The year-ending ATP Finals tournament is set to commence on November 12th in Turin, Italy and in addition to a stellar roster in play at the event, records galore are in line to get equalled or broken during play.
Along with Novak Djokovic’s record-extending seventh ATP Finals title and his dominance at the top of the ATP rankings, two more records are on the line as Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune are set to equal this two-decade-long achievement.
Unique achievement in sight for Alcaraz and Rune at ATP Finals
Tennis is a make-or-break sport, wherein you make it to the top early or you break into the upper echelons of the sport much later in life. In certain cases, prodigies shatter expectations and records when they dominate proceedings at a very young age.
Marat Safin and Lleyton Hewitt were two such tennis professionals who combined to rule the top ten of the ATP rankings in the early 2000s. In the process, they played in the ATP Finals and created a record as the first under-21 players to take part in the prestigious event.
Never since have two under-21 players taken part in the ATP Finals, but this year will change the course of history. Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune, both 20 years of age, will become the first two players aged 21 or less to participate in the mega event since the legendary pair of Hewitt and Safin.
The record is astonishing, as several young players have played at the top but have struggled to maintain their position. Alcaraz and Rune are fierce competitors and are superstars in the making.
Both players head to the ATP Finals, a tournament with high quality and intense competition, in rather unceremonious fashion, as both have struggled recently to produce effective results. Nevertheless, they will know that the tournament is an opportunity to bag important ATP points and play against the biggest players available, so a perfect showing is on the cards.
ATP Finals bring together eight competitors for coveted prize
The Nitto ATP Finals is a year-ending mega tournament where the top eight players from the ATP rankings will be grouped and made to play an eight-day tournament, where the winner will receive the coveted prize of a whopping cash prize, a bucket load of ATP points and a good-looking trophy.
Previous tournaments have been played around the world, from Britain to Spain, and the 2023 event will see the hosts as Turin, Italy. The matches will be played in the multipurpose Olympic stadium, Pala Alpitour, and will feature the top-eight-ranked players.
The players—Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Alexander Zverev and Holger Rune—are grouped into two groups: green and red. They will face each of their group opponents in the round-robin stage before the top two from either pool progress to the semifinals.
Carlos Alcaraz recently sat for an interview with media, where he talked about his debut at the event.
“I am feeling good and we will see how my debut goes in Turin,” he said.
The finals is set to take place on Sunday, November 19 2023 in Turin. The winner will take home $2,201,000 if he loses a round robin match and $4,801,500 if he remains undefeated. Overall, he will take home 1500 ATP points.
What are your opinions on the records set to be broken at the ATP Finals? Let us know in the comments section below.
