Ranking the ATP Finals lineup by ‘Under Pressure Rating’
The ATP Tour Finalists are all set with the eight-man field filled out at last, but which players have been the best with their backs to the walls?
A player’s ‘Under Pressure Rating’ is calculated by adding the percentage of break points converted and saved, the percentage of tiebreaks won and the rate of deciding sets won.
Here, we rank the Turin lineup by their ‘Under Pressure Rating’.
8 Andrey Rublev
Rublev ranks 19th according to the under-pressure metrics before his run to the last four in Paris.
He has done extensive work on his mental game and appears to be making progress in dealing with pressure in a healthier fashion.
While he hasn’t been brilliant under pressure throughout 2023, Rublev has cut out the worst of his meltdowns.
7 Stefanos Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas is another player with a reputation for struggling in tough situations, and relative to the rest of the Turin field, that might be true.
Tsitsipas, at his best, is nearly unstoppable, but when he is thrown off his stride, he is seen as highly vulnerable.
He has suffered late tournament losses in the last two weeks heading into the Finals, and his big match temperament will be tested.
6 Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev has struggled to convert the break points he has generated this season which drag his ‘Under Pressure Rating’ down.
In fact, he has won a higher percentage of deciding sets won than any other player in the finals.
Zverev needs to take his chances if he is to win the Tour Finals for the second time in his career.
5 Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev is very good at converting his break point opportunities, but he doesn’t always hold his nerve on serve and is 50/50 in tiebreaks.
Medvedev has also put himself in a position to win titles time and again this season, winning five championship matches and losing four.
He can also be a volatile character and often reacts poorly to crowds turning against him.
4 Holger Rune
Holger Rune only just held on to reach the ATP Tour Finals, but he has shown that he can cope under pressure.
Rune has been handy in tiebreaks this term and is a dangerous player when he picks out the key moments and lifts his game.
He still has some maturing to do, but the prospect is that he will continue to get better.
3 Jannik Sinner
Another bright young star who keeps coming through in the clutch this season is Jannik Sinner.
No player at the ATP Finals has saved a higher percentage of break points than Sinner.
Like Rune, Sinner is a player who should get better and become a genuine Grand Slam contender.
2 Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz showed that he can do amazing things under pressure this season, not least at Wimbledon.
Alcaraz has been handy in all four categories of the ‘Under Pressure Ratings’, and success has followed.
He is relentless, and few players are able to keep up with Alcaraz.
1 Novak Djokovic
It is no surprise that the king of the ‘Under Pressure Ratings’ is Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic has been incredible in tiebreaks this season and has always been tough to put away.
He comes through on his serve in pressure moments, too and seems to thrive on having his back to the wall.
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