Taylor Fritz stunned Rafael Nadal on his ATP Finals debut on Sunday, producing a powerful display to beat the 22-time grand slam winner 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 in the duo's group-stage opener.

The American put Nadal under pressure from the off in Turin, failing to give up a single break point as he dominated on his own serve to take the 36-year-old to a tie-break in the opening set.

Nadal allowed Fritz to seize the initiative with a double fault at the start of that tie-break, and the American grasped his opportunity by clinching the first set with a big forehand winner.

The top seed's struggles continued into the second set as Fritz, moving well and dictating proceedings from the baseline, claimed the match's first break four games in before going 5-1 up by repeating the trick in a back-and-forth sixth game.

Fritz then wrapped up the win with another dominant display of serving, clinching his second victory over Nadal and denting the Spaniard's bid to win a title that has eluded him throughout his illustrious career.

Having been beaten by Tommy Paul at the Paris Masters and Frances Tiafoe at the US Open, Nadal has now suffered three consecutive defeats, and he must bounce back when he faces Felix Auger-Aliassime on Tuesday.

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Nadal – 7/4
Fritz – 8/1

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Nadal – 18/4
Fritz – 23/2

BREAK POINTS WON

Nadal – 0/0
Fritz – 2/9

Casper Ruud opened his ATP Finals campaign with a 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 triumph over Felix Auger-Aliassime in Turin.

The victory put Ruud top of the Green Group, with the pool's two other players, Rafael Nadal and Taylor Fritz, set to face off later on Sunday.

A tight first set saw each game go to serve as it went all the way to a tie-break, with Ruud – this year's beaten US Open finalist – finding a crucial break at 3-2 up, giving him the momentum to nose ahead.

They continued to be closely matched in the second set too, though Ruud again managed to break Auger-Aliassime at a critical juncture in the match.

With the set tied at three apiece, ATP Finals debutant Auger-Aliassime double-faulted at 40-15 down on his own serve to put Ruud within two games of victory.

The world number four took full advantage, who is making his second appearance in the season-ending tournament, kicking on to secure a straight-sets success without offering a single break point to begin his tournament in impressive fashion.

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Ruud - 5/1

Auger-Aliassime - 14/3

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Ruud - 19/5

Auger-Aliassime - 30/9

BREAK POINTS WON

Ruud - 1/1

Auger-Aliassime - 0/0

Brandon Nakashima became the first American winner of the ATP Next Gen Finals with a straight-sets victory over Jiri Lehecka on Saturday.

The 21-year-old was beaten by Sebastian Korda in last year's semi-finals, but he more than made amends by winning all five matches in Milan en route to the title.

Lehecka was also defeated in straight sets by Nakashima in the group stage, but he broke his opponent in the opening game of the final at the Allianz Cloud.

Nakashima recovered from 3-1 down in a first set that went the distance and managed to get over the line after a 5-0 lead in the tie-break was reduced to 6-5.

Czech youngster Lehecka wasted a glorious chance to level up the contest when letting two set points pass him by in the second-set tie-break, which Nakashima went on to win.

The match was over inside 80 minutes as Nakashima, who struck 21 winners to Lehecka's 27, served out the final set to win 4-3 (7-5) 4-3 (8-6) 4-2.

"I am super happy right now," Nakashima said at his on-court interview. "It was a great tournament, this whole week. 

"This final was another tough match. Just a few points that could have gone either way. I am happy with my level today. It's a good way to finish off the year.

"It was a final so there are going to be some pressure moments. There were some nerves at the beginning, but I'm happy I was able to turn it around quickly and close it out."

Rafael Nadal does not need extra motivation to win the ATP Finals for the first time in his legendary career, while Novak Djokovic is looking for a "perfect ending" to 2022 in Turin.

Spanish great Nadal has won 22 singles grand slam titles, a record in the men's game, but has surprisingly never been crowned champion at the season-ending event.

Nadal made a personal-best start to 2022, winning 20 straight matches and lifting the Australian Open title.

However, he has only played once since the US Open due to becoming a father for the first time and recuperating from injuries.

Still, at the age of 36, Nadal is grateful to still be getting a crack at finally ticking off the ATP Finals on his impressive list of accomplishments.

"I try my best in every single event. That's true. Doesn't matter if I won it [in the past] or not," Nadal, a two-time runner-up, said at an ATP media day prior to the tournament in Turin.

"When I enter a tennis tournament, I want to win and I'm going to try my best to achieve that goal. Here I was not able to make it, I was not good enough to make it in the past.

"So I just accept that and I'm happy to give myself another chance at the age of 36 — something, for me, that was difficult to imagine years ago.

"Of course it's going to be a challenge, but I hope I will be ready to give myself a chance. That's what I am looking for, just practising as good as possible with the right attitude and just trying to be ready for the action that's going to start on Sunday."

Djokovic's season has been a complicated one. Absent from the Australian and US Opens due to not being vaccinated against COVID-19, the Serbian great did triumph at Wimbledon, but there were no ranking points on offer at SW19.

He has slipped to eighth in the rankings as a result but does have four titles to his name in 2022 and Djokovic is eyeing a record-equalling sixth ATP Finals title and first since 2015.

"It would be a perfect ending," Djokovic said." The cherry on the cake, for sure, but it's a long way. It's a long week.

"You've got to play the best players in the world. You have to play more or less everyone in this tournament at least once, so I look forward to it.

"I've had experience in this tournament, in this format, many times and hopefully that can serve me in a good way."

In recent years, the notable absentee at the ATP Finals has been Roger Federer, with his last appearance in the tournament coming in 2019.

The lack of Federer at the showpiece event will be felt even more apparent this year after the Swiss maestro retired from tennis in September, though it is the absence of a player at the other end of his career that is more relevant in Turin.

World number one Carlos Alcaraz had to withdraw from the tournament after suffering an abdominal tear, which means his status at the top of the men's game is in jeopardy.

Rafael Nadal has spoken well of his 19-year-old compatriot in the past, but is not ready to pass the torch just yet, and could even topple Alcaraz from his number one spot.

The 22-time grand slam champion has finished as year-end number one five times previously, most recently in 2019. Should he accomplish the feat again this year it would put him in joint-second for most year-end finishes at the top of the ATP Rankings (since 1973) along with Pete Sampras (six).

In order to do so, Nadal will need to win the tournament, something he has never done before.

However, he comes into his 11th appearance in good form, and has won 32 per cent of his return games in 2022, the highest percentage by any player this year, and has converted 43.8 per cent of his break points in 2022, the third best amongst all players.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, meanwhile, is the other competitor who can knock Alcaraz off top spot, though his task to do so is a little more complicated as he needs to win every match on the way to the title in Turin. 

No player has played more matches in 2022 than Tsitsipas (80), 21 on clay, 11 on grass and 48 on hard courts; he has won 59 of them and lost 21.

Should neither man win at the Pala Alpitour, Alcaraz will breathe a sigh of relief and earn his first year-end number one finish, having taken his place after winning the US Open in September.

Nadal has been drawn into the Green Group with Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz, while Tsitsipas will be in the Red Group alongside Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Novak Djokovic.

Djokovic can equal Federer record

One man surprisingly unable to end the year as number one is Djokovic, despite having done so on more occasions than anyone else in history (seven).

However, the 21-time grand slam champion can still make his mark in Italy.

Djokovic has had an up-and-down year, only playing in two of the four grand slams due to his vaccination status, though he was able to win Wimbledon for the seventh time, beating Nick Kyrgios in the final.

Should the Serbian go all the way and lift what would be his sixth ATP Finals title, he will go level with Federer for most victories since the tournament began in 1970.

Among the eight participating players in this year's tournament, Djokovic has won 87 per cent of his service games in 2022, the best percentage among these players and the sixth overall.

It would be quite the ending to the year for Djokovic, who finds himself in the unusual position of sitting eighth in the world rankings, and at the age of 35, who knows how many more appearances he will make at the event?

Strong field promises fireworks

As is the intent of the format, the ATP Finals should be a tightly-contested few days as the best men's players in the world come together.

Ruud will be looking to add to an already impressive season, having reached two grand slam finals and winning three tour-level titles, while Fritz is aiming to carry on the fine lineage of American players to have won the tournament.

Players from the United States have won the ATP finals 16 times, with Sampras and Ivan Lendl winning five of them each. It is the most by any country and 10 more than next best Switzerland (six, all Federer) and Germany (also six, three wins for Boris Becker, one for Michael Stich and two for last year's champion, Alexander Zverev).

Auger-Aliassime has had a strong end to the year, beating Djokovic at the Laver Cup before winning three titles in as many weeks in Florence, Antwerp and Basel.

Only John Isner (895) has recorded more aces in 2022 than Auger-Aliassime, who has registered 852 in total, averaging 10.9 per match.

"All the players who participate [at the ATP Finals], I have already faced them, I have beaten them," the Canadian recently said. "So for me, there's no reason why I can't show up to this tournament with the aim of winning it."

Medvedev was world number one as recently as September but enters this tournament in fifth, though he did win the Vienna ATP 500 event last month, while his first opponent in Turin, Rublev, enters with a 2022 record of 49-18, looking for his second straight 50-win season.

Whoever comes out on top at this year's ATP Finals, the race for supremacy in 2023 promises to be as delightfully chaotic.

Jack Draper was no match for Brandon Nakashima, who maintained his perfect record at the ATP Next Gen Finals to set up a showdown with Jiri Lehecka.

Nakashima won all of his group matches in Milan and, having lost at the semi-final stage in 2021, he made no mistake this time around with a 4-6 (8-6) 1-4 4-2 4-3 (7-5) victory.

The 21-year-old world number 49 controlled much of Friday's second semi-final, though he did have to rally from 5-2 down in the final set tie-break.

Nakashima's reward for beating Britain's Draper is a meeting with Lehecka, who fell foul of the American in straight sets in the group stage.

Lehecka came through in second place in his pool and the Czech turned in a dominant display against Dominic Stricker in the first semi-final, winning 4-1 4-3 (7-4) 2-4 4-1.

Seeded fifth, one behind Nakashima, Lehecka has reached his first ATP Tour-level final.

"Today I think everything went the way I wanted," Lehecka said. "Me and my team spoke about this match yesterday and today and the plan was just to relax on the court and enjoy it as much as I can.

"Dominic was playing incredible here, so I am very happy with my win."

Jack Draper comfortably defeated home favourite Lorenzo Musetti 4-1 4-0 4-3 (7-3) in Milan to reach the semi-finals of the ATP Next Gen Finals.

Draper only dropped one game in romping to a two-set lead, and though the world number 23 put up more of a fight in the third, his British opponent secured victory and his place in the final four with his second match point.

Brandon Nakashima awaits Draper in the next round, after the American made it three from three by beating Francesco Passaro in straight sets.

A tight opener saw Nakashima find three crucial breaks of serve to take the tie-break, but Passaro could not keep up the pressure and the world number 49 took over to clinch a 4-3 (7-4) 4-2 4-1 triumph.

Matteo Arnaldi joined his countrymen Musetti and Passaro in crashing out at the group-stage, though Jiri Lehecka needed two tie-breaks to see him off 4-3 (7-5) 4-1 4-3 (7-4).

Lehecka and Arnaldi combined to save 11 of 12 break points outside of tie-breaks, but Lehecka's strong second set helped him set up a semi-final encounter with Dominic Stricker.

Stricker reached the final four by cruising past Chun Hsin Tseng 4-2 4-1 4-2 to secure his third straight win at the competition.

The Swiss 20-year-old remained undefeated with 25 winners to Tseng's 11 while he out-aced his Taiwanese opponent six to zero.

Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios could face off in the inaugural United Cup, while WTA world number one Iga Swiatek will represent Poland.

The United Cup is the new warm-up tournament for the ATP and WTA Tour seasons, and will take place in Australia in December and January.

While ATP world number one Carlos Alcaraz will not feature, compatriot Nadal will be competing for Spain, and they have been drawn alongside Australia and Great Britain in Group D.

Those matches will be played in Perth, with a clash between Nadal and Kyrgios, who have enjoyed an entertaining rivalry down the years, in the offing.

They were set to meet in the semi-finals at Wimbledon this year, but Nadal withdrew due to injury, handing Kyrgios a walkover into his first grand slam final, which he lost to Novak Djokovic, who will not be playing in Australia.

Serbia are not among the batch of teams taking part, but even so, there remains doubt whether Djokovic would be able to enter Australia given his stance against the COVID-19 vaccine, which eventually saw him deported from the country after a drawn-out legal battle ahead of this year's Australian Open.

Emma Raducanu has decided against playing for the British team, which also does not feature Andy Murray.

Casper Ruud, the beaten US Open finalist, will play for Norway in Group E, in Brisbane, while Alexander Zverev will be in action for Germany.

Swiatek is the biggest name from the WTA Tour to enter, with the brilliant 21-year-old lining up alongside Hubert Hurkacz for Poland in Group B.

Maria Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas, along with his brother Petros, will team up for Greece in Group A.

Two more countries will be admitted to the tournament later in November.

Dominic Stricker defeated home favourite Lorenzo Musetti in five tie-break sets to make it two wins from two at the ATP Next Gen Finals and advance to the semi-finals.

The world number 111, who is seeded sixth in Milan following a flurry of withdrawals, defeated Musetti 4-3 (7-5) 4-3 (8-6) 3-4 (9-7) 3-4 (8-6) 4-3 (7-3) in Wednesday's epic match that last two hours and 31 minutes.

Having become the first player in the tournament's history to win three successive tie-breaks in Tuesday's win against Jack Draper, Stricker advances with a match to spare.

Musetti now faces a winner-takes-all showdown with Jack Draper on Thursday after the latter recovered to defeat Tseng Chun-hsin 1-4 4-2 4-3 (7-2) 4-2.

In the Green Group, Francesco Passaro saved three match points to overcome Italian compatriot Matteo Arnaldi 4-3 (9-7) 2-4 3-4 (7-4) 4-3 (7-4) 4-3 (10-8).

In what will go down as one of the all-time great matches in Next Gen history, Passaro triumphed after two hours and 38 minutes to get off the mark with his first victory.

"I am very tired," he said. "It was a really long match and this format I think it is tough and physical.

"For me it was physical today, with the tension as well, I was cramping. It was not easy. I am really happy to win and I will enjoy."

Brandon Nakashima moved to the top of the standings with a 4-1 4-3 (7-2) 4-2 victory against Jiri Lehecka as the third seed made it back-to-back wins at the Allianz Cloud.

Lorenzo Musetti enjoyed a winning start at the ATP Next Gen Finals in Milan after seeing off Tseng Chun-hsin in straight sets on Tuesday.

The highest seed at the tournament after Holger Rune's withdrawal, world number 23 Musetti eased to a 4-2 4-2 4-2 victory in just 70 minutes at the Allianz Cloud Arena.

The home favourite is making his second appearance at the event and arrives after an impressive year on the ATP Tour that yielded titles in Hamburg and Naples.

"It was really nice," Musetti said during his on-court interview. "I remember playing here from last year. The crowd here is really amazing. They gave me extra energy. I am pretty confident and happy with the win."

Elsewhere in Red Group, third seed Jack Draper was beaten 4-3 (7-5) 4-3 (7-5) 4-3 (7-5) by Dominic Stricker, who became the first player in Next Gen Finals history to win three successive tie-breaks.

Ranked 111th, the Swiss debutant hit 14 aces on the way to overcoming the world number 41.

Meanwhile, in Green Group, San Diego champion Brandon Nakashima prevailed in an epic five-set thriller against Matteo Arnaldi 2-4 4-3 (9-7) 4-3 (7-4) 3-4 (4-7) 4-2.

The fourth seed is aiming to go the extra couple of steps this year, having reached the semi-finals 12 months ago.

"Right from the beginning, it was a lot of critical points, the sets were going by fast, so I just tried to adapt as quick as possible," Nakashima said. "The tie-breaks, I was kind of lucky to squeeze them out, and today I think it was just all about finding a way out here.

"He's a super tough opponent, he was playing really well, and it was just some critical points in the end that helped me get over the line."

The day's other match saw Jiri Lehecka celebrate his 21st birthday by defeating Francesco Passaro 4-1 4-3 (9-7) 4-1 in just 67 minutes on his debut.

Holger Rune stunned Novak Djokovic to win the Paris Masters title as the teenager confirmed his ascendancy into the tennis elite.

The 19-year-old defeated Djokovic 3-6 6-3 7-5, fending off the six-time champion at the indoor event to earn a place in the top 10 for the first time, becoming the first Danish man to reach such heights.

Rune becomes the first player since the ATP rankings were launched in 1973 to have beaten five top-10 players in the same tournament, other than at the season-ending ATP Finals.

His scalps on the route to his maiden Masters 1000 final included Hubert Hurkacz, Andrey Rublev, Carlos Alcaraz – who retired when trailing in their quarter-final – and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Now Rune can add last year's Paris champion Djokovic to that list, defeating the 21-time grand slam winner who had described his young opponent as the future of tennis on the eve of the final.

Rune becomes the youngest Paris Masters champion since an 18-year-old Boris Becker triumphed in 1986, and he did it the hard way too, coming from behind after Djokovic made the stronger start.

Djokovic broke Rune's serve in the fourth game to lead 3-1 and take an early grip, soon seeing out the opening set.

Yet Rune charged 3-0 ahead in the second and grew in confidence. There was even a Djokovic-like raised fist after getting the better of his illustrious rival in one thrilling rally

Djokovic roared ahead in the decider, but not intimidated by the occasion, Rune struck back to recover the early break. 

Rune then broke to lead 6-5, as his Serbian opponent became erratic.

Nobody beats Djokovic without a fight though, and the 21-time grand slam winner had six chances to break back in the next game.

Rune survived them all and clinched victory on his second match point when Djokovic, who had been chasing a record-extending 39th ATP 1000 title, netted on the half-volley.

Addressing Rune in an on-court interview, Djokovic said: "You absolutely deserve this victory. What an amazing week you had.

"I'm not happy that you beat me, but on the other hand I'm happy for you because I like your personality, I think you're a very dedicated guy that loves tennis and puts a lot of hours into hard work.

"It's paying off for you, and I'm sure the future is bright for you and your team, so congratulations."

Rune, who is working with Serena Williams' former coach Patrick Mouratoglou, said: "This must be my favourite tournament now, I really enjoyed my time here."

Novak Djokovic lavished Holger Rune with the highest praise before their showdown in the Paris Masters final, declaring: "He kind of reminds me of myself."

Serbian superstar Djokovic scraped past Stefanos Tsitsipas in their semi-final on Saturday, snatching a 6-2 3-6 7-6 (7-4) victory.

Now 19-year-old Danish player Rune awaits the 21-time grand slam winner in Sunday's title match, a clash of generations that is full of promise.

It will be a record 56th Masters 1000 final for Djokovic, and a first for Rune, who will climb to 10th in the world should he win.

Rune is already assured of at least 12th position on the ATP list, a career-high, after knocking out four top-10 players this week: Hubert Hurkacz, Andrey Rublev, Carlos Alcaraz – who retired when trailing in their quarter-final – and Felix Auger-Aliassime, who he beat 6-4 6-2 on Saturday.

In his entire young career before this week, Rune had only beaten four players from the top 10, so this week marks a significant step, no matter how the final goes.

"No doubt that he's the future of the sport, along with Alcaraz and some other guys," Djokovic said. "Hopefully I can suspend his first title Masters 1000 event. We get along really well, good friends off the court.

"Of course on the court, we're competitors. I played him only once, at the last US Open, a good battle, four sets. He has improved a lot, no doubt. He physically is a very fit guy. He's young, so not much to lose. Just swinging through the ball.

"He kind of reminds me of myself, solid backhand and very good defence and just competitive, every point leaving his heart and his legs out there on the court. It's nice to see that. I think he's very good for our sport in general."

Djokovic said it was reassuring to fend off Tsitsipas, who had led by a break in the deciding tie-break.

"It means a lot mentally, emotionally for me, more than anything," said Djokovic. "I need to also make a statement that I'm still there with the young guys, that I'm able to compete with them and win such tight matches."

Six-time champion Djokovic has now reached an eighth final at this tournament, getting to the title match three times more than anyone else, with Boris Becker next on the list with five appearances.

Novak Djokovic overcame Stefanos Tsitsipas in a dramatic final-set tie-break to reach the Paris Masters final on Saturday, teeing up a meeting with Holger Rune. 

Djokovic's 12-match winning run looked likely to be halted when Tsitsipas found a mini-break in the decider, with the Greek having fought his way into contention after losing the opening set.

However, the 21-time grand slam champion stepped up when it mattered, winning the final four points of the match to seal a 6-2 3-6 7-6 (7-4) victory.

The Serbian, who will now take part in his record 56th Masters 1000 final on Sunday, opted to praise Tsitsipas for his role in a thrilling encounter following the win. 

"It's very sweet, obviously, when you win matches like this against one of the best players in the world," Djokovic said.

"I thought I started the match very well, again, great hitting, like yesterday in the quarters. I had chances early on in the second, I didn't break his serve. The momentum shifted, the crowd got into it. I think he elevated his level of tennis.

"We went into an even battle all the way until the last point, until the last shot. Some incredible points towards the end. I'm just really glad to overcome this challenge."

In Saturday's other match, Rune clinched his first Masters 1000 final appearance by posting a straight-sets victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The in-form Dane seized control of the contest after breaking in the third game of the opener, and did not give up a single break point en route to a comprehensive 6-4 6-2 win.

In doing so, Rune exacted revenge for last week's defeat to Auger-Aliassime in the Swiss Indoors final in Basel, halting the Canadian's 16-match winning run.

Rune has now won eight career matches against top-10 opponents, and half of those victories (four) have come during his strong run in Paris this week.

Carlos Alcaraz will miss the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup Finals after his season was cut short by an abdominal injury.

The world number one suffered an internal oblique muscle tear during a Paris Masters quarter-final against Holger Rune on Friday.

Alcaraz retired early in a second-set tie-break after losing the opening set 6-3 in the French capital.

The US Open champion on Saturday revealed it will take him six weeks to recover from the injury, so Taylor Fritz will take his place in the ATP Finals in Turin next week.

Teenager Alcaraz will also be unavailable for Spain's bid to win the Davis Cup on home soil, with the prestigious event getting under way on November 22 in Malaga.

He posted on Instagram: "After my withdrawal yesterday and having been evaluated by my medical team, Dr Juanjo Lopez and Juanjo Moreno, unfortunately this is the result of my injury: an internal oblique muscle tear in the left abdominal wall with an estimated recovery time of six weeks.

"Unfortunately I won't make the ATP Finals or the Davis Cup Finals. It is tough and painful for me to miss these two events, which are so important to me, but all I can do is be positive and focus on my recovery. Thank you for the support!"

The 19-year-old became the youngest player to top the ATP rankings after winning his maiden major title at Flushing Meadows in September and ends a magnificent season with a record of 57 wins and 13 defeats.

He has won five ATP Tour titles in 2022, with Masters 1000 triumphs in Miami and Madrid along with his finest hour in New York.

Novak Djokovic outclassed Lorenzo Musetti to reach the Paris Masters semi-finals after Carlos Alcaraz retired due to an abdominal injury.

Djokovic moved into the last four of a Masters 1000 event for a staggering 74th time with a commanding 6-0 6-3 victory over Musetti on Friday.

The defending champion will do battle with Stefanos Tsitsipas for a place in the final as he eyes a seventh Paris Masters title.

Sixth seed Djokovic made only 10 unforced errors and broke five times, not allowing his Italian opponent to have a game point until early in the second set.

The 21-time grand slam champion only needed 74 minutes to dispatch the unseeded Musetti, moving two victories away from a fifth title of the season.

Meanwhile, world number one Alcaraz's participation in the ATP Finals next week is in doubt after he was injured in his quarter-final against Holger Rune.

Rune won the first set 6-3 and the Dane was 3-1 up in a second-set tie-break when US Open champion Alcaraz brought the match to a premature end.

As Alcaraz prepares to discover whether he can play in the season-ending tournament in Turin, Rune can look forward to facing Felix Auger-Aliassime in his maiden Masters 1000 semi-final.

Auger-Aliassime beat Rune to take the title in Basel last weekend and the Canadian stretched his winning run to 16 matches by beating Frances Tiafoe 6-1 6-4.

Tsitsipas was the last man to seal his place in the semi-finals, getting the better of Tommy Paul, who beat Rafael Nadal earlier in the week, 6-2 6-4.