American tennis player Ben Shelton faces French competitor Arthur Fils in the John McEnroe Group round-robin match at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, Italy. The fixture begins on Sunday at approximately 20:30 local time.
Where to watch Shelton and Fils live
Fans across different regions can follow the opening-stage clash through television broadcasts and digital streaming platforms. In Spain, Movistar Deportes 2 and Movistar Plus+ hold the exclusive rights, while Tennis TV provides digital streaming coverage, Canal Tenis reported.
Viewers in South America and Central America can watch the tournament via ESPN and Disney+ Premium. In the United States, Tennis Channel and ATP Tennis TV carry the live broadcast, 365Scores noted.
What time does the match start globally
The second fixture of the Turin opening day kicks off at 20:30 local time in Italy. That corresponds to 20:30 in Spain, 16:30 in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and 15:30 in Bolivia, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela, according to 365Scores.
Fans tuning in from Colombia, Peru, Panama, and Ecuador can watch at 14:30. In Mexico and Central American nations including Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Honduras, the start time is 13:30. United States viewers face varied windows ranging from 14:30 Eastern Time down to 11:30 Pacific Time.
How the head-to-head record stands
Shelton holds a 2-1 advantage over Fils across three previous tour-level encounters. The American claimed victory in straight sets at Swiss Indoors Basel on October 26, 2024, winning 6-3, 7-6, Europa Press reported.
Fils answered at the Japan Open Tennis Championships on September 29, 2024, overcoming Shelton in a three-set quarterfinal battle 7-5, 6-7, 7-6. Their first meeting occurred at the Laver Cup round-robin stage on September 22, 2023, where Shelton won 7-6, 6-1.
Players seek opening victories in the group stage
Both players enter the John McEnroe Group seeking an opening victory in a pool that includes Alexander Zverev and Rafael Nadal. With only three matches per player in round-robin play, an early loss complicates the path toward the two semifinal berths, 365Scores explained.
Shelton arrives seeking his first match win at the year-end championship following a winless debut in 2025. The left-hander worked with Juan Carlos Ferrero ahead of the tournament and captured titles in Dallas, Munich, Stuttgart, and Montreal this season, alongside reaching the US Open final, Canal Tenis noted.
Fils makes his maiden ATP Finals appearance
Fils enters the Turin tournament making his maiden appearance at the ATP Finals. His qualification secures France a representative at the year-end event for the first time since Gael Monfils in 2016, Canal Tenis reported.
The French player won a strong campaign despite missing the first two Grand Slam tournaments of the year, securing titles in Barcelona and Cincinnati before arriving in Italy.
