2021 ATP Finals Preview: Season concludes with Turin curtain closer

The 2021 ATP Finals are here with the action set to begin in Turin as the season comes to a close with a visit to Italy including many of the top names battling it out for the title.

Unlike the WTA Finals, the top seed who qualified as is involved in Novak Djokovic who will set his sights on a fifth ATP Finals crown.

Roger Federer currently holds six so drawing level with the Swiss ace will be on the mind of Djokovic who will already end the year as the No.1 once more.

But it is a title he has not won since 2015. It is one which has seen three members of the line-up again this year triumph with only Djokovic being in one final back in 2018.

There he lost to Alexander Zverev while Daniil Medvedev, his nearest challenger now in terms of ATP dominance is the second seed and defending champion.

He defeated Dominic Thiem who will be among those missing from this year's line-up due to injury. This alongside Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal - with the latter qualified but out for the rest of the 2021 season.

As a result, it has been similar in terms of feel to the WTA Finals with many of the faces emerging to displace those of old with Djokovic standing at the top of the tree but for how long.

In his group, he has Stefanos Tsitsipas who is a former winner of the tournament but hasn't been in the greatest form as of late. He reached the final in Paris leading Djokovic by two sets before fading and reaching back-to-back masters semi-finals.

Since early exits at Wimbledon and US Open though including to Frances Tiafoe twice though lately in Paris, he will have to do a bit of soul searching which against the World No.1 might dent his hopes.

The same can be said though for Andrey Rublev who again has dominated on the tour in parts this year reaching two Masters 1000 finals, reaching the top five for the first time in a run at the start of the year which saw him win in Rotterdam then lose in Monte-Carlo, Halle and Cincinnati.

But since then, he hasn't been at his best losing to Taylor Fritz in a tight tie in Paris and both will face off in the first group game in the dubbed Green Group.

This though could bode well for one of the form horses and a debutant in this year's tournament in Casper Ruud.

Ruud has been utterly sublime all year including in the middle portion of the year where he decided like Cameron Norrie who is an alternate and only just didn't make it to seek ranking points and titles instead of the Olympics.

Five won this year including four on clay in Kitzbuhel, Gstaad, Bastad and Geneva, he also shook off criticism from a feud with Nick Kyrgios about only being able to play on clay by winning in San Diego.

He has also reached Quarter-Finals in similar conditions in Canada, Cincinnati and Paris and will face Novak Djokovic on Monday afternoon in a group where on paper he could be favoured to join the World No.1 in the Quarter-Finals.

While like in the opening group, Daniil Medvedev will lead the line having won his maiden Grand Slam in the form of the US Open.

He lost to Djokovic in Paris but has a record of 41-7 on hard courts all season with three titles and will look to finally mount a challenge next season to dethrone the Serbian.

A tough group awaits though with Zverev winning Olympic gold, two Masters 1000 titles and reaching two major semi-finals.

He has lost four times running to the Russian but has had a similarly stellar season just without the Grand Slam to back it up.

While hometown hero Matteo Berrettini will be first for Medvedev and will be cheered on in Turin after a year which saw him reach his potential on grass winning Queen's and fulfilling a tag as one of the favourites heading into Wimbledon.

There of course he lost to Djokovic in the final of Wimbledon but did enough to cement his spot on home soil.

While Miami Open winner, Hubert Hurkacz concludes the group after sealing his spot late on. He went into the Paris Masters and made sure Jannik Sinner could only be first alternate reaching the semi-finals and pushing Novak Djokovic all the way.

A true breakout year for the Pole, he joins his compatriot Iga Swiatek who is currently playing in the WTA Finals in making history as the first Polish players to make season ending finals and will look to make good of his opportunity.

Will Djokovic restore his winning feeling in the ATP Finals or will we again get an emergent winner out of a strong field in Turin?