mtenis.com.pl

German to end season at best year-end PIF ATP Ranking of his career

Alexander Zverev
© Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour

by ATP Staff

PIF ATP Live Rankings Projection — Nov 15

Alexander Zverev with his victory against Carlos Alcaraz Friday at the Nitto ATP Finals did more than clinch his spot atop the John Newcombe Group. The German also guaranteed he will finish the year at No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Zverev is No. 2 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and now has a 905-point lead over No. 3 Alcaraz. While the Spaniard still can qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals semi-finals, he can no longer catch Zverev for World No. 2.


This is the highest year-end finish of Zverev's career and the seventh time he will complete a season in the Top 10. The 27-year-old's previous-best finish came in 2021 when he was year-end No. 3.

Zverev is two matches from earning the third Nitto ATP Finals trophy of his career. In 2024 he has already triumphed in Rome and Paris, both ATP Masters 1000 events.

Alcaraz is locked into a year-end World No. 3 finish. Two years ago he became the youngest ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF in history. Last year he finished No. 2.

Catch 'The Aftermatch' across Nitto ATP Finals and ATP Tour social channels every day during the year-end event

Alexander Zverev
© ATP Tour

by Sam Jacot

Nitto ATP Finals — Nov 15

Alexander Zverev was ‘The Aftermatch’ star for the first time this week when he joined Max Whittle for a fun-filled hair-based chat on Instagram Live on Friday.

The German, who is into the semi-finals at the Nitto ATP Finals, received a hair-based redemption award after he lost out to Jannik Sinner in the ATP Social Awards last week, while he looked back at a funny moment with brother Mischa. Zverev also explained why he was in hysterics after winning the first set against Carlos Alcaraz in his Friday win.

Watch the live interview below and tune in to ATP Tour and Nitto ATP Finals social channels after every daytime singles match to catch your favourite players going Live. Be part of the excitement and don’t miss a moment of behind-the-scenes action!


Taylor Fritz became the first player to return to 'The Aftermatch' on Instagram Live after he notched his second day-time win at this year’s Nitto ATP Finals.

Fresh off his victory against Alex de Minaur, the American caught up with host Max Whittle. On his first appearance, Fritz’s hair and fashion sense came under fire in a fun Q&A. On Thursday, Fritz explained why he has panda-like traits before his maths skills were put to the test.

Catch the must-watch live interview below as Fritz spills the tea.



Catch the action as Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz lights up Instagram Live! Fresh off his victory against Andrey Rublev in Turin, Alcaraz joined Max Whittle on The Aftermatch to answer rapid-fire fan questions and share some laughs.

Alcaraz joked about 'bobblehead Carlos,' laughed about his powerful biceps and discussed why he picks pink when it comes to his nasal strips. Also hinting at his "Superman" skills on the court, Alcaraz brought his signature charm and energy to this must-watch interview.

Don’t miss a second—watch the full interview below to see why Alcaraz has fans worldwide cheering for more!



Fresh from his first win at this year's Nitto ATP Finals on Tuesday, Daniil Medvedev made his way to the hot seat in Turin, where he joined Max Whittle on Instagram Live for the latest installment of ‘The Aftermatch’.

The 28-year-old is a larger-than-life character and showed off his full personality with Whittle. The No. 4 player in the PIF ATP Rankings discussed his iconic celebrations and was put to the test with a number of fast-paced games.

Watch the interview you didn’t know you needed below as Medvedev becomes the third star to go Live this week.



Another day, another Instagram Live, with Casper Ruud the latest star to take the hot seat for ‘The Aftermatch’.

Following his win against Carlos Alcaraz at the Nitto ATP Finals on Monday, Ruud joined host Max Whittle in Turin, where the pair discussed Ruud’s James Bond-based fashion, Norwegian fans, Sinner’s hair and much more…

Catch the must-watch live interview below as Ruud spills the tea.



On Sunday, Taylor Fritz brought his A-game not just to the court but also to Instagram Live, where he became the very first guest on ‘The Aftermatch’ with host Max Whittle.

Fans got to see Fritz's fun side when he spilled the tea in this lively post-match chat!

After clinching a win against Daniil Medvedev at the Nitto ATP Finals, the 27-year-old shared all. He cracked jokes about his recent viral hair transformation, dished on who stole the show as the best-dressed at media day, and even got a surprise gift from Whittle.

Catch the must-watch Live interview below – it’s the post-match breakdown you didn’t know you needed!

German meets Fritz in Turin SFs after downing Alcaraz on Friday
November 15, 2024
Alexander Zverev celebrates his straight-sets win against Carlos Alcaraz on Friday in Turin.
Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Alexander Zverev celebrates his straight-sets win against Carlos Alcaraz on Friday in Turin.
By ATP Staff
Has Alexander Zverev identified the path to challenging Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz for major titles in 2025?

The German maintained his red-hot late-season form on Friday at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he defeated Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz in straight sets for his eighth consecutive tour-level win. After the match, Zverev was asked about what he could do replicate his Friday-afternoon victory more regularly against his young rivals Sinner and Alcaraz.

Who's your favourite tennis player? Vote now in 2024 ATP Awards

“I think everybody talks about how great they are defensively. I don't think they play defence a lot anymore,” said the No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings after his 7-6(5), 6-4 win against Alcaraz. “Tennis is not about defence anymore. It used to be a few years back when tennis was quite different, a little bit slower still.

“I think now those guys, 90 per cent of the time they're only playing offence. It's about making sure that you can keep up offensively with them, being able to keep up with their speeds of groundstrokes as well. That's the number one thing. Not backing off, going for your shots in the most important moments.

“That's maybe where I struggled, as well, in my career, trusting my shots and going for them when I need to. I think personally that's something that I still continue to need to work on. Hopefully next year's going to be even better.”

You May Also Like: Zverev sets Fritz SF clash, leaves Alcaraz with nervous wait in Turin
Zverev has shown plenty of shotmaking ability of his own this week in Turin and finished top of John Newcombe Group with a 3-0 record. The 27-year-old, an ATP Masters 1000 champion in Rome and Paris this year, dug deep to stick with Alcaraz on Friday whenever the Spaniard raised his game. Zverev now leads 6-5 in the pair's Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

“I thought there were some ridiculous points in the end of the tie-break,” reflected Zverev. “This is the thing about Carlos. He might not be playing at his best, even though I thought he played phenomenal today. I'm just saying generally sometimes he's not playing at his best. All of a sudden in the most important moments, he turns into a different person.

“All of a sudden, you can't hit a winner against him. All of a sudden, he hits every single passing shot on the line. You could put a coin there and he would hit it. That's what makes him one of the best players in the world.

“He did that in the tie-break, as well. He hit two ridiculous passing shots, one forehand and one backhand lob, which were unbelievable. I thought the backhand lob was insane, to be honest.”

Zverev may have one more chance to test his 'all out attack' theory this week at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he and Sinner could meet in the championship match. First, however, the two-time champion at the prestigious season finale must overcome Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals. If Zverev prevails, he will become the first male singles player to notch 70 wins in a season since Andy Murray won 78 in 2016.

“Of course it's nice to have such a high number, but it's not something that you personally think about too much,” said Zverev, who is yet to drop serve this week in Turin, when asked about the milestone. “I think I personally think about trying to win big tournaments, trying to improve for next year to be able to compete with Carlos and with Jannik. That's more on my mind.

“But I'm in the semi-finals, and I'm happy about that. I'm getting the chance to play Taylor again, who beat me the last [three] times we played, at Wimbledon, the US Open [and the Laver Cup]. I'm looking forward to that match.”

Two-time champion reflects on the semi-final loss to Fritz at the Nitto ATP Finals 2024
November 16, 2024
Alexander Zverev is a two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion.
Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Alexander Zverev is a two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion.
By ATP Staff
Alexander Zverev was close to solving the Taylor Fritz puzzle, but fell short again.

On Saturday, the 27-year-old lost to the inspired American in the semi-finals at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. In a tight three-set battle where only a few points set the two apart, Zverev admitted he fell short at crucial moments.

"This one will hurt maybe a bit more because I thought I played at a decent level and I had more chances generally in the third set. I felt like statistically and shot-wise, my level maybe was even higher than his until the important moments. That's where I kind of blew it. This one will hurt more than the other few," said Zverev.

"I didn't use my chances in the third set at all. I feel like I had more than enough. I played a below-average tie-break, I would say. A lot worse than what the level was throughout the third set from my end."

In one of the most noteworthy rivalries of 2024, Zverev and Fritz faced each other five times, including battles at Wimbledon and the US Open, which went Fritz’s way. Overall, the American, enjoying his best season on the Tour, edged Zverev 4-1 in the Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

The two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion acknowledged the improvements he has seen in the US Open finalist’s game.

“His forehand used to break down quite a lot. His forehand was always fast, and very aggressive, but it was very shaky in important moments. He could hit a winner, but he could hit the fence, as well. I feel like the ratio is a lot more towards winners now than hitting the fence. His forehand doesn't break down as much as it used to,” he said.

“I think that's the shot that improved the most for him."

Who's your favourite tennis player? Vote now in 2024 ATP Awards

Zverev, who notched a perfect 3-0 round-robin record at the prestigious season finale, including a straight-sets win over Carlos Alcaraz in his last group stage match on Friday, admitted he felt different against Fritz in the semi-final.

"I felt a bit more empty today. Yesterday I felt full of energy. I was like a jumping ball. I could move and I could run no matter how long. Today I felt more empty, especially in the beginning. The longer the match went on, the better I felt. In the beginning of the match, I struggled. In the warm-up I struggled as well,” he shared.

"It was one of those days where everything takes time to get going. It's not a natural flow to movement patterns, to your shots as well, to just how you wake up in the morning. Everything is a little bit more tiring. I felt that way today.

“Against Carlos, it was the highlight of the tournament. Probably the highest-level match that the tournament has seen so far. Unfortunately, I didn't back it up at the level in the first set.”

Zverev, who has sealed his status as the year-end No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings, also reflected on his journey this year. The German won two titles and registered a 69-21 record this season according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

“I played some fantastic matches. I've won 65 matches, something like that. It's been an interesting year for me, especially after the injury. It was kind of my first year completely back competing at this level and competing for big tournaments. I won two Masters events (Rome and Paris),” said Zverev.

“But what stays in mind I think are the tough losses that you had. What will stay in my mind is the Australian Open loss against Daniil, and the French Open final against Carlos. Those are the matches that stay in my mind. You can trust me, I'm going to do everything I can to be back in the same moments, in the same position next year. I'm going to do everything I can to win."

World No. 2’s booming backhand was Friday's Immersive Highlight
November 16, 2024
Alexander Zverev in action at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals.
Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Alexander Zverev in action at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals.
By ATP Staff
Is Alexander Zverev’s stone-cold powerful backhand perhaps one of the biggest weapons in his arsenal?

The German’s sensational hitting against Carlos Alcaraz features in the latest Nitto ATP Finals Immersive Highlight, which aims to help attract a younger audience and present ATP tennis in a new and innovative way during the 2024 season finale. Thanks to a combination of Augmented Reality technology, 3D modelling and live data, fans can enjoy a scintillating court coverage from Zverev that ends with a booming backhand!