Looking for Tennis and Racket Sports International News?

Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos maintained their perfect start at the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals with a 6-3, 6-4 triumph against Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni on Thursday in Turin.

The Spanish-Argentine pair Granollers and Zeballos notched a break in each set to wrap an 84-minute win and ensure they will finish at the top of Red Group with a 3-0 record. They will now prepare for their third Nitto ATP Finals semi-final as a team, having also reached that stage in 2020 (in London) and 2021 (in Turin).

The win also kept alive Granollers and Zeballos’ hopes of clinching the Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by Pepperstone honour for the first time. The pair is currently fifth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, but can jump to a first-place finish by lifting the Nitto ATP Finals trophy for the first time as a team.

Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin advanced from Red Group in second position after they saved a match point before downing top seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek 6-4, 3-6, 15-13 earlier on Thursday.

[SWEEPSTAKES]

If a long tried-and-tested approach does not seem to be working, do you stick with it, or twist?

That could have been the dilemma for Daniil Medvedev earlier this year after he fell to consecutive heavy defeats against Carlos Alcaraz in Indian Wells and at Wimbledon, respectively. Medvedev struggled to counter Alcaraz’s top-class net play and use of drop shots in both matches, leading to suggestions that he may need to alter his trademark deep return position in order to beat the Spaniard.

Yet Medvedev is not one to question his own game, which has helped him earn 20 tour-level titles and made him a No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. He ignored any external calls to stand further forward to counter Alcaraz’s serve-and-volley charges, and he was vindicated in style at the US Open semi-finals in September, when he ousted the Spaniard across four sets in New York.

“That was a great feeling, because for sure before the match, especially against someone like Carlos, everyone on the internet was saying, ‘He has no chance if he doesn't change his position’,” Medvedev told ATPTour.com. “You always have a chance. It's just that against some types of players, maybe you're going to be a little bit more vulnerable.”

Medvedev is 2-0 at this week's Nitto ATP Finals after defeating Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev in Turin. On Friday, he plays Alcaraz in his final match in Red Group, the pair's fifth Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. The World No. 3 will hope the result echoes their most recent clash in New York, as opposed to their two opening encounters of 2023.

Noticed anything different about Jannik Sinner's serve lately?

The Italian introduced a new service motion midway through the season and he hasn't looked back, running up incredible service numbers captured by TDI Insights data.

His serve has underpinned his first two victories at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he won 89 per cent of points on his first serve in a 6-4, 6-4 win over Stefanos Tsitsipas, and then 79 per cent of first serves against arguably the game's greatest-ever returner, Novak Djokovic, in a three-set thriller.

“He retooled the serve with Darren [Cahill] and that's something very, very difficult to do,” former World No. 4 Greg Rusedski told ATPTour.com this week.

“I've been super impressed; the whole team has done a fantastic job with him. And it all started with making a change to the serve, the body, transitioning, adding slice and adding things. They're still not 100 per cent natural, but they're only going to get better with time because he's one of those guys who is going to put in the work."

Novak Djokovic led the Green Group at the Nitto ATP Finals as the top seed. But by the end of Thursday, the Serbian could be eliminated while 22-year-old Jannik Sinner and 20-year-old Holger Rune advance.

Djokovic had nothing but praise for his younger rivals after defeating Hubert Hurkacz to move to 2-1 at the season finale.

“The field is strong. I mean, the generation of Alcaraz, Rune, Sinner is very strong. It's probably the three players that will carry this sport in the future but also in the present because they are right at the top of the game, all of them,” Djokovic said. “Of course, it's expected for young players to be hungry, to be motivated, and to constantly look for ways to improve, get stronger, faster, better, so they can beat the best players in the world, and clinch some [of the] biggest trophies in the game.”

If Sinner defeats Rune on Thursday evening, Djokovic will qualify second in the group and advance to the semi-finals. If Rune wins, Djokovic will miss his chance of earning a record seventh Nitto ATP Finals title. What kind of a battle does he expect?

“I don't know. I don't know what Jannik is thinking about. Obviously knowing he has qualified even before he enters the court, I think it's a big relief. Knowing him, he's going to try to win every match that he plays. He's playing great. Rune, on the other hand, is playing great, too,” Djokovic said. “It will be an interesting matchup because they are the same generation, more or less. They are big rivals. I think that's the kind of rivalries we're going to see in the future. I'm sure they don't want to lose against each other in any event, particularly this big.”

Six-time Nitto ATP Finals champion Novak Djokovic boosted his chances of qualifying for the Turin semi-finals Thursday when he recovered from a second-set slump to down alternate Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-1.

Djokovic, who moves to 2-1 in Green Group, now awaits the outcome between Holger Rune and Jannik Sinner to learn if he’s advanced to the last four at the prestigious year-end event.

Aiming for a 12th semi-final berth in 16 Nitto ATP Finals appearances, Djokovic manoeuvred through a heavy-hitting, first-strike clash with Hurkacz, whom the Serbian now holds a 7-0 Lexus ATPHead2Head record against. Both players fought for court positioning, hugging the baseline tight behind their serves throughout the two-hour, four-minute encounter.

In crucial moments, Djokovic struck the ball cleanly while drawing unforced errors from Hurkacz’s forehand, such as at the end of the opening set, when the World No. 1 won 10 consecutive points from 6-5 to 6/0 in the tie-break.

Djokovic was forced to recover from a second-set dip, in which he was broken to love at 2-2 while Hurkacz won 13 consecutive points and did not drop a point behind his first serve in the entire second set.

Novak Djokovic clinched a record-extending eighth ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by Pepperstone finish on Sunday. But Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by Pepperstone is very much still up for grabs with only four days of the season left.

Five teams can still earn the honour: Ivan Dodig/Austin Krajicek, Wesley Koolhof/Neal Skupski, Rohan Bopanna/Matthew Ebden, Santiago Gonzalez/Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos.

One year ago, Koolhof and Skupski earned the accolade. They still have a chance to repeat the feat, but are focused on advancing through Red Group at the Nitto ATP Finals first, according to Skupski.

“It’s unique that five teams can still finish the year as World No. 1,” Skupski said. “We are just focusing on our next match and not looking too far ahead. If we can take care of business on our side and stay in the moment, then the end of year No. 1 ranking will not be too far away.”

[ATP APP]

Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin advanced to the semi-finals at the Nitto ATP Finals on Thursday when they saved one match point to overcome Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek 6-4, 3-6, 15-13 in a Green Group qualification shootout thriller.

The fourth seeds finish the round-robin stage holding a 2-1 record and join Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos (2-0) in the last four. Top seeds Dodig and Krajicek end Green Group play at 1-2 and are eliminated alongside Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzalez (0-2).

In a tight match inside the Pala Alpitour, Gonzalez and Roger-Vasselin lifted their level in the Match Tie-break. After failing to convert match point chances at 9/8, 10/9 and 11/10, they then saved one match point at 11/12, before eventually converting on their fifth match point to triumph after one hour and 40 minutes.

Gonzalez and Roger-Vasselin dropped to their knees after advancing before they returned to their feet to embrace those in their box.

[ATP APP]

Daniil Medvedev is the only player who has guaranteed his place in the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals. Which champions will join him in the last four?

The other stars who advance through Green Group and Red Group will be determined on Thursday and Friday, respectively. 

In the Green Group, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune could all move through. The only player in the group who does not have a chance to reach the semi-finals is alternate Hubert Hurkacz, who will step in for Stefanos Tsitsipas (back) against Djokovic.

In the Red Group, Medvedev is through, although it has not yet been determined if he will finish first or second in the group. Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev both have an opportunity to qualify, while Andrey Rublev has been eliminated from contention.

Singles Green Group qualification scenarios after the completion of the 2nd round of the event's group stage:

The Green Group action climaxes on Thursday at the Nitto ATP Finals, with both qualification spots for the semi-finals still up for grabs.

Novak Djokovic will bid to bounce back from a defeat to Jannik Sinner, knowing a win against alternate Hubert Hurkacz would go a long way towards extending his Turin title defence beyond round-robin play. In the evening matchup, two of the ATP Tour's brightest young stars in Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune will square off under the lights.

[1] Novak Djokovic (SER) vs. [9/Alt] Hubert Hurkacz (POL)

Djokovic was turned back by home favourite Sinner in a thrilling three-setter on Tuesday night, but the Serbian left the match proud of his efforts.

"It's normal to lose some of the matches like this, but I have to be content with the fight, the fighting spirit," he said after seeing his 19-match winning streak snapped. "I managed to make a comeback from a set down, a break down in the third set, playing in really challenging and difficult conditions on the court today. I'm proud of the fight that I put in. It just wasn't enough for the win."

[SWEEPSTAKES]

Daniil Medvedev became the first man to qualify for the semi-finals this year in Turin with his Wednesday win against Alexander Zverev. The third seed has won all four sets he's played at the Nitto ATP Finals in building a 2-0 group-stage record, and he's eager to build on that success when he meets Carlos Alcaraz on Friday.

"I'm going to try my best to play Carlos," Medvedev said, acknowledging the fact that his progress to the knockout rounds is already sealed. "The moment you relax and say to yourself, 'Maybe this match I can go easier,' you can lose all the rhythm. That's how tennis is."

[SWEEPSTAKES]

Medvedev saw first-hand the value of maintaining winning momentum in his Turin meeting with Novak Djokovic last year. The Serbian was 2-0 entering that matchup and already through to the semis, just like Medvedev is now. But Djokovic did not give an inch in a three-set battle, ultimately winning a final-set tie-break before claiming his record-tying sixth Nitto ATP Finals crown two matches later.

"Novak last year against me, [it was] physically a very tough match.," Medvedev said. "He could have said at one moment, 'Whatever, I lose the match, I'm still first place.' But he didn't. I think it's a great example for me to try to do just my best on Friday and try to win."

Editor's Note: This article was translated from ATPTour.com/es

Although the 2023 ATP Tour season is yet to reach its conclusion, with the Nitto ATP Finals nearing their final rounds in Turin, Rafael Nadal already has his mind on 2024. After a return to training a few weeks ago, having not competed since the Australian Open and undergone an operation on his iliopsoas, the Spanish star has now confirmed that he will play again. He has been working tirelessly toward that goal in recent months.

“I’m well, training, and happy,” said the 22-time Grand Slam champion on Wednesday afternoon in Barcelona. “I’m at a good stage of my life. Until now I didn’t know if I would play tennis again someday, and now I genuinely believe I will. I’m still not ready to say when, but I’m able to train increasingly longer, and the progress is good,” he explained.

“We know that the pain will never disappear, but I’ve taken a step forward,” said the Spaniard. “That’s a lot for me. Talking about tennis is another matter altogether, as is the level I’ll be able to play at. But the steps toward trying to play again have been big and positive, which is what we have been fighting for for several months. I’m confident I’ll be able to say something more specific in the coming weeks.”

[SWEEPSTAKES]

After picking up an injury at the Australian Open and then withdrawing from several tournaments, including Roland Garros, Nadal underwent an operation on 2 June in Barcelona and started his long recovery period, from which he is now starting to emerge.

In a battle of former Nitto ATP Finals champions, Daniil Medvedev continued his recent run of success against Alexander Zverev to become the first man to book a place in this year's Turin semi-finals.

The third seed edged his German opponent 7-6(7), 6-4 on Wednesday night, earning his fifth win in six Lexus ATP HeadHead matchups between the pair this season and improving to 11-7 overall against Zverev. Medvedev also moved to 3-2 against Zverev at the Nitto ATP Finals, with the pair nearing Pete Sampras and Boris Becker's record of seven matchups at the season finale.

“It was a very tough match mentally,” said Medvedev in his on-court interview. “I started very well, I was playing well. He was kind of not there yet, but at one moment he stepped up his game and at this moment, for whatever reason, I started playing a little bit worse for a short period of time.

“I’m happy that I managed to regroup and play better at the end of the first set. The end of both sets was very tight... In the tie-break he had set point on his serve. I’m happy because this year I might have lost some matches like this. I’m happy to be able to win.”

The 2020 Nitto ATP Finals champ beat the 2018 and 2021 titlist in a match of fine margins, with Medvedev saving two set points in a tense opening-set tie-break and fighting off a break point late in set two.

Carlos Alcaraz has not forgotten what happened a few months ago in the US Open semi-finals. In that match, facing Daniil Medvedev at the last Grand Slam of the season, the Spaniard suffered from a “mental block” at the end of the first-set tiebreak that would continue through almost all of the second set. As a result, he lost in four sets and left with a bittersweet taste in his mouth.

After Wednesday's 7-5, 6-2 win over Andrey Rublev, Alcaraz will Friday square off against Medvedev for the first time since that evening, and he will do so in what promises to be a high-octane encounter; the No. 2 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings needs to win to have a chance of reaching the last four at the Nitto ATP Finals.

“We’re going to try and use the US Open match as an example,” explained Alcaraz, whose Lexus ATP Head2Head with Medvedev is tied at 2-2. “I was mentally in the wrong place for a long time. That cannot happen against him. I will have to approach it differently. I know how he will play, so we’ll look at my strategy before the match.

“Medvedev is one of the best players in the world,” declared the 20-year-old Spaniard. “You have to play very well tactically, be patient and aggressive at the same time. It’s very difficult to beat him. You have to wait for the opportunity, but run and be calm, and get five or six shots in per point until the chance comes, while being aware that often it won’t.”

[SWEEPSTAKES]

Did you ever wonder which Nitto ATP Finals champion eats the most?

Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and the rest of the Turin competitors spilled the tea in a special eight-player interview ahead of this year's season finale.

The champions sat down in the Royal Palace of Turin to bring fans exclusive insight into the players' tennis and habits off the court.

Would Novak Djokovic or Daniil Medvedev be able to go the longest without missing a backhand? The votes were split, until one of the stars changed his vote to convince the rest of the group.

A well thought-out gameplan is key to regularly win matches on the ATP Tour.

Pre-match scouting reports and post-match debriefs with coaches have long been part of the routine for top stars as they look to outthink their on-court rivals. Now, thanks to the ATP and Tennis Data Innovations (TDI), it is the mid-match strategic battle that could become even more decisive to give a player the best possible chance of victory.

Tennis IQ, ATP and TDI’s performance analytics platform, gives all ATP singles players access to advanced match analytics within one simple and intuitive platform. This week at the Nitto ATP Finals, tennis analyst Mike James, a member of Holger Rune’s team, is using the system on a tablet in the Dane's player box to offer a live data-driven perspective to coach Boris Becker.

“Boris has his own view and he's got a very good coaching eye, but what I see using the data in the match is confirmed learning,” James told ATPTour.com in Turin. “[Boris] might feel something is happening, he just wants confirmation of it — around the court position, around the serve speeds and serve accuracy. [These are things] that we can see live.

“I think traditionally how we've used analysis is obviously pretty much scouting, post-match in the game development and starting to work on things. Now doing it live, I think it has massive value.”

Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury extended their Nitto ATP Finals winning streak to seven matches on Wednesday in Turin. In doing so, they sealed a semi-final spot at the prestigious season finale for the fourth consecutive year.

The defending champions Ram and Salisbury held firm for a 6-3, 3-6, 10-7 win against Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski inside the Pala Alpitour. Now 2-0 in Red Group, they are already assured a place in the last four regardless of what happens in their third match against Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler.

Ram and Salisbury have struggled for their usual consistency this year but became ATP Tour champions in Lyon in May and Vienna in October, either side of defending their title at the US Open. They are now 34-18 for the season after holding firm in a tense Match Tie-break to wrap an 83-minute triumph against Koolhof and Skupski.

[SWEEPSTAKES]

A single break decided each of the first two sets in an absorbing encounter, the first between the two teams since Ram and Salisbury prevailed in the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals semi-finals. The American-British pair notched the first break of the match in the sixth game en route to winning an opening set in which they saved five break points, but Koolhof and Skupski broke to love in the eighth game of the second to draw level.

It's Awards season, which means we need your help to determine this year's Fans' Favourite winners!

Which tennis players entertained you during the 2023 ATP Tour season? Show your support by selecting your favourite singles player and doubles team from the dropdowns below and submit your vote.

[FANS FAVOURITE]

Voting for the 2023 Fans' Favourite Awards closes at 11:59pm GMT on Friday, 1 December.

If you have already cast your vote, you have the option to change your selection through the dropdown menu during the voting period, but your last submission will be the only one recorded. 

Carlos Alcaraz kept alive his semi-final hopes at the Nitto ATP Finals on Wednesday when he moved past Andrey Rublev 7-5, 6-2 to earn his first win at the prestigious year-end event.

The 20-year-old bounced back from an opening Red Group defeat against Alexander Zverev with an aggressive display against Rublev. The Spaniard outlasted the fifth seed in a series of destructive baseline exchanges, redlining the ball to improve to 10-5 against Top 10 opponents in 2023.

With his 74-minute win, Alcaraz snapped a three-match losing streak. The World No. 2 fell against Grigor Dimitrov in Shanghai, Roman Safiullin in Paris and Zverev in Turin. He is now 64-11 on the season.

"It was a totally different match and level from me. This is the level I have to play if I want to give myself a chance in this amazing tournament," Alcaraz said. "Yesterday was a good day for me in practise to find the level I needed to show today and I think I did pretty well. I am very happy with my level."

Alcaraz, who is the youngest player in the eight-man singles field, is making his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals after missing last year’s edition due to injury. He is chasing his seventh trophy of the season and first since Wimbledon and will meet Daniil Medvedev in his final round-robin match on Friday.

Rohan Bopanna became the oldest player in tournament history to win a match at the Nitto ATP Finals on Wednesday when he teamed with Matthew Ebden to down Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler 6-4, 6-4.

The 43-year-old Bopanna and Ebden lost just one point on their first serve and saved the one break point they faced to triumph after 72 minutes in Turin.

With their victory, the third seeds improved to 1-1 in Red Group play, keeping alive their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals after losing their opening match to defending champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury.

Bopanna and Ebden will face Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski in their final round-robin match on Friday.

The Indian-Australian pair first teamed at the start of this season and enjoyed an impressive year together, winning tour-level trophies in Doha and Indian Wells. Bopanna is making his fourth appearance at the year-end event, while Ebden is debuting.

Alex Michelsen had just earned his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in Chicago this July before arriving at the ATP Tour event in Newport, where he remembers having a ‘pinch-me’ moment.

The #NextGenATP American was enjoying his first week inside the Top 200 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and his breakthrough was only just beginning. Michelsen downed countryman and former World No. 8 John Isner, 19 years his senior, at the grass-court 250 tournament. It was an instant confidence booster that gave Michelsen the belief he could be where he is today: inside the Top 100.

“After beating John in the semis of Newport, that didn’t really feel real,” Michelsen told ATPTour.com. “I was telling myself throughout the match I could win it but when I actually won it, I was like, ‘Oh my God, that was crazy.’”

On Monday, Isner, who officially retired from pro tennis at the US Open, was among those to text Michelsen, congratulating the teenager on his latest milestone. Michelsen’s triumph at the Knoxville Challenger, his second title at that level, squeezed him inside the Top 100, at World No. 99.

“When I woke up and saw the rankings, it felt pretty good. It felt good to see myself next to two digits,” Michelsen said. “I’m always going for more, this isn’t the end goal.”