Compared to the upcoming WTA Finals where brand new faces are to be featured, the playing field for the ATP Finals is more or less the same as last year’s edition.
The top eight players in the ATP are divided into two groups and they’re out to duel for the season-ending title as well as the record prize fund of £11.2-M this year.
Reigning and defending titlist Daniil Medvedev is to be joined by holdovers Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Andrey Rublev. Meanwhile, Hubert Hurkacz, Casper Ruud, and Matteo Berrettini are relatively the new kids on the block.
The season finale is set at the Papa Alpitour in Turin, Italy where the said competition is to be held from this year to 2025 and the games will start on Sunday.
Top seeds Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev are the heavy favourites to come out from the Green and Red groups respectively. However, it’ll be hard to write off the others this early.
As we look forward to an exciting season finale, read on below as SBOTOP gives you the latest ATP Finals 2021 updates.
Daniil Medvedev set for big title defence
The 25-year-old Russian sensation is heavily backed by the ATP Finals 2021 odds given his solid run dating back from last year’s edition of this tournament.
Daniil Medvedev claimed the title last season with a flawless 5-0 record, including a historic hat-trick of wins over the world’s Top 3 players at the time in Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Dominic Thiem – which was a first in the 50-year history of the competition.
Following his ATP Finals triumph, Medvedev went on to reach the Australian Open final, claimed his first major title in the US Open, won the 2021 Laver Cup, and went to as far as the final of the most recent Paris Masters.
Because of his performance this season, Medvedev is ranked as the No. 2 player in the ATP with 7,640 points and he’s ready for another crowning moment.
His first opponent in the ATP Finals is going to be Hubert Hurkacz, who will make his competition debut.
Hubert Hurkacz books eighth and final ATP Finals berth
Hubert Hurkacz was the one who clinched the final berth of the ATP Finals and he’s determined to make a statement in the season-ending tournament.
Despite being ranked as the ninth-best player in the ATP with 3,706 points, he has been granted the spot as Rafael Nadal pulled out due to injuries.
Not bad for a guy who started the year at No. 34.
The Pole got his ticket to the big dance following his run in the Paris Masters where he went to as far as the semi-finals.
From the moment he defeated James Duckworth in the quarter-finals, you can see the big smile on his face as he’s one step closer to achieving his ultimate dream.
“Obviously, going to Turin is a dream. Growing up, seeing all those top guys playing in the Finals, it’s inspiring,” said Hurkacz.
“Now being among them, it’s very special because it’s just eight spots there, and it’s not easy to get there. I’m privileged to be in this position and I hope I am making Poland a little proud,” he added.
Him and fellow tournament debutant Casper Ruud are the underdogs for this tournament and they’ll look to prove themselves that they can hang with the big boys.
Novak Djokovic can make history anew
Other than Daniil Medvedev, Novak Djokovic is considered as another big favourite in the ATP Finals. The Serb is the top-ranked player in the world and momentum is on his side following his victory at the Paris Masters last Sunday.
It was a huge bounce back on his part following his defeat to Daniil Medvedev earlier in the US Open final where he fell one victory short of claiming all four Grand Slam titles in a single season.
“I already closed that chapter, to be honest. I’m not spending days suffering because I didn’t take the calendar Slam this year,” said Djokovic after the Paris Masters final.
“I’m very relieved that the Grand Slam season was done because I felt a tremendous pressure unlike anything I felt in my life. I’m very satisfied with the way I played in the Grand Slams,” he added.
With the ATP Finals on the horizon, Novak Djokovic is eager to show the world why he’s the No. 1 player in the world at the first place.
Should Djokovic win this tournament, he will equal Roger Federer’s record of six ATP Finals titles. His first opponent will be Casper Ruud on Monday.
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