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League of Champions: Tennis Insights

League of Champions: Tennis Insights

(November 5th - November 11th Recap)

Courtside Tennis
November 12, 2023

League of Champions: Tennis Insights
For The Love Of Tennis

The 2023 Nitto ATP finals is underway and the 8 strongest players in the world are in contention for the title but in reality, it’s hard to look past Novak Djokovic as the overwhelming favorite and the champion for the 7th time at the Pala Alpitour.

New Video‼

We couldn’t help but recount what Novak did at the just concluded Paris Masters and interestingly, not many fans knew the full extent of what he had to go through, which is exactly what our latest video covers. Check it out and let us know your thoughts on not just Novak but the events that played out in the tournament as a whole.

What Happened Last Week?

In two words, last week was all about French Finesse. It was a BIG week for French tennis as two French players won both tournaments that took place in Metz and Sofia.

Moselle Open (ATP 250)

A couple of big names participated in the event with the likes of Karen Khachanov, Stan Wawrinka, Alexander Bublik, and Fabio Fognini all playing but it was the home favorite, Ugo Humbert who would win the title for the first time in the city he was born. He couldn’t have asked for a better homecoming. The Metz native defeated Alexander Shevchenko 6-3, 6-3 to cap a memorable week on home soil and improve his record in tour-level singles finals to 4-0 with his previous three ATP titles coming in 2020 (Auckland and Antwerp) and 2021 (Halle).

Sofia Open (ATP 250)

Sometimes, we are guilty of focusing too much on the Big 3 and forgetting that other players are doing the impossible. Adrian Mannarino has literally had the best season of his career at 35. He picked up his 3rd title of the year and 5th ATP title overall after beating Jack Draper 7-6, 2-6, 6-3 in the final to win the Sofia Open. Top seed, Lorenzo Musetti, saw an early exit while Jan-Lennard Struff was upset in the quarterfinal.

Ranking Update: The Biggest Movers Of The Week

After winning the title in Metz, Ugo Humbert is set to finish the season at a career-high No. 20 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and also as the year-end French No. 1 for the first time while Alexander Shevchenko makes a new entry into the top 50. On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek returned to the top of the pile after winning the WTA finals title in Cancun. She finishes the season as the year-end world no. 1.

But what tournaments do we have on our hands?

Major Tournament Updates

Nitto ATP Finals (12 November - 19 November)

The season finale started today. Djokovic finds himself in the same group with Jannik Sinner, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Holger Rune while Carlos Alcaraz leads the other group with Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and Alexander Zverev completing the pot. We have 4 former champions and all 8 players are Masters 1000 tournament winners. Who do you fancy for the title apart from the obvious?

Here’s my HOT TAKE.

If somehow, Novak Djokovic doesn’t win the title, Jannik Sinner will likely be the champion. He looks laser-focused, has the support of the home crowd, is serving well, and looks to be well-rested. Having already dispatched Tsitsipas earlier today, I just don’t see anyone beating him. Do you beg to differ?

Davis Cup Finals (21 November - 26 November)

The ATP finals isn’t actually the end of the season because we also have the Davis Cup finals taking place in Malaga, Spain next week. Novak Djokovic has declared that winning the tournament with his country is one of his goals for the season.

Next Gen ATP Finals (28 November - 02 December)

The Next Gen ATP finals will then take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Arthur Fils, Dominic Stricker, Luca Van Assche and Flavio Cobolli have all qualified while Lorenzo Musetti and Ben Shelton have withdrawn due to medical and personal reasons.

Watch Out For This Guy

Alexander Schevchenko

The 22 year-old Russian made it to his first ATP final in Metz but fell short of becoming the seventh first-time ATP Tour champion this season. He’s been on fire this season and is set to make a Top 50 debut on Monday. Seeing him pull off big upsets against Karen Khachanov in Metz, Taylor Fritz at the Swiss Indoors, Seb Korda at the Citi Open, as well as taking sets off the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Hubert Hurkacz, tells you that there’s a lot to look forward to in 2024.

Off The Court

Paula Badosa Speaks Out

“It’s not by chance. It is no coincidence that you see Ashleigh Barty retiring at 25. Naomi Osaka going through a mentally difficult period. Then Garbine Muguruza… It is no coincidence. This is a very demanding sport in which we are forced to play more and more weeks and you are very exposed. It doesn’t surprise me.” Do you agree with Badosa’s comments on the physical and mental strain of the sport? Is it that bad?

Sinner And The Carota Boys

The history of the Carota Boys dates back to 2019 when they formed the group because of Sinner’s hair color and the fact that he decided to snack on a carrot in Vienna rather than a banana like many other players. With all the laughing, cheering, and donning of carrot costumes, I have to say that this one of the most unique fan support we've seen in a while and it’s on its way to gaining a cult status and no other person appreciates it better than the player himself. Here’s what Sinner had to say after getting to meet his super fans.

Trivia Of The Week

Do you know who holds the record for being the Youngest Champion at the ATP finals? No No, it’s none of the Big 3. Instead, it’s John McEnroe. He won the tournament in 1978 when he was 19.

But before we go, we’ll leave you with some of the best highlights of the week.