"Great city to host one of the best tournaments in the world" - Novak Djokovic ahead of the ATP Finals 2022 in Turin
Five-time winner Novak Djokovic is looking ahead to the 2022 ATP Finals in Turin that starts on Sunday and hopes to see fans flocking to the Pala Alpitour for the year-end championships.
The former World No. 1 qualified for the season-ending event after winning his 90th career singles title in Astana. At the time, he was not in the Top-8 in the ATP Singles Race but qualified because of being a reigning Grand Slam champion and assured of finishing the year in the Top-20.
Last week, however, Djokovic reached the Paris Masters final (losing to Holger Rune) to qualify for the ATP Finals outright without needing the exemption. The Serb has had a 37-7 season, capturing four titles, including Wimbledon and the Italian Open. He qualified for the ATP Finals despite missing the Australian Open, Indian Wells, Miami and the entire North American hardcourt swing due to his COVID-19 vaccination stance.
Ahead of his 15th campaign at the ATP Finals, the 35-year-old sent a message to his fans in Turin, saying:
Ready for Torino! 🇮🇹💪
@DjokerNole | #NittoATPFinals https://t.co/lnVataxQW5
"Hey guys, hello everyone. Just for the ceremony today, the trophy ceremony. Getting ready to perform. Hopefully, we'll see many of you in the stands in the upcoming days. Beautiful weather here in Torino. Wonderful city. Great city to host one of the best tournaments in the world and the best players in the world."
The Serb is in sparkling form, winning 13 of his last 14 matches, including titles in Tel Aviv and Astana.
Novak Djokovic has two former champions in ATP Finals group
Novak Djokovic has avoided his arch-rival Rafael Nadal in his ATP Finals group (Red group) but has drawn two former champions — Stefanos Tsitsipas (2019) and Daniil Medvedev (2020). Andrey Rublev is the other player in the group.
The 35-year-old has an impressive 41-17 record in the ATP Finals but has not won the competition since winning his fifth title in 2015, beating Roger Federer. Since then, the 21-time Grand Slam champion has fallen short in two finals, with Andy Murray denying him a five-peat in 2016. Two years later, Djokovic was thwarted by Alexander Zverev in his bid for a record-equalling sixth title.
Torino, Italy
Ladies and Gentlemen, your Champions 🏆
📍Torino, Italy
#NittoATPFinals https://t.co/7Me00TSMMR
The World No. 8 holds a positive head-to-head record against two out of the three players in his group — 9-2 against Tsitsipas and 7-4 against Medvedev — while he's 1-1 against Rublev. One of his losses against Medvedev came in the 2020 edition of the ATP Finals.
The Serb could finish in the Top-5 if he goes unbeaten next week, a tall order even for someone of his stature.