"There's no way this draw isn't rigged" - Tennis fans fume over Rafael Nadal eluding Novak Djokovic in lopsided ATP Finals draw

The much-anticipated 2022 ATP Finals draw has been released and tennis fans have given their verdict on the placements of the players, especially Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

The ATP Finals, which is scheduled to commence on November 13 in Turin, will see Rafael Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev, Felix Auger Aliassime, Andrey Rublev, Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz fight for the coveted title. World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, had to withdraw from the event owing to an abdominal injury, and was replaced by Fritz.

The round-robin stage draw for the season-ending tournament was released on Friday, with the Mallorcan being placed alongside Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz in the Green Group. The Serb, meanwhile, is set to face Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev in the Red Group.

While the Green Group features players who have never won the ATP Finals, including two first-timers in Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz, the Red Group will face cut-throat competition with three previous ATP Finals winners – Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev.

Tennis fans are expectedly frustrated by the announcement, with many disheartened by the placement of Nadal and Djokovic in different groups and the missed opportunity of a guaranteed match-up between the two outside of clay.

"What do we have to do to see Novak vs Rafa on HC? Is it too much to ask for? Novak regularly makes deep runs on clay, but they've barely faced outside clay in a decade," one fan said.

Many fans bluntly declared that the draw was rigged, with one stating that Rafael Nadal himself wouldn’t have chosen a draw which was this easy for him.

"If Nadal made the draw himself it wouldn’t be as rigged as it is here," the fan remarked.

Here are a few more reactions from fans:

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Rafael Nadal eyes his maiden ATP Finals title, Novak Djokovic in pursuit of a record sixth

The Serb defeated the Spaniard at the 2013 ATP Finals

The stars, unfortunately, haven't aligned for Rafael Nadal in the prestigious season-ending tournament until now. The Spaniard, who is set to make his 11th appearance in the ATP Finals, has found his best finishes in 2010 and 2013, when he was the runner-up against Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic respectively.

In the 2022 event, the 22-time Grand Slam champion will hope not only to clinch his maiden title, but also the year-end World No. 1 ranking. He is the current World No. 2 and will have a better chance of replacing his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz, owing to the teenager's withdrawal. World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas, however, will also be in the mix for the year-end top spot.

Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, will be hankering for a sixth title at the tournament, equalling Roger Federer's record.