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‘I’m here to relish this week and then we’ll see what happens.’ These were Rafael Nadal’s first words in Málaga before he says goodbye to tennis in his last professional tournament this November.

It’s not just any week or any Davis Cup Finals. A heady blend of excitement, emotion and nostalgia is in the air at the Martín Carpena Arena. Because one of the sport’s great icons is soon to say his adiós.

A gigantic 2,600-square-metre poster welcomes the Spanish legend. On a blue background, two words sum up what every fan is feeling: Gracias, Rafa, a few days before Spain takes to the court for the quarter-finals against the Netherlands on Tuesday 19.

‘I’ve been able to prepare pretty well, which is why I’m here, I’ll have to take it day by day,’ the Mallorcan admitted in his comments to the Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET). ‘I haven’t competed for a while and I really just want to experience this week however I can.’

Alexander Zverev was close to solving the Taylor Fritz puzzle, but fell short again.

On Saturday, the 27-year-old lost to the inspired American in the semi-finals at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. In a tight three-set battle where only a few points set the two apart, Zverev admitted he fell short at crucial moments.

"This one will hurt maybe a bit more because I thought I played at a decent level and I had more chances generally in the third set. I felt like statistically and shot-wise, my level maybe was even higher than his until the important moments. That's where I kind of blew it. This one will hurt more than the other few," said Zverev.

"I didn't use my chances in the third set at all. I feel like I had more than enough. I played a below-average tie-break, I would say. A lot worse than what the level was throughout the third set from my end."

In one of the most noteworthy rivalries of 2024, Zverev and Fritz faced each other five times, including battles at Wimbledon and the US Open, which went Fritz’s way. Overall, the American, enjoying his best season on the Tour, edged Zverev 4-1 in the Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

Top seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic have engineered a remarkable turnaround to reach the championship match of the Nitto ATP Finals.

Despite arriving in Turin having lost their three matches since reaching the US Open semi-finals, Arevalo and Pavic have moved to within one victory of the season finale trophy. They defeated seventh seeds Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten 7-6(1), 7-6(4) in the semi-finals.

“It means a lot. I think this was the goal at the beginning of the tournament and also ending the season in the best way possible,” Arevalo said. “We cannot ask for a better position at the moment. We’re playing the final tomorrow. One last match, you cannot play another match in the season. So we’re trying to compete hard and enjoy at the same time. Tomorrow we go back [to] business and we’re going to do what we do the best, which is competing, have a great energy tomorrow and hopefully we can lift the trophy tomorrow.”

Arevalo and Pavic lost their first match in the Bob Bryan Group to the team they will play on Sunday for the crown: Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz. The Salvadoran-Croatian team already clinched Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by PIF honours earlier in the week.

Sustainability is in the spotlight once again at this year’s Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

In the heart of the Nitto ATP Finals Fan Village, fans are greeted by The Green Wall, a lush installation created by Nitto, ATP and Italian Tennis and Padel Federation (FITP). Adorned with live plants, it is more than just a scenic backdrop; it Is an educational experience where fans can explore Nitto’s initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions and promote environmental responsibility.

This installation transforms the Fan Village into a hub of awareness, making sustainability as much a part of the event as the tennis itself.

There are also activities at the Nitto sponsor's booth to help educate visitors about sustainability.

Visitors can learn about CO2 and the effects of CO2 reduction while playing a reflective game that simulates collecting CO2, and a large wall with many characters depicting CO2 in the city of Turin, using colour pen and stickers, many visitors enjoyed the “Art Wall” where they could erase the CO2 characters while making them colourful.

Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz became the first all-German team in tournament history to reach the Nitto ATP Finals title match on Saturday in Turin. The eighth seeds rallied from a set and a break down and saved one match point in the Match Tie-break to overcome Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson 2-6, 6-3, 11-9.

The Germans looked in trouble when they trailed 2-6, 0-2, but upped their aggression to turn the second set around and force a Match Tie-break. Krawietz and Puetz then fought back from 5/7 and 8/9 in the Match Tie-break to eventually advance to the title match after 80 minutes.

"The first part of the match was a lesson and then we tried to apply what we learned from those two," Puetz said. "They lowered their level a bit and we came up a bit and it was close and at the end it was quite strange. But that is what happens in doubles with the scoring format."

Krawietz and Puetz are aiming to become the first No. 8 seeds to win the title since Top Eight seeding was introduced in the doubles' field in 1995.

"We knew when we came here we could beat everyone," Krawietz said. "Being No. 8, we were happy to qualify here and then just tried to see what we could do and it has worked out very well."

Alexander Zverev with his victory against Carlos Alcaraz Friday at the Nitto ATP Finals did more than clinch his spot atop the John Newcombe Group. The German also guaranteed he will finish the year at No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Zverev is No. 2 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and now has a 905-point lead over No. 3 Alcaraz. While the Spaniard still can qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals semi-finals, he can no longer catch Zverev for World No. 2.

This is the highest year-end finish of Zverev's career and the seventh time he will complete a season in the Top 10. The 27-year-old's previous-best finish came in 2021 when he was year-end No. 3.

Zverev is two matches from earning the third Nitto ATP Finals trophy of his career. In 2024 he has already triumphed in Rome and Paris, both ATP Masters 1000 events.

Alcaraz is locked into a year-end World No. 3 finish. Two years ago he became the youngest ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF in history. Last year he finished No. 2.

After six days of elite group-stage action at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals, Saturday begins the knockout rounds in Turin.

Home favourite Jannik Sinner, the No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, will seek to continue his perfect week when he takes on Casper Ruud in the Inalpi Arena. World No. 2 Alexander Zverev, who also posted a 3-0 round-robin record, will meet Taylor Fritz.

In doubles action, Aussies Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson take on Germans Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz before top seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic play Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten.

[ATP AWARDS]

[1] Jannik Sinner (ITA) vs. [6] Casper Ruud (NOR)
Playing on home soil for the first time this year — and for the first time as World No. 1 — Sinner has soared into the semis without dropping a set. The Italian has not lost more than four games in a single frame and was broken just twice on four break chances combined against De Minaur, Fritz and Medvedev.

They say lightning never strikes twice. Perhaps Taylor Fritz disagrees.

The American’s sizzling hitting against Alex de Minaur features in the latest Nitto ATP Finals Immersive Highlight, which aims to help attract a younger audience and present ATP tennis in a new and innovative way during the 2024 season finale. Thanks to a combination of Augmented Reality technology, 3D modelling and live data, fans can enjoy a baseline barrage from Fritz that ends with a forehand thunderbolt!

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

The semi-finals for the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals are set.

Jannik Sinner won the Ilie Nastase Group and will face Casper Ruud, the second-placed finisher in the John Newcombe Group. They will compete in the evening match, not before 8:30 p.m.

Sinner has won both of the pair's previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings, which came in Vienna in 2020 and 2021. The Italian triumphed in straight sets on both occasions.

Two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev topped the John Newcombe Group and will take on Taylor Fritz, who came in second in the Ilie Nastase Group.

Fritz leads his series with Zverev 6-5, having claimed four of their previous five clashes, including three straight victories this year. Fritz most recently emerged victorious 6-4, 7-5 at the Laver Cup. They will meet in the first semi-final not before 2:30 p.m.

Casper Ruud sealed his spot in the semi-finals at the Nitto ATP Finals for the third time on Friday night in Turin, where he overcame Andrey Rublev 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to end the World No. 9’s own progression hopes.

Ruud needed just a set to join the John Newcombe group winner Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals but ensured he would finish the round-robin stage with a 2-1 record after producing a high-class third-set performance against Rublev.

HE'S DONE IT ?@CasperRuud98 defeats Rublev 6-4 5-7 6-2 and is back in the semi-finals for a third time in Turin!#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/Y3OO9rxL22

Ruud arrived in Turin having lost his past four matches but has looked close to his best this week, also defeating Carlos Alcaraz.

"Tennis is interesting sometimes. I don't know what I am doing better this week than the past few weeks but the only thing is serving, I am serving really well," Ruud said after reaching the semis. "It is tough to play the best players in the world but nice because you feel you are an underdog and can play free and you know if you don't bring your A plus level you will likely lose.

Has Alexander Zverev identified the path to challenging Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz for major titles in 2025?

The German maintained his red-hot late-season form on Friday at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he defeated Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz in straight sets for his eighth consecutive tour-level win. After the match, Zverev was asked about what he could do replicate his Friday-afternoon victory more regularly against his young rivals Sinner and Alcaraz.

“I think everybody talks about how great they are defensively. I don't think they play defence a lot anymore,” said the No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings after his 7-6(5), 6-4 win against Alcaraz. “Tennis is not about defence anymore. It used to be a few years back when tennis was quite different, a little bit slower still.

“I think now those guys, 90 per cent of the time they're only playing offence. It's about making sure that you can keep up offensively with them, being able to keep up with their speeds of groundstrokes as well. That's the number one thing. Not backing off, going for your shots in the most important moments.

“That's maybe where I struggled, as well, in my career, trusting my shots and going for them when I need to. I think personally that's something that I still continue to need to work on. Hopefully next year's going to be even better.”

Earlier this week the groundbreaking ATP No. 1 Club was unveiled in Turin. Stefan Edberg, a member of the prestigious group, has been on site Thursday and Friday taking in the scenes.

The Swede has enjoyed being around the tournament, which he won in 1989 when it was held at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“It’s always been of great importance,” Edberg told ATPTour.com. “I think it’s even grown since the past. Everybody wants to play well here. Everybody wants to perform. You’re playing against the [seven] best players, so it’s super exciting I think for a lot of the players just to be here and challenge each other.

“I feel very good about the [Nitto] ATP Finals, the way it’s progressed since my time.”

The former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings marvelled at the evolution of sport since his days at the top of tennis, when serve-and-volleying was prevalent.

Casper Ruud will qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals semi-finals after winning the first set 6-4 against Andrey Rublev on Friday night in Turin, providing the match does not end in retirement or disqualification.

The Norwegian went 1-1 across his opening two round-robin matches and just needed to win a set against Rublev to reach the last four at the prestigious year-end event for the third time.

The 2022 finalist Ruud, who finished second in the John Newcombe Group behind Alexander Zverev, will face Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals on Saturday night. Zverev takes on Taylor Fritz. 

Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Alex de Minaur and Rublev all fell in the round-robin stage.

[ATP AWARDS]

Former ATP Tour titlists who announced their retirement this season received a celebratory sendoff Friday at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Dominic Thiem, Ivo Karlovic, Joao Sousa and John Millman were honoured with an on-court ceremony and earlier received a token of appreciation from ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

“It was a dream,” Thiem said. “I never thought I would have that great career when I was young. I never thought I would achieve that much. Standing here in Torino getting my farewell is so nice."

The four players among this year’s retiring class have been close to the action in Turin. Not only have they enjoyed watching the season finale, but Thiem, former No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings, also held a kids’ clinic.

Carlos Alcaraz was left ruing a few “key moments” he failed to capitalise on in his match against Alexander Zverev at the Nitto ATP Finals. The defeat at the hands of the German, which means he is almost certainly knocked out of Turin, tipped their Lexus ATP Head2Head in favour of his opponent (6-5). The Murcia native’s focus will now be on the Davis Cup Final 8, where he will join Rafael Nadal to represent Spain.

“The tie-break was pretty close, with a lot of points I could have played better,” lamented the No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings. “At 6/5, I don’t know what I was thinking when I tried to volley that ball... That’s tennis for you; you have to make choices in less than a second and sometimes you get it wrong.

“Losing the set in that way hurts,” he admitted. “In the second, I was at 0/40 after several stupid points and I was in trouble. I have to learn from these moments because I didn’t make the most of the chances I had.”

Despite starting the week off battling illness, Alcaraz managed to get through his days in Italy with the help of antibiotics, rest and a nose strip to help him breathe (which he wore again in his match against Zverev) and a lot of self-belief that he could turn a situation around and reach the semi-finals, as he did in 2023.

“It was a difficult week for me, but it’s a privilege to be here among the eight best players in the world,” Alcaraz said. “I’m going to learn from what has happened. I played good tennis, but today I faced one of the best. I’m disappointed with the defeat,” he continued.

Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic held their nerve Friday in a high-stakes, round-robin finale to secure their place in the Nitto ATP Finals semi-finals. The Salvadoran-Croatian duo knocked out home favourites Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 6-3, 3-6, 10-3 to finish second in the Bob Bryan group.

Arevalo and Pavic have already guaranteed their finish as Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by PIF and now they look to claim their first Nitto ATP Finals crown.

The top seeds overcame a topsy-turvy encounter with the Italians that featured hot and cold runs from each team. After winning the opening set, Arevalo and Pavic dropped five consecutive games. But in key moments, they relied on aggressive returning and applied pressure with their close positioning at net. Arevalo and Pavic won 84 per cent (32/38) of their first-serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

[ATP AWARDS]

Following their win, Arevalo and Pavic improved to 4-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Bolelli and Vavassori. All four meetings came this season, including a championship clash at Roland Garros.

Can anyone halt Alexander Zverev’s late-season surge at the Nitto ATP Finals?

The German on Friday extended his winning streak to eight matches by sinking Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(5), 6-4 in Turin. Zverev, who was facing Alcaraz for the first time since his heartbreaking five-set defeat in the Roland Garros championship match, produced an impressive one-hour, 57-minute performance to outclass his rival and guarantee he will end the year as No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

With his victory, Zverev ensured a first-place finish in John Newcombe Group and set a semi-final clash against fifth seed Taylor Fritz, while it left Alcaraz on the brink of elimination from the prestigious season finale. There remains a scenario where the Spaniard could progress via percentage of games won, but only if Andrey Rublev defeats Casper Ruud in straight sets on Friday evening.

Although Zverev did ultimately secure a straight-sets win, the margin of his victory against Alcaraz could have been greater. The German’s razor-sharp returning on the fast-paced Inalpi Arena court helped him carve out seven break points in the first set, but he was unable to convert any of them.

Those disappointments did not stop Zverev from staying focused in the tie-break, during which his accurate, powerful ballstriking off both wings proved key. Alcaraz produced back-to-back moments of magic from 2/5 down — a running forehand pass and an audacious lob winner — but was let down by a loose backhand on the following point and Zverev went on to clinch the set and seal his semi-final spot.

Alexander Zverev is a virtual lock to reach the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals after winning the first set of Friday's singles match with Carlos Alcaraz. Provided the match doesn't end in a retirement, the German is guaranteed to advance to the knockout stages of the season finale, which he has won twice before.

Zverev took the first set 7-6(5) against Alcaraz as he looks to emerge from group play with a perfect 3-0 record.

Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic were celebrated for their Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by PIF finish on Friday afternoon at the Nitto ATP Finals.

The Salvadoran-Croatian team will try to qualify for the season finale later in the evening when they face home favourites Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. But first they lifted the year-end No. 1 trophy.

Arevalo said: “I want to start with thanking Mate for playing with me and trusting in this team. This is something that we achieved together with a lot of work, a lot of hours on the court and we’re extremely happy. Of course it’s a dream, it’s a goal when you start the season to end your season here in Turin, in the Nitto ATP Finals. Lifting the year-end No. 1, I think it’s a plus.

“I also want to thank my team and Mate’s team. I think even though tennis looks like it’s an individual sport, but I think nobody gets this far alone. In think we all need a team and I want to thank my team… They really care about me. Also my wife, she’s been super supportive traveling with me around the world with two kids, which is not easy.”

[ATP AWARDS]

After two years together, Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden finished with a flourish on Friday at the Nitto ATP Finals.

The Indian-Australian pair downed Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 7-5, 6-7(6), 10-7 to end their 2024 campaign at the prestigious season finale in Turin with a victory. Already out of the running for a semi-final spot after two prior defeats this week, Bopanna and Ebden came out firing before responding well to letting slip two match points in the second-set tie-break. They eventually clinched a one-hour, 42-minute Match Tie-break victory in the final match of their partnership.

Bopanna and Ebden propelled themselves to victory with the help of 14 aces, according to Infosys ATP Stats. With the win, they levelled their Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Krawietz and Puetz at 2-2.

Finishing with a flourish ?❤️@rohanbopanna & @mattebden end their two-year partnership in brilliant fashion, defeating Krawietz/Puetz 7-5 6-7(6) 10-7!#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/5TMZ4OudDo

Bopanna and Ebden have enjoyed huge success since first teaming in January 2023. They lifted four tour-level titles together, including at this year’s Australian Open, while they also each spent time as No. 1 in the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings during their partnership.