"New gen have a long way to go": Fans debate Alcaraz, Sinner, and Rune's chances at 2023 ATP Finals

Tennis fans have been debating the chances of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Holger Rune, dubbed the "new generation" or "new gen", at the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin.

The 2023 ATP Finals will begin on Sunday, November 12 at the Pala Alpitour and will run until November 19, during which time the Top 8 players of the season will battle it out for the prestigious title. This will include the young trio of Alcaraz and Rune (aged 20) and Sinner (aged 22).

The other qualifiers are Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Alexander Zverev, whose places in Turin were confirmed across recent months, with Zverev and Rune being the last two to secure their spots during the Paris Masters last week.

The biggest question among fans regarding the "New Gen" is whether or not they can defeat Djokovic, as the World No. 1 has seemed almost unbeatable throughout most of the season.

He was victorious at the Australian Open, Roland Garros, and US Open, equaling Margaret Court's record of 24 major titles in the process, and won his 40th ATP Masters 1000 title in Paris despite suffering from a stomach bug during the tournament.

However, Alcaraz and Rune both have a level head-to-head of 2-2 with the 36-year-old, suggesting that they may be in with a shot. The Dane ousted Djokovic in Paris twelve months ago and at the Italian Open earlier this year, but lost to the Serbian play just last week in the 2023 edition of the Paris Masters.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz's most recent win against Djokovic came in the final of Wimbledon in July, prevailing over their five-set battle to win the second Grand Slam title of his young career. However, the Spaniard then lost their next clash in the final of the Cincinnati Open and was ousted from his opening round in Paris by Roman Safiullin.

Sinner is the only one of the three to have never won against Djokovic, currently trailing 0-3 in their head-to-head. Nevertheless, the Italian player has had the most recent success of the trio, winning the China Open and the Vienna Open in October. In order to do so, he had to defeat Medvedev in the final both times, a player whom he had never previously beaten despite having faced him six times.

Fans took to social media to share their thoughts on the trio's chances.

"With Djokovic also playing? Do you even have to ask the question?" wrote one.

"Djokovic will win imo, but if not I think Sinner has a decent chance," added another.

"Considering each of these 3 players' current form and home court support, Sinner probably has the best chance," commented a third.

"New gen have a long way to go to reach greatness," another declared.