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The opening day at the 2023 ATP Finals saw Novak Djokovic secure the year-end number-one ranking for the eighth time, thanks to a hard-fought win over Holger Rune.
Earlier in the day, Jannik Sinner got his campaign underway with a solid straight-sets win over Stefanos Tsitsipas before Djokovic came through a tricky encounter over the Danish 8th seed.
Monday’s afternoon session then saw Sascha Zverev upset Carlos Alcaraz with a clean-hitting performance, while Daniil Medvedev defeated Andrey Rublev in a rematch of last year’s round-robin.
ATP Finals 2023 Round Robin Results
Results
| Winner | Loser | Scoreline | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Jannik Sinner | Stefanos Tsitsipas | 6-4 6-4 |
| Novak Djokovic | Holger Rune | 7-6(4) 6-7(1) 6-3 | |
| Day 2 | Alexander Zverev | Carlos Alcaraz | 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4 |
| Daniil Medvedev | Andrey Rublev | 6-4 6-2 |
Standings So Far
Green Group
| Position | Player | Match W/L | Set W/L | Set W% | Game W/L | Game W% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | 1-0 | 2-0 | 100% | 12-8 | 60% |
| 2 | Novak Djokovic | 1-0 | 2-1 | 66.67% | 19-16 | 54.29% |
| 3 | Holger Rune | 0-1 | 1-2 | 33.33% | 16-19 | 45.71% |
| 4 | Stefanos Tstisipas | 0-1 | 0-2 | 0% | 8-12 | 40% |
Red Group
| Position | Player | Match W/L | Set W/L | Set W% | Game W/L | Game W% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniil Medvedev | 1-0 | 2-0 | 100% | 12-6 | 66.67% |
| 2 | Alexander Zverev | 1-0 | 2-1 | 66.67% | 18-14 | 56.25% |
| 3 | Carlos Alcaraz | 0-1 | 1-2 | 33.33% | 14-18 | 43.75% |
| 4 | Andrey Rublev | 0-1 | 0-2 | 0% | 6-12 | 33.33% |
Sinner Sinks Tsitsipas
Jannik Sinner kicked off the 2023 ATP Finals and delivered a near flawless performance in front of the home crowd, dispatching Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4 6-4.
Pre-match, there were several rumours around the Greek’s participation after he cut short two of his practices due to a back issue, with Hubert Hurkacz waiting in the wings as the first reserve.
However, Tsisitpas took to the court, and while he didn’t seem to be dealing with anything too serious, he wasn’t able to get a handle on Sinner’s blistering baseline game as the Italian outaced him and didn’t have to face a break point in either set.
I was excited to step on court and opening the Finals is really, really special. knew it was going to be very tough but I think I handled the situation well. I tried to stay aggressive and I am very happy with the performance. I am happy to start off with a win and hopefully I can continue with this intensity. Sinner on his win over Tsitsipas.
Match Stats
| Jannik Sinner | Stefanos Tsitsipas | |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 9 | 6 |
| Double Faults | 2 | 0 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 71% | 61% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 89% (32/36) | 70% (26/37) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 60% (9/15) | 58% (14/24) |
| Break Points Saved | 0% (0/0) | 60% (3/5) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 30% (11/37) | 11% (4/36) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 42% (10/24) | 40% (6/15) |
| Break Points Converted | 40% (2/5) | 0% (0/0) |
| Winners | 21 | 16 |
| Unforced Errors | 5 | 5 |
| Net Points Won | 67% (6/9) | 80% (12/15) |
| Max Points In Row | 10 | 5 |
| Service Points Won | 80% (41/51) | 66% (40/61) |
| Return Points Won | 34% (21/61) | 20% (10/51) |
| Total Points Won | 55% (62/112) | 45% (50/112) |
| Max Games In Row | 3 | 1 |
| Service Games Won | 100% (10/10) | 80% (8/10) |
| Return Games Won | 20% (2/10) | 0% (0/10) |
| Total Games Won | 60% (12/20) | 40% (8/20) |
Highlights
Djokovic Fends Off Rune
Just two weeks since their battle in Paris, Novak Djokovic and Holger Rune played another gruelling three-setter, with the Serb prevailing 7-6(4), 6-7(1), 6-3 in 3 hours and 4 minutes.
The win ensured Djokovic ended the season as the number-one ranked player for the eighth time, and by the time the following rankings are updated, he’ll have held the number-one spot for 400 weeks during his career.
While Djokovic has dominated the tour this season, his win was far from straightforward as Rune, under the tutelage of Boris Becker, employed an aggressive game plan, especially on the return as he looked to come forward as soon as possible.
He also served exceptionally well, landing 18 aces, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the ageless Djokovic, who went into lockdown mode in the third set. And even though he squandered an early break and smashed a couple of rackets, he didn’t dwell and regrouped to break again in the sixth game before serving it out.
It means a lot. You could see there were a lot of emotions on the court. I could feel it. I was very eager to win tonight’s match, get that monkey off my back. I won Paris, which put me in a much better position rankings-wise, and I knew coming into Turin I only needed to win one match. A big goal is achieved, everything else now is a bonus. “It took everything. I saw in the first game, when he fired shots from the baseline in the firsdt three or four points, I knew that it was going to be a tough life for me. If I wanted to win this match, I was going to have to work really hard… He was feeling the ball well, he was sharp. Very aggressive, every short ball he was coming in and he served terrific Djokovic on defeating Rune and securing year end #1.
Match Stats
| Novak Djokovic | Holger Rune | |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 10 | 18 |
| Double Faults | 4 | 7 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 69% | 61% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 74% (55/74) | 74% (49/66) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 41% (14/34) | 42% (18/43) |
| Break Points Saved | 50% (3/6) | 50% (4/8) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 26% (17/66) | 26% (19/74) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 58% (25/43) | 59% (20/34) |
| Break Points Converted | 50% (4/8) | 50% (3/6) |
| Winners | 39 | 48 |
| Unforced Errors | 9 | 13 |
| Net Points Won | 62% (16/26) | 60% (18/30) |
| Max Points In Row | 7 | 8 |
| Service Points Won | 64% (69/108) | 61% (67/109) |
| Return Points Won | 39% (42/109) | 36% (39/108) |
| Total Points Won | 51% (111/217) | 49% (106/217) |
| Max Games In Row | 3 | 2 |
| Service Games Won | 82% (14/17) | 75% (12/16) |
| Return Games Won | 25% (4/16) | 18% (3/17) |
| Total Games Won | 55% (18/33) | 45% (15/33) |
Highlights
Zverev Powers Past Alcaraz
Many quickly forget that Sascha Zverev is a two-time ATP Finals champion, and he hit the ground running in Torino, taking down Carlos Alcaraz 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4.
The German produced a clean-hitting performance and could have won through in straight sets, having squandered a break of serve in the first set, but he regrouped in the second, averting some early pressure with solid serving.
From there, he was the man on the front foot, and despite appearing to nearly roll an ankle in the third set, he maintained the break of serve he’d earned in the fifth game to close it out in 2 hours and 31 minutes.
My serve helped me a lot. Saving the break point in the first game of the second set helped me. You don’t want to go down a set and a break against the World No. 2, so I am happy. Zverev on his win over Alcaraz.
Match Stats
| Carlos Alcaraz | Alexander Zverev | |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 11 | 16 |
| Double Faults | 2 | 2 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 70% | 77% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 73% (47/64) | 79% (59/75) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 54% (15/28) | 50% (11/22) |
| Break Points Saved | 63% (5/8) | 83% (5/6) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 21% (16/75) | 27% (17/64) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 50% (11/22) | 46% (13/28) |
| Break Points Converted | 17% (1/6) | 38% (3/8) |
| Winners | 30 | 37 |
| Unforced Errors | 15 | 5 |
| Net Points Won | 67% (16/24) | 64% (16/25) |
| Max Points In Row | 8 | 6 |
| Service Points Won | 67% (62/92) | 72% (70/97) |
| Return Points Won | 28% (27/97) | 33% (30/92) |
| Total Points Won | 47% (89/189) | 53% (100/189) |
| Max Games In Row | 3 | 3 |
| Service Games Won | 80% (12/15) | 94% (15/16) |
| Return Games Won | 6% (1/16) | 20% (3/15) |
| Total Games Won | 42% (13/31) | 58% (18/31) |
Highlights
Medvedev Mutes Rublev
Daniil Medvedev made it a hat trick of wins this season against his good friend Andrey Rublev with a well-measured 6-4 6-2 victory.
The opening stages were a close affair, with Rublev fending off break points and seemingly growing into the contest only to drop serve at 3-3 with a poorly executed drive volley.
Rublev often becomes more dangerous when down in the score, and he immediately upped his level with some furious hitting to create seven break points across his next two return games, but Medvedev produced some stylish serving to fend them off, finally escaping a six-deuce game to take the opener.
From there, the third seed ran away with the second set, breaking in the opening game and coasting over the line as Rublev’s resistance ended when he hurt his hand after stumbling and diving for a volley when unsuccessfully trying to prevent a double break.
Match Stats
| Daniil Medvedev | Andrey Rublev | |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 10 | 2 |
| Double Faults | 3 | 2 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 56% | 66% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 83% (30/36) | 62% (28/45) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 50% (14/28) | 43% (10/23) |
| Break Points Saved | 100% (7/7) | 70% (7/10) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 38% (17/45) | 17% (6/36) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 61% (14/23) | 50% (14/28) |
| Break Points Converted | 30% (3/10) | 0% (0/7) |
| Winners | 24 | 19 |
| Unforced Errors | 6 | 13 |
| Net Points Won | 88% (7/8) | 80% (16/20) |
| Max Points In Row | 7 | 5 |
| Service Points Won | 69% (44/64) | 54% (37/68) |
| Return Points Won | 46% (31/68) | 31% (20/64) |
| Total Points Won | 57% (75/132) | 43% (57/132) |
| Max Games In Row | 3 | 1 |
| Service Games Won | 100% (9/9) | 67% (6/9) |
| Return Games Won | 33% (3/9) | 0% (0/9) |
| Total Games Won | 67% (12/18) | 33% (6/18) |
Highlights
2023 ATP Finals Day 3 and 4 Schedule
Order of Play – Tuesday, 14th November
Afternoon Session – Starts at noon.
- (4) Santiago Gonzalez/Edouard Roger-Vasselin vs. (7) Maximo Gonzalez/Andres Molteni
- Not Before 2:30 p.m. – (6) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Holger Rune (8)
Evening Session – Not Before 6:30 p.m.
- (1) Ivan Dodig/Austin Krajicek vs. (5) Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos
- Not Before 9 p.m. – (1) Novak Djokovic vs. (4) Jannik Sinner
Order of Play – Wednesday, 15th November
Afternoon Session – Starts at noon.
- (3) Rohan Bopanna/Matthew Ebden vs. (8) Rinky Hijikata/Jason Kubler
- Not Before 2:30 p.m. – (2) Carlos Alcaraz vs. (5) Andrey Rublev
Evening Session – Not Before 6:30 p.m.
- (2) Wesley Koolhof/Neal Skupski vs. (6) Rajeev Ram/Joe Salisbury
- Not Before 9 p.m. – (3) Daniil Medvedev vs. (7) Alexander Zverev
What do you think about the matches at the ATP Finals so far? Let me know in the comments.
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