Carlos Alcaraz wishes to build his "own history" rather than "take over" from fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal, having won the ninth title of his career at last week's Barcelona Open.
Alcaraz defended his crown in Catalonia by racing to a 6-3 6-4 win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday's final, claiming his third title of the 2023 season.
Like his legendary compatriot Nadal, Alcaraz won his first grand slam title at the age of 19, triumphing at the US Open last year.
His hopes of adding to that success at the upcoming French Open could be boosted by the misfortune of his rivals, with both Nadal and Novak Djokovic forced to withdraw from this week's Madrid Open as they battle injuries.
While comparisons between Alcaraz and Nadal are perhaps inevitable, the teenager is determined to do things his own way.
"As I've said on more than one occasion, I don't want to take over from anyone," he said after claiming his latest title.
"I feel lucky to have so many people supporting me, transmitting that positive energy from the first game.
"Speaking of this week, it's been two years that Rafa hasn't been there [in Barcelona]. I've been lucky! But as I've always said, I've always wanted to play against the best.
"It is a pity that we have not been able to enjoy Rafa these last two years. Let's hope he continues playing for a long time and we can enjoy his tennis, but obviously we're not here to take over from anyone, but to build our own history."
With Nadal and Djokovic absent, Alcaraz will be the top seed as he looks to add a 10th career title in Madrid, but he does not see winning in the Spanish capital as the only measure of a successful campaign.
"Not winning Madrid would not be a failure for me, it depends on the level I have shown and the matches," he said.
"All the players are very good, they can all win the title and they can beat me. For me, failure would depend on the level I show and the way I play."
Zverev matches Sinner to reach Paris Masters showpiece
Alexander Zverev downed Holger Rune at the Paris Masters to reach his first hard-court final of the season.
Zverev recovered from failing to serve out the match at 5-4 in the second set, resisting a late fightback from Rune to earn a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) victory in the French capital.
The German, who hit 25 winners and won 84% of his first-serve points, also climbed above Carlos Alcaraz in the ATP rankings after securing his 65th win of the season.
He is a former finalist in Paris, having lost in the title match in 2020 to Daniil Medvedev, but will be hoping to clinch a seventh ATP Masters 1000 crown this time around.
Zverev will face either home favourite Ugo Humbert or former champion Karen Khachanov in Sunday's showpiece.
Data Debrief: Zverev one away
Zverev's triumph saw him reach a 12th ATP Masters final. Since the format's inception in 1990, the German surpassed Boris Becker (11) for the seventh-most in tournament history.
It was also his 65th win of the season, equalling Jannik Sinner (65) for the most ATP match victories of any player so far this year.
Sabalenka determined to 'do everything I can' to remain world number one ahead of Swiatek
Aryna Sabalenka says she will "do everything I can" to end the year as world number one for the first time in her career.
The winner of this season's Australian Open and US Open, Sabalenka sits top of the WTA summit ahead of Iga Swiatek, with the pair battling it out to be there come the conclusion of the WTA Finals in Riyadh.
Sabalenka, who has also triumphed in Cincinnati and Wuhan this term, will hold onto top spot by winning all three of her group-stage matches or reaching the final of the event.
The 26-year-old was in a similar position last season when she arrived at the WTA Finals in Cancun, but was subsequently displaced by Swiatek.
And she is desperate not to miss out this time around.
"That's definitely one of the goals," she said. "I've always been saying that, for me, it's about finishing the year as the world number one. I'll do everything I can to finish the year as world number one.
"Any time we come to the tournament, we want to win. That's the first goal. I'm trying to be focused on the first part. Then, if I am able to finish the year as number one, it'll be amazing, and I'll be super happy."
Meanwhile, reigning champion Swiatek must successfully defend the WTA Finals crown - and land her sixth silverware of the campaign - if she is to enter 2025 as world number one.
Following an impressive start to the season, the French Open champion has tailed off and skipped the recent Asian swing due to fatigue, but is determined to seal her return to the summit.
"Obviously, we're both fighting for this spot," she said. "It's been us basically, over the past few years.
"I'm in the tournament. I want to play my best and win. I'm going to focus on my first match and do everything step by step.
"She's a great player. She also deserves to be number one. For sure, I'm going to fight for me to be in that place."
WTA Finals: Sabalenka, Swiatek and the battle for number one
Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek are once again embroiled in a tussle for the year-end number one spot in the WTA rankings.
Last year, Swiatek finished as the year-end number one, with a flawless display at the 2023 WTA Finals in Cancun seeing her top Sabalenka, who had been in pole position.
Sabalenka will be out to avoid a similar fate this time around, with the WTA Finals moving to Riyadh.
Here, we preview the key storylines ahead of the tournament.
Sabalenka and Swiatek go head-to-head... again
It has been a fantastic season for both of these players, who have proved their credentials as the standout duo on the WTA Tour.
Sabalenka has scooped two grand slam titles, triumphing at the Australian Open and the US Open.
Swiatek, meanwhile, won the French Open and collected bronze at Roland-Garros at the Paris Olympics. Between them, the pair have won nine Tour-level titles in 2024.
Sabalenka will guarantee her place at the top of the world heading into 2025 should she win her three group-stage matches in Riyadh.
The Belarusian takes on Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, world number five Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini, this year's Wimbledon and French Open runner-up, in her group.
Sabalenka is the first player to make successive WTA Finals appearances as the number one since Serena Williams in 2013 and 2014.
The 26-year-old has reeled off 46 match wins across grand slams and WTA 1000 events this year, which is one more than Swiatek (45).
Swiatek, on the other hand, has Coco Gauff, US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula and Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova to contend with.
Since the reintroduction of the round-robin format in 2003, Swiatek has conceded the fewest games of any player to win the WTA Finals, dropping only 20 games en route to the title last year - breaking Williams' record of 32 from 2012.
Swiatek downed Pegula in last year's final, and dropped just a single game. That made her the player to concede the fewest games in a WTA Finals title match. Martina Navratilova (1983) and Kim Clijsters (2003) previously shared the record, conceding two games in respective finals.
She is also one of only two players, along with Williams, to win the tournament without dropping a set since the tournament's format was altered 21 years ago.
Swiatek could become the first player to win the WTA Finals on consecutive occasions as the second seed. Among this year's qualifiers, the 23-year-old (75%, 9-3) holds the highest winning percentage at the WTA Finals.
Since 2003, the Pole is, however, the only top seed to win all three group matches and not reach the final at that year's WTA Finals, losing to Sabalenka in their semi-final in 2022.
The key insights for the other contenders
Since 2003, Gauff (2022-2024) is only the second player to reach three consecutive editions of the WTA Finals before turning 21, after Maria Sharapova (2004-2007).
Gauff is aiming to become the fourth American to win the WTA Finals before turning 21 after Chris Evert (1972, 1973 and 1975), Tracy Austin (1980) and Williams (2001).
Paolini has had a fine year, and will become only the fourth Italian to appear at the WTA Finals after Francesca Schiavone (2010), Sara Errani (2012, 2013) and Flavia Pennetta (2015).
At the age of 28 years and 303 days, she will become the second-oldest player to make their maiden WTA Finals appearance as a top-five ranked player, after Li Na (29 years and 241 days) in 2011 – since the WTA rankings were first published in 1975. Paolini (18) won the joint-most matches at grand slam events in 2024, along with Sabalenka.
Meanwhile, only Swiatek (five) and Sabalenka (four) have won more WTA-level titles in 2024 than Rybakina (three).
At the age of 30 years and 258 days on the day of the final, Pegula could become the oldest maiden-winner of the WTA Finals since the event’s inauguration in 1972, surpassing Jana Novotna (29 years and 52 days) in 1997.
In Cancun last year, Pegula became the first player to face the WTA's top four players at a single event, since the rankings were first published in 1975.
Since the event's inauguration in 1972, Zheng will become only the second player from China to appear at the WTA Finals after Li Na (2011-2013).
Excluding alternates, Krejcikova (13) will be the first player ranked outside the WTA's top 10 to appear at the WTA Finals since Vera Zvonareva (11) in 2004.
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