Tennis News

Zverev & Rublev renew rivalry in Turin

The 2024 Nitto ATP Finals continues Monday, after which all eight singles players and all eight doubles teams in Turin will have played one match.

The John Newcombe Group begins singles play on Day 2, with Alexander Zverev taking on Andrey Rublev and Carlos Alcaraz meeting Casper Ruud. In doubles action, top seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic face Germans Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz before Italians Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori play Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden.

[2] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs. [8] Andrey Rublev
Zverev played the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals at the seventh seed to cap his comeback season from ankle surgery. He notched two wins, but it was not enough to make the knockout rounds.

This season, the German enters Turin as the No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings behind his ATP Masters 1000 titles in Rome and Paris, as well as a runner-up finish at Roland Garros.

“In 2023, I didn’t feel like I was competitive in big events. I was far away from winning them,” Zverev said in Turin. “Being able to compete and make Grand Slam finals, win Masters 1000 events, that is a big satisfaction to me because there were obviously question marks if I was ever going to do that again after the injury.”

While Zverev clinched his return to the Nitto ATP Finals on 1 September, when he advanced to the US Open quarter-finals, Rublev had to battle through the final week in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. In what he called a “rollercoaster” season, the 27-year-old won titles at the Madrid ATP Masters 1000 and in Hong Kong.

“It doesn’t matter what negative thoughts I was giving myself about this season — that the season might not be as good, or could be the worst season of my career, or whatever — but realistically I was able to make it here.” Rublev said in Turin. “And to make it here you need to have a really good season.”

He will hope to make his year even better by reaching the knockout rounds for the second time in his fifth consecutive Nitto ATP Finals appearance.

Zverev leads Rublev 6-3 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, though Rublev won three of their four 2023 meetings. Zverev’s lone victory against Rublev last season came in Turin. While Rublev is wary of Zverev’s aggressive yet high-percentage serving, Zverev is focused on neutralising his opponent’s power in their rematch.

“[He’s a] powerful, extremely fast player,” the German said of Rublev. “He tries to overpower you. The most important thing against him is to not let him.”

[3] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs. [6] Casper Ruud (NOR)
Champion at four tour-level events this season, including Wimbledon, Roland Garros and Indian Wells, Alcaraz is seeking his first Nitto ATP Finals title. The Spaniard is making just his second appearance at the year-end event, after reaching the semi-finals last year. Alcaraz also qualified for the season finale in 2022, when he earned ATP Year-End No.1 presented by PIF honours — but he missed out with an abdominal injury.

Alcaraz lost his opening match last year in Turin to Zverev, but enters this year “with a lot of motivation” to make a fast start: “I come here a little bit different,” he said. “I approach this tournament a little differently, knowing there are things I have to change if I am to have a good result here and go far.”

The Spaniard owns a 4-0 Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Ruud, including a four-set win in the 2023 US Open final that doubled as a shootout for World No. 1.

While Alcaraz rated his 2024 season to date an 8.5 out of 10, Ruud gave the Spaniard top marks on his young career as a whole.

“His career [is] already close to legendary,” the Norwegian said of his opponent. “I love watching him play. He is so great for the sport. I don’t necessarily always love playing him because [he is] really tough. It typically comes down to fun points. He is so electric, he can hit any shot in the world.”

While Alcaraz may have the more glittering career, Ruud has a leg up when it comes to Nitto ATP Finals success. The Norwegian has advanced to the knockout rounds in each of his two previous appearances, reaching the 2021 semis and the 2022 final. He owns a 5-4 record at the season finale, compared to Alcaraz’s 2-2 mark.

Doubles Action
Top seeds Arevalo and Pavic won four titles together in their first season as a team, including at Roland Garros and the ATP Masters 1000 in Cincinnati. The first doubles team to qualify for Turin this year, the Salvadoran/Croatian pair also reached the final at the Rome Masters 1000. They take on Krawietz and Puetz, the 2019 and 2020 Roland Garros champs whose lone 2024 title came on home soil in Hamburg.

Bolelli and Vavassori earned the fourth seed in Turin with three titles this season, one on each surface. Their opponents, sixth seeds Bopanna and Ebden, won the Australian Open and Miami crowns in 2024.

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'Happy' Nishikori wins Helsinki Challenger title

Kei Nishikori returned to the winner’s circle on Sunday.

The former No. 4 player in the PIF ATP Rankings claimed his first title of the season when he won the ATP Challenger Tour event in Helsinki. He defeated Luca Nardi 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 to triumph at the HPP Open.

“It’s great,” Nishikori said. “It’s been a long time since I won a title. This was a really tough week, tough final. Luca played really good in the final. I almost lost my chance, but I was able to play solid in the end.”

“It was not easy. Semi-final was tough, played two and a half hours and recovered for today and played another three sets. Not easy, but this is my last tournament of the year so I just tried to give 100 per cent for this match today and I think I did very well.”

Nishikori has won 25 of his past 29 matches on the ATP Challenger Tour dating back to the Dallas Challenger in 2018.

Happy! pic.twitter.com/4BHGANdRFL

— Kei Nishikori (@keinishikori) November 10, 2024

The 34-year-old was World No. 576 in August, but has quickly climbed towards the verge of the Top 100. The 12-time ATP Tour titlist reached the quarter-finals at the Canadian ATP Masters 1000 event in August and the quarter-finals in Tokyo.

“I’m close to the Top 100 now, so next goal is Top 50 and just keep winning,” Nishikori said when asked about his 2025 goals.

Nishikori in the Helsinki quarter-finals defeated Jacob Fearnley in straight sets. Fearnley entered the match with a 27-3 record on the ATP Challenger Tour this year.

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The Aftermatch: From best-dressed to hair dilemma, Fritz goes Live to reveal all

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

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

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

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

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

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Fritz beats irate Medvedev in ATP Finals opener

Taylor Fritz defeats an irate Daniil Medvedev in straight sets in the opening match of the ATP Finals.

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Granollers & Zeballos chase elusive Turin title, year-end No. 1

Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos were just one win away from claiming the Nitto ATP Finals in 2023. They lost in the final to Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury. One season later, Spaniard and Argentine are back in Turin after a spectacular 2024 season that has catapulted them to the pinnacle of the PIF ATP Doubles Team Rankings, where they could end the season if things go their way in Italy.

“We arrive here after a very good year,” Granollers explained on Saturday. “We’ve had good results in almost every tournament we’ve played in. We’ve had a very consistent year and arriving here with these results really gives us confidence,” he added. “We’re playing well, practising well and hopefully we’ll have a good tournament.”

Granollers and Zeballos, who will play their opener on Sunday against Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten, have paced themselves exceptionally well throughout the season, with a very well-thought-out schedule.

“Neither of us are 20”, said Granollers, 38. “We try to achieve that balance, to be fresh and hungry and have a good mindset when the important tournaments come around. Judging by the results we’ve had throughout the year, it’s worked well for us. We’ve managed to create a schedule that prioritizes the big tournaments,” he added.

“I think if you look after yourself and do things right… we see a lot of doubles players of our age, some even older, and they’re able to play at a good level,” continued Granollers. “We’re not thinking five years ahead, really we’re taking things more year by year. We feel good, we’re playing well, so why not?”

That “why not?” was a confirmation that Granollers will continue to play in 2025, despite the fact that he had been considering retirement at the end of this season. With two titles in 2024 (the ATP Masters 1000s in Rome and Canada) and a further three finals (Auckland, Buenos Aires and Indian Wells), there is certainly no shortage of reasons to continue.

“This year has been so good and, in the end, we’re getting really good results,” Granollers continued. “Obviously, that helps with the daily grind. We’ve said that hopefully we can do a similar schedule next year, which would mean we’ve done well. We’re really motivated to have another good season.”

First though, of course, they are on a mission to conquer Turin, and to finish the year at the top of the rankings while they are at it.

“It would be good, of course”, said Granollers. “We’ve been at the top of the ranking for a few months. It would be amazing, but we’re really focused on trying to play our tennis. We know that the team that plays well here will achieve that, but we’re taking it day by day. It’s a very tough tournament and we have to be at our best.”

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Krejcikova criticises journalist over forehead remark

Barbora Krejcikova criticises a journalist’s “unprofessional commentary” after he made a remark about her appearance on air.

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Purcell/Thompson make fast start at Nitto ATP Finals

Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson kick-started the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals in style on Sunday afternoon in Turin.

The fifth-seeded Australian pair downed third seeds Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic 7-6(1), 6-3 on their debut at the prestigious season finale. Purcell and Thompson took control of the encounter during a mid-match hot streak: They stormed to the first-set tie-break before moving 3-0 ahead with a double break in the second set, a lead that ultimately proved unassailable.

“It was great. From the get-go, we were on it, we were ready to play,” said Thompson. “We’re happy to be here at the [Nitto ATP Finals] so it was massively pleasing… It’s great for our first time here. Started with a win, life couldn’t be better here.”

Dream debut in Turin for the Aussies 🫂

US Open champions @jordanthommmo2 & @MaxPurcell98 pick up their first win in the Mike Bryan Group!#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/kxhea65rmE

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 10, 2024

After seizing a high-quality first set in the tie-break, Purcell and Thompson delivered a classy serving display in the second to complete their victory. The five-time ATP Tour champion team dropped just four points on serve in the second set, according to Infosys ATP Stats, freeing them up to play aggressively in their return games.

“[The serve] will be really key this week,” said Purcell. “I feel like the courts aren’t playing that fast… We kept hitting our spots and getting through our service games pretty quick, which means that the pressure on our opponents is going to be a lot. We didn’t break in the first, but we broke three times in the second set. That just shows that we put that pressure on and got our chances.”

After improving to 2-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series against the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals champions Koolhof and Mektic, Purcell and Thompson moved to 1-0 in Mike Bryan Group. The other teams they will face in group play are Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos and Harri Heliovaara/Henry Patten.

“I think we said in March that we wanted to come to Turin,” said Purcell, when asked about his first time competing at the NItto ATP Finals. “That was our goal, and to finish the year in the top 10 [of the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings], but the job’s not done and we have four more matches hopefully.”

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Collaboration & sustainability headline Nitto ATP Finals as Torino Green Project enters second year

As the Nitto ATP Finals kicks off, the second year of the Nitto ATP Finals Torino Green Project continues to elevate the tournament’s commitment to environmental sustainability. This initiative, driven by Nitto, ATP and the Federazione Italiana Tennis e Padel (FITP), features a series of projects that connect fans, partners, and local stakeholders, underscoring the power of partnership in advancing sustainable practices within the sport.

Highlight: The Green Wall
In the heart of the Fan Village, visitors will find The Green Wall — a sustainability-focused installation designed with live plants, developed collaboratively by Nitto, ATP and FITP. The wall invites fans to engage directly with the theme of sustainability, offering a vibrant backdrop for photos and social media shares that promote environmental awareness. Following the tournament, The Green Wall will be relocated within Turin, an active symbol of the city’s sustainability mission. As one of the European Commission’s 100 “Mission Cities”, Turin has committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2030.

Innovation Summit: Circular Economy Leadership
This year’s Nitto ATP Finals Innovation Summit hosted its third edition on Friday, bringing together thought leaders to discuss the ‘Right to Repair’ and circular economy initiatives. Speakers from Nitto, FITP, the City of Turin, and the Politecnico of Torino, among other industry representatives, joined a series of roundtable discussions, focusing on innovative approaches to sustainable consumption and waste reduction. The Summit reaffirms Nitto and ATP’s shared commitment to sustainability through thought leadership and active partnership with local institutions.

Fan Participation: Tracking Travel Emissions
For the first time, fans attending the Nitto ATP Finals will have the chance to support the tournament’s sustainability goals by logging their travel to and from the event. Powered by Nitto in collaboration with sustainability startup LOWR, this initiative will provide valuable insights into the carbon footprint of fan travel, a major contributor to event emissions. This project is part of ATP’s broader ATP Serves strategy, which focuses on advancing the sport’s sustainability.

“The Nitto ATP Finals is the pinnacle of our season, and we’re proud to see it leading the way on our sustainability roadmap,” said Massimo Calvelli, ATP CEO. “This progress is driven by partnerships, combining strengths to achieve meaningful change. Nitto’s support, alongside the commitment of all our partners, has been essential in making this event the best it can be — for tennis, our community and the planet.”

This year’s Nitto ATP Finals Torino Green Project initiatives build on a successful year in 2023, with actions including planting 40 trees in the vicinity of the Inalpi Arena, installation of green roofs atop select bus stops in the city and donating €100,000 to the Municipality of Turin.

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Vote For Your Favourite Player & Team In 2024 ATP Awards

It’s time to vote! We need your help to determine the Fans’ Favourite winners in the 2024 ATP Awards. 

Which tennis players entertained you during the 2024 ATP Tour season? Show your support by selecting your favourite singles player and doubles team from the dropdowns below and submit your vote.

Voting for the 2024 Fans’ Favourite Awards closes at 11:59pm GMT on Wednesday, 27 November. 

Stay tuned over the coming weeks as we celebrate players and tournaments in the 2024 ATP Awards!

Note: Fans’ Favourite candidates are active players in the Top 100 of the PIF ATP Rankings and Top 20 teams in the PIF ATP Doubles Team Rankings as of 4 November 2024. The Top 100 includes players with protected ATP Rankings who have played at least one tour-level match in 2024. Candidates with protected rankings are noted in the list with (PR). 

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Doubles stars ready for Nitto ATP Finals

The doubles stars of the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals gathered on Saturday for Media Day, during which they took the Official Doubles Photo at the Inalpi Arena.

Marcelo Arevalo/Mate Pavic headline the draw and will compete in The Bob Bryan group with Italians Simone Bolelli/Andrea Vavassori, Rohan Bopanna/Matthew Ebden, and Kevin Krawietz/Tim Puetz. Second seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos top the Mike Bryan Group with Wesley Koolhof/Nikola Mektic, Max Purcell/Jordan Thompson, and Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten. All will compete for the title in Turin, starting on Sunday.

“Since January in Australia, each milestone has led us to this pinnacle in Turin and we eagerly anticipate the start of play on Sunday,” said Ross Hutchins, Chief Tour Officer of the ATP Tour. “The NATPF sets the highest standards across all areas—player experience, production excellence, and fan engagement—and today’s opening of the Fan Village further underscores this commitment.

“Congratulations to each of our players; qualifying among the Top eight is an outstanding achievement and you have fully earned this stage. As we prepare for doubles’ biggest showcase of the year, we wish all players the very best.”

_{^{Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour}}
Earlier in the day, the players took to stage in the newly renovated Fan Village, answering questions and signing autographs in front of a packed crowd.

“I am super excited to be competing at the Nitto ATP Finals,” Arevalo said. “I think it is the main goal of the players at the start of the year to be at the best event of the ATP. I am super grateful to be here, I am super excited. I want to start competing already. Thanks to my partner Mate [Pavic] too, because without him, this would not be possible. Also congratulations to all the teams here.”

Action commences on Sunday, when Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic open proceedings against Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson in The Mike Bryan Group.

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