ATP Finals 2022: Meet the 8 finalists ft. Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic

The 2022 ATP Finals in Turin will commence on Sunday, November 13. The second edition of the tournament in Turin sees a star-studded field comprising three former winners.

However, World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz will be conspicuous by his absence due to a muscular tear in his abdomen, which ended his season. Nevertheless, there will be no shortage of quality in the second edition of the ATP Finals in Turin.

On that note, here's a look at the eight finalists — comprising two debutants — at the ATP Finals this year:

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#1. Rafael Nadal (Seeking first ATP Finals title)

Rolex Paris Masters - Day Three

Rafael Nadal hasn't played much this year — going 38-6 — but has been one of the standout players of the season.

Nadal has won four titles this year, including a second at the Australian Open and a record-extending 14th at Roland Garros. He has lost just once at the Grand Slams this year - US Open fourth-round defeat to Frances Tiafoe. That run confirmed Nadal's place at the ATP Finals, becoming the first player this year to do so.

Since then, Nadal has played just once - at the Paris Masters last week - losing in the opening round to Tommy Paul. The 36-year-old will look to win his first ATP Finals title next week.

Nadal remains one of two players who could leave the ATP Finals as the year-end World No. 1, and the Spaniard will do so by winning the title in Turin.

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#2. Stefanos Tsitsipas (2019 ATP Finals winner)

Stefanos Tsitsipas won his first ATP Finals title in 2019.

Stefanos Tsitispas has had another solid season — going 60-22 — winning two titles.

He started the year by reaching the Australian Open semifinal (lost to Daniil Medvedev) before successfully defending his title at Monte Carlo. After losing to Djokovic in the Rome final, Tsitsipas reached the second week at Roland Garros and won the title in Mallorca.

Tsitsipas reached three more finals — Cincinnati, Astana and Stockholm — but lost on all three occasions. The 2019 champion needs to go unbeaten in Turin to stand a chance of ending the year as the World No. 1.

The 24-year-old failed to reach the semifinals at the season-ending event last year.

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#3. Casper Ruud (Seeking first ATP Finals title)

Casper Ruud at the Rolex Paris Masters - Day Four

Casper Ruud is one of a handful of players to have won three titles this year. The young Norwegian has won three titles — Buenos Aires, Geneva and Bastad — all on clay.

Ruud — who is 48-20 on the season — demonstrated his pedigree on hardcourts by reaching the US Open final, losing to Carlos Alcaraz. A win would have made the Norwegian the new World No. 1. Earlier in the year, Ruud reached his maiden Grand Slam final at Roland Garros, where he lost to Rafael Nadal.

The 2021 semifinalist could return to World No. 2 by winning the title.

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#4. Daniil Medvedev (Seeking second ATP Finals title)

Daniil Medvedev at the Rolex Paris Masters - Day Three

Daniil Medvedev has had a steady if not unspectacular 2022 campaign, going 45-16 and winning two titles.

The Russian made a dream start to the year — taking a two-set and a break lead in the Australian Open final against Nadal — but fell short. Medvedev won his first title of the year in Los Cabos and added to that in Vienna, either side of ending his US Open title defence in the fourth round (against Nick Kyrgios).

Medvedev has reached the last two finals in the season-ending event, winning in 2020. After slipping from World No. 1 after the US Open, the 26-year-old could return to the top three by going undefeated in Turin.

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#5. Felix Auger-Aliassime (Making ATP Finals debut)

Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Rolex Paris Masters - Day Five

Felix-Auger Aliassime is one of the most in-form players on tour, racking up 16 wins and winning three titles in his last four tournaments.

After going 0-8 in his first eight singles finals, the young Canadian broke the duck at Rotterdam, beating Tsitsipas. Towards the fag end of the season, the Australian Open quarterfinalist caught fire, embarking on a 15-0 run and racking up titles in Florence, Antwerp and Basel. He qualified for his maiden ATP Finals by reaching the semifinal in Paris last week.

Auger-Aliassime could break into the top three with an undefeated run in Turin.

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#6. Andrey Rublev (Making 3rd ATP Finals appearance)

Andre Rublev at the Gijon Open - Day Seven

Andre Rublev has had a solid 2022 season — going 49-18 and racking up four titles.

Besides winning the title in Dubai and three other ATP 250 tournaments, Rublev also reached the last eight at Roland Garros and the US Open. The 25-year-old is coming off a third-round exit at the Paris Masters last week, losing to eventual winner Holger Rune to qualify for Turin.

After winning just twice in six matches in the season-ending event, the Russian will look to reach the semifinals for the first time. Rublev could return to the top five by going all the way in Turin.

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#7. Novak Djokovic (Seeking 6th ATP Finals title)

Novak Djokovic at the Rolex Paris Masters - Day Seven

Novak Djokovic has qualified for the ATP Finals in Turin despite having had a surreal season.

The former World No. 1 missed the Australian Open, US Open and four Masters 1000 tournaments (Indian Wells, Miami, Canada Open, Cincinnati) due to his COVID-19 stance. Moreover, his Wimbledon win didn't count in the race to Turin, as the grasscourt Major was stripped of ranking points due to its ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes competing in the tournament.

Nevertheless, Djokovic has had a stellar 37-7 season, winning four titles, including his sixth in Rome and seventh at Wimbledon. By winning his 90th career title in Astana, the 35-year-old qualified for the ATP Finals, as he's a reigning Grand Slam winner and is assured to finish in the top 20.

Djokovic continued his hot streak in Paris, reaching the final before losing to Holger Rune. That run ensured the Serbian qualified for Turin outright, without needing the Grand Slam winner exemption.

He will seek a record-tying sixth title at the season-ending tournament next week, though he hasn't won the competition since beating Roger Federer in 2015.

The 21-time Grand Slam winner is seeking to become the oldest player to win the competition since a 30-year-old Federer won his sixth title in 2011. An undefeated title run could help Djokovic end the year in the top five.

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#8. Taylor Fritz (Making ATP Finals debut)

Taylor Fritz at the Rolex Paris Masters - Day Three

Taylor Fritz was set to miss a berth in Turin as he fell early in Paris. However, with World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz pulling out because of injury, the first alternate earned a promotion to the main draw.

Fritz has gone 43-19 this season — winning two titles — including his maiden Masters 1000 title in Miami (beating Nadal) and Tokyo. The American also reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon (losing to Nadal).

The World No. 9 could break into the top five if he wins all his matches in Turin.