Tennis

The Nitto ATP Finals, the prestigious year-end tournament for the top eight players in the world, will culminate the 2024 ATP season in Turin, Italy. This year's field boasts an impressive lineup, including Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Alex De Minaur, and Andrey Rublev.Despite the absence of 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, the tournament promises to be an exhilarating spectacle. Sinner, the runner-up last year, will be eager to triumph on home soil. Alcaraz, who shared this year's Grand Slams with Sinner, will be a formidable contender. Zverev, fresh from his Rolex Paris Masters victory, has consistently performed at the highest level throughout the year.The tournament format consists of two round-robin groups of four players, with the top two from each group advancing to the semifinals. The court conditions in Turin are expected to be extremely fast, favoring big servers and quick-strike baseline play.In the Ilie Nastase Group, Sinner is the clear favorite to emerge. His exceptional hard-court record, coupled with his dominance on indoor surfaces, makes him a formidable opponent. Taylor Fritz, with his powerful serve and aggressive baseline play, is a slight favorite over Medvedev for the second spot.The John Newcombe Group is more competitive. Zverev, with his impressive hold percentage and experience in winning the year-end finals, is a strong contender. Alcaraz, despite his struggles in fast conditions, remains a threat due to his exceptional talent. Rublev and Ruud are also capable of causing upsets.Based on the analysis, Jannik Sinner is the pick to win the Nitto ATP Finals. His combination of serve, return, and baseline power, coupled with the home crowd advantage, makes him the most likely candidate to lift the trophy in Turin.

Coco Gauff has unofficially secured her spot at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, becoming the third player to qualify for the prestigious year-end tournament. The 18-year-old American revealed the news after her semifinal defeat to Aryna Sabalenka at the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open.Gauff's qualification is based on the Live-Tennis.eu ranking race, which projects her to finish inside the top eight players who qualify for the WTA Finals. The official announcement is expected soon, but Gauff expressed her excitement about returning to the season-ending championships for a third consecutive year."I'm excited. I'm looking at dresses. They have a lot of things planned for us. I'm super excited. Yeah, I heard it's going to be great," Gauff said.Gauff's qualification is a testament to her consistent performances throughout the season. She began the Asian Swing on the bubble of qualifying but solidified her bid by winning the China Open and reaching the semifinals in Wuhan.The 2023 US Open champion first qualified for the WTA Finals in 2022 and reached the semifinals in 2023. This year, she will be looking to make a deeper run in the tournament."It's my first time not playing doubles," Gauff added. "So, that's going to be a different experience. But I'm excited. I'm looking at dresses. They have a lot of things planned for us. I'm super excited. Yeah, I heard it's going to be great, so I'm excited."Unofficially, Live-Tennis.eu also projects Jasmine Paolini, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, and Barbora Krejcikova to join Gauff at the WTA Finals. That leaves one remaining spot, for which Zheng Qinwen is in pole position after reaching the semifinals in Wuhan.