Preview ATP Finals 2024: Sinner and Alcaraz lead battle for end of season supremacy in Turin

The final big event of the tennis calendar in 2024 gets underway this Sunday, and runs through a week of tennis action until Sunday 17th November. The big stars of the season are heading to Turin for the season-ending championship for the ATP tour, and there’s set to be plenty of action with the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz gunning for the bragging rights heading into the winter.

There’s already been big news before the tournament got underway, with Novak Djokovic announcing earlier this week that he would not be present in Turin. Despite this, there’s still plenty at stake, with the world’s best players set to get their final chance to prove themselves on the big stage, in 2024.

So as the players get ready to play at the Inapli Arena in Turin, lets look at some of the tournament’s favourites, and what has happened in previous years.

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What is the ATP Finals? 

Outside the four grand slams, and perhaps the Olympics, the ATP Finals are the most important event on the tennis calendar. The top eight singles players, and doubles teams, face off in the year ending contest, with their ranking based on their performances throughout the year on the ATP Tour.

Over the years there have been many enthralling contests, and this year is set to be no different. It’s safe to say that Novak Djokovic is the king of the ATP Finals, as he has won the title 7 times throughout his career which is one more than any other player, including Roger Federer who has 6. The fact that Djokovic won’t be present is definitely significant, but we’ll get to that later on.

Between 2009 and 2020 the tournaments home was in London, and before that it was played all over the world, stretching from Houston all the way to Sydney or even Shanghai. Now in Turin, the ATP Finals will take place in Italy’s largest indoor stadium, with 12,000 spectators able to watch tennis brightest stars.

Jannik Sinner will be the favourite for the title on home soil.

The ATP Finals follow a unique format compared to other tournaments. The eight singles players are divided into two groups of four, competing in a round-robin format. Each player faces the other three in their group, and there’s bound to be some surprises. The top two players from each group advance to the semi-finals, with the group winners facing the runners-up from the opposite group.

This format guarantees a mix of matchups, giving every player the chance to prove themselves multiple times before the knockout stage. The semi-final winners then face off in the championship match for the final prestigious title of the year. What makes this tournament a fan favourite is it’s a true action packed week of tennis, where they get to see a range of star matchups they probably wouldn’t see during a Grand Slam.

What happened last year? 

A year ago, Novak Djokovic was in stunning form on his way to seventh ATP Finals title, where he destroyed Jannik Sinner in the final, 6-3, 6-3. What made Djokovic’s performance even more impressive was that he had lost to Sinner in the round-robin stage, but he would not make that mistake again.

Djokovic won over 90% of his points with his serve in the first round, putting Sinner on the back foot immediately. Throughout the final, the Serbian made his younger opponent work hard, dragging him across the court, and eventually breaking him down. Maybe Sinner will be disappointed he will won’t get the chance to avenge his loss in this competition this time around, but there was little denying that Djokovic was in a class of his own in the 2023 ATP Finals, as his win ensured he ended the year as the undisputed world number one.

Who is playing this year? 

The ATP Finals sees eight of the world’s best players split into two groups. The Ilie Nastase Group, named after the Romanian legend who won multiple grand slams, features the number 1 seed Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, and Alex de Minaur. The second group, named after the five time Australian Open champion John Newcombe, is a harder group on paper.

It features the second seed, who is actually Alexander Zverev of Germany, who is ranked higher than the number three seed Carlos Alcaraz after winning the Paris Masters. Alcaraz and Zverev have met 10 times throughout their career, and the score is currently 5-5 overall, but Alcaraz came out on top the last time they met in the French Open final earlier this year at Roland Garros. On that day, Alcaraz got revenge over his German rival, who had dumped him out of the Australian Open early in the year, in the Quarter Final.  

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This time last year, Zverev beat Alcaraz in the ATP Finals during the round robin stage, and so Alcaraz certainly has his hands full if he wants to come out on top. The John Newcombe group is rounded out by Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev, the 6th and 8th seeds respectively, who are both a duo more than capable of producing an upset on their day.

But the match up the fans will be waiting for will surely be Carlos Alcaraz taking on Jannik Sinner, assuming both navigate their groups successfully, which is of course no guarantee. The duo are widely considered to be the stars of the future, and have won all the grand slams in 2024 between them. They’ve met ten times throughout their short career, with Alcaraz marginally ahead 6-4 on wins at this stage. This is a rivalry that is very much still in its early days, and the pair are yet to have met in a Grand Slam final. Let’s hope they get to write the next chapter in their rivalry, over the next week in Turin.

Why is Djokovic not playing? 

Novak Djokovic is a seven-time ATP Finals champion and still one of the most dominant figures in the sport, but the Serbian announced his withdrawal from this year’s tournament due to an ongoing injury that has troubled him in the latter part of the season. His decision to step back came shortly after he withdrew from the Paris Masters, effectively ending his season. Since then, Djokovic has taken time to rest, including a well deserved break in the Maldives and a visit to the Belgrade Open, where he engaged with fans and celebrated the sport from the sidelines.

While his name remained on the ATP Finals entry list until the last moment, Djokovic ultimately confirmed his absence, sharing on social media, “It’s quite an honour to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin. I was really looking forward to being there, but due to an ongoing injury, I won’t be playing next week. Apologies to those who were planning to see me. Wishing all the players a great tournament, see you soon.” This marks the first time in 23 years that the ATP Finals will not feature one of the legendary "Big Three,” Djokovic, Nadal, or Federer, signalling a truly massive moment for tennis fans, who really now must see they are entering the final chapter of an incredible era.

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Djokovic’s absence opens the door for rising stars like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz to add a title to their resume that he has dominated for many years. Djokovic will certainly be missed from the action in Turin, but fans will be relieved that this is not the end just yet, and we will see the 24 Grand Slam champion and Olympic champion return to action next year.

So it’s shaping up to be a brilliant conclusion to the 2024 tennis season over the next week in Italy. Will we see Alcaraz or Sinner make a statement performance? Or will we have an upset, which is so common at this stage of the year when fatigue is catching up with even the best. We don’t have to wait much longer, and one things for sure, we will have a new champion, come next weekend in Turin.