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Taylor Fritz took the long way round but finished strong en route to his second victory at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals.

The American on Thursday overcame Alex de Minaur 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in Turin to boost his chances of reaching the semi-finals at the prestigious season finale for the second time. After a strong start from De Minaur, Fritz prevailed after two hours, eight minutes in the first singles match of the week to go to three sets at Inalpi Arena.

Top tier Taylor ?

No. 5 seed @Taylor_Fritz97 comes from a set down to defeat de Minaur and record his second victory in the Ilie Nastase Group!#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/YOYn1UFK6r

“It’s tough, because even though I won the match, I feel like there wasn’t necessarily any moment when I feel like I had a repeatable way to win from the baseline, to be honest,” said Fritz. “He was all over me. What I did a great job of was towards the end of the second set, I really started to find my serve. I was serving much better and that allowed me to just stay with it and create more pressure on his service games.

“When I wasn’t making the first serves, he was just killing me from the baseline, so it just gave me a little bit of comfort to just stay in the match and not be under so much pressure all the time. I was able to just come up with some good shots at some good times, play off some of his mistakes, but it was still incredibly tough.”

Regardless of how Jannik Sinner fares in his Thursday evening clash against Daniil Medvedev, the Italian has officially advanced to the Nitto ATP Finals semi-finals following Taylor Fritz's victory against Alex de Minaur.

Sinner, in pole position in The Ilie Nastase Group with straight-set wins against De Minaur and Fritz, will look to break his 7-7 tie in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Medvedev and maintain his perfect week on home soil. Who will join Sinner in the semi-finals from the Nastase group? Click here to read the scenarios.

Last year's finalist is aiming to win the prestigious season finale for the first time. It would mark the 23-year-old's eighth title of the year and 18th overall. The semi-finals in Turin will take place Saturday.

A trademark Daniil Medvedev backhand down-the-line winner, but with a difference!

The World No. 4’s classy groundstroke against Alex de Minaur in Turin has been reimagined as Tuesday’s AR Immersive Hot Shot. To help attract a younger audience and bring ATP tennis into people’s lives in a new and innovative way, Nitto ATP Finals Immersive Highlights use cutting edge AR technology, 3D modelling and live data to produce tennis moments like never before.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Nick Kyrgios will make his long-awaited return to ATP Tour action next month at the Brisbane International presented by Evie, to be held from 29 December to 5 January 2025.

The 29-year-old has been hampered by wrist and foot injuries that have kept him sidelined for almost two years, having last contested a tour-level match at the BOSS OPEN in Stuttgart in June 2023.

Welcome BACK, @NickKyrgios ? ? ?#BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/RpUEmzfsIG

Kyrgios, the former No. 13 in the PIF ATP Rankings, has fond memories of playing at the ATP 250 in Brisbane. In 2018, on his main-draw debut at the event, Kyrgios swept through the field to clinch his fourth tour-level title.

Now, after a gruelling injury hiatus, the seven-time ATP Tour titlist and Wimbledon finalist will return to Brisbane with his sights set on reigniting the form that propelled him to stardom earlier in his career.

Whether things go to plan or don't go to plan, Daniil Medvedev rarely minces his words when it comes to honest self-assessment.

The 28-year-old was in a typically philosophical mood on Thursday night in Turin, where his season ended with a straight-sets defeat to Jannik Sinner at the Nitto ATP Finals. Despite a group-stage elimination at the prestigious season finale to confirm his first season without a tour-level trophy since 2017, Medvedev identified plenty of positives to balance out his 2024 disappointments.

“Probably I will finish No. 4 in the world, unless Taylor [Fritz] pulls a big upset, which is amazing,” said Medvedev in his post-match press conference. “[I don’t] need to say it. It's amazing. In the sport that is that demanding, with so many players, I want to be No. 1 in the world, but I didn't play well enough this year, by far, to be No. 1 in the world. Jannik is playing much better. He proved it many times.

“But I'm No. 4 in the big tennis world. I'm super proud about that because I struggled throughout the whole year. Every practice, every match was a struggle for me. A lot of matches. Before I would feel I had the edge on the opponent and win it easy. Now I needed to win three sets, tie-breaks, breaks in the end of the set, et cetera.

“I would [rate my season] somewhere around six and a half out of 10, which means a lot of work to do to be better, but still a lot of good memories also. I'm looking forward for next season already."

Nitto ATP Finals competitors will return to Turin’s Inalpi Arena on Friday for another taste of the action at the prestigious season finale.

Here is the schedule for Friday at the Nitto ATP Finals.

ORDER OF PLAY - FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2024
CENTRE COURT start 11:30 am
[8] Kevin Krawietz (GER) / Tim Puetz (GER) vs [6] Rohan Bopanna (IND) / Matthew Ebden (AUS)

Not Before 2:00 pm
[2] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs [3] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)

It was business as usual for Jannik Sinner on Thursday as he maintained the perfect start to his Nitto ATP Finals campaign, eliminating Daniil Medvedev in the process. 

The top seed produced a steely performance to ease past Medvedev 6-3, 6-4 in their final round-robin match in Turin. After seeing off the 2020 champion, Sinner ensured he finished top of the Ilie Nastase Group, advancing to the last four with a perfect 3-0 record for a second consecutive year.

Joining Sinner in the semi-finals is Taylor Fritz, who earlier rallied to secure a vital win over Alex de Minaur. Fritz will be competing in the semi-finals at the season finale for a second time, having made it to the knockout stage on his debut in 2022. 

“I'm trying to find new ways to improve as a player,” said Sinner, who improved to 7-1 in round-robin matches at the Nitto ATP Finals. “I'm trying to win as many matches here as I can. Me and Daniil, we know each other very well. So, everytime we step on court, we try to change something tactically. I felt like I was ready to see what he was going to do today.

“I know what I have achieved during this year, so I try to step on court with a good mindset. I have beautiful people around me who support me daily, which for me is really important. I try to enjoy my time on the court. The atmosphere here is amazing, so I’m just trying to play some good tennis this week. Let’s see what’s coming in the next round.”

Alexander Zverev is already a two-time champion at the Nitto ATP Finals, and the numbers show the German is serving better than ever, making him a major player in the chase for the Brad Drewett Trophy.

The No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings has not faced a break point through two round-robin matches at this year’s season finale, defeating Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud in straight sets. The 27-year-old, currently on a seven-match winning streak, has not faced a break point since 5-4 in the second set of his semi-final victory against Holger Rune at the Rolex Paris Masters.

His service performance against two of the very best players in the world, Rublev and Ruud, was staggering. Zverev not only went a combined 21 service games without coming under break pressure — he barely lost points.

In 10 service games against Rublev, he lost 10 points. In 11 service games against Ruud, he dropped 11 points. A reporter flagged the stat to him on Wednesday evening.

“If I get broken the next match, it's your fault,” Zverev said, cracking a smile. “If I make one double fault on a break point, I'm going to only think about you. It's the only reason.”

Now you see him. Now you don’t.

Carlos Alcaraz’s scintillating court coverage was on full display Wednesday against Andrey Rublev at the Nitto ATP Finals. Now, thanks to a combination of Augmented Reality technology, 3D modelling and live data, fans can experience the Spaniard’s magical movement like never before.

Check out the latest AR Immersive Hot Shot from the prestigious season finale in Turin, where great moments from the world’s best players are being reimagined to help attract a younger audience and bring ATP tennis into people’s lives in a new and innovative way.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

On Thursday morning, Carlos Alcaraz turned up at the practice court in Turin’s Inalpi Arena without the nose strip he wore to help with his breathing in his second match at the Nitto ATP Finals, in which he defeated Andrey Rublev.

This was the first sign that the Spaniard, who has been feeling under the weather for a few days, is finally on the mend. On Friday he will have to get past Alexander Zverev and hope for a favourable result in the other match (Casper Ruud vs. Rublev) if he is to reach the tournament’s semi-finals.

At the end of his practice session, which he shared with Andres Martin, one of the tournament’s sparring partners, Alcaraz stayed behind with Juan Carlos Ferrero to work on his serve, aiming at cones placed on the court to improve his accuracy and speed.

The goal was clear: to continue ramping up the power of a delivery that proved decisive when it came to sinking Rublev. In his second clash in Turin, Alcaraz unleashed 10 aces, won 84% of points played on his first serve and faced no break points. These numbers paved the way for his first win in the John Newcombe Group.

Against Zverev, one of the biggest servers on the ATP Tour, the Spaniard knows he will face an uphill battle on Turin’s indoor fast court if he does not bring his best serve with him. Although the record between the two players is tied (5-5 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head), the Spaniard has had his way with the No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings the last two times they crossed paths this season, in the quarter-finals of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Roland Garros final.

The serve has been a key part of Alcaraz’s arsenal in 2024; the Murcia native has landed 245 aces, put the ball in play with 65 per cent of his first serves, points of which he won 73 per cent, and saved 62 per cent of the break points he has faced.

Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic have earned Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by PIF honours as a team for the first time.

Pavic had achieved the feat on three previous occasions with three different partners. Arevalo is part of the year-end No. 1 duo for the first time.

"I’m extremely happy for this achievement. If you see it in a way, you can see that it’s one year, because it’s the year-end No. 1. But for me it’s more than that," Arevalo said. "It’s a team effort of many years. I know that me and Mate have only been playing for one season, but individually, our teams have been working for many years and I think this is just the product of our effort individually and now in the 2024 season together as a team."

Photo: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
The Salvadoran-Croatian team formed a new partnership in 2024 and have made the most of it, surging deep into tournaments on every surface to earn their place atop the doubles circuit.

Arevalo and Pavic won their first Grand Slam championship together at Roland Garros, one of their four triumphs as a pair in 2024. They also were victorious at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati, Hong Kong and Geneva.

The round-robin stage of the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals concludes Friday, with all still to play for in the John Newcombe Group.

Alexander Zverev tops the table with a 2-0 record, but even his place in the semi-finals is not guaranteed ahead of a Day 6 showdown with Carlos Alcaraz. Following that day-session clash, evening opponents Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev will know exactly where they stand in their quest for the knockout rounds.

In doubles action, Germans Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz bid to complete a perfect campaign in the Bob Bryan Group when they take on sixth seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden. Top seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic face Italians Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in a de facto quarter-final, with the winner set to advance to the semis alongside group winners Krawietz/Puetz. Arevalo and Pavic clinched Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by PIF honours after Thursday's results in Turin.

[ATP AWARDS]

[2] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs. [3] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)
While Zverev tops the group with a pair of straight-set wins against Rublev and Ruud, he must win at least one set against Alcaraz to confirm his place in the semi-finals — though he could still progress even with a straight-sets defeat.

Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson cut through some nailbiting tie-break tension to clinch a Nitto ATP Finals semi-final spot on Thursday evening.

The Australian pair dug deep for a 7-6(14), 6-3 triumph against second seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in Turin. Needing to win just one set to ensure their spot in the last four, Purcell and Thompson held firm in a thrilling first-set tie-break, during which they fended off four set points before converting their sixth. They then rode that momentum to an early 3-0 lead in the second set en route to completing a 97-minute victory.

?? AUSSIE! AUSSIE! AUSSIE! ??@MaxPurcell98 & @jordanthommmo2 punch their ticket into the last four in Turin with a 7-6(14) 6-3 win over Granollers/Zeballos.#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/30jms9b55m

As a result of their win, the fifth-seeded Purcell and Thompson finished second with a 2-1 record in Mike Bryan group and joined fellow event debutants Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten in advancing to the semi-finals. They are the first all-Australian team to reach the last four at the Nitto ATP Finals since legendary pair Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde in 1999.

“We’ve both had incredible years, and when you’re trying to toss up doubles and singles, it’s so tough on the body," said Thompson. "We’ve just done our best. We’ve probably played over 50 matches together, so that tells you we’re doing something right.”

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Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic were eliminated from Nitto ATP Finals semi-final contention on Thursday when they lost a heartbreaking Match Tie-break to Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten. The defeat had extra meaning for Koolhof, who played his final ATP Tour match.

After the match, Koolhof’s fellow players and members of ATP staff took to the court to honour him for a standout career.

“Obviously mixed emotions. It’s been a pleasure to play on the Tour for the past almost 20 years, so thank you all for taking the time to come out here on centre court and especially Mekta for playing with me in my final year,” Koolhof said. “It’s always been a dream to basically finish my career here in Turin at the Nitto ATP Finals, so very grateful and happy to finish my career here, even if we didn’t make it today.”

Koolhof won 21 tour-level titles, including the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals with Mektic and 2023 Wimbledon with Neal Skupski.

Stefanos Tsitsipas was among the players who joined Koolhof on court. The Dutchman's fiancée, Julia Goerges, also was there.

Wimbledon champions Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten had little time for sentiment on Thursday at the Nitto ATP Finals.

The seventh seeds produced an inspired comeback over 2020 champions Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic to eliminate them from the season finale. Heliovaara and Patten, who prevailed 4-6, 6-3, 12-10, maintained their perfect 3-0 start to their team debut in Turin and ensured that they finished top of the Mike Bryan Group.

“Pleased is an understatement, three wins in the group stage is exactly what we wanted,” said Heliovaara. “But, of course, you have to play pretty well to achieve that. In the Match Tie-break today, we said to each other ‘This is great tennis, let’s enjoy it’. Even if we lost a point here or there, it was great to be a part of that [battle].”

Mike Bryan Group WINNERS ☝️?

No. 3 seeds Harri Heliovaara & Henry Patten round off group play undefeated!#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/S11ciYeBuI

Koolhof, determined to stay alive in the final ATP Tour event of his career, rallied with Mektic from 5/8 to level the Match Tie-break and ignite hopes of a revival. Heliovaara and Patten, however, locked back in to seal a one-hour, 31-minute victory and assert their dominance heading into the knockout stages.

The Nitto ATP Finals is down to the final round of group-play matches. Who will advance to the semi-finals of the season finale?

The only qualifiers so far are Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz, who have won the Bob Bryan Group.

No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings Jannik Sinner is 2-0 in the Ilie Nastase Group and in good position to earn his place in the knockout rounds for the second consecutive year. The Italian faces Daniil Medvedev on Thursday evening.

See below for the full list of Nitto ATP Finals qualification scenarios.

Qualifications

Daniil Medvedev stands 6’6”, but does not move like a player that tall. His court coverage helped him climb to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2022.

A lot more goes into that than hard work. Gilles Cervara and the rest of Medvedev’s team drill down to every available detail using wearables to push the boundaries of how well they can prepare the 28-year-old for action.

“It all started in 2020 when we had the plan to improve Daniil’s preparation. One of our teammates came from other sports, especially rugby and soccer, so he had experience with GPS,” Cervara told ATPTour.com, referring to wearables. “He gave us the idea to use it for practice because at that time, we couldn’t use it in matches to have numbers of our different practices and then to compare with matches.

“For matches we didn’t have numbers from GPS, we couldn’t, but we created our own analysis to have numbers of the different movements. And then from those analyses, we put the GPS on during practices, during sets or matches in practice, to also have numbers to compare.”

The idea was to create what Cervara called a “worst-case scenario”. What would be the toughest situation Medvedev would face on court? In that scenario, how many times would he need to change direction? How many times would he need to sprint? At what speed?

All eyes are on the best players in the world this week at the Nitto ATP Finals. The future is in Turin, too.

An annual tradition at the season finale is that the hitting partners for the players are some of the best rising stars in the sport. The ATP selects one player from the Next Gen Accelerator, one from the College Accelerator within it, and the No. 1-ranked junior player in the world.

This year’s hitting partners are former college standout Andres Martin, 19-year-old Bolivian Juan Carlos Prado Angelo and 18-year-old Norwegian Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, the world’s No. 1 junior.

“It's been a really cool experience. You're surrounded by the top eight guys in the world and even Stefanos [Tsitsipas] and [Grigor] Dimitrov, who are just as good as all these guys, are walking around really casually,” Martin said. “It's really nice, you get a feeling, you see the level. You see what these guys are doing off the court, on the court. It's really cool to watch and maybe try to take a little bit of bits and pieces of guys' games and apply it to yourself.

“It’s really an unbelievable learning process for me. I'm really honoured to be here, and it's really cool to watch everybody and be a part of it.”

Alexander Zverev maintained his red-hot late-season form in impressive fashion on Wednesday night at the Nitto ATP Finals.

The German downed Casper Ruud 7-6(3), 6-3 in Turin to notch his second victory of the week at the prestigious season finale in Turin. Although Ruud appeared full of confidence after upsetting Carlos Alcaraz in his opening match, Zverev ground down the Norwegian with a rock-solid 86-minute display at Inalpi Arena.

“A good match. I thought both of us played quite good tennis,” said Zverev, who outhit Ruud by 28 winners to 13. “I’m happy with the win. Maybe it was even better than my first match, even though the first match was quite good as well. I’m looking forward to Carlos now on Friday and hopefully more matches at the weekend.”

With his Tour-leading 68th victory of 2024, Zverev improved to 2-0 in John Newcombe Group. The Rome and Paris champion will take on Alcaraz in his final group match on Friday, when he will bid to secure his semi-final spot. Zverev is chasing his third Nitto ATP Finals title, having previously lifted the trophy in London in 2018 and Turin in 2021.

Zverev and Ruud were closely matched in an intriguing opening set that featured no break points but plenty of high-quality all-court exchanges. It was the second-seeded German who pulled clear when it mattered most, however, as he quickly established an ultimately unassailable 6/1 lead in the tie-break.