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First-Time Winner Spotlight: Shang dishes on teddy bears & tiramisu

#NextGenATP star Shang Juncheng made history on Tuesday by becoming the first Chinese player to win an ATP Tour title on home soil at the Chengdu Open.

The 19-year-old also became the first player born in 2005 or later to triumph on the ATP Tour. Entering the week, he had not made a tour-level championship match.

ATPTour.com caught up with Shang to discuss his maiden moment, an important mindset change, his lucky charms and more.

What does it mean to win your first ATP Tour title?
It’s been a tough week, tough matches, tough opponents, and I think it’s special to overcome that, and I feel very grateful to play in [front of] my my home crowd, and they were amazing this week. All the energies were great. My team, they helped me so much. My family that’s supporting me all the way throughout the week. Just super, super happy.

This is a historic moment not only winning your first title, but making more history for Chinese tennis. How much more special does that make this and what should people know about your friendship with the rest of the Chinese stars?
It’s always special to play at home, not mentioning to win a title. I’ve never thought that I would do it this early in my career, but I’m grateful for this one. Just a super special week. I was going match by match, not knowing what will happen in the next one.

All of [the other Chinese players], they support me, and we support each other. We’re kind of competing against each other, the Chinese players. I play one next week in Beijing, actually, and I think it’s going to be a good tournament, good battle, and super excited for what’s coming next.

What have been the key moments of your career that helped you get to this point?
To be honest there are a lot of key moments, but I think what changed is the attitude towards tennis. I think I’ve been trying to place tennis in the number two spot. It’s not the most important thing. It doesn’t matter how many titles you win. At the end, it [is about] the people, the people around you and the family around you. That’s more important. So I think I’ve been focusing on myself, my friends, family, a little bit more than tennis. So when I’m on court, I enjoy it. When I’m off the court, it’s not always about tennis.

Could you take a moment to acknowledge some of the key figures in your life and career who have helped you to reach this milestone?
My parents, they’ve always been supporting me since day one. My grandparents, they’re always really helpful, really supporting me all the time. And my coach, Martin and the IMG Academy family, they’ve been so helpful in my career. When I was 14, practising with all the professionals, it’s really an amazing place to practise, at IMG, and I’m grateful for all the people around me.

First time feeling at home 🇨🇳🏆

Shang becomes the first player born in 2005 or later to win an ATP Tour title after taking down Musetti 7-6(4) 6-1!@ChengduOpen | #ChengduOpen pic.twitter.com/9w8t4Alnlp

— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 24, 2024

Both of your parents are athletes. What is one lesson in particular you have learned from each of them?
I think to not show emotions and to be grateful for what you have because when you’re successful, it doesn’t mean that you really deserve it, maybe because you’re lucky. And when others fail, it doesn’t mean that they’re just bad at something. Maybe they’re unlucky.

You don’t judge people by what you see in the first place. So I think that’s something really, really important in our family, that we try to not judge, to always appreciate and to always learn to become our better selves.

You are only 19 years old, and you are here as an ATP Tour champion. What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in the past couple of years since you’ve started this journey as a professional?
Some people say that one career can be really, really long, but I think the past two years, they went by like a flash. And I think you don’t get to play that many years. All of a sudden, maybe I’ll be 30, 35, years old. So you have to enjoy what you have, and you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow. So enjoy, enjoy the moment. Whatever you have, try to live 100 per cent, try to enjoy it.

You have long collected teddy bears and they have become your lucky charms. Would you mind telling fans about your current lucky charm(s), where you got it/them and why it’s important to you?
I think to have the bear sitting on the court, you really can’t get mad at a teddy bear. If you get mad at a teddy bear, there’s something wrong with you. So I try to keep calm. Whenever he falls down, I pick him up so [it] can have a good positioning watching the match. It’s really a mental thing. There’s not really any secrets to it, just to have a good attitude.

How would you describe yourself as a player, and how would you describe yourself off the court?
I think I’m really transparent. On and off the court. I’m about the same. Maybe a little crazier off. On court, I’m a little more calm, I’m more focused, and I think overall, I’m a really positive guy, always happy.

What do you consider to be your biggest passion outside of tennis and can you tell us a little bit about that interest?
I would say golf. I think that that’s helped me a lot with my patience. It’s a four-hour sport. You need basically the whole day to play through. And sometimes the conditions are tough, windy, kind of just like tennis. So if you’re patient in that, something off the court, I believe it’s a little like training, you have fun at the same time.

This is a milestone moment in your career. How will you celebrate this victory?
I think by eating tiramisu!

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Injury-hit Cilic creates ATP history with comeback title

Former US Open champion Marin Cilic becomes the lowest-ranked player to win an ATP Tour title with an emotional victory at the Hangzhou Open.

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Alcaraz qualifies for Nitto ATP Finals

Carlos Alcaraz is the third player to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, which will be held at Inalpi Arena in Turin from 10-17 November.

The Spaniard joins Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev in the field, leaving five singles spots remaining at the prestigious season finale. The 21-year-old has earned his place at the event for the third consecutive year. He did not compete in 2022, the year he claimed ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours, due to injury.

Alcaraz doubled his major titles count this season, emerging victorious at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The Spaniard became just the sixth man in the Open Era to win the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double in the same year, joining Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Alcaraz also lifted the fifth ATP Masters 1000 trophy of his career at Indian Wells and earned a silver medal in singles at the Paris Olympics. He owns a 43-9 record for the season.

Last year, Alcaraz made his Nitto ATP Finals debut by reaching the semi-finals. He defeated Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev in group play to advance to the last four, where he fell to eventual champion Djokovic.

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Cilic becomes lowest-ranked champion in ATP Tour history, triumphs in Hangzhou

Marin Cilic is an ATP Tour champion once again. The Croatian overcame Chinese star Zhang Zhizhen 7-6(5), 7-6(5) on Tuesday at the Hangzhou Open to clinch his first tour-level title since 2021.

The 35-year-old wild card was competing in his first tour-level event since Buenos Aires in February and arrived in Chengdu at No. 777 in the PIF ATP Rankings. However, Cilic looked sharp throughout his run at the ATP 250, dropping just two sets to become the lowest-ranked champion in the ATP Tour history (since 1990).

“Thank you to my family, my boys, my wife. Everyone who has been with me in this difficult period,” Cilic said during the trophy ceremony. “Working with me day by day, pushing me and giving me strength and spirit. I am so happy and proud to make this victory not only for me but for them too.”

Mar-in the winner’s circle 🤩@marincilic’s comeback is complete with his first title since 2021!@HangzhouOpen | #HangzhouOpen pic.twitter.com/6Sq0UIJ7Qf

— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 24, 2024

In the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting, there was little to separate Cilic and home favourite Zhang, with both players saving both break points they faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats. The former World No. 3 Cilic played more aggressively in the two tie-breaks and fired 34 winners in the match compared to 26 from Zhang to triumph on the ATP Tour for the first time since he won St. Petersburg in 2021.

Cilic, who missed several months of 2024 due to a knee injury, has now won 21 tour-level crowns and enjoyed title success in 13 different seasons. He is up to No. 212 in the PIF ATP Rankings following his 16th hard-court title.

“It has been a difficult period for me in the past few months. I lost my ranking and I didn’t play too much,” Cilic said. “So a big thank you to the organising team for giving me the opportunity [with the wild card].”

Lowest-ranked champions in ATP Tour history (since 1990)

Zhang was competing in his first tour-level final and was trying to become just the third Chinese man to win an ATP Tour title. Wu Yibing lifted the trophy in Dallas last year and Shang Juncheng won in Chengdu on Tuesday.

“It was a great week for you Zhizhen,” Cilic said, praising Zhang. “I hope you continue to play great tennis in China, in Beijing and Shanghai.”

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Musetti boosts Turin hopes with Chengdu final, Mover of Week

The Asian swing commenced on the ATP Tour in Chengdu and Hangzhou, where Shang Juncheng and Marin Cilic won ATP 250 events, respectively.

Nitto ATP Finals hopefuls Lorenzo Musetti and Holger Rune were also in action, with the pair experiencing different fortunes in China. ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as of Tuesday, 24 September.

Lorenzo Musetti – 15th (2,365 points)
The Italian remains in 15th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin but closed the gap on eighth-placed Alex de Minaur after reaching his second tour-level final of the season at the Chengdu Open. Musetti earned three wins at the ATP 250 event, gaining 165 points.

The 22-year-old is still 940 points behind De Minaur, who currently occupies the final qualification position for the Nitto ATP Finals. Musetti next heads to the ATP 500 in Beijing, where he will need a deep run to boost his faint Turin hopes.

View PIF ATP Live Race To Turin

Holger Rune – 16th (2,185 points)
Rune was the only other player inside the Top 20 in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin who was in action last week. The 21-year-old Dane suffered a disappointing opening-round exit to Yasutaka Uchiyama in Hangzhou and is 1,120 points behind De Minaur.

Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz have already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, scheduled to take place from 10-17 November.

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#NextGenATP Shang downs Musetti, wins maiden ATP Tour title in Chengdu

If Shang Juncheng was feeling the weight of home expectation on Tuesday at the Chengdu Open, the 19-year-old certainly did not show it.

The #NextGenATP star produced a stunning championship-match performance to overwhelm top seed Lorenzo Musetti and lift his maiden ATP Tour title at the hard-court ATP 250. Shang prevailed 7-6(4), 6-1 after 99 minutes to become the first player born in 2005 or later to win an ATP Tour title.

First time feeling at home 🇨🇳🏆

Shang becomes the first player born in 2005 or later to win an ATP Tour title after taking down Musetti 7-6(4) 6-1!@ChengduOpen | #ChengduOpen pic.twitter.com/9w8t4Alnlp

— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 24, 2024

By lifting the trophy on his event debut in Chengdu, Shang became just the second Chinese man to win an ATP Tour singles title after Wu Yibing triumphed in Dallas in 2023. Zhang Zhizhen could become the third player on that list later on Tuesday if he can defeat Marin Cilic in the final at the Hangzhou Open.

The key to Shang’s victory against Musetti was how quickly he recovered from the disappointment of being broken when serving for the first set at 6-5. He held firm in the subsequent tie-break to move ahead and then unleashed a series of stunning winners across the second set to accelerate to an ultimately commanding victory.

Shang finished the match having converted three of five break points he earned, according to Infosys ATP Stats. His victory was greeted with ecstasy by the crowd, who roared the home favourite on throughout his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash with Musetti.

Shang has also boosted his bid to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF for the first time with his title run on home soil. The Chinese lefty has leapfrogged Alex Michelsen into second in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Brouwer, Munar save MPs en route to Challenger title runs

Gijs Brouwer and Jaume Munar saved match points en route to lifting trophies this past week on the ATP Challenger Tour.

While the 28-year-old Brouwer advanced through qualifying and went all the way to claim his maiden Challenger title, Munar triumphed at that level for a record-extending eighth consecutive season.

The Dutchman Brouwer downed home favourite and former World No. 10 Lucas Pouille 6-4, 7-6(2) in Sunday’s Saint-Tropez Open final. Brouwer saved two match points in the quarter-finals against Benjamin Bonzi, who was the only player all week to take a set off the lefty.

“It feels unbelievable. I was really trying for years to get [a Challenger title] and now I finally have one. I’m super happy,” Brouwer said. “The key this week was the mentality, being good in my head, always staying positive throughout the week. I just kept playing and didn’t think too much of the score. Just with a clean head every point and fight for every point.”

Munar, 27, won his 10th Challenger trophy at the Bad Waltersdorf Trophy in Austria. The top seed defeated Thiago Seyboth Wild 6-2, 6-1 in the final, a day after Munar fended off three match points to outlast American Nicolas Moreno De Alboran in the last four.

<img alt=”Jaume Munar is crowned champion at the Bad Waltersdorf Challenger.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/09/24/14/34/munar-badwaltersdorfch-2024.jpg” />
^{Jaume Munar is crowned champion at the Bad Waltersdorf Challenger. Credit: Bad Waltersdorf Trophy}

In other Challenger action, Naoki Nakagawa survived an all-Japanese marathon final to be crowned champion at the Columbus Challenger. After three hours and 16 minutes, Nakagawa overcame James Trotter 7-6(8), 5-7, 7-6(5) to secure his maiden Challenger title.

Nakagawa, who upset top seed Christopher Eubanks in the quarter-finals, entered the week with a career 4-29 record in Challenger main-draw matches and had not won a main-draw match at that level since October 2023. Following his title run, the 27-year-old is up 94 spots in the PIF ATP Rankings to World No. 335, one spot shy of tying his career high.

Frenchman Valentin Royer won the BCR Sibiu Open in Romania, where he defeated countryman Luka Pavlovic 6-4, 6-0 in the final. The 23-year-old Royer, who was competing in his second Challenger final of the year, is up to a career-high World No. 182.

Argentine Juan Pablo Ficovich returned to the winners’ circle at the KIA Open in Cali, Colombia. The 27-year-old needed a deciding set in his first four matches before cruising past #NextGenATP Gonzalo Bueno 6-0, 6-4 in the title match. Ficovich avenged this past April’s Concepcion Challenger final loss to the 20-year-old.

Power pairs 🔥

Congrats to this week’s doubles champions! #ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/OBOZmPyuYv

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) September 22, 2024

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Doumbia/Reboul win Chengdu to boost Turin hopes

Competing at the Chengdu Open seems to bring out the best in Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul.

The top seeds on Tuesday clinched their second consecutive title at the Chinese hard-court ATP 250 with a 6-4, 4-6, 10-4 triumph against Yuki Bhambri and Albano Olivetti. Doumbia and Reboul won the first seven points of the Match Tie-break en route to claiming their third tour-level title of the season.

With their 96-minute win, Doumbia and Reboul also avenged their defeat to Bhambri and Olivetti in the teams’ only previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting earlier this season in Lyon. The French pair, which this week in Chengdu was competing together for the first time since Wimbledon, is now 31-15 for 2024.

Doumbia and Reboul’s latest title run has boosted their chances of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. The duo has risen one spot to 14th in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings as a result of its triumph in Chengdu.

Nedunchezhiyan/Prashanth Triumph In Hangzhou
At the Hangzhou Open, Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Vijay Sundar Prashanth rallied to their first ATP Tour title as a team with a 4-6, 7-6(5), 10-7 championship-match win against Constantin Frantzen and Hendrik Jebens.

Nedunchezhiyan and Prashanth won 80 per cent (39/49) of points behind their first serves, according to Infosys ATP Stats, in their one-hour, 49-minute victory. The Indian duo had played just one tour-level match together prior to Hangzhou, but went on to clinch four Match Tie-break victories at the hard-court ATP 250.

It was a second ATP Tour doubles crown for the 35-year-old Nedunchezhiyan, who also triumphed on home soil in Chennai in 2017 (w/Rohan Bopanna). Tuesday’s triumph in Hangzhou was the 37-year-old Prashanth’s maiden tour-level title.

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A typhoon, tears and a trophy! How Nishikori made Tokyo history in 2014

Sky-high expectations from home fans, lower back pain, a red-hot championship-match opponent with a near-untouchable serve, and an incoming typhoon playing havoc with the conditions. They were just some of the challenges faced by Kei Nishikori at the 2014 Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships.

The Japanese star overcame them all.

By defeating Milos Raonic in three sets to lift the trophy at his hometown event, Nishikori not only sent a capacity Ariake Coloseum crowd home happy. The then-24-year-old, who had also won in 2012 to join 1972 titlist Toshiro Sakai as a home Tokyo champion, became the first Japanese two-time winner in event history and just the fourth multiple titlist overall after ATP greats Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras and Jim Courier.

Nishikori was long established as a huge star in Japan, but his achievements in 2014 prior to Tokyo had arguably elevated his profile to unprecedented levels. Just three weeks prior to the hard-court ATP 500, he had become the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final at the US Open. He defeated three Top 10 opponents in Raonic, Stan Wawrinka and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic en route.

Despite a painful defeat to Marin Cilic in the New York championship match, Nishikori bounced back by winning his third ATP Tour crown of the year in Kuala Lumpur. By the time he arrived in Tokyo, he had won 10 of his past 11 matches and reached a then-career-high No. 7 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Nishikori did not take long to show his home fans first-hand the recent step up in his game. He raced to straight-sets victories in his opening three matches against Ivan Dodig, Donald Young and Jeremy Chardy, before rallying to a 4-6, 6-0, 7-6(2) semi-final triumph against Benjamin Becker.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/09/13/13/02/nishikori-tokyo-2014-forehand.jpg?w=100%25&hash=F25812A29DEA85D691CEB9B1CE4BC608″ style=”width: 100%;” alt=”Kei Nishikori” />
_{^{Nishikori in second-round action against Donald Young during his 2014 Tokyo title run. Photo Credit: Koji Watanabe/Getty Images.}}

“This is an amazing feeling. This is my hometown, and I always feel a lot of support,” said Nishikori, whose lower back issue appeared to restrict his mobility at times against Becker.

Nishikori may have been well accustomed to competing in Tokyo, but so was his final opponent. The No. 8-ranked Raonic had not dropped a set all week en route to his third straight championship match in the Japanese capital. The Canadian was also looking to avenge his defeat to Nishikori in the first of those finals in 2012.

With Typhoon Phanfone forecast to bring heavy rains to Tokyo, Nishikori and Raonic’s final took place under a closed roof, but the change in conditions did not stop either player from competing well with the trophy on the line. Just as in the 2012 final, Nishikori clinched a tight first set in a tie-break before Raonic hit back to force a decider. Again it was Nishikori, roared on by his home fans, who found something extra at the death for a 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-4 victory.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/09/13/12/54/nishikori-raonic-tokyo-2014-final-handshake.jpg” style=”width: 100%;” alt=”Kei Nishikori/Milos Raonic” />

_{^{Nishikori and Milos Raonic embrace at the net after their 2014 Tokyo final clash. Photo Credit: Koji Watanabe/Getty Images}}

With his triumph, Nishikori sealed his fourth tour-level trophy of 2014, a tally that remains his personal best in a single ATP Tour season, and improved to 4-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with his Top 10 rival Raonic. After tearfully hugging his coach Michael Chang in the stands, an emotional Nishikori acknowledged how tough it had been to recover from his US Open disappointment.

“It has been incredible, and I think this is the first time I have won two weeks in a row,” he said. “After the US Open, it was hard to maintain the motivation. Being in the first final of a Grand Slam was my dream, so it was tough to change mentally.”

Nishikori’s Tokyo win contributed to him qualifying for the 2014 Nitto ATP Finals. Competing for the first time at the prestigious season finale in London, he defeated Andy Murray and David Ferrer before falling to Djokovic in the semi-finals. His career-best 54-14 season ultimately helped him reach his current career-high of No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings in March 2015.

This year, the 34-year-old Nishikori returns to Tokyo for his ninth appearance at the hard-court ATP 500, and his first since he reached his third final in 2018 (l. to Medvedev). The home favourite has played just 11 tournaments since 2021 due to injuries, but will no doubt seek to channel his trusty home support to improve on his 20-6 record at a tournament where his legacy has already been cemented.

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Scouting Report: Sinner, Alcaraz headline Beijing; Fritz, defending champ Shelton compete in Tokyo

The Asian swing is heating up, with excitement building as attention turns to two eagerly anticipated ATP 500 hard-court events in Beijing and Tokyo.

After clinching his second major crown at the US Open earlier this month, Jannik Sinner is back in action on the ATP Tour, bidding to successfully defend his title at the China Open against a stacked field that features Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev.

In Tokyo, past champions Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton are among the contenders for the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships title.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch at each event.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN BEIJING
1) Sinner’s title defence: Jannik Sinner soared to glory at last year’s China Open, defeating both Alcaraz and Medvedev as the sixth seed en route to the title. The Italian is now No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, a two-time Grand Slam champion, and seemingly poised to successfully defend the title in Beijing.

2) Will Alcaraz bounce back? Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shocking defeat in the second round of the US Open to Botic van de Zandschulp and, after helping guide Team Europe to glory at the Laver Cup, the Spaniard will return to China with a point to prove. The 21-year-old sits third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, 1,590 points ahead of Medvedev, and is pursuing his fourth title of the season.

3) Home hope Zhang: Chinese star Zhang Zhizhen returns to Beijing for the first time since 2019, when he fell to eventual champion Dominic Thiem in the second round. The explosive 27-year-old is coming into the tournament fresh off the back of a deep run at the Hangzhou Open, where he will play the final Tuesday, and offers plenty of hope for the home crowd. Other Chinese stars to watch will include #NextGenATP Shang Juncheng, who is competing in the Chengdu final Tuesday.

4) Can Medvedev avenge 2023 defeat? Daniil Medvedev fell short to Sinner in last year’s thrilling final in Beijing, but the 28-year-old will be eager to rewrite the script this time around if they are to cross paths. After his triumph over Medvedev in the US Open quarter-finals, Sinner has closed the gap to 6-7 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

5) Koolhof/Mektic chasing Turin spot: Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic, who currently occupy ninth place in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, find themselves within touching distance of an all-important spot at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, but they will need to put points on the board as they kick off their Asia swing in Beijing.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN TOKYO

1) Feel-good Fritz aiming for Turin: Taylor Fritz will be hoping to maintain the form that propelled him into a maiden major final at the US Open. The 26-year-old, who is enjoying his best season on Tour, is fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and in strong contention to make his second appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals. Fritz starts against #NextGenATP Frenchman Arthur Fils in Tokyo.

Read Tokyo Draw Preview

2) Defending champ Shelton back in Tokyo: Ben Shelton returns to the site where he won his maiden ATP Tour title 12 months ago. It capped off a strong end to the 2023 season for the 21-year-old, who also made the semi-finals of the US Open. The American fell in the third round at Flushing Meadows this year to Frances Tiafoe in a blockbuster five-setter. The eighth seed plays countryman Reilly Opelka in the first round.

3) American threats at every turn: Fritz and Shelton are joined in the main draw by Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe, two other American men who also find themselves inside the Top 20 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Brandon Nakashima earned a special exempt spot due to his deep run at the Hangzhou Open. Paul is 11th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and 570 points behind eighth-placed Alex de Minaur, who is not competing in Tokyo due to injury.

4) Wild card for Nishikori: Two-time champion Kei Nishikori was granted a wild card to return to Tokyo for the first time since 2018. The former No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings has been hampered by injuries in recent times but is working his way back to full health with some impressive tennis. The 34-year-old reached the quarter-finals at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Genoa before coming up short against #NextGenATP Chinese lefty Shang in the first round of the Chengdu Open last week. 

5) Hurkacz, Ruud among stars to watch: The eight seeded players in the singles draw are all in the Top 20 of the PIF ATP Rankings. Other stars to watch are second seed Hubert Hurkacz, third seed Casper Ruud, fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and sixth seed Holger Rune. Ruud crucially is sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and is trying to make his return to the Nitto ATP Finals after missing out one year ago.

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