- Tennis. ATP Finals 2023: Tennis Masters tournament schedule, groups, times, players and order of play
- Tennis. Novak Djokovic: This generation of hungry young players inspires me and motivates me to play my best tennis
Tennis fans in Turin can look forward to a historic moment. Novak Djokovic, should he beat Holger Rune in the green group opener of the ATP Finals, will secure the number one ranking at the end of the season for the eighth time, one more of his many records.
Djokovic has turned each of his appearances on a court into a unique and exceptional situation. At 36, he is the oldest of the eight participants. The second oldest is Daniil Medvedev, nine years younger.
With Carlos Alcaraz and Rune in contention, it's the first time since 2000 that two under-21s have appeared. "I don't know what Gen I'm in, but I'm still here," warns the ever-threatening Serb.
"I don't know how long Rune is going to play," Djokovic replies when questioned about the possibility of coaching the Dane one day. Holger is 20 years old, but Nole has no intention of hanging up his racket as long as he keeps winning.
Last season he became the longest-serving master and has won 80 per cent of his indoor matches: 192 wins to 48 losses.
No one has a better percentage of indoor wins among active professionals. That ranking is led by John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer and Bjorn Borg.
"It motivates me to beat these youngsters," he says. Djokovic, who still has a bone to pick with Alcaraz from the Wimbledon final, was on display on Friday with the Murcian.
His last indoor setback was in the Paris-Bercy final in 2022 against Rune, the opponent with whom he will open his 16th Masters appearance.
The Scandinavian is making his debut, as is Carlos Alcaraz, who arrives at the event eager and uncertain about what version he is going to offer.
"Despite the results in recent months, in recent tournaments, I expect a Carlos like the one at the beginning of the year. The defeat in Paris, which was quite painful, has made me realise that I have to work harder, work harder," he says.
Alcaraz started his time trial to Turin 48 hours after losing in the Bercy opener to Roman Safiullin: "I didn't want to do practically anything, but we are in the ATP Finals, which is one of the biggest tournaments we have in tennis".
The Spaniard will have his entire team in the capital of the Piedmont region. Juanjo Moreno, his physiotherapist, is currently working on a blister on his right foot that has troubled him.
Juan Carlos Ferrero has prepared training sessions in an escalating manner: the junior Joao Fonseca, Djokovic and yesterday Tsitsipas. Practice with the Athenian was halted by a back injury to Stefanos.
Europe dominates
Djokovic has won more matches (46) than the other players in the group stage (32). He also has 97 titles to the 90 won by the other seven players.
The Balkan's second youth is helped by his short schedule: the Masters Cup will be his twelfth tournament of the season.
For the third time in history, the line-up is packed with players from the Old Continent. This was the case in 2019 and 2021. The last non-European winner dates back to the 2022 edition with Lleyton Hewitt, who beat Ferrero in the final in Shanghai.
Turin, unlike the WTA Finals in Cancun, has sold out to see the top eight on a 47-metre court, three metres longer than the O2 in London. Let the show begin.