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.”

One year ago, Brandon Nakashima fell in the semi-finals of the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals. The American would suffer no such heartbreak in his second – and final – appearance in Milan, defeating Jiri Lehecka 4-3(5), 4-3(6), 4-2 in Saturday’s title match to emerge as an undefeated tournament champion.

The 21-year-old quickly found his range, striking his fierce groundstrokes with precision and power in front of a vocal crowd at the Allianz Cloud to become the first American to triumph at the 21-and-under event.

“I am super happy right now,” Nakashima said. “It was a great tournament, this whole week. This final was another tough match. Just a few points that could have gone either way. I am happy with my level today. It is a good way to finish off the year.

“It was a final, so there are going to be some pressure moments. There were some nerves at the beginning, but I am happy I was able to turn it around quickly and close it out at the end.”

In a hard-fought clash, Nakashima rallied from 1-3 in the first set and saved two set points in the second-set tie-break as he raised his level under pressure. The American struck 19 winners and committed just four unforced errors to secure his standout victory in 80 minutes.

The fourth seed Nakashima was a dominant force throughout the week in Milan, dropping just two sets in the round-robin stage, which included a straight-sets victory against Lehecka. He then downed British lefty Jack Draper in the semi-finals to reach the championship match.

“Being American and being able to play here in Milan is the best feeling in the world,” Nakashima said. “I am going to take the Nakashima Is Next, Clinches Milan Crown back to the United States and now take some time off.

“My team means everything to me. Together we have had such a great year, working well together. I am happy with where we are at right now and we are going to enjoy this one.”

The 21-year-old looked comfortable with the first-to-four, best-of-five-set format during the event, while he quickly adjusted to the 15-second shot clock rule following aces and missed returns as he raced through his service games during the week.

Nakashima is the fifth player to win the title in Milan, joining Hyeon Chung, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

By triumphing in Italy, the American has ended his second season on Tour in style. Nakashima, currently No. 49 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, lifted his maiden tour-level trophy on home soil in San Diego and reached the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the first time at Wimbledon.

Lehecka started the season at No. 141 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings but is now No. 74. The 21-year-old Czech, who defeated Dominic Stricker to reach the final, enjoyed a run to the semi-finals as a qualifier in Rotterdam in February, before he clinched an ATP Challenger Tour trophy in Liberec.

With the pre-tournament pageantry complete in Turin, Sunday marks the start of play at the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals. Group-stage action will light up the Pala Alpitour, with top seed Rafael Nadal set to close opening day with his matchup against tournament debutant Taylor Fritz.

Casper Ruud takes on the red-hot Felix Auger-Aliassime in the afternoon, after Roland Garros champions Jean-Julien Rojer and Marcelo Arevalo open play against Harri Heliovaara and Lloyd Glasspool. Last year’s doubles finalists, Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram, will also take the court against Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.

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[1] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. [8] Taylor Fritz (USA)

Nadal fell out of the rhythm of the ATP Tour in the second half of the season, for reasons both good and bad. He welcomed the birth of his first child in October but also spent time out of action as he recovered from two abdominal tears, suffered at Wimbledon and just before the US Open.

After an early exit at the Rolex Paris Masters, he said he would travel to Turin early in his bid to get back to the peak form that saw him start the season with a personal-best 20 straight wins. Indeed, the Spaniard was one of the first to begin practising in Northern Italy.

“I’m happy because I’ve been able to train and I’m excited to play well,” Nadal told ATPTour.com in Turin. “If I didn’t think I had a chance to fight for what I came for, I wouldn’t be here. I think I have a chance.”

What he came for is the last big title he has yet to win in his legendary career. If the 2010 and 2013 Nitto ATP Finals runner-up can go all the way in his 11th appearance at the event, his triumph would also earn him the year-end No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Ranking for the sixth time.

Nadal’s first assignment is Taylor Fritz, with whom he split two high-profile matches this season. Fritz won their first 2022 meeting in his native Southern California, riding his big serve and forehand to the Indian Wells title with a 6-3, 7-6(5) victory. In the Wimbledon quarter-finals, Nadal pulled out a 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(10-4) victory while struggling with an abdominal issue that later forced his withdrawal from the event.

With his serve severely limited, the Spaniard succeed in dragging the American into rallies on the grass, firing from the ground after working hard to create openings.

On the hard courts in Turin, Fritz will be looking to take full advantage of the indoor conditions as he aims to level his ATP Head2Head at 2-2 against Nadal.

“Playing Rafa is a big deal,” Fritz said. “The match we had at Wimbledon was very close. Between the two matches we’ve played, there were very high highs [after Indian Wells] and very low lows [following Wimbledon]. I’m excited to be opening with him on Sunday night.”

Fritz also hopes to reap the rewards of an early arrival in Turin, with the American electing to remain in Europe after Paris.

[3] Casper Ruud (NOR) vs. [5] Felix Auger-Aliassime

Ruud backed up his run to the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals semi-finals with a career-best season that saw him rise to World No. 2 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings following his run to the US Open final. A three-time ATP Tour champion in 2022, Ruud also reached the final at Roland Garros and in Miami, where he began to flash his hard-court credentials.

In the closing months of a gruelling year, Ruud was not able to continue his strong form after the US Open, failing to record multiple victories at any of the four tournaments he played. 

The Norwegian is hoping the passionate support of the Turin crowd can help him get back to his best tennis.

“This is such a great place, great city to play in,” he said. “The Italian fans are so passionate that you will feel the energy from the moment you step on court, which hopefully can lift you a little bit, no mater who you are or who you are playing… They really know what they’re doing here in Italy when it comes to the sport of tennis and that’s a great feeling for us.”

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Ruud will need to be firing on all cylinders to beat Auger-Aliassime, who enters Turin as perhaps the hottest player on the ATP Tour. No one had a better indoor season than the Canadian, who won three straight titles in Florence, Antwerp and Basel before reaching the Paris semi-finals as he secured his debut appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Auger-Aliassime will seek to break down Ruud’s consistent game with his heavy firepower, though the Norwegian has shown this season that he can also attack with the game’s best, his high-RPM forehand among the season’s standout shots.

While the 22-year-old Auger-Aliassime’s competitive fire will be on full display come Sunday afternoon, the Canadian took a moment to reflect on his accomplishment in reaching Turin before the action begins.

“I remember watching [the Nitto ATP Finals] for the first time in my early teenage years,” he said. “I remember just being inspired by it and feeling that it would be amazing to be a part of that. Now that I’m here, it’s a full-circle moment. It’s really special and I hope it’s not the last time.”

As if he needed any added motivation, Auger-Aliassime will be seeking a measure of revenge against Ruud after the Norwegian knocked him out of his hometown tournament with a dominant win in the Montreal quarter-finals.

Doubles Action

Ram and Salisbury look to complete unfinished business in Turin after reaching the final one year ago. The second seeds are making their fourth consecutive Nitto ATP Finals appearance as a team, with Ram set for his sixth showing overall. The British-American pair won three titles in 2022, at the US Open and the ATP Masters 1000s in Monte Carlo and Cincinnati.

Their opening opponents, seventh seeds Granollers and Zeballos, won the Halle title this season and reached five additional semi-finals, including at the Australian Open and Roland Garros. Ram/Salisbury lead the ATP Head2Head between the pairs 4-2, with their most recent meeting last year in Rome.

Reigning Roland Garros champs Arevalo and Rojer have the privilege of opening play in Turin against sixth seeds Glasspool and Heliovaara. The teams have already met twice this season, with Arevalo/Rojer earning straight-sets victories in the Dallas and Stockholm finals. 

Sixth seeds Glasspool and Heliovaara are one of two teams making their Nitto ATP Finals debut this week, along with Aussies Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios. The British-Finnish duo claimed the Hamburg title this season and reached six additional finals.

After a “crazy” string of matches led him to the title match last year at the Nitto ATP Finals, Daniil Medvedev returns to Turin with his sights set on a third straight run to the final at the prestigious event.

The 26-year-old was an undefeated champion in London in 2020, and again reached the final with a perfect 4-0 record last season before falling to Alexander Zverev. Each of his round-robin matches in 2021 went three sets as he defeated Hubert Hurkacz, Zverev and Jannik Sinner.

“They were crazy,” he said of his group-stage contests. “Two final-set tie-breaks, and against Hubert was also a crazy, close match. I remember it like if it was yesterday.

“That’s the thing about the [Nitto] ATP Finals. Every match is going to be tough. Even if you’re going to, for some reason, win with an easy score, it’s going to be a tough match still — tough mentally, where from the first to last point you have to show your best tennis. That’s what we love about it.”

That will certainly hold true this year, as Medvedev was drawn into a stacked Red Group that also includes five-time Nitto ATP Finals champ Novak Djokovic, 2019 winner Stefanos Tsitsipas and sixth seed Andrey Rublev.

“I felt it’s a pretty tough draw,” Medvedev assessed. “At the same time, in the other group we also have great players… It’s not easy in any group.

“But as I said, there are top players and if you want to win this tournament, you have to beat the best. Our group, I feel like, is pretty even and everybody can go through. Everybody [in the group] has beaten everybody at least once, so that’s great. We’re going to have some great tennis.”

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Now a veteran of the Nitto ATP Finals in his fourth straight appearance, Medvedev is enjoying the unique atmosphere in Turin.

“Its great tournament,” he said. “From the first day, you practise with our opponents and rivals in this tournament because you have no other choice. Of course you have hitting partners, but you want to also play sets against top opponents.

“This feeling when you’re waiting for the groups to come out to know who you can practise with from the other group, to not practise with your opponents — that’s a lot of fun.

“From the first match, you’re going to play a tough opponent. There is a special energy about this tournament and I absolutely love it, and I hope to show my best tennis. I’m feeling confident, but you never know before the first match.”

So, who will walk away with trophy?

“I cannot answer this question because I hope it’s me,” Medvedev said with a smile. “But I’m not the kind of guy that’s going to be like, ‘It’s me winning this week.’ 

“It’s almost a superstition, that ‘Then he’s not going to do it.’ I hope I’m going to play some good tennis and try to make lt.”

On the steps of the Gallerie d’Italia in the majestic Piazza San Carlo, Rafael Nadal explains that his son, who was born in October, is with him in Turin. The 36-year-old is set for his debut in the Italian city, where he will be competing in his 11th Nitto ATP Finals starting on Sunday. 

The Spaniard, who has a chance to finish the year as No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the sixth time in his career, is bidding to claim the only big title that is yet to adorn his trophy cabinet, and to put the icing on the cake of his unforgettable season.

“I arrive here without match time, but in Paris I was playing well, a set and break up against Tommy Paul, a good player,” the World No. 2 told ATPTour.com, having fallen at the first hurdle in the Rolex Paris Masters. “I’m happy because I’ve been able to train and I’m excited to play well. If I didn’t think I had a chance to fight for what I came for, I wouldn’t be here. I think I have a chance.”

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After several weeks without playing, Nadal returned to competition at the ATP Masters 1000 in Paris-Bercy, where he bowed out in his opener against the American Paul in three sets. He was evidently fatigued.

“There was no big problem,” admitted the Spaniard. “A long time without competing. I had a small problem with my stomach. I was nauseous at the end of the third set, I felt awful, but I didn’t say anything because it wouldn’t have been right,” he added. “I’m fine. A bad day. Later I was able to get back to training normally without any problems.

“It’s clear that in the past five months, I’ve played very little,” continued the 22-time Grand Slam champion. “Unfortunately, what happened at Wimbledon happened, and from there I’ve played very little. It was an accumulation of negative situations in terms of fitness,” he explained.

“To me, it’s important to end the year competing, which I wasn’t able to do in 2021. You never know. Things often change dramatically in sport. I’m playing well, but it’s better to arrive with confidence and wins because there’s no margin for error here, playing against the best.”

Thursday’s draw placed Nadal’s name in the Green Group, where he will face Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz. With a 5-1 combined record against the trio, the draw would seem to favour Nadal’s progress into the semi-finals.

“Here, you’re playing against the best,” said the Mallorcan. “Things can go your way, but if you don’t play at a very high level, you’re not going to have real chances. I don’t like coming back from an injury in Cincinnati or Paris, when you’re going to play someone who’s very good from the start. It’s almost preferable to return at a Grand Slam if you’re physically fit,” he reasoned. “You grow with your wins, and at majors there is more margin in the draws, unless you’re very unlucky, but I’m feeling fine and excited about it.”

Nadal’s physical struggles have included his recurring abdominal issues, which have plagued him all too often throughout the second half of the season.

“I’ve been serving normally for some time,” explained the Spaniard. “Unfortunately, I tore my abs twice this year: at Wimbledon and the week before the US Open, even though I didn’t say anything. That forced me to serve differently to how I normally do,” he noted.

“It is what it is. You have to deal with what you have. It’s important to me to play a few tournaments consecutively. I need continuity, which I had up to Indian Wells,” he continued. “Let’s see if next year I can get that. That’s why I’m down to play the United Cup the first week of the season. I want to spend more time on Tour, competing and training. At this point of my career, I’m driven by passion, by feeling competitive when training with the best. That’s what I’ve been missing in the past five months. I’ve spent very few days on Tour, for fitness and personal reasons. We’re going to try and get back into that rhythm again.”

At the moment, Nadal is only thinking about Turin, where he will be looking for the one big trophy missing from his CV.

“As I was saying, I haven’t been good enough,” repeated the Spaniard. “That’s the reality of sport… I’ve qualified [for the Nitto ATP Finals] 17 times, but I haven’t been competitive those 17 times,” he said, with injuries keeping him from playing on six occasions “I don’t know how many times I’ve been able to play in the event with a real chance. I haven’t been the best player on indoor [hard courts], which is where I’ve always played this event, in fast conditions. Historically, that’s been the worst surface for me. It’s not about nerves. I’ve won things in my career that have made me feel like that. It’s simply that I haven’t been good enough at this time of year and in those circumstances to win this tournament.”

Returning to the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time since 2020, when he lost to Daniil Medvedev in a three-set semi-final, the Spaniard has a score to settle.

“It’s true that in recent years I’ve made positive improvements on this surface,” said Nadal. “In 2020, when I was knocked out by Medvedev, I missed the best opportunity of my career. It was one of the most painful defeats that season.”

The defeat stopped Nadal short of a third title match at the ATP Tour’s season finale, after he reached that stage in 2010 and 2013. He has another golden opportunity to rectify that this year.

Stefanos Tsitsipas knows what it takes to win the Nitto ATP Finals. After claiming the title in London in his 2019 debut, the Greek is looking forward to making new memories in Turin, where his 2021 showing was cut short by an elbow injury.

If the second seed can recapture the year-end title as an undefeated champion, he will finish the season atop the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time.

“I’m actually very determined and extremely privileged to be in a position to be fighting for the World No. 1 spot, because it’s always been a dream of mine since I was a little kid to be crowned World No. 1,” he told ATP Media ahead of the event.

“It would definitely mean a lot. It’s an amazing thing to accomplish something like this. I’m going to try to be relaxed, enjoy the process of it, not think too much of the destination, but the journey is the one that matters the most. In this case, playing good tennis and enjoying myself out on the court is much more important than obsessing over that World No. 1 title, which might come now or come later. It’s more of a marathon than a sprint.”

While the Greek admitted nerves about his opportunity to reach No. 1 contributed to his first-round exit at the US Open — where a title would have lifted him to the top spot — he enters Turin with a fresh mindset, full of confidence after a consistent season in which he captured two titles and won a tour-leading 60 matches.

“I’m feeling very good with my body and my game,” he said. “I’m glad to be here fighting for something prestigious in this type of an event. I’ve earned my spot playing consistent tennis throughout the entire year with good results on pretty much all surfaces. It turned out better than I thought it would, and I’m happy now, sitting in this chair, being part of the eight best players in the world.”

The two-time defending Monte Carlo champion far outpaced his own expectations early in the year as he reached the Australian Open semi-finals just two months after surgery on his dominant elbow.

“I was not thinking of the best things at the time and my mind was very much occupied with how I am going to recover from that, how I’m going to come back stronger,” Tsitsipas explained. “I honestly didn’t have any expectations during the beginning of the year. I thought I’m going to pick up later during the year, perhaps in the middle of the clay-court swing I’m going to start maybe feeling better with my arm. My doctor told me that it might take some time.

“I was able to produce some really good tennis at the first Grand Slam of the year, playing with not that much of an expectation, I would say, when I was out on the court. I kept collecting a lot of points in the beginning of the season, and that kind of gave me a sign, an idea of where I’m standing with my game, that I shouldn’t back off, that this is an opportunity right now that I can actually use.”

Drawn in the loaded Red Group in Turin, where he is joined by former Nitto ATP Finals champions Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev, as well as the dangerous Andrey Rublev, Tsitsipas has his work cut out for him at the Pala Alpitour. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

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“It’s not meant to be easy, is it?” he said with a laugh. “These kinds of events you don’t get very often during the year. It’s the only event of the year that’s so demanding, where the intensity is so high. Regardless of who you’re going to be drawn with, it just simply doesn’t matter. All these players can play, We’re quite even.

“Until we go out on the court, it’s the psychology that you put out there, it’s the hard work that you have to instill to get a good result and [make sure] nothing falls out of place.”

Tsitsipas opens play on Monday evening against Djokovic in a rematch of their thrilling semi-final at the Rolex Paris Masters, a 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(4) win for the Serbian which improved his ATP Head2Head record against Tsitsipas to 9-2.

The Nitto ATP Finals has arrived. All eight singles players competing in the season finale are champions — they have combined to claim 26 titles between them in 2022.

But only one man will emerge the ultimate champion from the Pala Alpitour.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have claimed plenty of hardware in their historic careers. The all-time greats own 182 tour-level crowns between them. Djokovic has been particularly successful at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he can tie Roger Federer’s record of six season finale titles this year.

Nadal, a 17-time qualifier for the year-end championships, will try to earn glory at the tournament for the first time. The Spaniard is as eager as always to give his all on court.

“When I enter a tennis tournament, I want to win and I’m going to try my best to achieve that goal,” Nadal told ATP Media on Friday. “Here I was not able to make it, I was not good enough to make it in the past. So I just accept that and I’m happy to give myself another chance at the age of 36 — something, for me, that was difficult to imagine years ago.”

Djokovic and Nadal have shown their champion qualities for years. The rest of the field is 26 or younger.

^{Photo Credit: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images}
That has not prevented them from shining, however. The other players competing in Turin have followed the #NextGenATP path to success. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Taylor Fritz have all played the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, while Felix Auger-Aliassime qualified for the event. Alternates Holger Rune and Hubert Hurkacz also competed in Milan.

Now some of the Tour’s brightest young champions will try to become champion once more this season. The most in-form player on the circuit is Auger-Aliassime, who won 16 of his final 17 matches this year to earn his spot in Turin, lifting trophies in Florence, Antwerp and Basel.

“I remember watching [the Nitto ATP Finals] for the first time in my early teenage years,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I remember just being inspired by it and feeling that it would be amazing to be a part of that. Now that I’m here, it’s a full-circle moment. It’s really special and I hope it’s not the last time.”

The #NextGenATP pipeline is one to continue watching in the future. Eleven players who have competed in Milan (since 2017) have cracked the Top 10 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Two of them, Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz, have reached World No. 1.

Tsitsipas holds the distinction of winning the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in 2018 and triumphing at the Nitto ATP Finals the next. He will try to earn tennis’ ultimate prize again this year, when he can also claim year-end World No. 1 by winning all five of his matches in Turin. The Greek will need to battle past Djokovic, Medvedev and Rublev in Red Group.

“It’s not meant to be easy, is it? These kind of events you don’t get very often during the year. It’s the only event that is so demanding in terms of the intensity [being] so high,” Tsitsipas said. “Regardless of who you are going to be drawn with, it just simply doesn’t matter. All these players can play. We are quite even.

“Until we go out on the court… it’s the hard work that you have to instil to get away with a good result. Nothing falls out of place.”

Who will become the champion of champions this week? Tune into the biggest event of the year.

Of the 16 doubles players competing at the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals, seven are making their first appearance at the season-ending event. Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara are two of those debutants, and the British-Finnish pair is relishing the opportunity to compete in Turin.

“It’s a highlight [of my career],” Glasspool told ATPTour.com at the pre-tournament media day on Saturday. “It’s something I will remember forever, hopefully my first of many. The first one, and even if this is it, I will definitely remember it. It’s a reward for a very good, consistent and hard-working two years.”

The British-Finnish duo is no stranger to the big stage, having reached quarter-finals at Roland Garros and the US Open and lifting their maiden ATP 500 title in Hamburg this season. Heliovaara is confident that the pair is ready to shine in the spotlight once again when they take to court in the intense atmosphere of the Pala Alpitour.

“I don’t think it will add nerves,” said the Finn. “It’s obviously interesting. Our first time here, so everything is new, but also everything is super nice. Huge stadium, a lot of people. It’s exciting but I’m pretty sure it’s going to make us play better.”

_{^{Ivan Dodig, Mate Pavic, Nikola Mektic and Wesley Koolhof. Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.}}

Glasspool and Heliovaara’s opening match on Sunday at 11:30 a.m (CET) is also the first of the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals. There will be another debutant on the other side of the net in Marcelo Arevalo, although the Salvadoran has the considerable experience of his partner, 2015 champion Jean-Julien Rojer, to fall back on.

“Playing with Jules, it means a lot to me, too, because I know his career,” said Arevalo, who won his maiden Grand Slam title alongside Rojer in June at Roland Garros. “He’s been on Tour so many years, more than me, so I try to squeeze a little of his experience every day. It makes me also more calm, and more secure to get into these events playing with someone next to me that has already been in this situation before. So I think that’s a nice feeling.”

_{^{Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer in Turin. Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour}}

Austin Krajicek also has the benefit of an experienced partner beside him. The American partners Ivan Dodig, set to compete at the event for the eighth time, with the duo arriving in Turin off the back of a stunning late-season charge that saw them win 14 of 16 matches on European hard courts and lift trophies in Naples and Basel.

“Ivan has a tonne of experience playing at the year-end finals, so I think we will work together as a team,” said Krajicek. “Ivan [offers] great leadership, and I think we are just excited to compete like we have been doing the past six months, and especially in the past couple of tournaments, and hopefully we can have a great result.”

_{^{Austin Krajicek and Ivan Dodig. Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.}}