Tennis News

Musetti one win from Turin after saving MP, but Djokovic awaits in Athens final

Lorenzo Musetti kept alive his Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes by his fingertips on Friday at the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Hellenic Championship, where he saved one match point en route to clawing past Sebastian Korda 6-0, 5-7, 7-5.

To secure a dream debut appearance at the prestigious season finale in his home country, the Italian must lift the trophy at the ATP 250 in Athens, where he will play Novak Djokovic in the final. Felix Auger-Aliassime currently holds the eighth and final qualifying spot in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin. Whichever of the two competes in Turin will land straight in the spotlight, joining Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and Ben Shelton in the Bjorn Borg Group following Thursday’s official draw.

“I think we both played a fantastic match,” Musetti said after his two-hour, 20-minute win. “The level was getting higher and the adrenaline was intense. I am super happy with the attitude I showed on court and the spirit I am trying to put in every day. Achieving the final here is really important and I am already focusing on tomorrow.”

In a rollercoaster contest in Athens, Musetti saved one match point against Korda at 4-5 in the third set when he fired down an ace. The second seed went on to hold before he earned a crucial break of serve himself in the following game to clinch momentum and then seal victory. After his win, the Italian let out a roar and raised his fist to the sky.

Into his eighth tour-level final, Musetti will face Djokovic in the title match on Saturday. The Serbian leads the Italian 8-1 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

Musetti is chasing his third tour-level crown and first since Naples in 2022. The 23-year-old has lost finals in Barcelona and Chengdu this year. Korda ends the season holding a 22-18 record, according to the ATP Infosys Win/Loss Index.

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Norrie returns to Metz final, meets Tien in title decider

Cameron Norrie returned to the Moselle Open final on Friday, when he overcame Italian Lorenzo Sonego 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

The British lefty lost in the final in Metz in 2024 but will have another shot at lifting the trophy on Saturday following a hard-fought comeback win against Sonego. Norrie knocked at the door in the third set against Sonego and eventually broke through in the 10th game of the set when he converted on his sixth break point of the decider.

“Always a battle when I play Lorenzo, I have a lot of respect for him,” Norrie said. “He is so passionate about tennis and he showed that he came to fight and we both fought today and I was really happy with my level in the third set. I was playing free and had a lot of support from the crowd.”

Into his 16th tour-level final and first since Metz last season, the seventh seed is chasing his sixth tour-level crown. His last triumph came in Rio de Janeiro in 2023. The 30-year-old is currently No. 27 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and is set to end the season inside the Top 30, having been as low as No. 91 in May.

Norrie enjoyed an impressive second half of the season. The former Indian Wells champion reached the semi-finals in Geneva and then the fourth round at Roland Garros. A quarter-final showing at Wimbledon followed and he upset Carlos Alcaraz at the Rolex Paris Masters last week for the biggest win of his career.

Norrie will face #NextGenATP star Learner Tien in the final after improving to 3-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Sonego. The Italian finishes the year holding a 30-24 record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

Tien reached his second tour-level final of the season with a 6-1, 6-4 victory against Ukranian lucky loser Vitaliy Sachko.

The 19-year-old #NextGenATP star dictated throughout the 58 minutes on court, pulling Sachko from side to side with his clean timing and clever angles. Tien joins Joao Fonseca as the second teenager to reach multiple tour-level finals in 2025.

Last month, the American advanced to the championship match in Beijing, where he lost to Jannik Sinner. Tien is up to No. 31 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, having started the season outside the Top 120.

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Norrie into Metz final with another comeback win

Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie fights back from a set down to win for the third match in succession, beating Lorenzo Sonego to reach the Moselle Open final.

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ATP opens bid process for Next Gen ATP Finals from 2026

The ATP has today launched a global bid process to decide the next host city of the award-winning Next Gen ATP Finals, starting from 2026.

Featuring the top eight ATP singles players aged 20-and-under, the event has been held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, since 2023, following five successful editions in Milan, Italy. With a season-long race to qualify, the event builds a consistent and powerful storyline for the host city – culminating in extensive global broadcast, social and digital exposure during the tournament.

Six of the current Top 10 in the PIF ATP Rankings have competed at the event – with both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz among its past champions. Most recently, Joao Fonseca lifted the 2024 trophy before capturing his first two ATP Tour titles this season, climbing to a career high World No.24.

Beyond providing a platform to showcase the sport’s rising talent, the Next Gen ATP Finals drives innovation in tennis. Concepts first tested at the event – including Live Electronic Line Calling, Video Review and data integration through wearable technology – have since been adopted across the ATP Tour. These advancements continue to reshape the fan and player experience, while the event’s high-tempo, cutting-edge format attracts a new audience to the sport.

ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said: “The Next Gen ATP Finals is where the future of tennis takes shape. It’s done exactly what it set out to do – create a launchpad for the stars of tomorrow and reimagine how our sport is played and experienced. The impact speaks for itself – from the rise of the event’s past champions to the game-changing technologies it has brought to life on Tour.

“We look forward to raising the bar once again with the event’s third edition in Jeddah this December. Our thanks go to the Saudi Tennis Federation and all event partners for their vision in creating something truly exceptional. As we look ahead to 2026, we’re excited to invite potential host cities to share in that vision as we build on the event’s continued growth and success.”

The bid process, which begins today, will be managed by Deloitte’s Sports Business Group. Interested parties must submit an Expression of Interest form available here: Expression of Interest Form

Suitable candidates will be sent full bid documentation in the coming weeks, with final bids to be submitted by 22 January 2026. A shortlist of potential candidate cities will then be selected, with the final location announced in early 2026.

More information about the Next Gen ATP Finals hosting opportunity is available here: More Information

Any queries – and completed initial Express of Interest forms – should be directed to NGATPF2026@deloitte.co.uk.

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On This Day: Murray's surge to No. 1 in 2016

Andy Murray ended the Big Three’s 666-week No. 1 reign on this day in 2016 after a scintillating run saw him dethrone Novak Djokovic at No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

The Scot spent the majority of 2015 inside the Top 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings and started 2016 by reaching the fifth and last Australian Open title match of his career. Murray fell to Djokovic in the championship match and lost to Serbian again in the Madrid final four months later. He gained revenge in Rome, where he captured his first ATP Masters 1000 title of the season and backed that up by reaching another major final at Roland Garros.

While Murray’s progress to this point in 2016 had been strong, the grass-court swing provided the first major highlight. As was the case so often in his career, the then 29-year-old produced his best on London’s lawns, winning Queen’s and Wimbledon to become just the seventh player to complete the Queen’s-Wimbledon double. Alcaraz would also go on to achieve the feat in 2023.

During the North American hard-court swing, Murray reached the final in Cincinnati and the last eight at the US Open. Arriving in Beijing at the start of October, Murray still trailed World No. 1 Djokovic by 4,695 points. However, it was two weeks and 10 straight-sets Murray wins in China that injected late-season intrigue into the 2016 race to become ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF.

He took his tally to six titles for the season by claiming the trophy in Beijing and then seven at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai, victories that reduced the gap between World No. 1 Djokovic and Murray from 4,695 to 2,415 points. The late-season wins kept coming when he returned to Europe.

He triumphed at the ATP 500 indoor-hard court event in Vienna to move to within range of Djokovic, before he captured his 14th and ultimately final ATP Masters 1000 title of his career in Paris. With the Serbian only reaching the quarters in the French capital, Murray became the 26th player to rise to No. 1.

At the Nitto ATP Finals two weeks later, Murray beat Djokovic again in the title match to earn ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours, capping a perfect year in which he held a 78-9 record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. Murray went on to spend 41 weeks at No. 1 before Rafael Nadal surpassed him in August 2017.

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Sabalenka roars past Gauff to join Pegula in WTA Finals last four

Aryna Sabalenka roars past Coco Gauff to avenge her French Open final loss and secure her place in the WTA Finals last four alongside Jessica Pegula.

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Djokovic captures 200th indoor victory, advances in Athens

Novak Djokovic captured his 200th indoor win of his career on Thursday at the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Hellenic Championship, where he moved past Nuno Borges 7-6(1), 6-4 to reach the semi-finals in Athens.

The Serbian missed three break-point chances in the opening set but raised his level when it mattered, dominating the tie-break. After racing to a 6–1 lead, he energised the crowd by running courtside to high-five fans before closing out the set to take the lead.

The former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings carried that momentum into the second set, delivering a composed and commanding performance to secure victory in one hour and 44 minutes in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

“It was a very physical battle. I thought Nuno played a high level,” Djokovic said. “I was a bit surprised with how good he played. I think we went toe to toe, most of the match. Just a few points decided the winner tonight and he deserves a round of applause for his performance.

“I played a great tie-break in the first set. Not too many opportunities for both of us to break the serve of the other guy. That game was the only game I was able to break him.”

Djokovic is chasing his 101st tour-level title this week, having become just the third man to win 100 trophies when he triumphed in Geneva earlier this year. Jimmy Connors leads the way with 109 crowns, with Roger Federer second on 103.

Djokovic defeated Alejandro Tabilo in his opening match in Athens to score his first victory against the Chilean in his third attempt. The 38-year-old Serbian has been rock-solid through his opening two matches and is in good shape ahead of the upcoming Nitto ATP Finals, which begin on Sunday.

The record seven-time year-end champ Djokovic has been drawn in the Jimmy Connors group alongside Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur.

For now, his focus will remain at the ATP 250 event in Athens, where he will play Marcos Giron or Yannick Hanfmann in his 199th tour-level semi-final on Friday. Djokovic is now 29-0 after winning the first set in 2025, according to ATP Infosys Stats.

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Norrie wins three-setter once again to make semis

Britain’s Cameron Norrie wins a third successive three-set match to reach the Moselle Open semi-finals.

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Hot Shot of the Month: Vote for October's winner

From jaw-dropping defence to highlight-reel winners, Nuno Borges, Cameron Norrie, Casper Ruud, and Botic van de Zandschulp lit up the courts to earn nominations for Hot Shot of the Month.

In Shanghai, Borges stuck a behind-the-body scorcher when scrambling to the baseline. Over in Paris, Norrie unleashed an outrageous passing shot on his way to stunning Carlos Alcaraz. Ruud demonstrated incredible defence in Stockholm, where he won the title and Van de Zandschulp hit a staggering skyhook smash in Basel to raise the roof.

Watch the hot shots below, then head to the voting page to cast your vote for your favourite before 12 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CET) on 11 November.

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Norrie seals Metz SF berth with late surge, former champ Sonego wins

Cameron Norrie overcame a stern test from home hope Kyrian Jacquet at the Moselle Open on Thursday. A finalist last year in Metz, Norrie rallied past the lucky loser 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 to reach his second semi-final of the season.

The only seed remaining at the ATP 250, Norrie won the final 11 points of the two-hour, 25-minute match to advance.

“He surprised me a lot,” Norrie said of Jacquet, the third Frenchman whom the lefty has beaten this week. “He was mixing it up really well. A lot of slicing, then really aggressive at moments. His serve is really, really good.

“The French have so many good players, so many different kinds of players. I really liked the way he competed and he could have easily won the match in the second set as well, but I managed to stay tough.”

Jacquet crushed 48 winners, half of which came from his forehand, to Norrie’s 28, but the 30-year-old Briton found his best tennis when he needed it most to earn his place in the last four. He will next meet Lorenzo Sonego after the Italian beat Daniel Altmaier 6-4, 7-6(6). Sonego has fond memories in Metz, having clinched the crown in 2022.

Norrie is aiming for his sixth tour-level title and first since 2023 in Rio de Janeiro, where he beat Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

In other quarter-final action, #NextGenATP star Learner Tien rallied past Matteo Berrettini 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 in one hour and 44 minutes to advance to his second tour-level semi-final.

In his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Berrettini, the 19-year-old converted all three break points he earned, according to Infosys ATP Stats. With the win, Tien became the youngest American man to record 30 victories in a season since Andy Roddick in 2002 and the fourth American to reach that mark this year. He is up four spots to No. 34 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

Tien will face lucky loser Vitaliy Sachko for a place in the final. Sachko defeated Clement Tabur 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to book his semi-final spot.

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