TURIN, Italy — As the 2025 ATP Tour season draws to a close, the spotlight turns to the elite ATP Finals, where superstars Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are poised to battle for supremacy and the year-end No. 1 ranking. The tournament, set to begin Sunday at the Pala Alpitour arena in Turin for the fifth consecutive year, features the top eight singles players and eight doubles teams in a round-robin format, culminating in semifinals and finals on Nov. 16.
This year's event promises high stakes, with an undefeated singles champion earning a record-breaking $5,071,000 and 1,500 ranking points. Alcaraz, 22, and Sinner, 24, have dominated the season, splitting the four Grand Slam titles and amassing a significant points lead over the field. Alcaraz claimed victories at the French Open and US Open, while Sinner triumphed at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, with the pair facing off in three of those major finals.
Beyond the majors, Alcaraz secured six additional titles, including three Masters 1000 events, and Sinner added three more, highlighted by his win at the Paris Masters earlier this month. The duo holds a gap of more than 5,000 points over the rest of the tour, but the race for the year-end top spot remains tight. Sinner briefly reclaimed No. 1 after Paris, but Alcaraz will enter the Finals in the position and can retain it by going undefeated in his three round-robin matches or reaching the final.
Sinner, who won the ATP Finals title last year and finished 2024 as No. 1, is aiming to defend his crown, while Alcaraz, the 2022 year-end No. 1, seeks his first Finals victory. Both are clear favorites, but questions linger about potential challengers, including the uncertain participation of Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic, 38, has qualified for his 18th ATP Finals, tying Roger Federer's record, after reaching semifinals at all four majors and winning a 250-level title in Geneva. However, his limited play since May — appearing in just two non-Slam tournaments — has fueled speculation. He skipped the Paris Masters and has been noncommittal about Turin.
Angelo Binaghi, head of the Italian Tennis Federation, announced on Italian radio channel Rai Gr Parlamento on Monday that Djokovic would compete. "We have confirmation that Djokovic will be in Turin," Binaghi said.
But Djokovic quickly refuted this. "I don't know where [Binaghi] got this information from. Certainly not from me or my team," he told reporters Tuesday after a win in the round of 16 at the Hellenic Championship in Athens, where his brother Djordje serves as tournament director. As of Friday, Djokovic had not confirmed his plans, and he advanced to the final against Lorenzo Musetti on Saturday.
If Djokovic plays, he could extend his record with an eighth Finals title, having won the last two he entered in 2023 and 2022, though he withdrew in 2024. He has acknowledged challenges against Alcaraz and Sinner but might seek redemption in Turin.
American players add intrigue, with Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton marking the first U.S. duo at the Finals since Andy Roddick and James Blake in 2006. Fritz, 28, returns for his third appearance after reaching the final in 2024 and semifinals in 2022. This season, he made his first Wimbledon semifinals, US Open quarterfinals, and won two ATP titles, including a final loss to Alcaraz at the Japan Open in September.
Shelton, 23, qualified for the first time at a career-high No. 6 ranking. He reached Australian Open semifinals, Wimbledon quarterfinals, and won his inaugural Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open. A shoulder injury sidelined him for over a month, including an early US Open exit, but he secured his spot with a Paris Masters quarterfinal run.
"I knew at the end of the day that if I wanted to be in control of my own destiny I had to go out and win today," Shelton said after qualifying in Paris. "And I knew when I stepped out on the court that I was going to have to die on this court before I went down. ... It's huge. It's huge for me. It was always a huge goal, [and] most importantly, to get back to this level I played today. That's where I want to be at."
Alex de Minaur qualified for the second straight year on Oct. 30 after a strong Paris showing. The final singles spot remains contested between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Lorenzo Musetti. Musetti held a 290-point lead after Paris, but Auger-Aliassime narrowed it to 160 points by reaching the final there, losing to Sinner.
A knee injury forced Auger-Aliassime's withdrawal from subsequent events, leaving Musetti's fate in his hands at the Athens tournament. Musetti must win the title on Saturday against Djokovic to clinch the berth, just one day before the Finals begin. He survived tough matches, including saving a match point against Sebastian Korda in the semifinals.
In doubles, the field includes defending champions Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz, who debuted together in 2024 and won titles in Halle and Shanghai, plus an Australian Open semifinal. Top contenders Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos won the French Open and US Open, three other titles, and boast a 5-0 finals record in 2025. They reached the Finals final in 2023, with Granollers winning in 2012.
Australian Open winners Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten, fresh off a Paris Masters victory, and Wimbledon champions Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, who reached 11 finals and won seven in 2025, are also in the mix. The American pair Christian Harrison and Evan King earned the last spot in their debut season, winning three titles including 500-level events in Dallas and Mexico, and reaching French Open semifinals — the first U.S. team since Mike Bryan and Jack Sock in 2018.
As the tournament unfolds over six days of group play, with top performers advancing to semifinals, the outcomes could reshape rankings and legacies. An undefeated doubles team could earn up to $959,300. With Alcaraz and Sinner's dominance, Djokovic's potential return, and emerging talents like Shelton, the ATP Finals represent a fitting cap to a transformative year in men's tennis.
Looking ahead, the event underscores the shifting guard in the sport, as younger stars challenge veterans. Whatever the results, the Finals will set the stage for 2026, with players eyeing offseason recovery and new challenges on the horizon.