Novak Djokovic to face Carlos Alcaraz in ATP Finals group stage

– Novak Djokovic will take on Carlos Alcaraz in the group stage of the upcoming ATP Finals, while Jannik Sinner could face a derby with Lorenzo Musetti during his title defence at the season-ending tournament.

Tennis icon Djokovic, a seven-time Finals champion, was confirmed on Nov 3 as being among the eight contenders in Turin and has been drawn in the Jimmy Connors Group alongside top seed Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur.

The winner of a record 24 Grand Slams, 38-year-old Djokovic is currently hunting his second title of 2025 in Athens, where he beat Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets in the second round on Nov 4.

World No. 5 Djokovic has made the semi-finals at all four Grand Slams this season and in May he became the third player in the Open era to

lift his 100th ATP title

by winning in Geneva.

Alcaraz is bidding to win the Finals for the first time after another bumper year for the Spaniard which has included triumphs at the US Open and French Open, the latter coming after an epic final victory against his rival Sinner.

Sinner swept to the Finals title in 2024 and the world No. 1 is aiming to retain his crown in front of his home fans in Turin after Major wins at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

The 24-year-old could face Musetti in the Bjorn Borg Group, although Sinner’s compatriot needs to win the ongoing tournament in Athens if he is to snatch the eighth and final slot from Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada.

“I think everybody knows what’s next in my mind – it’s not easy to play with that in my mind,” said Musetti after his 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win over Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka in the round of 16 on Nov 5.

“But of course, if I want to qualify for (Turin), I have to lift the trophy here,” added the 23-year-old, who went a step closer on Nov 6, when he beat Frenchman Alexandre Muller 6-2, 6-4 to book a semi-final date with American Sebastian Korda.

Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton will be Sinner’s other opponents in the group stage, which kicks off on Nov 9. The top two players in each four-man group will qualify for the semi-finals.

Over at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, world No. 4 Amanda Anisimova pulled off a stellar comeback on Nov 5, defeating second seed Iga Swiatek 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-2 to join group winner Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals.

The American, who posted her 10th top-10 win of the year, said it felt “surreal” to be in the semi-finals on her debut, adding: “I feel like I belong at this point and... I know my capabilities. And I know if I can play my best tennis, I can give it my best shot.”

Swiatek, meanwhile,

attributed her loss to karma.

The Pole said: “Maybe I won too much in the last years and this is karma... if I put so much intensity and grit and I cared that much, it usually paid off.”

In the other group, American Jessica Pegula defeated Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-3 on Nov 6 to join world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the last four after the Belarusian ousted American defending champion Coco Gauff 7-6 (7-5), 6-2. AFP

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