Early this week at Il Circolo della Stampa Sporting Torino, the practice facility for the Nitto ATP Finals, Jannik Sinner has been the first singles player on site training for the season finale.

After hitting once on Monday, Sinner practised twice Tuesday. First he shared a session with junior World No. 1 Joao Fonseca, before thrilling fans with a more detail-oriented practice with coaches Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi in the evening.

Preparation day 1 ✅ pic.twitter.com/UKfruA59nk

— Jannik Sinner (@janniksin) November 7, 2023

Sinner this year qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time two years after competing in the season finale as an alternate. The Italian star will be the fourth seed.

“The crowd is behind me and obviously I will try my best to make all the fans as happy as possible and try to win as many matches as possible,” Sinner recently told the ATP Podcast. “I also have to enjoy the moment. It’s going to be a good moment for me and hopefully it’s going to be a good tournament.”

Dozens of fans were in the crowd at Sinner’s practice on Tuesday evening. Thousands will fill the nearby Pala Alpitour when he takes the court for his matches at the year-end championships.

#NextGenATP Jordan star Abdullah Shelbayh earned just his second tour-level win of the season on Tuesday when he defeated Frenchman Hugo Gaston 7-6(5), 6-2 at the Moselle Open.

The 19-year-old came through qualifying at the ATP 250 event and made the most of his main-draw chance, saving one set point on serve in the first set and breaking Gaston’s serve five times to advance to the second round after one hour and 41 minutes. His other main-draw tour-level win came in Banja Luka in April.

Shelbayh, who won an ATP Challenger Tour title in Charleston last month, is up 29 spots to No. 186 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. He will face sixth seed and defending champion Lorenzo Sonego in the second round.

In other action, Fabio Fognini beat Thiago Seyboth Wild 7-6(3), 7-6(9) to clinch his first tour-level win since Roland Garros in May. Hungarian lucky loser Mate Valkusz also advanced, defeating Daniel Altmaier 6-2, 6-2.

Roberto Bautista Agut won a three-hour, 16-minute epic on Tuesday to reach the second round at the Sofia Open.

The Spaniard triumphed at the ATP 250 hard-court event in 2016 and made a winning start to his campaign against Miomir Kecmanovic, clawing past the Serbian 7-6(9), 6-7(2), 7-6(5).

Bautista Agut failed to serve out the match at 5-4 in the second set and at 5-4 in the third set, but eventually prevailed in the third-set tie-break, converting his second match point to improve to 5-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. Bautista Agut will next play Hungarian Fabian Marozsan.

Marozsan, who upset Carlos Alcaraz in Rome this year, overcame countryman Zsombor Piros 6-3, 6-1 to reach his fifth tour-level second round of the year.

In other action, Australian Christopher O’Connell defeated #NextGenATP Serbian Hamad Medjedovic 6-7(3), 6-1, 7-6(2) to improve to 2-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. O’Connell will next play Sebastian Ofner after the Austrian beat Ukrainian qualifier Vitaliy Sachko 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas beat countryman Roberto Carballes Baena 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in two hours and 49 minutes to earn his first tour-level hard-court win since Basel in 2022. He will next face second seed Adrian Mannarino. Australian Max Purcell also advanced, downing Rinky Hijikata 6-3, 6-3.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has fond memories at the Nitto ATP Finals, where has has been a constant presence dating back to his triumphant 2019 debut in London. The Greek has not missed the season finale since he claimed the title that season, and his sixth-place position in this year’s Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin earned him his fifth appearance at the prestigious event.

His road to Turin this season included a run to the Australian Open final and a milestone 10th tour-level title in Los Cabos, as well as a runner-up finish in Barcelona. As he looks forward to this year’s pageantry in Italy, Tsitsipas is hungry for another deep run.

“It’s a whole celebration. The ATP Finals is a commemoration and celebration of the best of the best in our sport,” Tsitsipas said. “We all gather together and we get to play against each other and focus on the fact that we are the best in the world trying to fight for this mega trophy, which is a grand prize in our sport. It means a lot.”

The coming together of so many great champions makes for a memorable week both on and off the court. But the pride of being among the elite group is paired with the challenge of competing against them.

Having emerged from the gauntlet as the last man standing before, Tsitsipas knows first-hand what it means to claim what he considers the season’s ultimate title.

“I would consider it probably a bigger thing than a Slam, honestly,” he said. “It has big prestige and it’s a very valuable asset if you’re able to conquer and win it.”

The 25-year-old has not advanced beyond the group stage since winning the 2019 crown, but a late-season surge has set him up for success this year. Tsitsipas struggled following his Los Cabos title in August, failing to win multiple singles matches at his next five events. Then came Antwerp.   

The Greek reached the singles semis at the ATP 250, but it was his doubles success with brother Petros Tsitsipas that really changed the vibes around his game. The unseeded duo won its first tour-level title together, winning Match Tie-breaks in the semi-finals and final for an emotional triumph—watched by their parents.

“I did get a good kick out of the doubles. And it transcended into my singles, absolutely,” Tsitsipas said of that inflection point, adding that his girlfriend, WTA star Paula Badosa, has been serving as an unofficial doubles coach.

“Victories like this give you so much confidence and so much faith and belief in how good you can play and how good you can feel on court when you play good, and you aim and strive to play good. So these types of experiences and these type of titles elevate you, and they bring you really to your highest point.”

Tsitsipas followed Antwerp with a second consecutive singles semi-final in Vienna, his first at the ATP 500 and another semi-final showing the Rolex Paris Masters, where he lost a third-set tie-break to Grigor Dimitrov.

“It’s important that I’m able to stabilise myself and be able to consistently go on deep runs in tournaments,” Tsitsipas said of his return to form. “I might not win all of them, but for me it’s important to just be able to repetitively make semis, finals or even win on a consistent basis. So I’m keeping a positive outlook on all of this, and I’m hoping to continue this kind of streak.”

That streak will now be put on the line at the season’s toughest test in Turin, where champions become champion.

ATP has announced an unprecedented additional $12.2 million Bonus Pool distribution to players, generated through a new 50-50 profit-sharing formula on the ATP Tour. The game-changing initiative, which aligns the financial interests of players and tournaments, raises the total ATP Bonus Pool to a record $33.5 million for 2023.

The profit-sharing formula is a central pillar of ATP’s OneVision strategy, first conceptualised in 2020 with the election of Andrea Gaudenzi as chairman. The $12.2 million distribution, announced today, represents players’ share of the profits generated across the ATP Masters 1000 events in 2022. It will be distributed to players who participated at the ATP Masters 1000s, based on performance, in addition to on-site prize money already earned at those events.

Under the new formula, the nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments undergo three separate financial audits each season. For the first time ever, this provides player auditors with full visibility on the economics of the Tour’s biggest events – building unprecedented trust and transparency. Collective profits generated by the tournaments above on-site prize money are then shared equally, on a 50-50 basis, with the players. This is aimed at aligning interests and giving both parties a shared stake in the sport’s success.

Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman, said: “It’s hard to overstate what a seismic shift this represents for the business of tennis. It means greater trust and transparency between players and tournaments, and aligned incentives, for the first time ever. The fact we’re able to distribute $12.2 million to players already in year one is a huge success. This is just the start, and we aim to continue expanding this figure as we grow the economics of the sport in parallel with the expansion of our top tier events. I would like to thank the ATP Board, councils, and members for their trust and support in reaching this landmark moment for tennis.”

Following a record increase of $37.5 million in player compensation from 2022 to 2023, the additional $12.2 million announced today means ATP’s OneVision strategy has delivered an uplift of approximately $50 million in player compensation this year.

This strong financial growth and introduction of the profit-sharing formula are directly linked to the expansion of the ATP Tour’s premium event calendar, with seven of the nine ATP Masters 1000 events set to take place as 12-day events from 2025. Governance, Rights Aggregation and Category Terms round out the reforms introduced under OneVision’s ambitious first phase.

Steps have also been taken to expand the profit-sharing formula to other levels of the Tour. ATP 500 events have adopted the same financial auditing requirements in 2023, in anticipation that the formula will kick in as the events’ financial performance allows.

For more information on the mechanics and details of the ATP Tour’s landmark profit-sharing formula initiative, please refer to our Q&A document here.

What is the 50-50 profit-sharing formula?
The formula was introduced as one of the central pillars of the OneVision strategic plan. In simple terms, the formula means that any net profits (before income tax) above Base Prize Money across the ATP Masters 1000 category are split 50-50 with players. This means that players are sharing in the financial upside of tournaments for the first time in the history of the ATP Tour.

How does it work?
It’s a three-step process:

1. Tournaments take place, with guaranteed Base Prize Money paid out to players as usual.

2. Following each tournament, its financials (incl. all revenues, costs) are fully audited. This is done for each of the nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.

3. Profits are aggregated across the whole category (nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments). If the profits exceed the value of the total Base Prize Money paid out across the category that year, the excess is shared 50-50 with the players via a Bonus Pool payment.

How much profit sharing has been calculated for the 2022 season?
The formula will deliver an additional $12.2m to players for the 2022 season. For context, this represents an additional 22.8% on top of Base Prize Money at the eight Masters 1000 events that took place in 2022 ($53,592,365). Shanghai did not take place in 2022 due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Why has it taken so long to confirm Profit Sharing for the 2022 season?
Tournament financial auditing is thorough and complex. This process takes time – particularly in its first year. There are in fact three different audits that take place:

1. Tournament Independent Auditor (various), which must pre-approved by ATP

2. Prize Money Committee Auditor (PWC)

3. Player Auditor (KPMG)

In addition, tournaments must wait for the end of their respective fiscal years for the auditing process to begin. However, we anticipate that calculations will be completed more quickly in the future as stakeholders become accustomed to the process.

How is the Player Auditor selected?
The Player Auditor is selected by player representatives on the ATP Board. It is important to stress that the Player Auditor (KPMG) has vast experience handling all auditing and accounting matters. The Player Auditor represents the player interests and ensures accuracy and fairness from a player standpoint across these items.

Why is tournament auditing such a big deal for players?
In any successful partnership, financial transparency is fundamental. The ATP, a partnership between players and tournaments, is no different. The process gives the player auditor full visibility on the economics of tournaments for the first time ever, building trust and transparency. It also gives players a clearer understanding of the costs involved with running a tennis tournament. The cost of additional requests — for example accommodation, food, transportation, or upgraded facilities — can be seen in the P&L and ultimately impacts profit sharing to players.

How is the profit-sharing formula distributed?
The total amount is distributed centrally by the ATP to the singles players that competed across the Masters 1000 category, based off their performance. The more Pepperstone ATP Ranking points a player has won at those events, the greater amount of profit sharing he will receive.

The total value of the profit-sharing distribution ($12.2m in 2022) is divided by the total ranking points at stake across the category (40,758 in 2022), to establish a value per point – in this case, $300. For illustrative purposes, a player who won 10 points in 2022 across the ATP Masters 1000s, would receive $3000. Points won in the qualifying rounds are included.

For the 2022 season, the profit-sharing formula will deliver a distribution to 150 players.

Which revenues are included in the formula? Why is it not just a straight revenue share?
The ATP profit-sharing formula includes all revenues – from ticketing, event day, media (broadcast and streaming) & sponsorship – except for data revenues. The reason data revenues are excluded is they are considered an ATP asset, not a tournament asset. They are managed centrally by Tennis Data Innovations (TDI) and distributed directly to players at the source (and in equal measure to tournaments). As such, data revenues are excluded from the formula, otherwise the players would capture the benefit of data twice. For clarity, the fact that data revenues are not accounted in the profit and loss of the tournaments is more advantageous for the players.

Regarding a revenue share, it’s important to note the following:

1. Other sports that operate on a revenue share basis frequently carve out certain revenue streams from their agreements, meaning that the players’ share is significantly lower than 50%. ATP’s profit-sharing formula includes all revenues, except data revenue paid to players directly from the source.

2. The structure of many team sports gives the leagues and teams more centralised authority over athletes, as employees. This can mean restrictions for athletes on personal endorsements/sponsorships, usage of name/image/likeness, as well as control over when and where athletes can compete and how they manage their schedules. As independent contractors, tennis players retain more control over their personal brands, with much greater freedom to plan their playing schedules, including exhibition events.

3. The economics of tennis are unique. Relative to other sports, our infrastructure and operational costs are higher relative to revenues, which results in lower profit margins. Stadium and facility costs and maintenance expenses are high and yet promoters are only able to maximise their return during their tournament week(s). This contrasts with most major team sports, where teams use the same venues throughout the season, enabling them to repeatedly generate greater returns relative to their infrastructure costs.

4. Media revenues constitute a relatively low share of our sport’s overall revenues compared to other sports, partly due to our fragmentation (something we are addressing with OneVision). Tennis relies heavily on ticketing, which is a cost-heavy revenue stream with relatively limited scalability.

These factors combine to mean that that a 50-50 revenue share would simply turn our tournaments into loss-making entities, which would not be sustainable for the sport. The partnership would simply not work under such terms.

With this in mind, a profit-sharing formula was chosen in order to deliver:

• alignment of the interests of tournament and players
• complete transparency
• long-term sustainability

It is also important to note that the tournaments assume the risk of their enterprise in full – with players guaranteed 100% of prize money even if the event makes a loss. While a career as a professional tennis player presents its own financial risks and uncertainties, players do not share in the financial risk of events (but do share in the upside).

Is the profit-sharing formula linked to the expansion of the Masters 1000 events to 12-day events?
Yes. Our OneVision strategy puts forward a package of reforms that aim to elevate the sport as a whole. No single benefit should be viewed in isolation.

It is important to state that the reforms ushered in under OneVision have generated an additional $50 million of income to players, through increases in Base Prize Money, Bonus Pools, and Profit Sharing, in 2023 alone. And if you factor in record-breaking player pension contributions, the number goes up even further.

The payment of these increases, plus the new tournament financial transparency requirements, are terms that tournaments have agreed to as a direct result of the event expansion and longer category terms offered under OneVision. This has also meant bigger draw sizes and more playing opportunities for players further down the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

While the profit-sharing formula has delivered immediate returns for players in its first year, we must also keep in mind the value of the foundation it creates. No matter how high or low the distribution is each year, the success of the formula is that it provides a fair and accurate measure of the financial state of the Tour, and how our members share in the upside of our business. Above all, the formula is about enhancing the equal partnership between players and tournaments on the ATP Tour, aligning interests and generating trust across both sides of the membership.

If a tournament owner sells its tournament class membership, the ATP typically receives a transfer fee. Subject to its financial performance at the close of the fiscal year, ATP’s 50-50 partnership structure enables it to rebate membership dues/fees and increase contributions to the player pension. Transfer fees can contribute to these payments, meaning players indirectly benefit from the value of a tournament and a tournament transfer.

Why are capital expenditures, for example costs related to renovating or building stadia, included in the formula? And what happens if a tournament is sold?
Capital expenditures are included in the profit calculation. This is common in business and not unique to our sport. The required basis of accounting for each tournament’s income statement is generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in the respective country. While there may be differences in GAAP in different regions around the world, all provide for recognising capital expenditures in the income statement through depreciation of those expenditures over the expected life of the asset purchased. For profit calculation purposes, depreciation is only related to the respective tennis event. In other words, if a facility or other assets are used for other purposes (for example if a facility hosts other events during the year), then an allocation between events/uses will be required. Importantly this ensures that revenues generated by tennis are not being unfairly used to fund capex elsewhere.

Equally, profits from the sale of infrastructure previously depreciated are also captured in the formula and allocated according to similar principles.

Finally, if a tournament sanction is sold or acquired, this is not captured in the formula. However, the ATP typically receives a transfer fee. Subject to its financial performance at the close of the fiscal year, ATP’s 50-50 partnership structure enables it to rebate membership dues/fees and increase contributions to the player pension. Transfer fees can contribute to these payments, meaning players indirectly benefit from the value of a tournament and a tournament transfer.

Given that some of the ATP Masters 1000 tournaments are combined, how do you factor in the costs & revenues that are split between ATP and WTA?
Revenues that can be directly attributed to ATP – for example broadcast, streaming and central sponsorship – are allocated directly and in full to the profit-sharing formula.

Revenues that cannot be attributed directly to either ATP or WTA – such as ticketing, event day, and local sponsorship – are allocated 50-50 between ATP and WTA. Costs are also split 50-50. So, in the case of capital expenditure of a combined ATP/WTA Masters 1000, only 50% of these costs would be factored into the ATP formula.

Why is the formula calculated as an aggregate across the whole category and not on an event-by-event basis?
We believe this is the fairest way for the formula to operate, minimising the impact of any outliers (high profits or high losses) from the equation, and assessing the performance of the category as a whole. We believe that taking an aggregate provides a fair and accurate picture of the state of the business, a position that can ultimately also protect the players.

When will we see the profit-sharing formula applied to other tournaments beyond the ATP Masters 1000?
ATP 500 events have adopted the same financial auditing requirements in 2023, in anticipation that the formula will kick in as the events’ financial performance allows. In the long run, we aim for all categories on the ATP Tour to adopt the same formula, including the ATP 250s.

How is prize money at the Grand Slams determined?
Unlike ATP tournaments, Grand Slams are independent entities that ultimately determine their own prize money levels. Grand Slams do not sit within the ATP governance structure.

Our focus has now firmly turned towards Phase 2 of OneVision, which focuses on greater collaboration across the T-7. This is where the real opportunity lies to deliver incremental value for everyone.  

Success on the ATP Tour isn’t always about racking up the most wins. It’s also about who you beat, and when.

Jannik Sinner knows all too well what toppling a close rival on a big stage can do to a player’s confidence. The World No. 4 has won nine of his past 11 matches against Top 20 opponents, including his past four against players who join him in the field at this year’s Nitto ATP Finals.

After becoming an ATP Masters 1000 champion for the first time in August in Toronto, Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev back-to-back to lift the trophy in early October in Beijing, before doing the same against Andrey Rublev and Medvedev later that month to notch another ATP 500 crown in Vienna.

“When you [feeling] confident, it’s always a little bit easier to play, but you have to gain the confidence,” Sinner told ATPTour.com last month. “It’s not that you can buy it. It’s a very important part. Obviously [it builds up] the more matches you win, but also against what kind of players you win is important. So [the Beijing wins] were very important.”

Sinner had arrived in Beijing with starkly contrasting records against Alcaraz and Medvedev. His straight-sets semi-final win against Alcaraz in the Chinese capital moved the Italian into a 4-3 lead in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, but he entered the championship match against Medvedev without a win in the pair’s six previous tour-level meetings.

“I would say it impacts you a little bit at some point, but in another way, in your mind, you know that every time is completely different when you step on court,” said Sinner, when asked about how past experiences with an opponent can affect him. “Obviously, you can feel that.

“It may be certain game styles can match a little bit better than against other ones, but I think generally, you just have to be ready for the day. Don’t think about the past, even if you’re up in the head-to-head. You have to be really brave at every moment.”

Sinner did just that in China, dominating a pair of tie-breaks to break his duck against Medvedev, before backing up that win by with a three-set triumph against the same opponent in the Vienna final. While the mental baggage of his six previous defeats to Medvedev may have been a challenge for the 22-year-old to overcome, Sinner feels that tactical tweaking actually helped him turn the tide.

“I think it was more [about] tennis than the mental side, because I changed up my game a little bit against him,” said Sinner. “Before I was not feeling ready to do it, and practising every day in the right way. I tried to make it happen. I did it, but obviously it is also mental because you also have to be ready to do it in the match. So I think it’s a mix of tennis and also the mental side.”

The ability to adapt his game to take on different opponents at the top level could be key for Sinner as he prepares for his second Nitto ATP Finals appearance on home soil. Unlike in 2021, when he competed as an alternate after injury ruled out his countryman Matteo Berrettini, Sinner is in no doubt that he deserves his spot at the prestigious season finale.

“It was a tough moment for me because Matteo hurt himself,” the Italian told the ATP Tennis Podcast. “It was tough to play for him, but I felt like I handled the situation well. I also played really well in the two matches, so I’m looking forward to coming back to play as a real qualifier.

“I feel like you feel better when you [qualify directly], because if you’ve qualified it means you had a very good year and obviously, I’m very happy to be there in this situation.”

There will be plenty of eyes on the three youngest singles qualifiers this year in Turin. As well as the 22-year-old Sinner, Alcaraz and Holger Rune (both 20) will look to wrap up their stellar 2023 seasons with a strong showing on their respective Nitto ATP Finals debuts. Sinner is excited at the prospect of sharing the Pala Alpitour stage with two of his former junior rivals.

“It’s nice, I think, for the sport, to see the young players coming through,” said Sinner. “It’s really nice to be part of this rivalry, because it is kind of a rivalry and hopefully we can all show some good moments there and a good level. We’re looking forward to it.”

Unlike Alcaraz and Rune, of course, Sinner will be able to rely on home support as he looks to build on his 1-1 Nitto ATP Finals record. Regardless of how things turn out, the opportunity to compete on home soil again is one he will cherish.

“The crowd is behind me and obviously I will try my best to make all the fans as happy as possible and try to win as many matches as possible,” said Sinner. “I also have to enjoy the moment. It’s going to be a good moment for me and hopefully it’s going to be a good tournament.”

The best things in life come in twos.

Just ask Hugo Dellien, who has earned a pair of ATP Challenger Tour titles this season and whose wife Camila is expecting twins.

The 30-year-old, who triumphed at the Santiago and Curitiba Challengers this season, will always remember another memorable moment from when he was in Luedenscheid, Germany. Dellien was eating dinner with his team when his phone rang.

“My wife called me two or three times and I didn’t answer because I was at dinner but then she sent me the picture of the sonography and she said, ‘What did you see in this picture?’” Dellien told ATPTour.com. “I opened the picture and I said, ‘No, no, no, it’s impossible.’ I took my phone and called her and she said, ‘Yeah we have two, not one!’ and I was like, ‘Wow, unbelievable!’

Already a father to one daughter Mila, Dellien will welcome two more girls to the family in 2024. When the Bolivian became a father for the first time in 2020, a difficult situation meant Dellien would miss the birth of his first child.

Dellien was in Bolivia when border restrictions due to Covid-19 would not let him travel to Paraguay, where Camila is from and gave birth to Mila. The Delliens endured through the trial for two months before Hugo could return to his family.

“The ambassador in Bolivia told me, ‘Okay you have a flight in two weeks but you have to do a 16 day quarantine in a hotel room when you get there and you can’t leave the room.’ I was like, ‘Okay, it doesn’t matter. I want to go,’” Dellien said.

“When I came out of the hotel room, my first touch with my baby was on my birthday, my perfect gift.”

Watch Dellien play and you will find the same endurance from the Bolivian on the tennis court, showing grit and toughness in every point, “When I go on the court, for me all the matches are like a battle. That’s my style,” he said.

No better example of Dellien’s perseverance than when he captured the ATP Challenger Tour title in Curitiba, Brazil, where rain forced the World No. 111 to play his semi-final and final match on the same day, spending nearly six hours on court across two matches to be crowned champion.

Hugo Dellien wins the Challenger 75 event in Curitiba, Brazil.” />
^{Hugo Dellien wins the Challenger 75 event in Curitiba, Brazil. Credit: João Pires}
“In the semi-final, the match was moved indoors and I don’t play much indoors so the conditions were different for me,” Dellien said. “In my first match I played like three hours and I ran the whole match like a warrior and when I finished the match, I went on the bicycle for recovery and I started cramping. I couldn’t walk for 10, 15 minutes and two hours later, I played the final. I don’t know how I did it.

“It was special because the previous four or five months, I didn’t have good results, just one final.”