ATP Finals 2022: Men's singles group analysis, preview & prediction ft. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal
The Pala Alpitour will once play host to the top eight men's players of the season — including Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic — as they gear up to compete for the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals crown. The season-ending tournament is scheduled to be played in Turin between November 13 and 20.
This year's edition of the ATP Finals will see the participation of three former champions — Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and five-time winner Djokovic. Also in the mix are returning players Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud, as well as debutants in the form of Taylor Fritz and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The field is set. Are you ready?
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The draw for the tournament was released earlier today, with players being divided into two pools — Green Group and Red Group. With round-robin action set to get underway on Monday, here's a look at the prospects of the players in the fray:
Green Group - Rafael Nadal eyes a first ATP Finals title
The ATP Finals is the only big title that remains missing from Rafael Nadal's trophy cabinet. While the Spaniard has come close on a couple of occasions, he has not quite been able to crack the code to win the year-end championships.
Luckily for him, the draw has put him in a comfortable spot heading into this year's edition. Nadal has lost just one match in total against fellow players - Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud and Felix Auger-Aliassime - in the group.
The one loss did, however, come against Fritz earlier this year on the hardcourts of Indian Wells. Stepping out against the American, Nadal — who has had virtually no match practice leading up to the tournament — will need to be extra careful. If fully fit, Nadal will be a heavy favorite against Ruud and Auger-Aliassime.
For Ruud, who springed up a few surprises in last year's edition, the road once again looks precarious. Besides Nadal, the Norwegian finds himself up against two players who are extremely comfortable on the indoor hardcourts. He will need to find something special once again to book a spot in the knockout rounds.
The match between Auger-Aliassime and Fritz — provided that they both beat Ruud — could then be the most crucial in the group. Both men have shown flashes of brilliance this season and a big breakthrough here in Turin could springboard them to greater success in 2023.
Predicted semifinalists: Rafael Nadal and Taylor Fritz
Red Group - Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev look to recapture season-ending crown
Novak Djokovic will be looking to put the disappointment of a final loss in Paris behind him as he begins the pursuit to a sixth ATP Finals crown, which will bring him level with Roger Federer.
The Serb has landed in a fiercely-competitive group, with the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas standing in his path to the knockout rounds.
All three men have troubled Djokvovic in the past, but only one of them — Rublev has managed to score a win over the five-time winner this year. The Serb has a comfortable 3-0 record to boast of against Tsitipas in 2022, while his only match against Medvedev ended in retirement for the Russian.
Djokovic's season itself has been full of hits and misses and he will be eyeing to finish strong. If the Serb's performances in his last three tournaments — where he reached the final on each occasion — are anything to go by, he is looking as formidable an opponent as ever.
Both Medvedev and Tsitsipas have lifted the ATP Finals crown in the past and have what it takes to go all the way. Their form leading up to this year's tournament, however, tells two different tales.
While Tsitsipas continues to impress with his consistency at the very top of the game, Medevedev has been quite volatile. Since his fourth-round exit at the US Open, the Russian has lifted the title in Vienna, but has also suffered opening-round exits in Moselle and Paris.
A lot will depend on the sort of tennis that Medvedev manages to produce in Turin. He does possess a mastery over countryman Rublev, who, in a jarring stat, has fared better against Djokovic than he has against his other group members.
Rublev's power-packed game is tailor-made for the conditions, but he has hardly ever produced his best tennis at the back end of the year. It then leaves the room wide open for both Medvedev and Tsitsipas.
Predicted semifinalists: Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas
Semifinals predictions
Stefanos Tsitsipas (2nd in Green Group) def. Rafael Nadal (1st in Green Group)
Novak Djokovic (1st in Red Group) def. Taylor Fritz (2nd in Green Group)
Prediction for the final
Novak Djokovic def. Stefanos Tsitsipas