The draw for the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals saw five-time champion Novak Djokovic placed in a red group, away from longtime rival Rafael Nadal in the green group. There will be two debutants at the tournament in Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz, with both in the same group as Nadal.
Nadal was instilled as the top seed following the withdrawal of world #1 Carlos Alcaraz, who picked up an injury in Bercy. Speculation was rife on social media prior to the draw that the legendary Spaniard was pitted to face Djokovic in the group stage. But the official word just a few minutes revealed otherwise. That means the 60th meeting between the pair can only take place in the semifinals or Sunday’s championship match.
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner, has not won the ATP Finals in his illustrious career. Many tennis fans and pundits feel it is the missing piece in the jigsaw when the GOAT debate revolves around titles won at the biggest ATP events. However, Nadal has been to multiple finals and cannot be written off.
The groups are set for the #NittoATPFinals in Turin 🇮🇹
🤩 Green Group:@RafaelNadal @CasperRuud98 @felixtennis@Taylor_Fritz97
🤩 Red Group:@steftsitsipas @DaniilMedwed @AndreyRublev97 @DjokerNole
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 10, 2022
Nadal and Djokovic could meet in the semifinal
The 36-year-old Spaniard will lock horns with Casper Ruud (the man he beat in convincing fashion in the final at Roland Garros earlier this year), the in-form Felix Auger-Aliassime, and the USA’s Taylor Fritz in the Green Group. He owns a combined 5-1 record against the trio. The only loss came in the Indian Wells final in March when he surprisingly lost to Fritz. That said, indoor hard courts have hardly been the Spaniard’s preferred conditions and he was soundly beaten by Tommy Paul at the Paris Masters in his last outing. That was his first match since the Laver Cup in September.
Bercy finalist Djokovic, meanwhile, is hunting down Roger Federer’s record of six titles at the season-ending championships. There will be a Paris Masters semifinal rematch when the Serb takes on Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Green Group. The Russian duo of Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev complete the Red Group. Medvedev won the 2020 edition and hasn’t lost a round-robin match since 2019. Rublev, by contrast, has not made it out of the group in his two previous appearances at the ATP Finals. Early exits in Vienna and Bercy appear have shaken his confidence and is the underdog in this group.
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