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Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury may not win a multitude of titles in a season, but the trophies they earn usually come at the most prestigious events the sport has to offer. So beware of this pair at the Nitto ATP Finals, where last year they went all the way to the final, falling just short against Frenchmen Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut. Expect another big run in Turin this year.

A standout 32-14 record this season has helped Ram and Salisbury qualify for their fourth appearance together at the Nitto ATP Finals. So they come into this year's season finale with strong form and deep confidence.

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“It’s [at the] top of my list as far as favourite events to play,” Ram told ATPTour.com “It’s such a special event to qualify for. We’ve been lucky enough to play it a few times, lost a tough one in the final last year. Just how tennis in general gets showcased, anytime we get to play it’s definitely an honour.”

The American-British team, who are No. 2 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, collected three titles this year and continued their trend of winning ‘the big ones’, including triumphing at the ATP Masters 1000 events in Monte Carlo and Cincinnati.

When Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios met in the opening round of the US Open, Kyrgios described it as ‘one of the most uncomfortable matches’ of his career. This time around, the Australians are set to compete in a more comfortable setting: doubles partners at the season-finale Nitto ATP Finals.

Kokkinakis and Kyrgios have always thrived on the big stage and the Aussie pair is anticipating bright lights yet again, this time in Turin, Italy.

“It’s [going to be] a pretty awesome experience,” Kokkinakis said. “I don’t think it’s something we expected coming into the year. To do it with such a good mate, there’s going to be good energy out there.”

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Kokkinakis and Kyrgios made the best possible use of a wild card at the Australian Open, where they collected their maiden major title. In front of an energised crowd in Rod Laver Arena, the pair won the all-Aussie clash between Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell, 7-5, 6-4.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has more than just a title at stake at next week’s Nitto ATP Finals. The Greek star controls his destiny in the battle for the year-end No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Ranking.

If the 24-year-old wins the season finale without losing a match, he will climb to World No. 1 for the first time and finish the year atop men’s tennis’ mountain. However, if Tsitsipas does not go 5-0 at the Pala Alpitour in Turin, he will open the door for Rafael Nadal to return to top spot.

The Spaniard can accomplish the feat by winning the title. If Tsitsipas does not leave Turin as an undefeated champion, Nadal can also return to World No. 1 by advancing to the final after winning all three of his round-robin matches.

Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings

Player	Points
1) Carlos Alcaraz	6,820
2) Rafael Nadal	5,820
3) Stefanos Tsitsipas	5,350

Nadal has finished year-end No. 1 five times previously, most recently in 2019. Accomplishing the feat again this year would put the Spaniard in joint-second for most year-end No. 1 finishes in Pepperstone ATP Rankings history (since 1973) with Pete Sampras (6).

Fans are well accustomed to Lorenzo Musetti's magical backhand, deft touch and explosive forehand, with the Italian soaring to tour-level titles in Hamburg and Naples this season.

But what is the 20-year-old like off court? ATPTour.com caught up with the World No. 23 in Milan to discuss his cooking skills, acting dreams and more...

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If you weren’t a tennis player, what job would you want and why?
I would be an actor. I don’t know if I would be good or not. But when I was a kid there was tennis or acting. I tried some theatre stuff when I was at school. But I was better at tennis.

If you could have dinner with three people, who would they be and why?
I would pick Roger Federer. He is my idol in tennis. Then Al Pacino. He is one of my favourite actors. And probably Tedua, that's a famous Italian singer. I also have one of his songs tattooed on my rib. I have huge respect for him. It would be a good atmosphere.

Brandon Nakashima passed his Italian test with flying colours on Thursday, defeating Franceso Passaro 4-3(4), 4-2, 4-1 to reach the semi-finals at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals.

The American won his opening two Green Group matches in Milan, but knew a straight-sets defeat against Passaro would see him bundled out of the tournament at the expense of the 21-year-old.

However, as he has done throughout the season, Nakashima produced a resilient performance, overcoming Passaro and the crowd at the Allianz Cloud to secure victory after 61 minutes.

“I know he has had a great year this year. I thought my level was really high today,” Nakashima said. “It was nice to see it carrying over from yesterday. To come out and play like that was super special.”

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Jiri Lehecka advanced to the semi-finals at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals Thursday when he dispatched Italian Matteo Arnaldi 4-3(5), 4-1, 4-3(4) in Milan.

The 21-year-old was locked in throughout the 77-minute clash at the Allianz Cloud, hitting with explosive power and consistency on his forehand. The Czech pinned Arnaldi behind the baseline, outlasting the Italian in the longer exchanges to triumph.

“I am super happy that I won today,” Lehecka said. “Matteo has been playing incredibly this week. He has the level to play here, so it was a very good win for me today. When I came here, my goal was to qualify for the semi-finals and then anything can happen. I am looking forward to tomorrow.”

Lehecka was aggressive throughout, hitting 27 per cent of his shots in attack, well above the Tour average of 23 per cent.

Lehecka ends Green Group holding a 2-1 record, having defeated Francesco Passaro and lost to Brandon Nakashima earlier this week. The Czech is the second player to qualify for the semi-finals, joining Red Group winner Dominic Stricker, who qualified following his victory against Lorenzo Musetti.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will not be in the same Nitto ATP Finals group, it was revealed at the draw Thursday.

Nadal is the top seed at the year-end championships for the fifth time. The Spaniard, this year's Australian Open and Roland Garros champion, will try to lift the season finale trophy for the first time. The lefty leads Green Group alongside Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz.

Seventh seed Novak Djokovic will try to make history at the Pala Alpitour. The five-time champion can tie Roger Federer's record of six Nitto ATP Finals titles. Stefanos Tsitsipas tops Red Group with Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev. 

Three former Nitto ATP Finals titlists are in the field: Djokovic, Medvedev and Tsitsipas. The draw was held at Intesa Sanpaolo Headquarters in Turin.

SINGLES

British lefty Jack Draper has done his talking on the court this season, earning victories against Stefanos Tsitsipas and Felix Auger-Aliassime en route to his current career-high No. 41 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

The 20-year-old is competing at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals this week, earning his maiden match win on Wednesday. But what is Draper like off-court? ATPTour.com caught up with him to find out.

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If you weren’t a tennis player, what job would you want and why?
I would be a detective. I've always been fascinated by crime. In a good way, of course. I feel like it would be quite an adrenaline rush of a job. And I like that sort of stuff. I like a lot of crime shows, but I've got nothing left to watch. I think I've completed it.

If you could have dinner with three people, who would they be and why?
There are a lot of controversial ones in there. I'd probably say Donald Trump. Conor McGregor. feel like we've got to have a comedian in there as well to liven it up a bit. So, I'd probably say Jimmy Carr. I think Trump and McGregor are fascinating people. They obviously got to the pinnacle of what they've done. Very successful. I just think it would be a lot of fun.

Matteo Arnaldi is one of three Italians competing at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals this week after enjoying an impressive season.

The 21-year-old, who captured his first ATP Challenger Tour title in May, has shown promise in his opening two matches in Milan, pushing Brandon Nakashima and Francesco Passaro to five sets.

Ahead of his final round-robin match against Jiri Lehecka, Arnaldi spoke to ATPTour.com about his love for skiing, his idols and much more…

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If you weren’t a tennis player, what job would you want and why?
A swimmer, for sure. Every time I go to a hotel with a swimming pool, I always go swimming. It’s the first thing I do. When I’m home at the beach, I swim. I don’t like to watch [swimming] but I like to swim.

After a dramatic Day 2 which saw two matches decided in final-set tie-breaks at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, Thursday's play promises more thrills, with three semi-final places still up for grabs in Milan.

Lorenzo Musetti and Jack Draper will close round-robin play with a winner-takes-all showdown in the Red Group, where the undefeated Dominic Stricker has already clinched first place. Brandon Nakashima is also a perfect 2-0, but could still be pipped by Jiri Lehecka and Francesco Passaro in the Green Group for a place in the semis. Matteo Arnaldi also has a potential path into the knockout rounds.

With several qualifying scenarios in play, a high-stakes day of tennis is on tap at the Allianz Cloud.

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Dominic Stricker became the first player to book his spot in the semi-finals at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals Wednesday when he overcame Lorenzo Musetti 4-3(5), 4-3(6), 3-4(7), 3-4(6), 4-3(3) in a late-night Milan thriller.

The Swiss lefty downed Jack Draper in his opening match on debut in Milan and backed up that win with an aggressive performance against Italian Musetti. Stricker struck his topspin forehand with precision and showcased his fighting spirit, saving two set points in the second-set tie-break before eventually triumphing after two hours and 28 minutes.

The lefty squandered one match point in the third-set tie-break, but regrouped to hold his nerve in the decider, blasting an array of winners to upset the home favourite Musetti in a match that will go down in tournament history.

The seventh seed Stricker now holds a 2-0 record in the Red Group and has qualified for Friday's semi-finals. Musetti will take on Draper on Thursday in the Red Group in a winner-takes-all clash at the Allianz Cloud, with both going 1-1 in their opening matches.

The 21-and-under event plays host to a range of rules and innovations that are not used at tour-level events. One of those is the video review system, which came into force for the first time this week during the clash to see whether Musetti had volleyed the ball before it crossed the net. The outcome indicated Musetti had not.

A star-studded field has been named for the inaugural United Cup, an annual mixed team event set to be played in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney from Thursday 29 December to Sunday 8 January 2023.

Entries from the top 16 countries have been announced today, with Team Greece, led by world No.3 Stefanos Tsitsipas and [6] Maria Sakkari named as the top seeds.

World No.1 Iga Swiatek and [11] Hubert Hurkacz will lead No.2-seeded Poland, with third seeded United States featuring a wealth of talent, including world No.3 Jessica Pegula, ninth-ranked Taylor Fritz, world No.11 Madison Keys and the charismatic showman, world No.19 Frances Tiafoe.

The legendary Rafael Nadal will team up with world No.13 Paula Badosa to fly the flag for Spain, while emerging tennis powerhouse Italy will star world No.16 Matteo Berrettini and Martina Trevisan.

France rounds out the top six seeds, led by WTA Finals winner and world No.4 Caroline Garcia and Arthur Rinderknech.

Jack Draper held firm in the face of a strong start from Chun-Hsin Tseng on Wednesday at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, where the Briton completed a 1-4, 4-2, 4-3(2), 4-2 round-robin victory.

It was a crucial win for the 20-year-old as he seeks to progress to the semi-finals on debut at the 21-and-under season finale. Draper now owns a 1-1 record in Red Group, and he was delighted with the way he had bounced back against Tseng, having fallen to Dominic Stricker in his opening match.

“I thought Stricker played an amazing match yesterday, so all credit to him,” said Draper after his 93-minute triumph against Tseng. “I maybe wasn’t at my best, but I thought he played an exceptionally good match so it was tough to go to sleep last night knowing that I played OK and still lost.

“Today I knew it would be a really tough match and I came out a bit slow but I had a good talking to myself and tried to really find a way. I was able to do that today so I’m really happy.”

A rapid opening saw Tseng strike the ball more consistently than Draper in the pair's first tour-level meeting. The 21-year-old from Chinese Taipei stayed solid to nullify his opponent’s power and clinched the only break of a 17-minute first set as the quicker shot clock (just 15 seconds if the server hits an ace, a double fault or if the returner misses the return through forced or unforced error) contributed to the intense speed of the match.

Brandon Nakashima is on a roll once again at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals.

The 2021 semi-finalist moved to a 2-0 record at this year’s edition of the 21-and-under season finale with a commanding 4-1, 4-3(2), 4-2 victory against Jiri Lehecka on Wednesday in Milan.

With the unique first-to-four-games set format in place, Nakashima’s destructive early hitting earned him the first set in just 17 minutes at the Allianz Cloud. The fourth seed’s forehand remained a particularly potent weapon throughout his first tour-level meeting with Lehecka, who recovered a 1-3 deficit to force a second-set tie-break. The 20-year-old Czech then led 2-0 in the third set, but was unable to maintain the pressure on his free-flowing opponent.

“Going into it, I knew it was going to be another tough match for sure,” said Nakashima after his 69-minute victory. “He plays a very solid game, very flat, a very progressive game, so I knew I had to minimise the errors on my side and try to be aggressive off the first ball as much as possible. I thought I did that pretty well today, so [I am] happy to get the win.”

Nakashima struck 21 winners, including seven aces, and converted four of 10 break points during his victory. He later credited his hard-fought five-set win over Matteo Arnaldi on Tuesday with helping him hit his stride against Lehecka.

Rafael Nadal has hit the ground running in Turin. The legendary Spaniard practised on Wednesday at the Pala Alpitour ahead of the Nitto ATP Finals with first-time qualifier Taylor Fritz of the United States.

Nadal is a 17-time qualifier for the season finale. The 36-year-old, who will pursue his first title at the event next week, was thumping forehands on Centre Court in preparation for the year-end championships.

"It's always great news to be playing the last event of the year. That says that you had a great season, so I'm excited," Nadal said. "Italy is a very close country for me. Being in Turin for the first time in my life, it's a new experience, so I'm very happy for that and i'm looking forward to seeing the stadium and the fans. I'll try my best as always."

This year's Australian Open and Roland Garros champion was training under the watchful eyes of his coaching staff, including Carlos Moya, Francisco Roig and Marc Lopez. Across the net was Fritz, the man he played in the final of this year's BNP Paribas Open and his coach, Michael Russell.

It has been a breakthrough season for the American, who cracked the Top 10 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time on 10 October after lifting the trophy in Tokyo.

Italian Francesco Passaro staged a remarkable comeback at the Intesa Sanpaolo ATP Finals Wednesday, saving three match points to claw past countryman Matteo Arnaldi 4-3(7), 2-4, 3-4(4), 4-3(4), 4-3(8) in Milan.

In a dramatic clash, Passaro rallied from 1-3 in the fourth set as he overcame heavy cramping to win the set in the tie-break. With his movement limited, the 21-year-old then rallied from a break down in the fifth set before saving three match points in the tie-break to triumph after two hours and 38 minutes in one of the best matches in thetournament’s history.

"I am very tired," Passaro said. "It was a really long match and this format I think it is tough and physical. For me it was physical today, with the tension as well, I was cramping. It was not easy. I am really happy to win and I will enjoy."

Passaro, who is making his debut in Milan, has improved to 1-1 in Red Group. He will play fourth-seeded American Brandon Nakashima in his final round-robin match on Thursday.

With just 15 seconds between points following aces or missed returns, both players raced through their service games, while the one sit-down per set rule led to a fast-paced but physically testing encounter.

Chun-Hsin Tseng is making his debut this week at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, where he is just the second Asian player to compete at the event alongside 2017 champion Hyeon Chung.

The 21-year-old, who will face Dominic Stricker on Wednesday, spoke to ATPTour.com about his acting dreams, love for biking and more...

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If you weren’t a tennis player, what job would you do and why?
Probably an actor. I like drama and also I think it's pretty fun to do different stuff in life. I feel as an actor you can travel to so many places and see different things. Learn different things.

If you could have dinner with three people, who would they be and why?
I would choose Roger [Federer]. We have the same birthday and he's a legend of tennis. I think it'll be a great experience to speak to him and ask how he grew up. Then a singer called Jay Chou. I love his music. I listened to his music when I was very young and until now. Most of the time it helped me to get back up when down and it motivates me. Then probably, an actor from China.

Francesco Passaro started the season outside the Top 600 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Eleven months on and the Italian arrives at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals at a career-high No. 119.

The 21-year-old is one of three Italians competing at the event and will be aiming to impress on home soil in Milan. Passaro spoke to ATPTour.com ahead of his second Green Group match, sharing his interests and aims.

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If you weren’t a tennis player, what job would you want and why?
A football player. When I was younger, I played football and [wanted to be] a professional or to be a manager in sports.

If you could have dinner with three people, who would they be and why?
Roger [Federer] Because he is my idol. I mean, he is the god of tennis. Lionel Messi, because of what he's done. The third [would be] an actor. To have a different kind of conversation.

The world’s best players will compete at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin next week, with Rafael Nadal pursuing his first title at the season finale and Novak Djokovic chasing his record-tying sixth.

When is the Nitto ATP Finals?

The 2022 Nitto ATP Finals will be held from 13-20 November. The indoor hard-court event, established in 1970, will take place at the Pala Alpitour in Turin. The tournament director is Adam Hogg.

What is the format & who is playing at the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals?

The event in Turin will see eight players divided into two groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to the semi-finals. Rafael Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Andrey Rublev, Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz will compete.

When is the draw for the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals?

The Turin draw will be made on Thursday 10 November at 12 p.m.

What is the schedule for the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals?

* Main Draw Round-Robin Matches: Sunday 13 November – Friday 18 November. Afternoon session starts at 11:30 a.m. (doubles), 2 p.m. (singles). Evening session not before 6:30 p.m. (doubles), not before 9 p.m. (singles).
* Semi-finals: Saturday 19 November. Afternoon session starts at 11:30 a.m. (doubles), 2 p.m. (singles). Evening session not before 6:30 p.m. (doubles), not before 9 p.m. (singles). 
* Final: Sunday 20 November. Doubles final at 4 p.m. and singles final at 7 p.m. 

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What is the prize money for the Nitto ATP Finals?

The prize money for the Nitto ATP Finals is $14,750,000

Singles
Undefeated Champion: $4,740,300
Final Win: $2,200,400
Semi-Final Win: $1,070,000
Each Round-Robin Match Win: $383,300
Participation Fee: $320,000
Alternate: $150,000

Doubles (per team)
Undefeated Champion: $930,300
Final Win: $350,400
Semi-Final Win: $170,000
Each Round-Robin Match Win: $93,300
Participation Fee: $130,000
Alternate: $50,000

How can I watch the Nitto ATP Finals?

View TV Schedule

How can I follow the Nitto ATP Finals?

Hashtag: #NittoATPFinals
Facebook: Nitto ATP Finals
Twitter: @atptour
Instagram: @nittoatpfinals

Who won the last edition of the Nitto ATP Finals in 2021?

Alexander Zverev won the 2021 singles title in Turin with a 6-4, 6-4 win against Daniil Medvedev in the championship match (Read & Watch).

Who holds the Nitto ATP Finals record for most titles, oldest champion, youngest champion and more?

Most Titles, Singles: Roger Federer (6)
Oldest Champion: Roger Federer, 30, in 2011
Youngest Champion: John McEnroe, 19, in 1978
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1s Ilie Nastase (1973), Jimmy Connors (1977), Bjorn Borg (1979-80), John McEnroe (1984), Ivan Lendl (1985-87), Pete Sampras (1994, 1996-97), Lleyton Hewitt (2002), Roger Federer (2004, 2006-07), Novak Djokovic (2012, 2014-15) and Andy Murray (2016)
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 12 David Nalbandian in 2005
Last Home Champion: Andy Murray in London in 2016
Most Match Wins: Roger Federer (59)

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown