World No 1 Alexander Zverev and second seed Carlos Alcaraz enter the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin as tournament favourites, according to the Sky Sports panel. The prestigious event takes place at the Inalpi Arena from 15-22 November and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Tennis.
The Groups and Expert Predictions
Zverev, a two-time champion who claimed the trophy in 2018 and 2021, has been drawn in the John McEnroe Group alongside Ben Shelton, Arthur Fils, and Rafael Jodar. Meanwhile, Alcaraz headlines the Ivan Lendl Group as he aims to capture his first Nitto ATP Finals title, competing against Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe.
Sky Sports presenter Gigi Salmon backs Alcaraz to triumph, noting: “He is fresh after his lay-off, full of confidence after back-to-back titles, and he really wants this title.”
Former British number one Tim Henman selected Zverev, explaining: “Altitude and his serve will be very difficult to break. Has experience in Turin and winning WTF.”
Doubles specialist Jamie Murray also chose Alcaraz, stating: “I don’t think he’s played so much tennis this year, and he just won Vienna and Paris. He has never won the Tour finals so that will be a big motivation to get that on his CV.”
Pundit Naomi Cavaday selected the Spaniard as well, remarking that the world number two will win because he is currently the best player on tour and has improved his hard-court game for indoor play, adding, “With no Jannik Sinner, it’s up to him.”
Marion Bartoli agreed on Alcaraz, stating: “When he plays the way he plays in Paris indoors, he’s pretty much unbeatable. That being said Zverev will try to finish on a good note because he’s the No 1 player in the world and has won the tournament before.”
Surprise Packages and Player Insights
When asked about potential surprise packages in the tournament, Gigi Salmon pointed to Rafael Jodar, highlighting his rapid rise from outside the top 800 to the top 10 as the quickest player on the ATP Tour to achieve the feat, beating Gustavo Kuerten’s record by 176 days. Tim Henman selected Arthur Fils, citing the Frenchman’s power and love for big occasions, while Jamie Murray also backed Jodar as the eighth-ranked seed after being the last player to qualify for the event.
Naomi Cavaday tipped Frances Tiafoe as a surprise contender, explaining that despite looking tired after the US Open, he is a big-match player capable of a deep run in Turin. Speaking at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells, former Australian Open champion Madison Keys told Sky Sports: “You have Carlos, who won in Paris, and then you have Ben [Shelton], who was in the finals in Paris and US Open.”
Keys added: “I’m cheering for Tiafoe to have an upset, absolutely. But Shelton is also my guy, and he’s playing amazing tennis. Everyone is going to play amazing tennis. Both groups are tough.”
