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Carlos Alcaraz was pushed all the way by Alex de Minaur in his opening match at the ATP Finals in Turin, but he found a way to win in straight sets as he continued his push to finish the season as the world No 1.

Alcaraz jumped back to the top of the live ATP rankings heading into the Turin finals, but he could still finish a stellar year behind his great rival Jannik Sinner in the rankings.

Sinner’s wins in the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna and his victory at the Paris Masters allowed him to get back into contention to finish 2025 as the world’s best player.

Yet if Alcaraz wins three matches at the ATP Finals, the Spaniard will claim that prestigious end-of-season rankings prize.

His 7-6(5), 6-2 win against De Minaur was far from straight forward, as he was pushed by the battling Aussie in a tight first set before he moved up a gear or two to secure the second set in more clinical fashion.

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“This tournament is one of the best tournaments we have on Tour, without a doubt,” said Alcaraz. “We’re playing against the best players in the world, which shows how difficult and important it is.

“I’ve been struggling in the past few years to come to the end of the year with motivation. This year is a little bit different, which I’m proud about [as] I’m doing the right things to give myself a shot to try and win this tournament.”

He also opened up on his battle for the No 1 ranking with Sinner as he said: “As everybody knows, I’m fighting for not only the trophy but for the No 1 (ranking) as well so I’m just really happy with the way that I played today. 

“I was focused on all my goals against someone like Alex, he’s really difficult to play against. I’m happy to get my first win and excited for what’s next.

“Ending as the No. 1, it’s been an important goal for me since half the year, to be honest. Because at the beginning, I didn’t think about it.

“I’m just really motivated to perform well, to play my best tennis, trying to get some wins here, trying to qualify to the semi-finals.

“I think doing good in this tournament, winning matches here, it comes together with ending the year as No. 1. It’s kind of the same motivation, they stick together.”

Alcaraz can clinch the year-end No 1 ranking if he wins all three of his group stage matches in Turin, but he could afford to lose one and still claim the crown if he reaches the final next Sunday.

The post What Carlos Alcaraz needs to do to steal world No 1 ranking from Jannik Sinner after ATP Finals opener appeared first on Tennis365.

The 2025 ATP Finals field was set at the last minute following Novak Djokovic’s eleventh-hour decision to withdraw from the tournament, and that resulted in some tweaks to the original groups.

The draw for the season-ending tournament in Turin was made on Thursday – three days before the official start of the event – with top seed Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic, Taylor Fritz and Alex De Minaur drawn in the Jimmy Connors Group.

Jannik Sinner headlined the Bjorn Borg Group and he was joined by Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton, while one other player was still to be confirmed as Felix Auger-Aliassime and Lorenzo Musetti were still battling it out for the final position.

The pre-match tournament photo shoot only featured six player who had already qualified with Djokovic still in action in Athens while the identity of the eighth player was unknown.

With Djokovic beating Musetti in the final of the Hellenic Championship, Auger-Aliassime then went into the Borg group as the final and eighth qualifier with the Italian taking one of the alternate spots alongside Alexander Bublik.

But seven-time ATP Finals champion Djokovic then threw a spanner in the works as he pulled out of the event due to a shoulder injury as he revealed the injury got worse during the ATP 250 event in Athens.

That meant Musetti got pumped into the main draw as he took Serbian’s position in the Connors group with their round-robin matches set for Monday.

There was no doubt that Djokovic was Alcaraz’s biggest rival as the former leads their head-to-head rivalry 5-4, but the Spaniard is 4-1 against Fritz and 4-0 against De Minaur.

With the 24-time Grand Slam winner dropping out, Alcaraz has a winning record against all his rivals as he is 4-1 against Musetti.

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Sinner is 5-4 against Zverev, 7-1 against Shelton and 3-2 against Auger-Aliassime.

But with Musetti moving up, Bublik took his spot as the first alternate, opening up a second alternate spot with Casper Ruud next in line, but there were doubts over his participation as he was already on holiday, resulting in fears the ATP might have to scramble to find another player to fill the slot.

However, the world No 12’s manager Tina Falster has confirmed to Norway’s NTB that he has accepted the position and will soon make his way to Turin.

Of course, the fact that players earn $155,000 as an alternate is a big lure while there is always the possibility that one of the top eight could withdraw, meaning they would step up and earn more money.

The post Who is the second ATP Finals alternate after Novak Djokovic move causes havoc? appeared first on Tennis365.

There was an awkward moment during the WTA Finals trophy presentation involving champion Elena Rybakina and WTA CEO Portia Archer, and while the player refused to go into detail, it no doubt stems from the WTA Tour’s decision to suspend the 2022 Wimbledon champion’s coach Stefano Vukov.

Rybakina won her biggest title since her Wimbledon success four years ago as she defeated world No 1 and four-time Grand Slam winner Sabalenka in straight sets in the WTA Finals in Riyadh.

Players traditionally take photos with officials during the post-match ceremony and Rybakina had no problem posing alongside Sabalenka in the centre of the court, but when Archer started making her way to the middle, the Kazakh player walked away and stood a few metres away.

The 26-year-old was called over to rejoin the shoot, but she gestured with her hand to indicate they go ahead without her and looked away while photos were being taken.

When asked during the post-match press conference why she didn’t want to pose with Archer, Rybakina told reporters that she wanted “to keep the reason between her and the WTA chief”.

But the tension between the player and officials originates from the WTA’s handling of her coach Vukov’s suspension in 2024.

The Croatian’s coaching methods made headlines at the 2023 Australian Open when he was criticised for the way he talked to Rybakina during her run to the final, but she defended her mentor.

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On the eve of the 2024 US Open, Rybakina announced that she had ended her working relationship with Vukov and not long after, the WTA announced that he had been provisionally suspended pending an investigation into his conduct.

But Rybakina and Vukov started working together again at the start of 2025 and in February this year, it was announced that the Croatian had been handed a 12-month suspension and Archer was quite critical when the findings was released.

She stated that Vukov’s behaviour was a “contradiction” to the “safe environment” needed for everyone on the WTA Tour, adding: “It’s clear to me you have a toxic relationship.”

Vukov appealed the decision and in August he was cleared to return to action.

But there is certainly bad blood between Rybakina and the top officials on the WTA Tour with the latest incident in Saudi Arabia proving it is not something that will go away any time soon.

Why did #Rybakina refuse to take a picture with Portia Archer the CEO of WTA ? #WTAFinals #WTAFinalsRiyadh #portiaarcher #wta #tennis #sabalenkaa pic.twitter.com/15Z53UgSvN

— Harmony K Lokenye (@Hlokenyee) November 8, 2025

During her post-match press conference, the newly crowned WTA Finals champion was asked if she held talks with Tour officials in an attempt to clear the air and replied: “I think we’re all doing our job and we had the opportunity to have conversations but in the end it never happened so we’re all doing our job and I think we’re going to keep it this way.”

The post Why did Elena Rybakina snub WTA CEO during photo shoot after winning WTA Finals? appeared first on Tennis365.

The ATP Finals are set to get underway in Turin and the schedule has been reshuffled amid confusion created by Novak Djokovic’s refusal to confirm whether he will compete.

After qualifying for another end-of-season finals, Djokovic has held back on revealing whether he will play in Turin.

He pulled out of last year’s ATP Finals due to injury, amid some suggestions that he didn’t have the motivation to play in an event he has won seven times.

Now the uncertainty over whether he will play in 2025 forced organisers to abandon the traditional plan of players in the same group competing on the same day.

It means Carlos Alcaraz will take on Alex de Minaur in the opening match in the Jimmy Connors Group on Sunday, with Alexander Zverev playing Ben Shelton in the Bjorn Borg group in the evening session.

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Here are our predictions for the opening day of action in Turin.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Alex de Minaur
Head-to-head record: Alcaraz leads 4-0

The previous meetings between these two suggest there will only be one winner in this curtain raiser for the ATP Finals, but don’t write off De Minaur.

The Aussie battler is one of the most under-rated players on the men’s tour, with his presence as a consistent member of the top 10 over the last couple of years a tribute to his success in getting the very best out of his game.

Alcaraz’s uncertainty playing on indoor courts will give De Minaur hope that he can pull off an upset and don’t be surprised if he pushes the French Open and US Open champion all the way.

With Alcaraz chasing the year-end world No 1 ranking, his motivation should be enough to take him through to the next round.

Verdict: Alcaraz to seal a three-set win.

Alexander Zverev vs Ben Shelton
Head-to-head record: Zverev leads 4-0

Zverev has won all three of his meetings with Shelton in 2025 and his victories in Munich and Cincinnati fell into the ‘comfortable’ category.

That is a surprisingly one-sided record for a player who has struggled badly this season, with his big serve getting him out of trouble in the matches he has won.

Zverev’s horrible record against Shelton’s big-serving American compatriot Taylor Fritz suggests he struggles against player who have similar power to him and play a game that could be comparable.

Yet Shelton has not troubled him up to now and the task for the ATP Finals debutant is to change that narrative.

Given Zverev’s recent form and question marks over his fitness heading into Turin, this has to be Shelton best chance to get a first win against the world No 3.

Verdict: Shelton to come through in straight sets.

Full order of play for Sunday at the ATP Finals in Turin

Start 11:30 am: 
[3] Marcel Granollers (ESP) / Horacio Zeballos (ARG) vs [6] Kevin Krawietz (GER) / Tim Puetz (GER)
Not Before 2 pm: 
[1] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs [7] Alex de Minaur (AUS)
Not Before 6 pm
: [1] Julian Cash (GBR) / Lloyd Glasspool (GBR) vs [7] Simone Bolelli (ITA) / Andrea Vavassori (ITA)
Not Before 8:30 pm: 
[3] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs [5] Ben Shelton (USA)

The post Carlos Alcaraz pushed to the brink as Alexander Zverev crashes to defeat – ATP Finals Day 1 predictions appeared first on Tennis365.

The schedule for the opening two days of the ATP Finals in Turin has been revealed and organisers have been forced to change the format due to what has become a logistical challenge.

Traditionally, the players in each of the groups will compete on the same day, ensuring all of them have a similar period of rest between matches, but that plan has been thrown into chaos due to a couple of outstanding issues.

Novak Djokovic’s refusal to confirm whether he will play at the ATP Finals combined with his decision to play in the ATP 250 event in Athens that is owned by members of his family has thrown a huge slice of confusion into the mix ahead of the ATP’s marquee event.

Djokovic qualified for the ATP Finals comfortably despite playing a limited tournament schedule in 2025, but he pulled out of the event last year, citing an injury concern amid some suggestions that he was no longer motivated to play in a tournament he has won a record seven times.

The question marks over Djokovic’s participation forced Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti to compete in the Athens event, as he chased the ranking points he needed to reach the ATP Finals.

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Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime has also been in limbo, as he has headed to Turin unsure whether he will play in the tournament, with Musetti trying to beat him to the final qualifying spot.

That meant the official launch event for the Turin tournament saw only six players present, with defending champion Jannik Sinner joined by Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Alex de Minaur.

That was not an ideal scenario for ATP Tour chiefs who build so much of their year around this event and they have already ensured they will have all eight players present in future years by confirming the race to qualify for the ATP Finals will end after the Paris Masters, a full week before the start of the Turin event.

The challenge for the organisers of the ATP Finals was finding a way to plan their event even though they don’t know who will be playing.

They also had to ensure Djokovic and Musetti were not playing on Sunday, as they will still be in Greece until late on Saturday evening playing their Athens final.

So ATP Finals organisers have been forced to tweak their plans, with players from both groups in action on the opening Sunday.

Alcaraz will play De Minaur in the opening match from the Jimmy Connors Group, before Zverev and Ben Shelton take to the court on Sunday evening in the Bjorn Borg Group.

Djokovic will play Fritz on Monday afternoon if he chooses to play, with Sinner given the primetime slot on Monday evening against either his compatriot Musetti or Auger-Aliassime.

This is not an ideal scenario and Djokovic can take much of the blame for the confusion, as Musetti and Auger-Aliassime would have known their fate if the Serbian was more open about his plans to play in Turin.

The end result is a schedule that may hamper Sinner, as he will need to play on Friday, Saturday and Sunday if he reaches the final.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz and the other players competing on Sunday are likely to get a day off ahead of the semi-finals on Saturday.

The total prize money for the 2025 ATP Finals is a stunning $15.5million, with the champion scooping $5.1million if they stay unbeaten, as Sinner did in 2024.

ORDER OF PLAY – SUNDAY, 9 NOVEMBER 2025

INALPI ARENA start 11:30 am
Not Before 2 pm
[1] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs [7] Alex de Minaur (AUS)

Not Before 8:30 pm
[3] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs [5] Ben Shelton (USA)

ORDER OF PLAY – MONDAY, 10 NOVEMBER 2025

INALPI ARENA start 11:30 am
[4] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs [6] Taylor Fritz (USA)

Not Before 6 pm
[2] Jannik Sinner (ITA) vs [8] Felix Auger-Aliassime or Lorenzo Musetti

The post Novak Djokovic’s unhelpful stance forces ATP Finals organisers to change order of play appeared first on Tennis365.

Aryna Sabalenka has already cemented her place in the tennis history books, with four Grand Slam singles titles and over 60 weeks as world No 1 already to her name.

However, a stunning 2025 season now sees the Belarusian break a record previously held by tennis icon Serena Williams, with Sabalenka moving ahead of the US great in a stunning prize money statistic.

Here, we look at how Sabalenka generated the most profitable prize money season in the history of the women’s game.

Serena Williams’ record

Williams previously set the record for the most prize money won in an individual season back in 2013, one of the most dominant years of her career.

That year, the American generated a staggering $12,385,572 in winnings, highlighted by €1,500,000 for winning the French Open, and $2,555,715 for lifting the US Open title.

It was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, seasons of her career, with 11 titles won and a further two finals reached — with 78 wins and just four defeats.

Until 2025, the closest anyone had come to breaking the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion’s record was Ashleigh Barty, who earned $11,307,587 in 2019.

However, Sabalenka has now broken Williams’ 12-year record in 2025, setting a new benchmark for prize money success.

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Sabalenka’s new milestone

Sabalenka’s season has not been quite as dominant as Williams’ 2013 campaign, with a major increase in prize money in recent years a factor in why this record has been broken.

However, there can be no denying that the Belarusian has been the best women’s tennis player of 2025 and has achieved one of the best years of her career.

The 27-year-old has so far won four titles in 2025, with her US Open success accompanied by triumphs at the Madrid Open, Miami Open, and the Brisbane International.

Ahead of the WTA Finals, Sabalenka had also reached a further four finals in 2025 — including runner-up finishes at the Australian Open and French Open.

Prior to the year-end championships in Riyadh, Sabalenka had already earned $12,313,519 in 2025, highlighted by a staggering $5,000,000 paycheck for her US Open win.

That put her within touching distance of Williams’ 2013 record, and her campaign in Riyadh means that she is now guaranteed to make history, regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s final.

An unbeaten campaign has so far seen the world No 1 earn $2,695,000 in Riyadh, with three group stage wins, a semi-final win, and a participation fee contributing to her haul.

That puts Sabalenka just above the $15,000,000 mark for the season and, if she were to win Saturday’s final and capture her fifth title of the year, she would claim a further $2,540,000 — pushing her above $17,000,000 in winnings for 2025.

Both she and final opponent Elena Rybakina are unbeaten at the WTA Finals, and the winner is guaranteed to earn a total of $5,235,000, which will be a record prize money payout for tennis.

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The post How Aryna Sabalenka broke stunning Serena Williams prize money record in landmark 2025 season appeared first on Tennis365.

The ATP Finals are set to get underway in Turin this Sunday, with the eight best male tennis players in the world all eyeing one last shot at glory in 2025.

Though the field is not yet official, we do know that there is big prize money and significant ranking points at stake, with reigning champion Jannik Sinner among those battling it out for supremacy.

Here, we look at what ranking points and prize money the ATP’s ‘Elite 8’ are competing for at the 2025 year-end championships.

How do ranking points work in Turin?

No ranking points are awarded to the eight players merely for qualifying for the ATP Finals, meaning everyone involved will have to win matches if they want to add to their ranking point tally.

Each round-robin match is worth 200 points per win, with no points awarded to whoever loses each match.

If a player were to win all three round-robin matches they played, they would earn themselves 600 ranking points before the knockout stage.

Once the round-robin stage is complete, the two semi-final matches will be worth 400 points each for the two victorious players.

After the semi-finals, the winner of the final — and ultimately the title — will add a further 500 ranking points to their tournament haul.

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An unbeaten champion will earn themselves a staggering 1,500 ranking points, just as reigning champion Sinner did in 2024.

Round robin: 200 points per win
Semi-final: 400 points
Final: 500 points
Unbeaten champion: 1,500

How does prize money work in Turin?

Unlike with ranking points, there is a participation fee on offer for all eight players — meaning you can still take home prize money even if you do not win a match.

Every player is ensured of a participation fee of $331,000 in Turin, assuming they complete all three round-robin matches; if not, their participation fee will decrease.

An individual round-robin match win is worth $396,500 in Turin this year, meaning a player with a perfect 3-0 group record will have already earned $1,520,500 — three wins plus participation fee — by the end of the round-robin phase.

No further prize money is automatically awarded by reaching the semi-final, though the two victorious semi-finalists will then pick up a further $1,183,500 in winnings.

The player who then wins the final and the title will then add a staggering $2,367,000 to their tournament paycheck in Turin.

Should any player win the title without losing a single match, they would earn $5,071,000 — the biggest paycheck in men’s tennis history.

It would beat both the $5,000,000 awarded to Carlos Alcaraz at the 2025 US Open and the $4,881,100 pocketed by Sinner at the 2024 ATP Finals.

Participant fee: $331,000 (for three complete matches)
Alternate fee: $155,000
Round robin: $396,500 per match win
Semi-final: $1,183,500
Final: $2,367,000
Unbeaten champion: $5,071,000

Read Next: ATP Finals: Does Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner have the best group-stage draw?

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Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will meet in the WTA Finals deciding match on Saturday and the prize money at stake will be the biggest of the tennis year.

World No 1 Sabalenka prevailed in a high-quality and big-hitting contest against Amanda Anisimova, with the 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win giving the US Open a chance to win her first WTA Finals title.

“She’s always pushing me to play my best tennis,” said Sabalenka of Anisimova. “Honestly, I wouldn’t care if I lost this match because I think we played an incredible match and both deserved this place in the final.

“It’s going to be another powerful game. I feel like today was great preparation for Elena. I’m looking forward to leaving everything I have in the last match of the season and fight for this beautiful trophy.”

Sabalenka’s power-packed battle with Anisimova was instantly hailed as one of the best matches seen on the WTA Tour this year and both players can take so much confidence from the precision and power of their ball striking after a captivating contest.

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Rybakina built her success in a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win against Jessica Pegula behind her monster serve, which has been functioning so well all week and she is heading into the final against Sabalenka in thrilling form.

“It’s my biggest weapon and I think it worked really well,” said Rybakina, as she commented on her serve. “Some moments, when I needed it the most, it worked — even though she was really playing well and pushing me in the tough situations.”

Sabalenka and Rybakina have already secured huge cash windfalls after their run to the final in Riyadh, with the prize money on offer in the final ensuring the champion will take home more money than could collect in any of the four Grand Slam events that dominate the tennis year.

This is a breakdown of the prize money that is on the line at the WTA Finals:

Participant fee: $340,000
Round-robin win: $355,000 per win
Semi-final win: $1,290,000
Final win: $2,540,000

With both players winning all four of her matches so far at the WTA Finals, Sabalenka and Rybakina have already pocketed an eye-watering $2,695m.

Now the winner on Saturday will add another $2,540,000, which will take their total to $5,235,000.

That is more than the $5million Sabalenka collected for winning the US Open in September and it would take her prize money winnings for 2025 past the $17million mark.

No other player in women’s tennis this year has broken through the $10million prize money barrier, with Rybakina set to more than double her prize money for this entire year if she wins the final on Saturday.

Rybakina has won $3,195,162 in what has been a challenging 2025 hampered by injury and illness, but she could end on the ultimate high in the richest tournament in women’s tennis.

The post How much prize money and ranking points are Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina playing for in WTA Finals? appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz has arrived in Turin ahead of the ATP Finals and he has two huge goals in his sights, with a first win at the end-of-season finals and the battle to beat Jannik Sinner to the world No 1 ranking in his sights.

Alcaraz appeared to have a clear path to claim the year-end No 1 ranking after he beat Sinner in the US Open final in September, but the Italian has snapped back into contention after winning the titles in Vienna and at the ATP 1000 event in Paris last week.

Now Alcaraz has one last chance to seal the world No 1 ranking and a run to the latter stages of the ATP Finals in Turin should be enough to secure that ambition.

In an engaging press conference ahead of his opening match in Turin, Alcaraz has opened up on what his big targets are for the final week of the season and it is clear that he is not only focused on that No 1 ranking.

“They are two big goals,” he said, referencing the No 1 ranking and the ATP Finals title. “I would love to win the tournament someday, and the No 1 title has been a clear objective throughout the season.

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“In the end, I think it’s turning out to be a good battle between Jannik and me to see who finishes as No 1.

“If he finishes first, it’s because he’s earned it and has had a magnificent end to the season. He won in Vienna, he’s coming off a win in Paris, and if he finishes number one, it’s because he would win here and he deserves it.

“I am going to try to fight to prevent that from happening. If it does happen, it wouldn’t be a disappointment.

“The season has gone incredibly well. The downside is that it’s not over yet, so it’s difficult to think about next year’s goals with these two important tournaments just around the corner. Before preseason, we’ll sit down and see what we can improve.”

Alcaraz and Sinner cannot meet in Turin until the semi-finals at the earliest, but they could avoid a meeting until the final if they win their groups.

When asked whether avoiding a clash with Sinner before the final was a target, Alcaraz insisted he was not thinking about that.

“It’s a bit early to think about that,” he added. “For me, if you want to win the tournament, you have to beat the best. And if I want to win, I’ll have to beat Jannik in the semifinals or the final, or another top player in the semifinals or the final. So I don’t mind.

“The important thing here is to advance, and if it’s by one player, all the better. And if it’s by two, we’ll have to assess the situation and give our best against whoever we face in those semifinals.”

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Novak Djokovic has confirmed he will make a last gasp decision over whether he will compete at this year’s ATP Finals, with his refusal to confirm if he will be in Turin leaving him open to criticism.

The legend who has won the ATP Finals on seven occasions qualified for another end-of-season finale with plenty to spare, even though he has only played a limited tournament schedule in 2025.

With Djokovic confirming he would prefer to spend more time with his young family than play in events that no longer motivate him, the 38-year-old has played what can best be described as a part-time schedule this year.

Yet his appearance in the semi-finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments and impressive consistency in the events he has played ensured he was certain to get an invite to the ATP Finals.

His name was included in the draw for the event and he is due to play Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur in what appears to be the tougher of the two groups, even though he has been spared a group stage meeting with Jannik Sinner.

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Yet all the discussions around what may lie in wait for Djokovic have been put on hold after he confirmed he has yet to decide whether he will make the trip to Turin after he finishes playing in this week’s ATP 250 event in Athens.

After pulling out of the Six Kings Slam exhibition event due to injury last month, Djokovic has looked jaded all of his matches in Greece this week, even though he has produced some impressive tennis to make the latter stages of the competition.

By refusing to confirm whether he will play in Turin, Djokovic forced Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti to play in the Athens tournaments as he looked to gather the ranking points he would require to overtake Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in the ATP Race rankings that decide who will play at the ATP Finals.

While Djokovic has earned the right to make a late decision on playing in Turin, his indifference could be seen as disrespectful both to the tournament and the players waiting to see whether he will compete.

If Djokovic has made his intentions clear earlier, Musetti could have had a full week away from competitive action to prepare to play in Turin and Auger-Aliassime would also know whether he will be a player in the draw or an alternate next week.

With the draw now confirmed, Djokovic’s place will need to be taken by a lower ranked player if he does drop out and it feels like he is enjoying the suspense he is creating by his refusal to show his hand.

Rumours suggesting he will play have been cancelled out by his comments that he will only decide at the end of the tournament in Athens, but this is not how one of the game’s all-time greats needs to behave.

Djokovic will now the convention in tennis of pulling out of an event before a draw if he has limited intention of playing, so he will be criticised if news comes through over the next couple of days that he he withdrawing from the ATP Finals.

The most successful player of all-time would argue he has done enough in the game to follow his own rules, but this looks like a selfish move from a player who appears to be enjoying keeping his fellow players, ATP Tour chiefs and tennis fans on tenterhooks waiting for his big announcement. 

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