Last year’s champion Stefano Tsitsipas will have a much tougher road to the title this time as the Greek phenomenon joins Rafael Nadal in a group that looks the more uncertain of the two groups at year ending ATP finals.
Usually a hugely popular week for tennis and tennis fans alike, this year’s event is being played behind closed doors owing to the pandemic.The ATP’s elite year-ender, celebrating its 50th edition, is being staged at London’s O2 Arena for the final time having moved there in 2009. Next year it will move to Turin.
Novak’s juggernaut, Tsitsipas’ defense, Nadal’s challenge-
Novak Djokovic, who will be bidding to earn a record-tying sixth trophy at the season finale, learned his group for the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals on Thursday. The World No. 1 leads Group Tokyo 1970 alongside Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, and Diego Schwartzman.
A 5x champion of this event 🙌
World No. 1 @DjokerNole has arrived at the #NittoATPFinals! #ATPTour pic.twitter.com/bez1OcLQD8
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 12, 2020
Djokovic has a 39-3 match record on the season and has qualified for the season finale 13 times. He triumphed at the event in 2008 and each year from 2012 to 2015.
On paper, the road looks set for Djokovic to win his group and chances are that the other three will have to battle out for the second spot.
On the other hand, the group London 2020 remains a much more evenly contested one owing simply to the fact that the group lead Nadal hasn’t had the best of records at ATP Finals.
Nadal, who has earned his spot at the prestigious event for a record 16 consecutive years, leads Group London 2020 alongside Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Andrey Rublev.
Your 2020 #NittoATPFinals elite eight…🙌
🇷🇸 @DjokerNole
🇪🇸 @RafaelNadal
🇦🇹 @ThiemDomi
🇬🇷 @StefTsitsipas
🇷🇺 @DaniilMedwed
🇩🇪 @AlexZverev
🇷🇺 @AndreyRublev97
🇦🇷 @dieschwartzmanWho's gonna win it all?! pic.twitter.com/ahXSzUTga7
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 6, 2020
Group Tokyo 1970
Novak Djokovic
Daniil Medvedev
Alexander Zverev
Diego Schwartzman
Group London 2020
Rafael Nadal
Dominic Thiem
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Andrey Rublev
With Thiem being the leader of NextGen and looking to end the monopoly of “the Big Three”, chances are that either him or Nadal will top the group.
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However Stefano Tsitsipas is the defending champion and is known to bring his A game to the event,while Andrey Rublev has been in the form of his life with a record five titles this season.
The ATP event kickstarts on 15th of November with the opening fixture between Dominic Thiem and Stefano Tsitsipas followed by Nadal vs Rublev.
Honour Roll (Open Era)
Most Titles, Singles: Roger Federer (6)
Most Titles, Doubles: Peter Fleming, John McEnroe (7)
Last Home Champion: Andy Murray in 2016
Oldest Champion: Roger Federer, 30, in 2011
Youngest Champion: John McEnroe, 19, in 1978
Higest-Ranked Champion: No. 1 Ilie Nastase in 1973, Jimmy Connors in 1977, Bjorn Borg in 1979-80, John McEnroe in 1984, Ivan Lendl in 1985-87, Pete Sampras in 1994 & 1996-97, Lleyton Hewitt in 2002, Roger Federer in 2004 & 2006-07, Novak Djokovic in 2012 & 2014-15, Andy Murray in 2016
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 12 David Nalbandian in 2005
Most Match Wins: Roger Federer (59)
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