all lose first rounds, and we have some other guys even behind them who can still win Paris-Bercy and get there. It’s super interesting, and I’m sure we’re gonna see all of them in Stockholm, and I think that’s when the Race is interesting.”

Medvedev recovered from a set down to defeat Alexander Zverev for his third ATP Masters 1000 crown in Paris last season before he went on to capture the Nitto ATP Finals in London. This year, he has gone from strength to strength as he ascended to World No. 2 with victory in Marseille, added a first grass-court title in Mallorca, a fourth Masters 1000 trophy in Toronto and his maiden Grand Slam title in New York.

“I have three tournaments ahead of me, two tournaments where there are points to grasp. Honestly, I want to win every tournament, because I know that I can do it. Maybe less on other surfaces, but this is my aim anyway,” Medvedev said.

“I managed to do that last year [win in Paris and at The O2]. It was wonderful, but it’s not easy. There are a lot of wonderful players. [Alexander] Zverev is in great shape, Novak is always a tough player, he’s always a favourite when he plays.”

While it is rare that the Top 2-ranked men share a practice court, Medvedev and Djokovic did just that recently in a training session on the French Riviera ahead of the Rolex Paris Masters. The pair had not crossed paths since Medvedev defeated Djokovic for his maiden Slam title at the US Open.

“Since I have become Top 10, I haven’t played him in training sessions. I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know if he had trained a lot or not,” Medvedev said.

“I had anticipated this as a good training session and it was wonderful. We played for two hours, one set, and it was great. Then we talked for 15, 20 minutes, I love talking with him. I think I can say that he’s a friend… It’s really seldom that No. 1 and No. 2 have a training session together.”

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Tsitsipas 'Trying To Become More Of A Selfish Player' To Succeed

In a career-best season, which includes a maiden ATP Masters 1000 title and first Grand Slam final, World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas is well aware of what separates the great players from the very best.

At this point of the season, fine-tuning shots and fitness are only part of the equation. The Greek sees an opportunity to finish the year on a high at this week’s Rolex Paris Masters, where he is seeded third, and the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin should he channel a key mental outlook.

View Draws: Singles | Doubles

“I have two more [tournaments] left and I’m trying to give my last breath on the court and become more of a selfish player on the court, and unveil my killer attitude on the court,” Tsitsipas said. “You have to be this way. The best players in the world, they are very selfish and they want everything for themselves, and I’m this way too.

“When I’m on the court I’m not mixing it up with my outside life, and I’m able to separate those two. I think once you become soft and start kind of getting into your emotions and feeling many things at once … it’s not really good for you.

“So blocking all of that and letting it pass through and just being able to stay in the moment, these are some qualities that top players have developed and are able to compete at such level, not really care what’s happening on the other side of the court.”

The Greek already added two career titles to his haul in 2021, including his maiden ATP Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo. He comes off his second defeat of the season to Frances Tiafoe, in the round of 16 in Vienna.

The American also gained the upper hand in the opening round at Wimbledon, after Tsitsipas reached his first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros. Despite his early departure from the All England Club, Tsitsipas reached back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 semi-finals in Toronto and Cincinnati, but suffered surprise defeats to #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open and Nikoloz Basilashvili in Indian Wells.

Paris will be the first time the top three players in the world have contested an event since the US Open, when Daniil Medvedev brought down Novak Djokovic for his maiden Grand Slam trophy. Tsitsipas said Medvedev had developed into one of the toughest players to face on Tour.

“Daniil has really perfected the game that he’s playing that not many players can play. I mean, to call him ‘Octopus’ was for a reason. He’s just able to get balls that not many people are able to … He has done very well this year,” he said.

“We all saw what he did at the US Open … He’s one of the most difficult opponents on the Tour, and I guess I’m able to learn from him, as well.”

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Scouting Report: Djokovic Returns, Medvedev Defends In Paris

The stars of the ATP Tour are set to compete in the Rolex Paris Masters — the final ATP Masters 1000 event of the season — this week. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and defending champion Daniil Medvedev lead the way.

ATPTour.com looks at 10 things you should watch in Paris-Bercy.

View Draws: Singles | Doubles

1) Djokovic Back In Action: The top seed will compete for the first time since the US Open, where he lost in the final against Medvedev. A victory in that match would have given the Serbian the Grand Slam, having won the first three majors of the year.

Djokovic will be confident knowing he is a five-time Rolex Paris Masters champion, with triumphs in four of his past six appearances at the ATP Masters 1000 event. The 34-year-old, who will open against Fabio Fognini or Marton Fucsovics, is currently tied with Rafael Nadal for the most Masters 1000 titles with 36. He will also play doubles with countryman Filip Krajinovic.

2) Novak Chasing Year-End No. 1 Record: Not only is Djokovic returning to action, but he can make history in his first event back. Novak and Pete Sampras are tied for the most finishes atop the year-end FedEx ATP Rankings with six each. There are three scenarios in which Djokovic can clinch a record-breaking seventh year-end No. 1 finish in Paris. The 34-year-old will do it if he reaches the final, if he advances to the semi-finals and Medvedev does not win the title, or if the Russian does not make the championship match.

3) Huge Week For Race: The FedEx ATP Race To Turin does not end in Paris, but it will be critical with two spots remaining in Turin in both the singles and doubles fields. The singles Race is especially tight, with only 230 points separating seventh-placed Casper Ruud and 11th-placed Cameron Norrie (ninth-placed Nadal is done for the year due to a foot injury).

Ruud and Jannik Sinner currently hold the final two qualifying singles spots. Seventh-placed Kevin Krawietz/Horia Tecau and eighth-placed Jamie Murray-Bruno Soares are trying to shore up their spots in the season finale, to be played at the Pala Alpitour from 14-21 November.

4) Medvedev Defending Champ: Second-seeded Medvedev will try to retain his title in Paris-Bercy one year after lifting the trophy. The Russian still has an outside chance at year-end No. 1, but he must make the final to maintain his hopes.

The 25-year-old, who will play Belarusian Ilya Ivashka or Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the second round, will try to claim his fourth Masters 1000 title this week. He is still flying high after emerging victorious at the US Open for his maiden major crown.

5) Murray Leads Wild Cards: Former World No. 1 Andy Murray received one of the four wild cards, so the Scot will compete in the Rolex Paris Masters for the first time since 2016. That year, he critically won the title en route to finishing year-end World No. 1. The 34-year-old will face a tough test in the first round against qualifier Jenson Brooksby, who needed more than three hours to eliminate Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena on Sunday. In August, Murray tweeted about the #NextGenATP American: “Jenson Brooksby is the sort of player I love to watch… lots of variety… high tennis IQ… great in defence… His slice and backhand volley are almost identical to Florian Mayer.”

6) French Hopes: The other three wild cards went to Frenchmen: former World No. 7 Richard Gasquet, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Arthur Rinderknech. There are seven Frenchmen in the main draw, led by 15th seed Gael Monfils. The 35-year-old has found a good level lately, having reached the semi-finals in Metz and the final in Sofia. #NextGenATP Frenchman Hugo Gaston came through qualifying, where he needed three sets to beat Kevin Anderson and Lorenzo Musetti.

7) Tsitsipas Seeks Paris Breakthrough: It has been another strong season for Tsitsipas, who will pursue his second Nitto ATP Finals title in Turin. But first, the Greek star will try to make his mark at the Rolex Paris Masters, where he owns a 2-2 record. Both of his wins came in 2019, when he made the quarter-finals before losing to Djokovic. The third seed will have to navigate a tricky opening match against South African Lloyd Harris or Australian Alex de Minaur.

8) Zverev In Form: Alexander Zverev arrives in Paris as one of the most in-form players on the ATP Tour. The German has won 25 of his past 27 matches dating back to the start of the Tokyo Olympics, where he won the singles gold medal. On Sunday, he battled past Frances Tiafoe for the Vienna title. Now, he will try to go one step further in Paris than he did last year, when he defeated Stan Wawrinka and Nadal in back-to-back matches before falling to Medvedev in the final. First up for the five-time Masters 1000 champion will be Serbian Dusan Lajovic or American Mackenzie McDonald.

9) Americans Charging: Two Americans enjoyed great runs last week: Vienna finalist Frances Tiafoe and St. Petersburg finalist Taylor Fritz. Tiafoe eliminated three Top 20 opponents and Fritz backed up his run to the Indian Wells semi-finals. Both will try to maintain their level at the Rolex Paris Masters. Three Americans also clawed through qualifying: Brooksby, Marcos Giron and Tommy Paul. Giron rallied from 0-5 in the third set against former Top 10 star Gilles Simon in the first round of qualifying. McDonald and #NextGenATP star Sebastian Korda are also in the field.

10) Cabal/Farah Have Momentum: The top seeds, Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, have won nine tour-level titles together this year. But fifth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah bring momentum to Paris after triumphing at the Erste Bank Open. Other teams to watch include second seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, Indian Wells champions John Peers and Filip Polasek, and Tsitsipas and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi.

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Djokovic On Chasing Year-End No. 1: ’That’s The Goal’

Novak Djokovic is making his long-awaited return to action this week at the Rolex Paris Masters, and immediately he has a chance to make history.

In his first tournament since losing in the US Open final against Daniil Medvedvev, the Serbian superstar has an opportunity to clinch his seventh year-end No. 1 finish in the FedEx ATP Rankings, which would break his tie with Pete Sampras for the most year-end No. 1 finishes in history.

There are three scenarios in which Djokovic can clinch the achievement in Paris. The 34-year-old will do it if he reaches the final, if he advances to the semi-finals and Medvedev does not win the title, or if the Russian does not make the championship match.

“The year-end No. 1 is on the line between Medvedev and myself, and I’m in a pretty good position,” Djokovic said. “That’s obviously the goal for the end of the season other than trying to do well in the Davis Cup with the national team. So hopefully I can have a strong finish of the season and clinch that year-end No. 1.”

Djokovic will take confidence knowing he is a five-time Rolex Paris Masters champion. In his past six appearances, the Serbian has lifted the trophy four times, made another final and advanced to the quarter-finals.

“I’m pleased to be back. I have been training really well [the] past couple of weeks. And I have had plenty of success in Paris-Bercy over the years, so that gives me enough reason to believe that I can do well, and I can go far in the tournament,” Djokovic said. “But having said that, the lack of match play could be dangerous, so I have to really make sure that I start off my first match very well with a good intensity and build my form as that match passes on and hopefully get a win and get myself more comfortable on this court and just getting that match play in.”

The 36-time ATP Masters 1000 winner will begin his run against Italian Fabio Fognini (8-0) or Hungarian Marton Fucsovics (3-0). But Djokovic knows that he will not just have to deal with tough opponents. This is his first event since his disappointing defeat at Flushing Meadows, where he fell one victory short of completing the Grand Slam.

“I have learned over the years to deal with losses in such way that I treat them as great opportunities for growth. I feel that the US Open loss in the final has arrived arguably at the worst or at the best time for me, in a way,” Djokovic said. “Of course I’m disappointed that I lost the match, but I feel like I was blessed to experience love from the crowd and support from the stadium that I have never experienced before in my life in New York, and actually not in many places around the world.

“That kind of energy that I received from the crowd from the moment I stepped on the court until I stepped out is a win for life.”

As tough as that defeat was, Djokovic is trying to take the positives from it. Not only did he win the year’s first three majors, but the loss also taught him lessons from which he feels he can get better.

“In a most ideal scenario, I would [have won all] four of them. But knowing I was so close gives me great encouragement for the future, but it also makes me feel humble about my game, about my career,” Djokovic said. “It gives me a kind of reality check where I have to go back to the practice court and really understand what needs to be done so that I could improve.”

Djokovic added that he has learned to deal with losses and grow from them. And he hopes that is the case again on this occasion as he attempts to finish his year on a high in Paris and at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

“This was not an ordinary loss considering the circumstances,” Djokovic said. “The season was very draining for me and demanding in every aspect, but I have had similar situations before where I was just super tired, but somehow managed to find the strength and finish the year and finish the season strong. Hopefully that will be the case again.”

Did You Know?
While the 2021 year-end FedEx ATP Rankings will continue to potentially include some results from 2019 and 2020 in a player’s rankings breakdown under the “best of” rankings system due to COVID-19, the 2021 year-end No. 1 will be based off 2021 results alone (i.e., the FedEx ATP Race To Turin) and will continue until the end of the Nitto ATP Finals. This will ensure that the No. 1 accolade accurately reflects the world’s best performer of the 2021 calendar season.

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