Alexander Zverev walked the blue carpet in a stylish anthracite double-breasted jacket on the Piazza San Carlo, posing for the official group photo alongside the ATP Finals silver trophy, Carlos Alcaraz, and six other competitors, tennisnet.com reported.
The German player enters the season-ending tournament in Turin as the world number one and a two-time Grand Slam champion, following the best season of his career, according to DAZN.
Zverev captured the ATP Finals titles in 2018 by defeating Novak Djokovic and in 2021 by overcoming Daniil Medvedev, as noted by Vietnam.vn.
Shelton's reaction to Zverev's joke 🤣#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/AI7VOszChq
“I am very happy to be back here. It doesn’t matter how many times you have participated in this tournament,” Zverev said, as reported by tennisnet.com. “It is always a special honor to be among the eight best players in the world – Jannik Sinner excluded.”
Focus remains on opening match against Jódar
Italian tennis fans have eagerly anticipated a potential showdown between Zverev and former number one Carlos Alcaraz, especially given the injury absence of defending champion Jannik Sinner. Zverev dismissed those early matchups.
“We shouldn’t treat anyone with disrespect. I am not thinking about Carlos at the moment. I am thinking about these three young gentlemen here,” Zverev said during the joint press conference with his group opponents, according to tennisnet.com.
Placed in the John McEnroe Group, Zverev faces American Ben Shelton, Frenchman Arthur Fils, and Spanish newcomer Rafael Jódar. He holds a clear experience advantage over his group rivals, with Shelton at age 24, Fils at 22 making his tournament debut, and Jódar at 20, as detailed by Vietnam.vn.
“My main focus is on the first match against Rafa,” Zverev said, referencing his Sunday midday opener against Jódar scheduled for not before 14:00 local time on Sky, as reported by tennisnet.com and DAZN.
Alcaraz enters Turin in top form
Carlos Alcaraz arrives in northern Italy riding a strong wave of momentum after winning the Paris Masters at the start of the month, alongside titles at the Vienna Open and the Japan Open in Tokyo following his recovery from a US Open injury, according to DAZN and Vietnam.vn.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion is making his fourth appearance at the season finale, having reached the title match last year before falling to Sinner in straight sets, 6:7 (4:7), 5:7, as outlined by Vietnam.vn.
Zverev acknowledged his rival’s recent surge, noting that the Spaniard has been “extraordinary” and plays “incredible tennis” since his comeback, though the two top favorites cannot meet before the semifinal stage, according to tennisnet.com and DAZN.
Matches in Turin are hosted on the indoor hard courts of the Inalpi Arena, marking the sixth staging of the tournament in the Italian city since 2021, DAZN reported.
Singles groups advance to knockout rounds via round-robin
The singles field splits into two round-robin quartets before advancing to the knockout rounds, requiring players to secure two victories in the group stage to reach the semifinals under best-of-three-set rules featuring third-set tiebreaks, according to DAZN.
The Ivan Lendl Group features Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe alongside Alcaraz, with Medvedev emerging as the primary threat to challenge the top rankings in that bracket, Vietnam.vn reported.
Pay-TV broadcaster Sky and its streaming platform WOW hold the exclusive live broadcast rights for the tournament in Germany, covering all singles and doubles fixtures through the November 22 final, according to DAZN.
Competition runs from November 15 through November 22, with Zverev scheduled to meet Rafael Jódar on November 15, followed by group matches against Shelton and Fils on November 17 and November 19, DAZN reported.
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