Novak Djokovic to withdraw from ATP Finals, Leylah Fernandez to end title drought at Tokyo Open? 3 predictions for tennis this week
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and other top players dominated the conversation last week with their antics at the Six Kings Slam, an exhibition event in Saudi Arabia. Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz to claim the $6 million paycheck that came with the title.
While the field for the WTA Finals is locked in, the men will continue their bid to qualify for the ATP Finals in Vienna and Basel this week. Alcaraz, Sinner, and Alexander Zverev are the only three players to have officially qualified for the same until now.
With another week of tennis already underway, here are some predictions on how things could unfold in the coming days:
Novak Djokovic ends his bid to qualify for the ATP Finals
Novak Djokovic's decision to withdraw from the Paris Masters has come as a little bit of a surprise, considering that he is the defending champion. He did reach the final of the Shanghai Masters, and even though he lost to Sinner, it boosted his chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals. He is currently sixth in the Race to Turin with 3,910 points.
However, Djokovic's decision to skip the Paris Masters opens up the door for other players to surpass him. Casper Ruud is currently only 65 points behind him and will move ahead of him if he wins a couple of matches in Basel, where he is currently competing.
Djokovic has a 250-point lead over Andrey Rublev, who could leapfrog him with a title in Vienna by the end of this week. He would still be in eighth place, though other players could surpass him next week. With 1000 points up for grabs in Paris, his lead over other players far behind him isn't safe either.
A deep run in Paris could've set up Djokovic to qualify for the ATP Finals, where he could have defended his title. However, he did mention a while ago that these tournaments are not his priority at this point in his career.
Now that Djokovic has pulled out of the Paris Masters, it would make sense that he also pulls out of the ATP Finals, even if he does make the cut for it. A long off-season would help him mount a strong challenge for his 25th Major crown next year. The Serb's bid to claim one this year proved to be futile, though winning the Olympic gold was a worthwhile tradeoff.
Leylah Fernandez wins her first title of the season at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo
Leylah Fernandez has had some good results this season, though she's yet to lay her hands on a winner's trophy. With only a few tournaments left before the season ends, time is running out for her to do so. The closest she came to winning a title this year was in Eastbourne, where she lost to Daria Kasatkina in the final.
Fernandez wrapped up last season on a high, with a title in Hong Kong, a semifinal in Nanchang, and later a victory at the Billie Jean King Cup with her compatriots. She will aim to channel that same form as the season draws to a close. She is currently participating in the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and advanced to the second round with a win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
The Canadian will face Varvara Gracheva in the second round and could be up against Zheng Qinwen in the quarterfinals. She lost to the Chinese in Wuhan a couple of weeks ago, though she did beat her in Doha back in February. Diana Shnaider could be her semifinal foe, with Kasatkina waiting for her in the final. These are definitely some strong opponents but Fernandez has the game to beat them all to capture her first title of the year.
Tommy Paul makes his top 10 debut
Tommy Paul captured his third title of the season at last week's Stockholm Open. He's currently ranked No. 12, and a deep run in Vienna, where he's participating this week, and some other results going his way, he could crack the top 10 of the ATP rankings for the first time.
Paul has performed well in the subsequent tournament after winning a title this year. He reached the Delray Beach Open final after winning the Dallas Open, and the Wimbledon quarterfinals after his title in Eastbourne. A deep run in Vienna isn't out of the question given his record this year.
A title in Vienna would put Paul in the top 10, provided Alex de Minaur and Stefanos Tsitsipas both crash out early. Even if he fails to break into the region this week, a good showing at the Paris Masters could help him achieve the feat.