The draw has been completed for the 2020
ATP Finals which are set to begin on Sunday for the final time at the O2 Arena.
In 2021, it will move to Turin, Italy but as the end of an era sounds two players still remain on top going into proceedings in the United Kingdom and that is
Novak Djokovic and
Rafael Nadal.
The eight players have been drawn into two groups with Tokyo 1970 and London 2020 with a nod to the first and the latest one.
In Group Tokyo, it is led by Novak Djokovic, the current World Number One. He will have alongside him Daniil Medvedev,
Alexander Zverev and
Diego Schwartzman. A former four time champion in the event, he will look to cap off a year which has seen him sitting on a 39-3 match record in style.
But in his group, he could face some stern tests. The duo of Medvedev and Zverev in particular showed their current form by facing off in the final of the Paris Masters 1000 event which was won by the Russian. While Djokovic lost out in a poor display to Lorenzo Sonego.
In Schwartzman, he lost out to Medvedev in the Quarter-Finals in Paris and in the Final in Cologne to Zverev after reaching the semi-finals of the French Open halting a poor return at both the US Open and Cincinatti/New York.
As is the nature of the ATP Finals, Group Two could be construed as being even more difficult with four of the most in-form names in men's tennis right now since the restart.
Rafael Nadal leads them off in a return which has only seen him play in a few events winning the French Open and losing to Zverev in the Paris Masters. A 25-5 record this year but never a winner in the event, he will look to put that right this time.
But he will lock horns with the US Open champion,
Dominic Thiem who in turn will face off with
Andrey Rublev again his last opponent in Vienna which saw the Russian come out on top.
Rublev is a man on a crest of a wave right now up to a career high eighth and with five titles this year which is a tour lead and despite defeat to Stan Wawrinka derailing his momentum slightly, he will take huge confidence going into his debut.
Then it is the turn of
Stefanos Tsitsipas, the defending champion. Since reaching the semi-finals at the French Open, the Greek ace hasn't been at his best with defeats to Grigor Dimitrov and Ugo Humbert in Vienna and Paris but with the three prior champions failing to defend. Can he break the curse?
Group 1 - Tokyo 1970
Novak Djokovic
Daniil Medvedev
Alexander Zverev
Diego Schwartzman
Group 2 - London 2020
Rafael Nadal
Dominic Thiem
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Andrey Rublev