Stefanos Tsitsipas has a chance to finish the year as the number one player in the world but a lot will have to go right for him.
Carlos Alcaraz not being there left this a chance with his injury coming at a very bad time for the Spaniard. Nadal and Tsitsipas are the players who are fighting for that spot but both will need to have a huge event to have a chance to get it.
For Tsitsipas, it's a privilege to be in that position:
"I'm actually very determined and extremely privileged to be in a position to be fighting for the World No. 1 spot, because it's always been a dream of mine since I was a little kid to be crowned World No. 1."
He added:
"It would definitely mean a lot. It's an amazing thing to accomplish something like this. I'm going to try to be relaxed, enjoy the process of it, not think too much of the destination, but the journey is the one that matters the most. In this case, playing good tennis and enjoying myself out on the court is much more important than obsessing over that World No. 1 title, which might come now or come later. It's more of a marathon than a sprint."
Asked how he's feeling in light of how last year's event went with the elbow injury, Tsitsipas said:
"I'm feeling very good with my body and my game. I'm glad to be here fighting for something prestigious in this type of an event. I've earned my spot playing consistent tennis throughout the entire year with good results on pretty much all surfaces. It turned out better than I thought it would, and I'm happy now, sitting in this chair, being part of the eight best players in the world."