Key events
Yesterday, Sinner got off to a winning start and Medvedev had a bit of a tantrum. Read our report below.
And we’re about to start today’s play. Ruud won the toss and elected to serve.
Alcaraz is making just his second appearance at the ATP Finals after reaching the semis last year. He lost his opening match Alexander Zverev and told the ATP website that he is hoping to make a fast start this year.
Last year was a difficult end of the year for me. I could not play at my best. The last two matches here were pretty good matches for me but the previous two, three tournaments I didn’t play at my best, so I realised I had to change a little bit at this time of the year, which I did this year.
I come here a little bit different. I approach this tournament a little differently, knowing there are things I have to change if I am to have a good result here and go far. Last year I didn’t start well from the first matches. I will try to play the same level and will try to play good tennis. I am coming here with a lot of motivation.
The players are out on the court and now warming up. Huge cheers for Alcaraz as he walks in, as expected. Ruud will be the underdog in this match and playing against the crowd.
This pair’s head-to-head record does not bode well for Ruud, with Alcaraz winning all four of their matches. Their last meeting was in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Beijing Open on hard court which the Spaniard won 6-4, 6-2.
For those new to tennis, the ATP Finals is the biggest men’s tennis event after the four grand slams and the format is quite different to other events.
The top eight players are separated into two groups of four where they each play three round-robin matches. After the group stage, the top two face off in the semi-finals and a final to determine the winner.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to our live blog of the ATP Finals group stage match between Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud. The two are the first to face off in the John Newcombe Group at the Inalpi Arena.
Alcaraz has had a fantastic year, winning two grand slams and winning silver at the Olympics. The world No 3 has a chance to move up a spot in the year-end rankings should he do well here in Turin.
Ruud, on the other hand, epitomises the saying ‘always the bridesmaid, never the bride’. The world No 7 is a three-time slam finalist and also finished second at the 2022 ATP finals, losing 7-5, 6-3 to Novak Djokovic. He lost three ATP finals early on this year before winning in Barcelona and Geneva.
Join me for the 1pm GMT start and, as always, send me an email if you have any thoughts, predictions, questions, or complaints you would like to share.