Sinner and Alcaraz headline the ATP Finals with Djokovic out

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are poised to adhd different introduction into their quickly processing rivalry erstwhile nan ATP Finals unfastened connected Sunday without immoderate of nan Big Three for nan first clip successful 23 years.

The top-ranked Sinner and No. 3 Alcaraz evenly divided nan year’s Grand Slam titles betwixt them pinch 2 apiece and it would beryllium fitting if nan brace meet again successful Turin.

Sinner and Alcaraz were placed successful different groups successful Thursday's draw.

The Ilie Nastase Group features Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur.

The John Newcombe Group features Alexander Zverev, Alcaraz, Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev.

After nan round-robin stage, nan apical 2 finishers successful each group beforehand to nan semifinals.

The large sanction missing is that of defending champion Novak Djokovic, who withdrew connected Tuesday owed to an unspecified injury.

Not since 2001 has nan finals been held without astatine slightest 1 of Djokovic, Roger Federer aliases Rafael Nadal. This play besides was nan first since 2002 without astatine slightest 1 Grand Slam title for a personnel of that trio.

Djokovic has won nan ATP Finals a record 7 times. He hit Sinner successful nan last past year.

Federer, who retired successful 2022, won nan arena six times aft making his debut successful 2002; Nadal, who is retiring aft playing successful nan Davis Cup nan week aft finals, was nan runner-up doubly astatine nan finals but ne'er won it.

Sinner withdrew from past week’s Paris Masters owed to a microorganism and showed up early successful Turin for training.

“This is for maine nan main arena of nan extremity of nan year,” Sinner said.

As an Italian, Sinner will beryllium nan main attraction of attention successful Turin.

It’s nan first clip Sinner is playing astatine location since it was announced earlier his U.S. Open title that he tested affirmative successful 2 abstracted supplier tests this year.

A determination to clear Sinner of wrongdoing was appealed by nan World Anti-Doping Agency successful September and nan Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport is expected to make a last ruling connected nan lawsuit early adjacent year.

Sinner opened this twelvemonth by winning nan Australian Open to go nan first Italian man to triumph a Grand Slam singles title successful astir a half-century — since Adriano Panatta raised nan French Open trophy successful 1976.

Alcaraz past claimed nan French Open and Wimbledon titles to raise his profession full to 4 Grand Slams.

Sinner responded by winning nan U.S. Open.

Alcaraz won each three charismatic meetings pinch Sinner this twelvemonth and holds a 6-4 advantage successful their profession head-to-head rivalry. Last month, Sinner hit Alcaraz successful nan Six Kings Slam accumulation successful Saudi Arabia.

The only 2 players successful nan section to person won nan finals are Zverev and Medvedev.

Zverev won successful London successful 2018 and successful Turin successful 2021; Medvedev triumphed successful 2020, nan last twelvemonth nan arena was held successful London.

Zverev enters successful coagulated shape coming disconnected a title astatine nan Paris Masters and leapfrogged Alcaraz into No. 2 successful nan rankings this week.

Fritz is looking to adhd different large consequence aft his maiden Grand Slam last astatine nan U.S. Open; Ruud was a finalist successful 2022; De Minaur is making his tourney debut; and Rublev is making his 5th consecutive appearance.

If a subordinate wins each 5 of his matches en way to nan trophy, he will gain $4.8 cardinal — nan largest winner’s prize connected nan men’s tour.

That’s importantly much than what Sinner and Alcaraz earned for their victories astatine nan U.S. Open ($3.6 million) and Wimbledon (2.7 cardinal pounds aliases $3.45 million) this year.

___

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis