Looking for Tennis and Racket Sports International News?

The Nitto ATP Finals returns to Turin for the second year, with the game's elite set to once again light up the Pala Alpitour with eight days of world-class tennis. 

Two singles players — Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas — enter with a chance to finish the season as No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, while Novak Djokovic seeks to match Roger Federer's record of six Nitto ATP Finals crowns.

ATPTour.com looks at 10 things to watch this week.

View Singles & Doubles Group Draws

1) Nadal's Double Chance In Turin Debut: A 17-time qualifier for the Nitto ATP Finals, Nadal will make his first appearance in Turin as he seeks to win the lone big title that has eluded him in his legendary career. A two-time finalist at the event (2010, 2013), the top-seeded Spaniard knows that a title will not just complete his trophy cabinet — it will also earn him his sixth year-end No. 1 honour.

The Nitto ATP Finals has arrived. All eight singles players competing in the season finale are champions — they have combined to claim 26 titles between them in 2022.

But only one man will emerge the ultimate champion from the Pala Alpitour.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have claimed plenty of hardware in their historic careers. The all-time greats own 182 tour-level crowns between them. Djokovic has been particularly successful at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he can tie Roger Federer’s record of six season finale titles this year.

Nadal, a 17-time qualifier for the year-end championships, will try to earn glory at the tournament for the first time. The Spaniard is as eager as always to give his all on court.

“When I enter a tennis tournament, I want to win and I'm going to try my best to achieve that goal,” Nadal told ATP Media on Friday. “Here I was not able to make it, I was not good enough to make it in the past. So I just accept that and I'm happy to give myself another chance at the age of 36 — something, for me, that was difficult to imagine years ago."

Of the 16 doubles players competing at the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals, seven are making their first appearance at the season-ending event. Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara are two of those debutants, and the British-Finnish pair is relishing the opportunity to compete in Turin.

“It’s a highlight [of my career],” Glasspool told ATPTour.com at the pre-tournament media day on Saturday. “It’s something I will remember forever, hopefully my first of many. The first one, and even if this is it, I will definitely remember it. It’s a reward for a very good, consistent and hard-working two years.”

The British-Finnish duo is no stranger to the big stage, having reached quarter-finals at Roland Garros and the US Open and lifting their maiden ATP 500 title in Hamburg this season. Heliovaara is confident that the pair is ready to shine in the spotlight once again when they take to court in the intense atmosphere of the Pala Alpitour.

“I don’t think it will add nerves,” said the Finn. “It’s obviously interesting. Our first time here, so everything is new, but also everything is super nice. Huge stadium, a lot of people. It’s exciting but I’m pretty sure it’s going to make us play better.”

Glasspool and Heliovaara’s opening match on Sunday at 11:30 a.m (CET) is also the first of the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals. There will be another debutant on the other side of the net in Marcelo Arevalo, although the Salvadoran has the considerable experience of his partner, 2015 champion Jean-Julien Rojer, to fall back on.

Andrey Rublev hides one of his biggest weapons in plain sight: Prowess returning first serves.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the eight players competing in the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin this coming week identifies Rublev as the leader winning first-serve return points once the return has been put back in play. The data set comes from the first 10 months of the 2022 season.

Rublev’s Turin opponents will be probing both corners of the service box in the Deuce and Ad court, looking for a soft spot in his strong return game. They will quickly find that one doesn’t exist.

The Infosys ATP Stats Serve and Return Tracker uncovered that Rublev led all eight players in Turin with first-serve return points won to the four corners in both service boxes. Overall, Rublev averaged winning 51.7 per cent of first serve returns from serves to the corners that were returned in play. The only other player to break through the 50 per cent threshold was Novak Djokovic, winning 50.6 per cent.

Deuce Court Wide
Serving wide to Rublev in the Deuce court was a losing proposition for opponents if he could get the return back in play. Rublev won 53.4 per cent of these points, driving 67 per cent of them back cross through the Deuce court and 33 per cent down the line to the Ad court. The leading three players at this location were:

When the Nitto ATP Finals groups were released, Taylor Fritz’s eyes keyed in on a Sunday evening clash with Rafael Nadal. It will be Fritz’s third meeting this season against the 22-time major champion.

In March, the American ended Nadal’s personal best 20-match winning streak to win his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title on home soil at Indian Wells. Three-and-a-half months later, the Spaniard ousted Fritz in a dramatic five-setter in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.

“Playing Rafa is a big deal,” Fritz said. “The match we had at Wimbledon was very close. Between the two matches we’ve played, there were highs [after Indian Wells] and lows [following Wimbledon].”

[ATP APP]

The 25-year-old went on to collect two more titles, Eastbourne and Tokyo, racking up a 43-19 record in 2022. This past month, Fritz climbed to a career-high No. 8 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and now sets his sights on making a strong debut at the Nitto ATP Finals.

For the second time in four days, Brandon Nakashima and Jiri Lehecka will square off at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan. In Saturday's title match, the fourth-seeded Nakashima will bid to complete a perfect week by becoming an undefeated champion, while fifth seed Lehecka seeks revenge after a round-robin defeat against the American on Wednesday.

In a 4-1, 4-3(2), 4-2 victory, Nakashima used an attacking game plan — particularly off his powerful forehand wing — to defeat the Czech.

“He plays a very solid game, very flat, a very progressive game, so I knew I had to minimise the errors on my side and try to be aggressive off the first ball as much as possible," Nakashima said after the mach. "I thought I did that pretty well today, so [I am] happy to get the win.”

[ATP APP]

Lehecka had his moments in the 68-minute match, firing 18 winners to Nakashima's 21, and he led 2-0 in the final set before the American used a finishing flourish to close the door.

Still very early in his pro career, Ben Shelton is not letting any teachable moment go unlearned as he continues to make big progress on the ATP Challenger Tour.

Following heartbreaking losses in the Rome (Georgia), Chicago, and Tiburon Challenger finals, Shelton was left looking for answers on why he hadn’t lifted a Challenger trophy yet.

“I got to a point where I felt hopeless on court,” Shelton told Challenger Tour commentator Mike Cation. “Second round of Fairfield and second round of Las Vegas, I felt like I was the one getting attacked. Especially against Earnesto Escobedo [in Las Vegas].

“I’m okay with losing, but if I don’t do everything I can competitively to give myself a chance to win, that really upsets me. Coming out of Las Vegas, I was like, ‘That’s never going to happen again’. I’m not going to go down in the dumps and not give a full fight.”

As the season's best eight players gear up for the prestigious Nitto ATP Finals, the competitors spoke to the media and interacted with fans at Turin's Gallerie d'Italia on Friday.

ATPTour.com goes behind-the-scenes to look at some of the fun ahead of the season finale, which begins Sunday.

Brandon Nakashima maintained his perfect record at this year’s Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals Friday when he moved past Briton Jack Draper 4-3(6), 1-4, 4-2, 4-3(5) to reach the final in Milan.

The American went 3-0 in the round-robin stage and produced another ruthless performance at the Allianz Cloud to earn his 34th tour-level win of the season. The fourth seed fired his watertight backhand with fierce power, while he opened his shoulders to take large cuts on his forehand in a heavy-hitting clash that entertained the packed crowd.

“It was very high quality from both of us the whole match,” Nakashima said. “I was fighting for every point and I was happy to close it out at the end. We have both had a great year and both had great wins against top players. I knew it was going to be a tough match, he has a great lefty serve. I knew I had to be quick on my feet. I am happy I played well.”

The 21-year-old blasted 29 winners on the fast-paced court and rallied from 2-5 in the fourth-set tie-break, converting on his second match point to advance after one hour and 38 minutes. He will face Jiri Lehecka in the final after the Czech defeated Dominic Stricker 4-1, 4-3(4), 2-4, 4-1.

Nakashima is making his second appearance in Milan, having fallen at the semi-final stage last year. Earlier this week, the World No. 49 downed Matteo Arnaldi, Lehecka and Francesco Passaro to top the Green Group.

Casper Ruud knew he had his work cut out for him this season. After making his Nitto ATP Finals debut to cap a breakout 2021 campaign, he was prepared for an ever bigger challenge as he fought to solidify his place among the game's elite.

The Norwegian delivered in a big way, surpassing even his own expectations as he comfortable booked a return trip to Turin. After finishing last season at No. 8 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, he rose as high as World No. 2 this year after winning three titles and reaching the final at Miami, Roland Garros and the US Open.

"People say sometimes that it can be tougher to stay in the Top 10 or Top 5 than to reach it [the first time] because now you have all these other players sort of chasing you and coming from behind and wanting to kick you out and replace you," Ruud said on media day in Turin, speaking with ATP Media. "It's a challenge, but I was able to do well enough to be here again this year and I'm very happy about that."

[ATP APP]

While Rune enjoyed strong support from his player box last year in Italy — "I think every seat in the box was taken by family and my team," he said — his entourage will include two new guests this year: his grandmothers.

Jiri Lehecka earned the biggest win of his season Friday when he moved past Swiss lefty Dominic Stricker 4-1, 4-3(4), 2-4, 4-1 to reach the championship match at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.

The 21-year-old, who went 2-1 during the round-robin stage, produced a stunning shotmaking display at the Allianz Cloud, timing his groundstrokes perfectly to pull Stricker around.

“Today I think everything went the way I wanted,” Lehecka said. “Me and my team spoke about this match yesterday and today and the plan was just to relax on the court and enjoy it as much as I can. Dominic was playing incredible here, so I am very happy with my win.”

The Czech fired 21 winners and stepped inside the baseline at every opportunity, closing the net effectively to efficiently win points throughout the 82-minute clash. With the in-match coaching rule in place, Lehecka was in frequent contact with Michal Navratil, who helped guide his charge to victory.

Lehecka will face third-seeded Briton Jack Draper or fourth-seeded American Brandon Nakashima in the final on Saturday evening. The fifth seed played Nakashima during the round-robin stage, falling in straight sets.

When Felix Auger-Aliassime arrived at the Pala Alpitour for his debut performance at the Nitto ATP Finals, the 22-year-old relished seeing his name among the season’s best eight players and reminisced on childhood memories as he located his locker.

“That’s a twist that’s special here,” Auger-Aliassime said. “Having your personal locker, your face on the door. I remember seeing behind the scenes videos of it growing up and I thought, ‘How cool is that!’ to have a personal locker. And here I am. When I got on site, it was the first thing I went for.

“I remember watching [the Nitto ATP Finals] for the first time in my early teenage years. I remember just being inspired by it and feeling that it would be amazing to be a part of that. Now that I’m here, it’s a full circle moment. It’s really special and I hope it’s not the last time.”

[ATP APP]

While the World No. 6 has achieved a lifelong dream, he is hungry for more. Felix, who is the youngest player in this year’s field, boasts a 56-25 match record this season. Only two men have collected more victories in 2022: Stefanos Tsitsipas (60) and Carlos Alcaraz (57). With the chance to close out the year with the most wins, Felix comes into the season final’s event with deep confidence.

There have been countless game-changing moments in the 50-year history of the ATP. It is only fitting they are being celebrated at the prestigious Nitto ATP Finals, where the best players in the world will compete from 13-20 November.

ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP CEO Massimo Calvelli, Mayor of Turin Stefano Lo Russo and Councillor for Sport of the city of Turin Domenico Carretta visited a special ATP 50 installation Friday to commemorate 50 game-changing moments.

“The game of tennis has a rich heritage and has never stood still. It’s a privilege to reflect on ATP’s 50-year journey, the people that made it possible and the diversity of our global game," Gaudenzi said. "It serves as an incredible foundation for the road ahead. Sharing this moment with our fans in Turin, through the ATP 50 installation, is a special way to lead into this year's Nitto ATP Finals.” 

The installation is located next to the Piazza San Carlo, open for fans to learn more about everything from tennis’ first rockstar, Bjorn Borg, to Pete Sampras’ six consecutive year-end No. 1 finishes and the history of the Nitto ATP Finals.

Both tennis fans and locals walking past took the time to look at the life-size displays, which feature images from the 50 moments and descriptive text in English and Italian to explain them.

#NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima will aim to reach the title match at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals Friday when he plays Jack Draper.

The 21-year-old, who lifted his maiden tour-level trophy in his home city of San Diego in September, soared through the Green Group in Milan, holding a 3-0 record. Ahead of his blockbuster clash against British lefty Draper, Nakashima caught up with ATPTour.com to discuss his interest in engineering, admiration for Tom Brady and more.

[ATP APP]

If you weren’t a tennis player, what job would you want and why?
If I wasn't a tennis player, I would probably have a job in computer science or engineering.

Those were always my favourite subjects in school when I was younger. I would say something along those lines. I'm still interested in it now. I try to still keep on track with those subjects and just try to learn stuff every day.

A four-time tour-level champion in 2022, Novak Djokovic is eager to round his year off with a flourish at the Nitto ATP Finals.

“[It would be] a perfect ending [to the season],” Djokovic told ATP Media on Friday. “The cherry on the cake, for sure, but it’s a long way. It’s a long week."

The Serbian is excited by the challenge of taking on seven of the ATP Tour’s finest in Turin as he bids to equal Roger Federer’s record of six Nitto ATP Finals crowns.

“You’ve got to play the best players in the world [here],” said Djokovic. “You have to play more or less everyone in this tournament at least once, so I look forward to it. I’ve had experience in this tournament, in this format, many times and hopefully that can serve me in a good way.”

The prestigious season finale represents a unique stop on the ATP Tour, both on and off the court. The round-robin format guarantees each a player a minimum of three matches in Turin, while Djokovic has also been impressed with the buzz that has overtaken the Italian city as eight of the world’s best players gather to do battle at the Pala Alpitour.

Set for his first competitive appearance in Turin, Rafael Nadal is hoping a change of scenery will help him recapture his best form at the Nitto ATP Finals.

"First time for me in Turin. That's something that is great because in the end, we know different places, we are able to live different experiences, different types of fans," he said of the event, which is being played for the second time in Northern Italy after 12 years in London.

"London has been unforgettable, great. Now Turin. The Italian crowd is super passionate. So I'm very excited about enjoying this [Nitto ATP] Finals here in Turin. Hopefully that gives me some positive feelings."

[ATP APP]

After a personal-best start to the 2022 season, which included 20 straight wins and a record-breaking Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, Nadal has played just one tour-level singles match since the US Open as he became a father for the first time and recovered from some of the injuries he's struggled with this season.

Jiri Lehcka began the season at No. 141 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, having never won a tour-level match. Eleven months on and the Czech – who has captured 12 tour-level victories in 2022 – is No. 74 and is set to face Swiss lefty Dominic Stricker on Friday in the semi-finals at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals.

This year, the 21-year-old soared to the semi-finals as a qualifier in Rotterdam before he captured an ATP Challenger Tour crown on home soil in Liberec. His impressive results helped Lehecka qualify for the 21-and-under event in Milan, where he has flourished this week.

While the focus has been on the Czech star, the foundations put in place by coach Michal Navratil have been crucial in Lehecka’s success. Navratil is a prominent member of the 21-year-old’s team, with the pair having worked together for four years.

The Czech coach has worked alongside Tomas Berdych, Jiri Vesley and Adam Pavlasek during his time on Tour and is now using his experience to develop Lehecka's game.

Ahead of his charge's semi-final against Stricker, Navratil spoke to ATPTour.com about the event in Milan, Lehecka’s development and personality, and much more.

The eight 2022 Nitto ATP Finals singles competitors gathered on Friday at Turin’s Gallerie d’Italia, an art gallery located on the city’s renowned Piazza San Carlo, for the season finale's official group photo. 

Rafael Nadal, Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz will compete in Green Group, with Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Novak Djokovic drawn together in Red Group for the round-robin stage. Play begins on Sunday, when Ruud takes on Auger-Aliassime and Nadal meets Fritz.

The photoshoot was part of media day for the prestigious season finale. The players also spoke to local and international media ahead of next week’s action at the Pala Alpitour, Italy’s largest indoor arena. 

Nadal and Tsitsipas will try to capture year-end No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings from Carlos Alcaraz, while Djokovic seeks a record-tying sixth Nitto ATP Finals trophy.