Tennis News • Djokovic with Tsitsipas, Medvedev with Zverev in the groups Nitto ATP Finals

By Ricky Dimon

Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas are familiar enemies. Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev are the same. Both rivalries will add at least one more chapter in the upcoming Nitto ATP Finals.

The year-end championship draw ceremony took place earlier this week and the result is a group consisting of Djokovic, Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud. Matteo Berrettini and Hubert Hurkacz will join Medvedev and Zverev in the other round robin quartet.

Djokovic is 6-2 for life against Tsitsipas, 1-0 against Ruud, and he has surprisingly never faced Rublev. The seeded Serbian, who came in one game (the US Open final) to win the calendar year’s Grand Slam, is 38-16 for his year-end championship career with five titles.

“I feel fresher because I haven’t played as much as in previous years, in terms of tournaments,” noted Djokovic. “I have had a lot of exhausting events, especially in Grand Slam tournaments, not only physically but also mentally and emotionally.

“[This year has been] unlike any other I have had so far, because of the pressure of accomplishment and historic accomplishment. It took a lot of me. I felt like I needed a break to recharge my batteries and prepare for the end of the season.

“I started well with the victory in Paris and I hope to do well in Turin…. You have to play at high intensity and perform at your best. Sometimes you don’t have a lot of fuel in the tank, but you have to play five high-level games to win this title; it takes a lot of energy.

That’s exactly what Medvedev did last fall, beating Zverev, Djokovic, Diego Schwartzman, Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem on their way to the title inside the O2 Arena. The 2020 event marked the 12th and final year it was played in London before moving to its current location in Turin, Italy.

“Tennis is so much about ups and downs, about building confidence,” Medvedev said. “Coming to Paris last year, I felt completely out of shape, lacking in confidence and not sure what I could accomplish in the last two tournaments of the year. I found my tennis and my confidence. to win them both, and of course, I beat Novak, Rafa and Dominic in the final – three really tough clashes.

The second-placed Russian will face Zverev, Berrettini and Hurkacz in the group stage this time around. He is 5-5 against Zverev, 2-0 against Berrettini and 1-1 against Hurkacz.

Ricky contributes to10sballs.com and also maintains its own tennis website, The gallery. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.