After two days of world-class action at the Nitto ATP Finals, each of the eight singles players and eight doubles teams has played one match in Turin. While those who won their openers could seal a semi-final place on Tuesday, others are bidding to keep their hopes of progress alive by avoiding an 0-2 start.

Opponents Rafael Nadal and Felix Auger-Aliassime fall into the latter category on Day 3, while Casper Ruud and Taylor Fritz will look to stay perfect on the week in their evening matchup.

In doubles action, Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer face Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos with both teams in search of their first victories. Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury meet Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara in a battle of 1-0 duos.

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[1] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. [5] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN)

Nadal and Auger-Aliassime took very different paths to Turin in the past two months. While Nadal played just one singles match following the US Open — a Rolex Paris Masters defeat against Tommy Paul — Auger-Aliassime put together a career-best 16-match win streak as he claimed titles in Florence, Antwerp and Basel before reaching the Paris semi-finals.

But the Canadian has now dropped two matches in a row, his Bercy defeat against Holger Rune followed by another loss to Ruud in the 22-year-old’s Nitto ATP Finals debut. But the unique format at the season finale means there is still time to make amends.

“My back is against the wall,” Auger-Aliassime said after his 7-6(4), 6-4 defeat to Ruud . “It would have been better to start with a win here… I need to bounce back and play better, play a little bit better. I’m not far from playing well, but there are a few things I can do better.”

The fifth seed will need to earn his first ATP Head2Head win in three tries against Nadal to have a realistic chance of advancing to the Turin semi-finals. 

Nadal struggled to find his best form in a 7-6(3), 6-1 defeat to Fritz on Sunday and has now lost his past three matches, all against American opposition. Nadal said he found himself on defence in the majority of the points against the powerful American, and the 36-year-old will be expecting a similarly aggressive approach from Auger-Aliassime.

“Serving like Fritz served, then you are under pressure all the time,” Nadal said, noting how the speed of the indoor court robbed him of the time he needed to play on his terms. “When somebody is serving that way, on the return he is going for every shot. [It was] just well played from him, not enough from me.”

Auger-Aliassime nearly hit his way to a victory when he met Nadal at Roland Garros earlier this season, but the Spaniard did just enough to escape in five sets.

Will the change of surface help the Canadian change the outcome in Turin, or will Nadal get back on track in his bid to win the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time? If the Spaniard can claim the elusive title, he would also snatch the year-end No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Ranking from the injured Carlos Alcaraz.

[3] Casper Ruud (NOR) vs. [8] Taylor Fritz (USA)

Even with their twin 1-0 records, Ruud and Fritz will remain on high alert, knowing there is little room for error at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Ruud was very happy with his win against Auger-Aliassime after a difficult few months following his run to the US Open final, which lifted him to a career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking of World No. 2. 

“I’m not going to try to relax, but I know that I don’t need to sort of stress or try to rush things to try to turn it around, so that’s hopefully a good thing,” he said post-match. “I’m not going to count on anything, I’m just going to focus on the next two matches and in a way pretend that this never happened. So, I need to bring my ‘A’ game in the next two matches as well.”

While Ruud and Fritz will be contesting their first ATP Head2Head meeting, the Norwegian faced a similarly attack-minded opponent in Auger-Aliassime on Sunday. While Fritz and Auger-Aliassime are from from the same player, both base their games around big serves and big forehands — weapons which free them up to take chances on return.

From Fritz’s perspective, he faces a second consecutive opponent whose favourite surface is clay, following his win against Nadal. Against the Spaniard, the American felt the quick conditions at the Pala Alpitour benefitted him both on serve and in the rallies.

“The court’s definitely fast. For me, fast is good for my serve, it’s good for my backhand,” he explained in his on-court interview. “I feel like different speeds always have parts that help my game, and parts that hurt my game. On a slower court, I have so much more time to kind of load up on a forehand.

“On a court like this, I can lean into my backhand and hit it deep cross to Rafa’s forehand, and it makes it a bit tougher for him to step in and crush it. On a slower surface, he gets time on the forehand when I go backhand cross, and it’s probably done for me. So I’d say that’s where it helps me the most on the ground against him.”

While he was able to stay neutral in the rallies with his backhand, it was the Fritz forehand which did the heavy lifting off the ground against Nadal. This was quantified by his 8.9 INSIGHTS Shot Quality score, which factors in a range of metrics to determine the effectiveness of a given stroke. After hitting 30 per cent of his shots In Attack against Nadal, according to INSIGHTS, Fritz will again hope to keep Ruud pinned back on Monday.

Doubles Action

Roland Garros champions Arevalo and Rojer meet Granollers and Zeballos for the first time on Tuesday in Turin, with both pairs looking to rebound from Day 1 defeats. While Arevalo and Rojer are seeking their first Nitto ATP Finals win in their tournament debut as a pair, Granollers and Zeballos are bidding for a third straight semi-final at the season finale. Spain’s Granollers also won the 2012 year-end title alongside countryman Marc Lopez.

Returning finalists Ram and Salisbury won perhaps the most dramatic doubles match of the tournament against Granollers/Zeballos, earning a 6-3, 6-7(8), 10-8 victory after letting slip set points in the second set. Thy face group leaders Glasspool and Heliovaara, the only team yet to drop a set in Turin. The British-Finnish duo edged Arevalo/Rojer 7-5, 7-6(3) on Sunday.

Seven-time year-end World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is not in contention for the coveted honour this week in Turin, but the Serbian is having an influence on the outcome.

By defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in his opening round-robin match, the 35-year-old ended the Greek’s chances to finish the year No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. The two-time Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters champion and 2019 Nitto ATP Finals titlist needed to emerge as an undefeated champion in Turin to finish the year on top.

Rafael Nadal is now the only man who can prevent 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz from creating history as the youngest ever year-end No. 1. After dropping his opening round-robin match to Taylor Fritz, Nadal must win the season finale for the first time to finish year-end No. 1 for a sixth time.

Despite seeing his chances of finishing year-end No. 1 – and getting to No. 1 for the first time – put on hold in Turin, Tsitsipas is hopeful that his day will eventually come.

“If I was to play good tennis this week, win all of my matches, for sure I deserve the spot. It shows good performance, it shows consistency,” he said. “But, look, it’s not really occupying too much of my mind. I’m kind of excited that I get the opportunity to do something this week that can give me a record, a personal record, and a milestone.

“I deeply believe that I can reach that spot one day. I’m not really that much in a rush, to be honest. Of course, it would have been better if it happened this week.

“I am more here for the marathon of all. I see the bigger picture, the longer run. I have a lot of opportunities next year to play some good tennis. If it comes, I’ll be very happy, my country will be very happy, my family will be happy.”

It will be the second time Felix Auger-Aliassime squares off against Rafael Nadal with Toni Nadal as the Canadian’s coach. The first occasion came earlier this season in the Roland Garros fourth round, when the Spaniard came out on top after five intense sets. The second will take place on Tuesday at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, with both players seeking their first win after disappointing starts.

Unlike at the clay-court Grand Slam, where he decided to watch the match from the stands in neutral territory, Toni will sit alongside Auger-Aliassime’s team in the Pala Alpitour.
“I’ll be watching from Felix’s box,” acknowledged Nadal’s uncle on Monday in Turin. “It’s different to Roland Garros. There, it was the first time they’d met and… there’s something extra [in Paris]. Here, really, there’s no problem. I won’t celebrate the points and I’m not going to say who I want to win, but it won’t be a tragedy whichever one does.”

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Nadal has a 2-0 lead in his ATP Head2Head series with Auger-Aliassime, but the Canadian has enjoyed a spectacular close to the season, claiming the titles in Florence, Antwerp and Basel.
“He has gained peace of mind and has more control of the ball,” explained the Mallorcan coach. “Before, he had very good shots, but his tennis was slightly out of control. He was capable of playing well, he hit great shots, but now it’s stabilised. Yesterday, for example, he lost, but he didn’t play terribly. This is what all the world’s best players do. His level has increased.”

As well as being a quality player, which has taken him to a career-high of No. 6 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Felix is also very good at listening to the advice of his team and executing it.

“We have a good relationship,” explained Nadal. “I’m not with him all the time; I’m a consultant and I give my opinion. I like things to be clear cut and I’m used to saying things straight. 
He’s a very good person, very polite. In Barcelona, he played pretty badly and I spoke to him right afterwards and when he’d finished he thanked me. In New York I told him that he can’t hope to be a Top 5 player with that backhand because it failed him too often, and that he had to improve it. Since then, he has had some very good months, beating Alcaraz, Djokovic, Rune.”

Now, according to the coach, it will be the Canadian’s desire to improve that will set him apart on Tour.

“It’s not a question of dedication — it’s a question of the desire to improve,” noted Toni. “The main thing is wanting to change what you’re doing wrong. 

“I spoke to him and asked him: ‘What’s the difference between Nadal and Djokovic [and the rest]?’ They win when they play badly. That’s the big difference. Things don’t always go well,” he continued. 

“You have to be alert when they’re not doing well. Djokovic was losing [by two sets] to Sinner at Wimbledon. I told my children that he wasn’t out yet. You know that he will hang in there until the end if there is the slightest chance. Sometimes, the rest don’t have that.”

Nadal and Auger-Aliassime will play each other on Tuesday in the first singles match of the day in the Green Group, with Ruud and Fritz closing the day’s play in the night session.

A dream became reality on Monday for Neal Skupski.

The 32-year-old from Liverpool, England, climbed to joint-No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings alongside partner Wesley Koolhof. Skupski is the third Briton to become World No. 1 in doubles.

“It’s a dream come true to top the world rankings. It means everything and I couldn’t have done it without the support of so many people along the way, especially my family,” Skupski told ATPTour.com. “It’s special to join such an illustrious group of players who have topped the rankings before me.

“Hopefully Wes and I can continue our good form and increase our stay at the top.”

Koolhof and Skupski have already clinched year-end No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Team Rankings and are the top seeds at this week’s Nitto ATP Finals. It has been a breakthrough season for Skupski, who is competing at the season finale for the first time.

Skupski, a former college tennis standout at Louisiana State University, began the season at World No. 20 with a career-high standing of World No. 14. But his partnership with Koolhof has proven a perfect fit on and off the court.

The pair captured back-to-back titles to start the season in Australia and has not looked back. They have lifted seven tour-level trophies in 2022, including ATP Masters 1000 triumphs in Madrid, Montreal and Paris. Koolhof and Skupski also advanced to the US Open final.

The season has made proud Skupski’s older brother, Ken Skupski, with whom Neal won three ATP Tour titles from 2018-21.

“Over the years as a big brother I’ve always had faith in his ability. As he transitioned into the pros I wanted to give him the best chance to be the player I knew he could be. As a partner I felt I could steer him in the right direction and help him develop into a top player,” Ken said. “In the past three years he’s blown me away with his unwavering desire to become the best and this achievement is the cherry on the cake not just for him but for the whole family and everyone who has supported us along the way.”

It has been an especially enjoyable week for the brothers in Turin. Neal is competing in the year-end championships for the first time and Ken is by his side as a coach.

“I’m extremely proud,” Ken said. “Now supporting him in a coaching capacity, I hope we can continue to improve and check off more goals together.”

Novak Djokovic began his quest for a record-equalling sixth Nitto ATP Finals title Monday when he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 7-6(4) to end the Greek’s year-end No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Ranking chances.

Fans were dazzled by the electric light show in the Pala Alpitour prior to the match. Djokovic then took centre stage and produced a ruthless performance to move to 1-0 in Red Group.

The Serbian quickly found his range in Turin, breaking in the first game to take early control. The seventh seed pulled Tsitsipas around the court with his precise groundstrokes, while he hit a range of stunning passing shots, demonstrating great agility to triumph after one hour and 37 minutes.

“The first game was very important to break his serve,” Djokovic said. “Starting with a break of serve is obviously a huge boost in confidence and a relief as well because we both knew it would be a tight match.”

Djokovic now leads Tsitsipas 10-2 in their ATP Head2Head series, having overcome the 24-year-old en route to the title in Astana and the final in Paris in the past month.

“We have played some really close matches in the past few tournaments against each other,” Djokovic said. “It was very important to start off well. I held my serve really well throughout the match. I played a great tie-break, very solid all the way through.”

The 35-year-old has won 14 of his past 15 matches and demonstrated his match sharpness to down the Greek again, saving the one break point he faced to improve to 42-17 at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Djokovic was at his devastating best on his forehand, scoring a forehand rating of 9.6. This season, a 9.5 or better forehand rating has happened in just 0.5 per cent of matches.

Djokovic, who last lifted the Brad Drewett Trophy in 2015, is aiming to tie Roger Federer’s record six triumphs at the tournament, which is being held in Turin for the second time. The former World No. 1 will also play Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev in the round-robin stage, with Rublev defeating Medvedev earlier on Monday.

Tsitsipas has earned a Tour-leading 60 wins this season and was trying to finish the season as the year-end No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. However, his chances of ending 2022 atop tennis’ mountain are now over. The Greek, who captured the crown at the year-end event in 2019, had to win the title as the undefeated champion.

Carlos Alcaraz will finish the season as the World No. 1 if Nadal does not clinch the trophy in Turin.

Daniil Medvedev has produced some of his best tennis at the Nitto ATP Finals in recent years, soaring to the title in 2020 before he reached the final last season.

However, he was unable to find top gear in his opening match at the 2022 edition, falling to Andrey Rublev on Monday in Turin.

“There are some matches where you feel you’re untouchable, and everything you do — let’s put it this way — turns into gold,” Medvedev said in his post-match press conference. “Today was not one of them.

“I didn’t feel amazing during the match. I would enjoy it if I would feel better in terms of tennis. But, again, looking back, [there were] some great points. This can make you play better and turn things into gold in the next matches.”

Medvedev produced moments of brilliance during the two-hour, 31-minute Red Group clash, but was unable to consistently deliver to earn victory. The 26-year-old admitted that he struggled to cope with the fast indoor conditions at the Pala Alpitour, but hopes he can adjust ahead of his second match against Novak Djokovic or Stefanos Tsitsipas.

“[It is] super tough to go from Vienna, which is fast hard court, and I generally like fast hard courts more than slow hard courts, to [Paris] where it was probably the slowest indoor hard court,” Medvedev said. “Here is the fastest of the year. To get used to it you need matches. That was a match today, so that is why I’m saying I hope the next one is going to be better.

“That’s why I had some mistakes where I was late on the legs, was late in the movement and took the ball late.”

Medvedev is aiming to become the 11th player to win multiple Nitto ATP Finals titles this week. In 2020, he defeated Dominic Thiem in a three-set thriller to win the biggest title of his career at the time.

He was not born there nor grew up there, but Novak Djokovic’s connection with Italy runs deep.

The Serbian has often spoken of his love for the southern European country — from its food to its history, to its culture. Djokovic is also fluent in Italian and interacts with several members of his team in the language.

Perhaps those positive feelings have boosted the 90-time tour-level titlist as he pursues on-court success. Djokovic is a six-time champion at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, lifting his most recent ATP Masters 1000 title there in May. This week, the 35-year-old chases further Italian success at the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals, being held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin.

Yet while he may be very familiar with Italy, there are still some well-known aspects of the country Djokovic is yet to experience. When ATPTour.com asked the Serbian whether he would rather spend a free afternoon climbing the active volcano Mount Vesuvius or take a trip to visit the historic Colosseum in Rome, his answer was unequivocal.

“Climb Mount Vesuvius, because I already visited the Colosseum,” said Djokovic. The 35-year-old would also opt for a new experience if given the choice between attending a Serie A football match or the historic Italian Formula 1 Grand Prix at Monza.

“Probably watch the Grand Prix, because I have watched many Serie A [matches],” said the Serbian. “I have never done a Grand Prix, so that should be a fun experience.”

When it comes to films set (or, at least, partially based) in Italy, Djokovic would opt for The Godfather over The Italian Job. Yet it is the latter that is predominantly set in the northern city of Turin, with the film’s car chase scene a particularly well-known piece of cinema. Can Djokovic forge a successful pursuit of his own this week as he bids to equal Roger Federer’s record six Nitto ATP Finals crowns?

Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski showed their mettle on their Nitto ATP Finals team debut on Monday in Turin, where the top seeds withstood a big-serving barrage from Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis to clinch an opening 6-7(3), 6-4, 10-5 in Green Group.

Kokkinakis and Kyrgios fired 24 aces in their first tour-level meeting with Koolhof and Skupski and looked well-placed to kick off their own maiden campaign at the season finale with victory after powering through the first-set tie-break.

The Dutch-British duo stayed patient, however, securing a crucial break in the seventh game of the second set before dominating the Match Tie-break for a 91-minute win.

Koolhof and Skupski also produced some high-class serving throughout their triumph. They won 90 per cent (43/48) of points behind their first delivery and were sharp when following at the net as they raised their level at the tail-end of the match to clinch victory.

The pair has enjoyed a stellar first year together on the ATP Tour in 2022. It has won seven tour-level titles and secured the year-end No. 1 spot in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Team Rankings by lifting the Rolex Paris Masters trophy a week ago. 

Koolhof has enjoyed success at the year-end championships before. Two years ago, the Dutchman triumphed at the Nitto ATP Finals alongside Croatian Nikola Mektic.