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Still very early in his pro career, Ben Shelton is not letting any teachable moment go unlearned as he continues to make big progress on the ATP Challenger Tour.

Following heartbreaking losses in the Rome (Georgia), Chicago, and Tiburon Challenger finals, Shelton was left looking for answers on why he hadn’t lifted a Challenger trophy yet.

“I got to a point where I felt hopeless on court,” Shelton told Challenger Tour commentator Mike Cation. “Second round of Fairfield and second round of Las Vegas, I felt like I was the one getting attacked. Especially against Earnesto Escobedo [in Las Vegas].

“I’m okay with losing, but if I don’t do everything I can competitively to give myself a chance to win, that really upsets me. Coming out of Las Vegas, I was like, ‘That’s never going to happen again’. I’m not going to go down in the dumps and not give a full fight.”

 

As the season's best eight players gear up for the prestigious Nitto ATP Finals, the competitors spoke to the media and interacted with fans at Turin's Gallerie d'Italia on Friday.

ATPTour.com goes behind-the-scenes to look at some of the fun ahead of the season finale, which begins Sunday.

 

Brandon Nakashima maintained his perfect record at this year’s Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals Friday when he moved past Briton Jack Draper 4-3(6), 1-4, 4-2, 4-3(5) to reach the final in Milan.

The American went 3-0 in the round-robin stage and produced another ruthless performance at the Allianz Cloud to earn his 34th tour-level win of the season. The fourth seed fired his watertight backhand with fierce power, while he opened his shoulders to take large cuts on his forehand in a heavy-hitting clash that entertained the packed crowd.

“It was very high quality from both of us the whole match,” Nakashima said. “I was fighting for every point and I was happy to close it out at the end. We have both had a great year and both had great wins against top players. I knew it was going to be a tough match, he has a great lefty serve. I knew I had to be quick on my feet. I am happy I played well.”

The 21-year-old blasted 29 winners on the fast-paced court and rallied from 2-5 in the fourth-set tie-break, converting on his second match point to advance after one hour and 38 minutes. He will face Jiri Lehecka in the final after the Czech defeated Dominic Stricker 4-1, 4-3(4), 2-4, 4-1.

Nakashima is making his second appearance in Milan, having fallen at the semi-final stage last year. Earlier this week, the World No. 49 downed Matteo Arnaldi, Lehecka and Francesco Passaro to top the Green Group.

Casper Ruud knew he had his work cut out for him this season. After making his Nitto ATP Finals debut to cap a breakout 2021 campaign, he was prepared for an ever bigger challenge as he fought to solidify his place among the game's elite.

The Norwegian delivered in a big way, surpassing even his own expectations as he comfortable booked a return trip to Turin. After finishing last season at No. 8 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, he rose as high as World No. 2 this year after winning three titles and reaching the final at Miami, Roland Garros and the US Open.

"People say sometimes that it can be tougher to stay in the Top 10 or Top 5 than to reach it [the first time] because now you have all these other players sort of chasing you and coming from behind and wanting to kick you out and replace you," Ruud said on media day in Turin, speaking with ATP Media. "It's a challenge, but I was able to do well enough to be here again this year and I'm very happy about that."

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While Rune enjoyed strong support from his player box last year in Italy — "I think every seat in the box was taken by family and my team," he said — his entourage will include two new guests this year: his grandmothers.

Jiri Lehecka earned the biggest win of his season Friday when he moved past Swiss lefty Dominic Stricker 4-1, 4-3(4), 2-4, 4-1 to reach the championship match at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.

The 21-year-old, who went 2-1 during the round-robin stage, produced a stunning shotmaking display at the Allianz Cloud, timing his groundstrokes perfectly to pull Stricker around.

“Today I think everything went the way I wanted,” Lehecka said. “Me and my team spoke about this match yesterday and today and the plan was just to relax on the court and enjoy it as much as I can. Dominic was playing incredible here, so I am very happy with my win.”

The Czech fired 21 winners and stepped inside the baseline at every opportunity, closing the net effectively to efficiently win points throughout the 82-minute clash. With the in-match coaching rule in place, Lehecka was in frequent contact with Michal Navratil, who helped guide his charge to victory.

Lehecka will face third-seeded Briton Jack Draper or fourth-seeded American Brandon Nakashima in the final on Saturday evening. The fifth seed played Nakashima during the round-robin stage, falling in straight sets.

When Felix Auger-Aliassime arrived at the Pala Alpitour for his debut performance at the Nitto ATP Finals, the 22-year-old relished seeing his name among the season’s best eight players and reminisced on childhood memories as he located his locker.

“That’s a twist that’s special here,” Auger-Aliassime said. “Having your personal locker, your face on the door. I remember seeing behind the scenes videos of it growing up and I thought, ‘How cool is that!’ to have a personal locker. And here I am. When I got on site, it was the first thing I went for.

“I remember watching [the Nitto ATP Finals] for the first time in my early teenage years. I remember just being inspired by it and feeling that it would be amazing to be a part of that. Now that I’m here, it’s a full circle moment. It’s really special and I hope it’s not the last time.”

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While the World No. 6 has achieved a lifelong dream, he is hungry for more. Felix, who is the youngest player in this year’s field, boasts a 56-25 match record this season. Only two men have collected more victories in 2022: Stefanos Tsitsipas (60) and Carlos Alcaraz (57). With the chance to close out the year with the most wins, Felix comes into the season final’s event with deep confidence.

There have been countless game-changing moments in the 50-year history of the ATP. It is only fitting they are being celebrated at the prestigious Nitto ATP Finals, where the best players in the world will compete from 13-20 November.

ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP CEO Massimo Calvelli, Mayor of Turin Stefano Lo Russo and Councillor for Sport of the city of Turin Domenico Carretta visited a special ATP 50 installation Friday to commemorate 50 game-changing moments.

“The game of tennis has a rich heritage and has never stood still. It’s a privilege to reflect on ATP’s 50-year journey, the people that made it possible and the diversity of our global game," Gaudenzi said. "It serves as an incredible foundation for the road ahead. Sharing this moment with our fans in Turin, through the ATP 50 installation, is a special way to lead into this year's Nitto ATP Finals.” 

The installation is located next to the Piazza San Carlo, open for fans to learn more about everything from tennis’ first rockstar, Bjorn Borg, to Pete Sampras’ six consecutive year-end No. 1 finishes and the history of the Nitto ATP Finals.

Both tennis fans and locals walking past took the time to look at the life-size displays, which feature images from the 50 moments and descriptive text in English and Italian to explain them.

#NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima will aim to reach the title match at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals Friday when he plays Jack Draper.

The 21-year-old, who lifted his maiden tour-level trophy in his home city of San Diego in September, soared through the Green Group in Milan, holding a 3-0 record. Ahead of his blockbuster clash against British lefty Draper, Nakashima caught up with ATPTour.com to discuss his interest in engineering, admiration for Tom Brady and more.

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If you weren’t a tennis player, what job would you want and why?
If I wasn't a tennis player, I would probably have a job in computer science or engineering.

Those were always my favourite subjects in school when I was younger. I would say something along those lines. I'm still interested in it now. I try to still keep on track with those subjects and just try to learn stuff every day.

A four-time tour-level champion in 2022, Novak Djokovic is eager to round his year off with a flourish at the Nitto ATP Finals.

“[It would be] a perfect ending [to the season],” Djokovic told ATP Media on Friday. “The cherry on the cake, for sure, but it’s a long way. It’s a long week."

The Serbian is excited by the challenge of taking on seven of the ATP Tour’s finest in Turin as he bids to equal Roger Federer’s record of six Nitto ATP Finals crowns.

“You’ve got to play the best players in the world [here],” said Djokovic. “You have to play more or less everyone in this tournament at least once, so I look forward to it. I’ve had experience in this tournament, in this format, many times and hopefully that can serve me in a good way.”

The prestigious season finale represents a unique stop on the ATP Tour, both on and off the court. The round-robin format guarantees each a player a minimum of three matches in Turin, while Djokovic has also been impressed with the buzz that has overtaken the Italian city as eight of the world’s best players gather to do battle at the Pala Alpitour.

Set for his first competitive appearance in Turin, Rafael Nadal is hoping a change of scenery will help him recapture his best form at the Nitto ATP Finals.

"First time for me in Turin. That's something that is great because in the end, we know different places, we are able to live different experiences, different types of fans," he said of the event, which is being played for the second time in Northern Italy after 12 years in London.

"London has been unforgettable, great. Now Turin. The Italian crowd is super passionate. So I'm very excited about enjoying this [Nitto ATP] Finals here in Turin. Hopefully that gives me some positive feelings."

[ATP APP]

After a personal-best start to the 2022 season, which included 20 straight wins and a record-breaking Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, Nadal has played just one tour-level singles match since the US Open as he became a father for the first time and recovered from some of the injuries he's struggled with this season.

Jiri Lehcka began the season at No. 141 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, having never won a tour-level match. Eleven months on and the Czech – who has captured 12 tour-level victories in 2022 – is No. 74 and is set to face Swiss lefty Dominic Stricker on Friday in the semi-finals at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals.

This year, the 21-year-old soared to the semi-finals as a qualifier in Rotterdam before he captured an ATP Challenger Tour crown on home soil in Liberec. His impressive results helped Lehecka qualify for the 21-and-under event in Milan, where he has flourished this week.

While the focus has been on the Czech star, the foundations put in place by coach Michal Navratil have been crucial in Lehecka’s success. Navratil is a prominent member of the 21-year-old’s team, with the pair having worked together for four years.

The Czech coach has worked alongside Tomas Berdych, Jiri Vesley and Adam Pavlasek during his time on Tour and is now using his experience to develop Lehecka's game.

Ahead of his charge's semi-final against Stricker, Navratil spoke to ATPTour.com about the event in Milan, Lehecka’s development and personality, and much more.

The eight 2022 Nitto ATP Finals singles competitors gathered on Friday at Turin’s Gallerie d’Italia, an art gallery located on the city’s renowned Piazza San Carlo, for the season finale's official group photo. 

Rafael Nadal, Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz will compete in Green Group, with Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Novak Djokovic drawn together in Red Group for the round-robin stage. Play begins on Sunday, when Ruud takes on Auger-Aliassime and Nadal meets Fritz.

The photoshoot was part of media day for the prestigious season finale. The players also spoke to local and international media ahead of next week’s action at the Pala Alpitour, Italy’s largest indoor arena. 

Nadal and Tsitsipas will try to capture year-end No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings from Carlos Alcaraz, while Djokovic seeks a record-tying sixth Nitto ATP Finals trophy. 

Singles and doubles stars at this year's Nitto ATP Finals came together Thursday night at Nuvola Lavazza in Turin for the official tournament gala dinner. Former champions Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas joined fellow 2022 qualifiers Rafael Nadal, Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Andrey Rublev and Taylor Fritz to meet with VIPs and tournament partners. The game's best eight doubles teams were also on hand for the evening.

The players will come together again on Friday for the official group portrait and other media commitments. The tournament begins Sunday 13 November and runs through 20 November, when the champion of champions will be crowned.

Nadal and Tsitsipas both have a chance to finish the year as No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, with current No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz forced to withdraw from the event through injury.

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Photos: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour

After three days of group play at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, the semi-finals are set for Friday in Milan.

Group winners Brandon Nakashima and Dominic Stricker will both look to take their strong form into the knockout rounds after finishing the round-robin stage with perfect 3-0 records. The American will face Jack Draper in a Top 50 showdown while Stricker meets Jiri Lehecka, with both second-place finishers securing their progress with wins on Thursday.

We look ahead with previews of both marquee matchups at the Allianz Cloud.

[ATP APP]

[4] Brandon Nakashima (USA) vs. [3] Jack Draper (GBR)

One of two returning players in Milan, along with Lorenzo Musetti, Nakashima has matched his 2021 result at the 21-and-under event by reaching the semis. Set to age out of the competition next season, the experienced American has attacked this year's event with great purpose. He enters his meeting with Draper on the heels of seven consecutive sets won; after a five-set victory against Italy's Matteo Arnaldi in his opening match, he scored straight-sets wins against Lehecka and Francesco Passaro to seal his place atop the Green Group.

The groups for the 2023 United Cup were revealed Thursday.

Spain and Australia are both in Group D in Sydney, where Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios are set to play in an early-season blockbuster. Those two countries will be joined by Great Britain.

The United States, Germany and the Czech Republic will also compete at Ken Rosewall Arena in Group C action, featuring an intriguing clash between Jessica Pegula and Petra Kvitova.

In Brisbane, WTA World No. 1 Iga Swiatek will face off against Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in Group A, which features Poland, Switzerland and one other qualifier, to be determined 21 November. Australia’s northernmost State capital will also feature a clash between Casper Ruud and Matteo Berrettini in Group E, which comprises Norway, Italy and Brazil.

In Perth, Group A will feature Greece, spearheaded by Top 5 duo Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari, Belgium and a sixth ATP-qualified country and Group F will pit France, Croatia and Argentina against one another.

In a blockbuster winner-takes-all clash at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals Thursday, it was Jack Draper who stepped up and delivered, defeating Italian Lorenzo Musetti 4-1, 4-0, 4-3(3) to reach the semi-finals in Milan.

Draper and Musetti headed into the match holding a 1-1 record in the Red Group, knowing only a win would be enough for them to join Dominic Stricker in the last four. In front of a packed Italian crowd, Draper produced a ruthless display to silence the home supporters, punching holes in the Musetti defence with his fierce groundstrokes to advance.

“Yesterday I played a bit better than my first match and then today I really hit some form,” Draper said. “I played well, served great. Lorenzo is a great player and he may have been a bit tired after his match yesterday, but I am glad with the way I played today.”

The 20-year-old, who is making his debut at the 21-and-under event, flew out of the blocks, hitting his flat backhand through the court. The Italian, who took a tumble at the start of the second set, was unable to handle Draper’s aggressive forehand and swinging lefty serve, with the Briton overpowering the Italian to earn his 19th tour-level win of the season.

“I like crowds, if they are with me or not," Draper said. "This is what I have wanted to do when younger. I wanted to entertain people. This is why I train every day.”

With his position atop the Red Group already secured at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, Dominic Stricker stayed red-hot on Thursday in Milan with his third victory in as many days. The Swiss earned a 4-2, 4-1, 4-2 victory against Chun-Hsin Tseng to maintain his perfect record in the group stage, finalising at 3-0.

"It was not easy for me to come out here and play my best again because mentally, of course you're already thinking a bit more of tomorrow, of the semis," Stricker said post-match. "But I think handled it very well, I played a great match and I'm super happy with my performance. Now I can think all about tomorrow."

He will next face Jiri Lehecka, who finished in second place in the Green Group, in Friday's semi-finals.

Each of the first eight sets Stricker played were decided by tie-breaks, including all five against Italy's Lorenzo Musetti on Wednesday evening. But the 20-year-old quickly broke that pattern against Tseng in a match he dominated from start to finish.

Stricker broke at the first opportunity in each set and did not face a break point in sets two and three. The opening set was the most competitive, with Tseng closing to 2-3 by converting on his fifth break point, only to surrender serve — and the set — in the very next game.