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Showman Frances Tiafoe has made a habit of lighting up courts around the world and dazzling scores of crowds since he burst onto the scene at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in 2018.

With dynamic play matching his personality, ‘Big Foe’ has become one of the pre-eminent crowd-pleasers on the ATP Tour. He has risen the PIF ATP Rankings and gained a host of new fans through his thrilling style of play and infectious personality.

Recently, the World No. 15 reminisced on his most scintillating moments on court, tracing the shots that have defined his game and career. Tiafoe relived his most memorable hot shots from tournaments in Milan, Barcelona, Toronto and more.

Which are Tiafoe's favourites? Watch the full video below to find out.

Mariano Navone held his nerve to move past Thiago Monteiro in a gripping first-round clash at the European Open in Antwerp Monday.

The Argentine saved two match points in the deciding set before converting the first of his own to seal a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(6) victory after two hours and 41 minutes. In his first professional indoor match, Navone found success at the net, claiming 88 per cent (7/8) of points in the contest when advancing forward, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

First indoor match ✅
First indoor win ✅

Navone finds a way past Monteiro 6-3 4-6 7-6(6)!@EuroTennisOpen | #EuropeanOpen pic.twitter.com/4QyoB1wohS

In claiming the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting, the No. 43 in the PIF ATP Rankings also snapped a five-match losing streak against left-handed players.

Monteiro, the first Brazilian to compete in the main draw in Antwerp tournament history, was imperious behind his first serve in the third set, but came unstuck by the resilience of Navone in an absorbing tie-break.

Matteo Berrettini maintained his perfect record against lower-ranked players in 2024 with a commanding first-round victory Monday at the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm.

The Italian’s ferocious forehand was on full display in a 6-4, 6-3 win over countryman Luciano Darderi. The 28-year-old was forced to rally from a break down in the opening set, but clicked into gear in the second, sealing the contest in one hour and 17 minutes.

Improving to 17-0 in 2024 against opponents who sit below him in the PIF ATP Rankings, Berrettini won 89 per cent (31/35) of points behind his first serve, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Elsewhere at the ATP 250, seventh seed Tallon Griekspoor cruised past Pavel Kotov with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph. With his one-hour, 12-minute win, the Dutchman improved to a 9-2 record in opening-round matches on hard courts this year.

Griekspoor struck eight aces en route to claiming his second consecutive win over Kotov, levelling the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 2-2.

Fans better get used to the name Learner Tien.

The #NextGenATP star joined elite company in the record books Sunday, when he became the fourth American to win three ATP Challenger Tour titles before his 19th birthday. Taylor Fritz, Andy Roddick and Sam Querrey also achieved the feat.

Tien was crowned champion at the Taube - Grossman Pro Tennis Tournament, an ATP Challenger 75 event in Fairfield, California, his home state. The lefty raced past Australian Bernard Tomic 6-0, 6-1 in a 39-minute final, the shortest championship match in Challenger history. Tien boasts a 28-6 season record at the Challenger level with three titles: Bloomfield Hills, Las Vegas and Fairfield. He is up to a career-high No. 124 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

“If you would have told me six months ago that this is how my year would’ve looked, I probably would’ve been a bit sceptical,” Tien told commentator Mike Cation. “But I’m really happy with how I’m playing right now and still have a few more to end the year, so hopefully I can keep it rolling.”

At 18 years, 10 months, Tien is the youngest player to win his third Challenger title since an 18-year-old Holger Rune in 2021. Tien is sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. He is aiming for maiden qualification for the the 20-and-under Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, which runs from 18-22 December in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

In the countdown to the Nitto ATP Finals (10-17 November), our new series, 'Towards Turin', will showcase qualified players and those in contention, and update fans on the fierce battle between the sport's best players to lock up one of the eight spots to the season finale.

From the moment he lifted his maiden major trophy at January's Australian Open, no one was able to loosen Jannik Sinner’s iron grip on top spot in the 2024 PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.

With his Tour-leading seventh title triumph of the year on Sunday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, the Italian extended his Live Race lead from second-placed Carlos Alcaraz to an unassailable 3,620 points. The 23-year-old Sinner’s tally of 10,330 points ensures he will stay ahead of his rivals until the end of the year and therefore earn ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours for the first time.

List of active players to reach ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF ?

Novak Djokovic
Rafael Nadal
Carlos Alcaraz
Jannik Sinner

End of list.#PIF | #ATPRankings | #partner pic.twitter.com/zuKvRWQYYV

Alcaraz, (6,710 points) and third-placed Alexander Zverev (6,215 points), who like Sinner have already sealed their spots at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals, are the only players within 5000 points of the Italian. Daniil Medvedev is in fourth on 4,820 points, but there are then just 1,455 points separating US Open finalist Taylor Fritz in fifth and 12th-placed Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Cameron Norrie is no stranger to the highs and lows of professional tennis, but this summer presented a new kind of challenge.

After picking up a forearm injury just days out from his maiden Olympics appearance in Paris, which forced him out of the entire North American hard-court swing as well as the Davis Cup Finals group stage, the 29-year-old Briton is back in the mix on the ATP Tour this week.

Ready to compete with renewed vigour, Norrie faces Miomir Kecmanovic in the opening round of the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm on Tuesday.

“It was obviously frustrating at the beginning to miss all those big tournaments, that was tough,” Norrie told ATPTour.com. “But it was a good chance to refresh the body.”

Norrie said that he "felt nothing" in the tournaments that led to the Olympics, but it ended up keeping him away from competition for more than two months.

German wild card Justin Engel made history at the Almaty Open on Monday when he became the first player born in 2007 or later to record an ATP Tour win.

Engel, who turned 17 earlier this month, moved past #NextGenATP Hong Kong star Coleman Wong 7-5, 6-4 to clinch a historic victory on his tour-level debut at the ATP 250 event in Kazakhstan.

With his one-hour, 35-minute triumph, the German also became the youngest player to win a tour-level match since then-16-year-old Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the second round in Rio de Janeiro in 2020.

“This year has already been so good for me and now this, it is incredible,” Engel said. “At 17, to be able to win a main draw match is the best feeling I can ever have. I am lost for words.”

Engel saved nine of the 10 break points he faced against Wong according to Infosys ATP Stats, sealing victory on his second match point. Engel raised his arms aloft following his win and let out a beaming smile. Aiming to continue his journey, the No. 458 player in the PIF ATP Rankings will next play fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo.

Jakub Mensik continued to impress on the ATP Tour at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where he advanced to the quarter-finals at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time.

The big-hitting 19-year-old Czech fired past Top 10 stars Andrey Rublev and Grigor Dimitrov and also earned victories against Pedro Martinez and Alexander Shevchenko at the hard-court event. Mensik then took the first set against Novak Djokovic before falling in three.

Mensik’s result at the ATP Masters 1000 event consolidated his fourth-placed position (995 points) in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. The Doha finalist is aiming to make his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, to be held from 18-22 December.

Alongside his matchday success, Mensik practised in the pouring rain in Shanghai. Watch the video below of the teen hitting with countryman and former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF finalist Jiri Lehecka.

PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah

The eighth ATP Masters 1000 event of the season led to Jannik Sinner lifting the trophy at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. While the Italian grabbed the headlines, the battle to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals intensified.

Record seven-time champion Novak Djokovic boosted his hopes by reaching the final and Taylor Fritz consolidated his position in the Live Race after advancing to the last four. ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as of Monday, 14 October.

Novak Djokovic – Sixth (3,910 points)
The Serbian climbed three spots to sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin after he reached the title match in Shanghai. The 37-year-old dropped just one set en route to his record-extending 59th ATP Masters 1000 final and first in 2024. However, Djokovic was unable to overcome Sinner, who captured his seventh crown of the year.

Having arrived in Shanghai outside the qualification cut, Djokovic leaves China with a 17th appearance at the prestigious year-end event in sight.

View PIF ATP Live Race To Turin

This week's three ATP 250 events — the Almaty Open, the Europen Open in Antwerp and the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm — begin on Monday.  

Scroll below to see who will be in action, including Matteo Berrettini, Borna Coric and Richard Gasquet.

ORDER OF PLAY - MONDAY, 14 OCTOBER 2024

ALMATY

Centre Court - start 10 a.m.
Qualifying Final - [4] Aslan Karatsev vs [5] Alejandro Moro Canas (ESP)
Qualifying Final - [2] Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) vs [8] Alibek Kachmazov

The start of the point was not the problem for Novak Djokovic. It was the end.

Jannik Sinner defeated Djokovic 7-6(4), 6-3 in the final of the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Sunday by winning just five more points (65-60) overall than the Serbian. In a match that showcased parity all over the stats sheet, the Italian dominated one critical area — the ability to finish points off with winners.

Winners: Sinner
- Aces = 9
- Forehand = 6
- Backhand = 4
- Volleys = 4
- Total = 23

Winners: Djokovic
- Aces = 4
- Forehand = 4
- Backhand = 1
- Volleys = 3
- Total = 12

Your 2024 Men's Singles Champion in Shanghai ?@janniksin | @SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/hASdvUH1GS

Jannik Sinner has established himself as a powerhouse on the ATP Tour in 2024, marking his authority at the highest level.

In a display that underpinned his standout season, Sinner muscled his way past Novak Djokovic 7-6(4), 6-3 in Sunday’s championship match at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. In claiming his Tour-leading seventh title of 2024, the World No. 1 claimed a personal best 65th win of the season, shining a light on the improvements he has made to his game.

“I changed some things. I feel like physically I'm ready to play for a longer amount of time at the highest level possible,” said Sinner, who improved to 8-2 on the season vs. Top-5 players on hard courts. “Mentally I'm ready to accept every tough situation on the court, and I think that's the biggest step I have made forward.

“I’m just trying to stay as calm as possible and to keep working hard. It doesn't really matter if you have a good week or a bad week, I’m just trying to improve daily, to be mature enough to understand what's working, and I feel like that for me made a big impact this year, and hopefully it's going to help me also for next year.”

The last selfie of the week, now with a trophy in hand ??‍↕️@janniksin | @SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/s3djDV78Fb

As Jannik Sinner claimed his seventh title of the season over Novak Djokovic at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, there were some familiar faces in the stands.

Roger Federer, the two-time Shanghai titlist (2014 & 2017), was among those in attendance to witness the World No. 1 delay Djokovic’s quest to join the Swiss great in surpassing 100 tour-level titles.

“It’s nice to see Roger, I’m not used to seeing you in the stands,” said Djokovic, who fell to a 7-6(4), 6-3 defeat to Sinner in the championship match. “I wish you were here on the court playing with us, but it’s probably the first time I’m playing in front of you, so I had added pressure today.”

"I wish you were here on the court playing with us..."@DjokerNole is all of us ?@rogerfederer | @SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/JLHzdehcj8

Sinner continued his emphatic run on hard courts this season, improving to 8-2 vs. Top-5 players on the surface with his dominant display over record four-time champion Djokovic. The 23-year-old’s only two defeats came in Indian Wells and Beijing against fierce rival Carlos Alcaraz.

Jannik Sinner is enjoying a stellar 2024 season on the ATP Tour. It is not hard for his rival Novak Djokovic to see the reasons why.

Djokovic pushed Sinner all the way in an absorbing opening set on Sunday in the Rolex Shanghai Masters championship match. Yet the Italian dialled in to clinch it in a tie-break before accelerating through the second set for a 7-6(4), 6-3 victory. It was Sinner’s third consecutive Lexus ATP Head2Head victory against Djokovic, and the Serbian was later asked if he sees any of his own abilities in his younger rival.

“All around, every shot he's got in the game,” said Djokovic in his post-match press conference. “He's improved his serve tremendously. I think that became a big weapon. He's just very aggressive from the baseline, as soon as he's got a shorter ball, he's taking the initiative. Just very solid from forehand and backhand, doesn't make too many mistakes, and just tries to take away the time from the opponent.

“That's something that reminds me of myself throughout my career, that's what I've done for so many years consistently. Playing fast-paced tennis, taking away time from the opponent, kind of suffocating the opponent, in a certain way. You want your opponent to always feel under pressure from your shots, from your speed, from your presence on the court. So he's got that. This year he's been so consistent. It's really, really impressive.”

Despite his straight-sets defeat on Sunday, record four-time Shanghai champion Djokovic reflected fondly on his first appearance at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000 since 2019. The Serbian has risen three spots to sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as a result of his championship-match run, putting him in a strong position to qualify for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.

Jannik Sinner produced a commanding display against Novak Djokovic to lift his Tour-leading seventh title of 2024 on Sunday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The Italian did not blink in a 7-6(4), 6-3 triumph, becoming the first man to win more than six titles in a calendar year since Andy Murray won nine in 2016. Sinner clinched a high-octane first set by improving to 24-8 in tie-breaks for the year, before surging to an ultimately unassailable 4-1 lead in the early stages of the second set.

“It was a very tough match, obviously, playing against Novak is one of the toughest challenges we have,” said Sinner, who levelled the pair’s Lexus ATP Head series at 4-4. “I’m very happy with how I handled the situation. He was serving great the first set, I couldn’t find a way to break him. I played a really good tie-break which gave me confidence to start off well in the second set.

“It’s tough to tell you a secret about [Djokovic] because he doesn’t have any weaknesses. You have to try and use the small chances that he gives you, but there are not many during the match. He is a legend of our sport, he’s very tough to play against, so I am very happy.”

Simply too good ?

The moment @janniksin defeated the 4-time champion, Djokovic, for the Shanghai title ?@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/NMYr3wIHim

Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic took another strong step towards securing their Nitto ATP Finals qualifications Sunday by capturing their fourth title of 2024 at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The duo brought some of their most clinical tennis to edge past Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 6-4, 6-4 in the championship match, saving 100 per cent (6/6) of break points faced during the contest, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

? Your 2024 Shanghai Doubles Champions ?@wesleykoolhof and @NMektic defeat Gonzalez/ Molteni 6-4 6-4 to win the #RolexShanghaiMasters crown! @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/lyFOIRWCFZ

“The goal was to reach Turin, we knew what was at stake here,” said Koolhof, who is retiring from professional tennis at the end of the season. “This has been a great week. We are fighting for the last two spots, so this definitely helps. It would be nice to finish my career in Turin. We still have the Davis Cup Finals after that, so that will be special in other ways obviously [due to Rafael Nadal's retirement].”

Koolhof and Mektic, who clinched the Nitto ATP Finals trophy in 2020, are in seventh in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings and trail sixth-placed Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz by just 15 points.

ATP Tour action continues next week with three ATP 250 events: the Almaty Open, the European Open in Antwerp and the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm.

The top seeds are Frances Tiafoe (Almaty), Alex de Minaur (Antwerp) and Andrey Rublev (Stockholm). ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch at each tournament.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN ALMATY
1) Top Seed Tiafoe: The American showed what he is capable of when he reached the semi-finals of the US Open. Will he be able to bring that level to the court in Almaty, where he will try to claim his first title of the season? The three-time ATP Tour champion will begin his tournament against Taro Daniel or a qualifier.

2) Tremendous Tabilo: Alejandro Tabilo has been one of the breakthrough stars of the 2024 season. The Chilean lefty began his year at No. 85 in the PIF ATP Rankings and has climbed as high as World No. 19. A champion in Auckland and Mallorca in 2024, the second seed will open his pursuit of a third trophy against Damir Dzumhur or Maximilian Marterer.

3) Mighty Machac: Quietly, Tomas Machac of Czechia has been one of the best players on the ATP Tour in the second half of the season. The Paris Olympics mixed doubles gold medalist (with Katerina Siniakova), the 23-year-old reached the Tokyo semi-finals before upsetting Carlos Alcaraz en route to the Shanghai semi-finals. Only Jannik Sinner was able to stop him. Machac, the fifth seed in Almaty, will take on Kazakhstani Timofey Skatov.

Jannik Sinner clinched ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours on Saturday by reaching the Rolex Shanghai Masters final. It is a big moment for the 23-year-old, but he made clear he will not rest on his laurels.

“’It’s a good feeling. I'm very happy to achieve this. It was an amazing season for me, and it's not finished yet,” Sinner said. “Tomorrow is a great final ahead, first time here in Shanghai, so I'm looking forward to it, and then we [will] see how it goes. Hopefully it's going to be a good match.”

Sinner will face four-time Shanghai champion Novak Djokovic, who will try to claim his 100th tour-level title in the match. But the Italian will take confidence knowing he will finish the year as the No. 1 player in the world no matter what happens in the final weeks of the season.

“Being No. 1 in the world at the end of the year, it was only a dream just to become No. 1. Now finishing it, it's also a different feeling,” Sinner said. “But now during the tournament it's a bit different, so I'm just trying to be focused for tomorrow, and then we [will] see how it goes.”

Watch Sinner SF Highlights:

For years, Novak Djokovic has spoken about how important making tennis history is to him. From chasing the record for major singles titles to weeks at No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings and most recently an Olympic singles gold medal, the Serbian has reached every goal he has pursued.

On Sunday, the 37-year-old has an opportunity to check another major milestone off his list. Djokovic will try to claim his 100th tour-level title when he plays World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the Rolex Shanghai Masters final. Only Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) have accomplished the feat according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

“It feels like destiny to fight for a 100th title here in a place where I've had great success in the past, where I have tremendous support,” the four-time Shanghai champion said.

For a large majority of his finals, Djokovic has been the clear favourite. That is not the case at the season’s eighth ATP Masters 1000 event.

Sinner on Saturday clinched ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours, becoming the first Italian to do so. The 23-year-old owns a whopping 3,270-point lead in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin over second-placed Carlos Alcaraz, which he could extend to 3,620 points with a victory against Djokovic, who is in sixth.

Novak Djokovic is on the brink of a rare milestone at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

Aiming to become just the third man to lift 100 tour-level singles titles, the Serbian maintained his perfect Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Taylor Fritz to book his spot in the championship match at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000. Djokovic mixed trademark, gritty defence with spectacular shotmaking from the baseline in Saturday's clash to prevail 6-4, 7-6(6), his 10th straight tour-level victory against Fritz, and set a final showdown with World No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

“I came to Shanghai after five years of not playing in China, the place where I’ve always had great success, both in Shanghai and Beijing,” said Djokovic, when asked about the prospect of joining Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) in the 100-plus titles club. “[I’ve won] many titles, had great battles and great performances. I’ve said it many times, the support that I get here is tremendous and I’m very grateful.

“That creates an energy that keeps me going, keeps me running, so I did come here definitely with a vision and a desire to get to the final and fight for a 100th title. I get that chance against the best player in the world, and let’s see what happens.”

ONE win away from a century of titles ‼️@DjokerNole wins the epic battle v. Fritz 6-4 7-6 to advance to his 59th ATP Masters 1000 final!@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/PopX6Gqdso