Who will join Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz at 2022 ATP Finals? A look at the contenders
Novak Djokovic sealed the fifth spot at the ATP Finals in Turin courtesy of his Astana Open win, leaving just three spots up for grabs to complete the line-up. Djokovic joined Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, and Stefanos Tsitsipas as the players to have booked their tickets for next month's season finale.
It's all to play for in October with as many as 10 players still in contention for the final three qualification places in the eight-player tournament. The top eight players in the ATP Rankings Race to Turin will qualify for the 2022 ATP Finals.
While Djokovic is still in 10th place in the Race to Turin, he has officially qualified as he will remain in the Top 20 regardless of the results after Paris. A top 20 berth is enough for a player to qualify for the ATP Finals if he has won a Grand Slam tournament during the season. Meanwhile, Nadal has not officially confirmed whether he will play in Turin, but he is expected to do so and has been seen in intense training sessions recently at his academy in Manacor.
Many events are scheduled leading up to the Paris Masters for the remaining contenders to clinch the final three spots. The Swiss Indoors Basel and the Vienna Open, both ATP 500 events, are the biggest opportunities, along with the Paris Masters - the final Masters 1000 event this season. But who are the contenders to qualify for the ATP Finals?
Who are the favorites to join Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz at ATP Finals?
Daniil Medvedev currently holds fifth place (effectively sixth as Djokovic has qualified) in the Race to Turin with 3,555 points. The former World No. 1 retired from his Astana Open semifinal against Djokovic due to an injury, but is the favorite to clinch the sixth spot at the ATP Finals if he plays anytime this month and at the Paris Masters.
Just behind Medvedev is his compatriot Andrey Rublev with 3,235 points. Rublev currently has a sizeable lead over Taylor Fritz in seventh place (2,885 points) in the Race to Turin, and the two players are favorites to seal the final two places as things stand. The American is the 'man in form' and put himself in serious contention to make the ATP Finals for the first time in his career by winning the Japan Open last week.
Felix Auger-Aliassime currently sits just outside the cut-off spot but, with 2,860 points, he is only 25 points behind Fritz. Hubert Hurkacz (2,725 points) and Alexander Zverev (2,700) are next in line. However, Zverev's participation in any of the remaining tournaments this season is in serious doubt as he is still recovering from an injury.
Can the likes of Cameron Norrie, Jannik Sinner, and Matteo Berrettini qualify for ATP Finals?
Medvedev, Rublev, Fritz, Auger-Aliassime, and Hurkacz are statistically the top contenders for the final three spots in the ATP Finals, alongside the likes of Djokovic and Nadal. However, they will face stiff competition from Cameron Norrie, Jannik Sinner, Pablo Carreno Busta, and Matteo Berrettini over the next few weeks.
Norrie is currently 12th in the Race to Turin with 2,365 points and is 520 points behind Fritz, who effectively holds the eighth and final spot. Just behind Norrie are Sinner (2,310), Canadian Open champion Carreno Busta (2,270), and Berrettini (2,225).
There are five ATP 250 tournaments before the Vienna Open, Swiss Indoors Basel, and the Paris Masters. Among the contenders, Rublev has a strong chance to bag some more points this week as he is the top seed at the Gijon Open. Meanwhile, Auger-Aliassime and Berrettini are in action at the Firenze Open this week.
However, all contenders will set their sights on the Swiss Indoors Basel, Vienna Open, and the Paris Masters, with most points up for grabs at those events.