Felix Surges Into Nitto ATP Finals Contention
Felix Auger-Aliassime has jumped into contention for a spot at the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 14-21 November.
Ten days ago, the Canadian was in 15th position in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, but after a series of composed performances, Auger-Aliassime finds himself in 10th place on 2,320 points (factoring in points earned at the US Open).
Still alive at Flushing Meadows, the 21-year-old has become the first Canadian man to reach the US Open semi-finals in the tournament’s history (since 1881) following wins over the likes of Roberto Bautista Agut, Frances Tiafoe and Carlos Alcaraz. Auger-Aliassime is also the youngest man to advance to the last four since Juan Martin del Potro lifted the trophy in 2009.
Should he beat Daniil Medvedev on Thursday for a place in his first major championship final, Auger-Aliassime will rise up to eighth spot. With seventh-placed Spaniard Rafael Nadal done for 2021, effectively the cut-off for the prestigious season finale is ninth in the Race. Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz is currently in that position, on 2,505 points, just 145 points ahead of Auger-Aliassime.
Since Roland Garros, Auger-Aliassime has won 19 of 26 matches, including a run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals (l. to Berrettini) in July. The Canadian, who added Toni Nadal to his coaching team in December 2020, has also advanced to two ATP Tour finals this year at the Murray River Open in Melbourne (l. to Evans) in February and at the MercedesCup in Stuttgart (l. to Cilic) in June.
Latest FedEx ATP Race To Turin Standings (as of 8 September 2021)
| Player | Points |
| 1) Novak Djokovic* | 7,530 |
| 2) Stefanos Tsitsipas | 5,470 |
| 3) Daniil Medvedev* | 5,100 |
| 4) Alexander Zverev* | 4,555 |
| 5) Andrey Rublev | 4,030 |
| 6) Matteo Berrettini* | 3,955 |
| 7) Rafael Nadal | 2,985 |
| 8) Casper Ruud | 2,675 |
| 9) Hubert Hurkacz | 2,505 |
| 10) Felix Auger-Aliassime* | 2,320 |
* Still active at the US Open
Two Italians — Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner — both remain firmly in contention to secure a spot at the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals. Factoring in points earned so far at the US Open, Berrettini, who has reached three straight major championship quarter-finals (or better), sits in sixth position in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin (3,955 points). Sinner, who fell in the US Open fourth round (l. to Zverev) on Monday, is currently in 11th place (2,255) with a little more than two months to go in the regular ATP Tour season.
The 25-year-old Berrettini, who first qualified for the season finale in 2019 — when the event was held at The O2 in London — has captured two ATP Tour titles this season at the Serbia Open in Belgrade (d. Karatsev) and at the cinch Championships in London (d. Norrie). Wimbledon finalist Berrettini is now only 75 points behind fifth-placed Russian Andrey Rublev (4,030).
Sinner, the 2019 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champion in Milan, has continued to improve this year and the 20-year-old has won two tour-level trophies at the Great Ocean Road Open in Melbourne (d. Travaglia) and also his first ATP 500 crown at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. (d. McDonald) last month.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has already stamped his ticket for Turin, where the Serbian will attempt to capture a record-equalling sixth Nitto ATP Finals crown. Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas is second (5,470), while reigning champion Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev — who sit in third and fourth places (on 5,100 and 4,555 points) respectively — are still competing at the US Open.
Norway’s Casper Ruud, who completed a hat-trick of clay-court titles in consecutive weeks at Bastad, Gstaad and Kitzbühel, and Hubert Hurkacz of Poland both have an excellent opportunity to qualify for the season finale for the first time. Ruud is in eighth spot (2,675).