2023 ATP Finals: How does latest day of shocks affect the Race To Turin?
The race for the final few places at the ATP Finals has been thrown wide open following Alexander Zverev, Holger Rune, Casper Ruud and Hubert Hurkacz shock defeats this week.
Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner are the four men who have already booked their tickets for the season-ending event in Turin and another four places are up for grabs.
Andrey Rublev is next in line and – given what has happened over the past few days – he is all but assured of his place in the event as he has 1,265-point lead over ninth-placed Taylor Fritz. The Russian, though, is not in action this week.
Stefanos Tsitsipas is next in line and he has a chance to give himself some breathing space to the rest of the chasing pack as he is still alive at the European Open.
The Greek will take on Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round and if he wins the title in Antwerp then he could move to 3,865 points come Sunday.
After Zverev lost in Tokyo on Monday, Rune became another big casualty at the Stockholm Open on Wednesday. The defending champion was stunned 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 by Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round and it means those behind him will have a chance to close the gap.
Live Race To Turin Rankings
5. Andrey Rublev – 4,275 points
6. Stefanos Tsitsipas – 3,615
7. Alexander Zverev – 3,415
8. Holger Rune – 3,110
9. Taylor Fritz – 3,010
10. Casper Ruud – 2,815
11. Hubert Hurkacz – 2,775
12. Tommy Paul – 2,595
13. Alex de Minaur – 2,515
However, 10th-placed Ruud is also out of the running this week as he lost in the second round of the Tokyo Open while Hurkacz – who gave his Finals hopes a boost by winning the Shanghai Masters – was stunned by Zhizhen Zhang in the first round.
That leaves Fritz, Tommy Paul and Alex de Minaur as the biggest winners.
American Fritz could move into the top eight by successfully defending his Japan Open crown as a title run would put him on 3,465 points, comfortably ahead of Rune.
Paul could also strengthen his hopes if he wins the title as he would move to 3,005 points while Australian De Minaur would be 2,970 points to the good if he wins the Tokyo title.
Rune, Fritz, Ruud, Hurkacz and De Minaur will continue their fight at the Swiss Indoors Basel next week while Rublev, Zverev and Paul will feature at the Vienna Open.
But it is unlikely that the race will be settled next week as the Paris Masters takes place the week after and there will be plenty on the spell at the ATP Masters event as the winner is awarded 1,000 points.
READ MORE: 2023 ATP Finals: Records that Novak Djokovic could break in Turin
