World No.1 Novak Djokovic will aim for a sixth coronation at the ATP Finals, the Tennis Masters which will bring together the eight best players of the season in Turin from November 14 to 21. The Serbian, who narrowly missed the grand slam after his defeat in the US Open final, regained his splendor at the ATP Masters 1000 at Paris-Bercy. If he were to win in Piedmont, he would take away his sixth victory, equal Switzerland’s Roger Federer and brilliantly punctuate the best season of his career.The Swiss legend, now 16th in the world, as well as the third player to have twenty grand slam titles the Spaniard Rafael Nadal (ATP 6) will both be absent for the first time since 2016. In 2021, “Djoko” won 5 titles, including 3 in grand slam (plus a final), out of 11 tournaments played. Since Monday, he has broken the records for weeks spent at the top of the hierarchy (347), seasons completed at the top (7). He equaled the record for major titles (20) by winning the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Winner of his 37th ATP Masters 1000 on Sunday in Paris, he holds the record for victories in this category of tournaments. His last Masters title dates back to 2015. His other victories date back to 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2014. To explain this phenomenon Djokovic, 34, explains: “Now, I may no longer have the necessary reserve of energy. at the end of the season “. Which explains, according to him, why the last editions of the Masters were won by younger players. “Dimitrov, Tsitsipas, Zverev, who have won the Masters in recent years, won their first major title there. It was maybe the first, second or third time they had qualified, they were fresh, motivated, n ‘had not much to lose unlike some of us who had been there for a while, “said the Serbian. The only thirty-something present, the Serbian is also one of the smallest players present (1m88). Only the Norwegian Rudd is shorter than him with his “modest” eighty-three meter. Three young rivals of Djokovic do not leave beaten in advance in Turin, which hosts the event for the first time after twelve editions in London. The Russian Daniil Medvedev (25), winner of the Masters 2020, won his first Major in New York, the German Alexander Zverev (24) won two Masters 1000 (Madrid and Cincinnati) as well as the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, and the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (23) won his first Masters 1000 (Monte-Carlo) and led two sets to zero against Djokovic in the final at Roland Garros. The Italian Matteo Berrettini (25), the Wimbledon finalist, the Russian Andrey Rublev, 24 and finalist in Monte-Carlo and Cincinnati this year, and the “rookies” the Polish Hubert Hurkacz, 24, winner in Miami and Federer’s executioner in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and the Norwegian Casper Ruud, 22 and winner of five titles this year, complete the field. Djokovic (ATP 1) will play in the green group along with Stefanos Tsitsipas (ATP 4), Andrey Rublev (ATP 5) and Casper Ruud (ATP 8). The red group is made up of Daniil Medvedev (ATP 2), Alexander Zverev (ATP 3), Matteo Berrettini (ATP 7) and Hubert Hurkacz (ATP 9). Sunday, the program offers Medvedev-Hurkacz, then Zverev-Berrettini. On Monday, Djokovic-Rudd will be followed by Tsitsipas-Rublev. (Belga)
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