Tennis News

World Cup-winning rugby captain Kolisi weighs in on Alcaraz vs. Sinner: ‘It’s huge’

Just like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, Siya Kolisi enjoyed the taste of victory on Saturday in Turin.

A two-time Rugby World Cup-winning captain with South Africa, Kolisi led the Springboks to a 32-14 victory against Italy at the city’s Allianz Stadium, just as home favourite Sinner was sinking Alex de Minaur to book his championship-match spot at the Nitto ATP Finals.

A few hours later, Kolisi was inside Inalpi Arena to watch Alcaraz down Felix Auger-Aliassime and set a blockbuster title match with his great rival Sinner. It will be the sixth Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting between the two in 2025 and Kolisi, who is a big tennis fan, understands the significance of the pair’s rivalry.

“I’m very excited. I think it’s huge,” Kolisi told ATPTour.com ahead of Sunday’s final, scheduled for 6 p.m. CET/noon ET on Sunday. “Obviously, Sinner has home advantage here. He’s from here, but I don’t think that’s going to play on Alcaraz’s mind because he is such a powerful player and he showed tonight what he is capable of. It will be great.”

WILD @SiyaKolisi reaction to meeting @carlosalcaraz for the first time 😂😂😂#NittoATPFinals | #Kolisi pic.twitter.com/mfRBoSdLtV

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 15, 2025

Kolisi first met Alcaraz earlier in the week in Turin and did not hide his excitement at crossing paths with the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. He also finally caught up in person with Auger-Aliassime, with whom he has frequently exchanged messages of support over social media.

“It was the first time I’ve seen Carlos play live and also the first time I’ve seen Felix play live,” said the 32-year-old Kolisi after witnessing Alcaraz’s 6-2, 6-4 semi-final triumph. “I came to the tournament because of Felix. [He and I] have been talking on social media and supporting each other. We already planned on meeting, and this was the opportunity to meet.

“[The match] was good. It was tough. Alcaraz was very powerful today, but you can’t take away from the effort of Felix as well. Alcaraz deserved the match, but Felix will get up again.”

<img alt=”Felix Auger-Aliassime/Siya Kolisi” style=”width: 100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/11/15/23/54/auger-aliassime-kolisi-nitto-atp-finals-2025.jpg” />

_{^{Felix Auger-Aliassime greets Siya Kolisi on Saturday night at the Nitto ATP Finals. Photo Credit: Jack Howell/ATP Tour}}

Auger-Aliassime is not the first tennis star that Kolisi has befriended. He has been close with Roger Federer ever since the former World No. 1 came out in support of the Springboks during the 2019 Rugby World Cup (Federer’s mother, Lynette, is from South Africa). The rugby star quoted the Swiss when asked what he most admired about tennis players and the way they compete.

“I’ve learned from listening to Roger Federer speak,” said Kolisi. “When you lose a point, you must forget it and move onto the next one. He says he has lost many points, but he’s won [so many] matches. It’s the ability to move on. You lose a point and then you change your mindset to win the next one. Also when you win one, you can’t dwell on it. Just move onto the next one. This mindset is so strong and powerful.”

Kolisi, who led his country to Rugby World Cup triumphs in 2019 and 2023, has since joined Federer on trips supporting the Roger Federer Foundation, which supports early education programmes in six countries including South Africa and Switzerland. However, their friendship has not yet stretched to playing tennis together. Kolisi is willing, but unsure his skills hit the required grade to take to court with a six-time Nitto ATP Finals champion.

“I’ve tried to play tennis, but I suck,” said Kolisi. “I would love to play [with Roger]. He does a charity match, and I would love to play in it one day. I suck, there’s no other way to put it, but I’ll start somewhere!”

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How much prize money will Alcaraz or Sinner make by winning Nitto ATP Finals?

New ground will be broken Sunday at Inalpi Arena no matter who lifts the Nitto ATP Finals trophy between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Since both players enter the championship clash undefeated, the winner will depart Turin with a record $5,071,000, the richest payout in the event’s history.

Last year, Sinner claimed the crown without dropping a set and collected $4,881,100 — then the largest prize awarded at the event.

This edition, the winner is guaranteed to earn more than $5 million in winnings because both Alcaraz and Sinner advanced through their group without losing a match.

The highly anticipated singles final between Alcaraz and Sinner is scheduled for not before 6 p.m. 

Read More About NATPF Prize Money

Read Alcaraz-Sinner Final Preview

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'Back where I belong': Auger-Aliassime proud after red-hot end to season

In August, Felix Auger-Aliassime was No. 27 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Three months later, he closed his season inside the Top 5 after advancing to the semi-finals at the Nitto ATP Finals.

The 25-year-old produced a blistering finish to the year, hitting a career-high ranking and establishing himself as a major force at the season-ending showpiece in Turin.

“[I feel] back where I belong. Back where I feel like I can play with more consistency,” Auger-Aliassime said on Saturday night after losing to Carlos Alcaraz. “I am really happy to be part of this tournament, to have played that way in the last few months…

“It’s great progression I’ve had this year. I’ve always believed that since I was a kid, my ambition was to win Grand Slams and be No. 1 in the world. I’ve had ups and downs, but honestly through it all, I always believed I could be there. I still believe today. Now it’s a matter of doing the right things to improve. If I do, we’ll see where that leaves me.”

Auger-Aliassime reached the semi-finals at the US Open and then enjoyed a quarter-final run in Shanghai. A title followed in Brussels and a final showing in Paris before he earned round-robin wins at the Nitto ATP Finals against Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev.

However, World No. 1 Alcaraz proved one step too far, with the 22-year-old earning a 6-2, 6-4 win to improve to 5-3 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

“He’s serving crazy good. He did that amazingly,” Auger-Aliassime said when asked about the Spaniard. “The rest of the game has always been good. He can change directions with both shots. He puts pressure on you in a different way. You don’t know what to expect. He’s playing at a very high speed. I think that was the most challenging.”

Auger-Aliassime will head into 2026 with wife Nina by his side after the pair married in September. While he has strong support off court, the Canadian is keen to work harder than ever on it.

“Everybody’s good. I can’t just focus on these two,” Auger-Aliassime said, referencing Alcaraz and Sinner when asked about next season. “Everybody above me, below me, young guys coming up. It’s high competition every year. You can have bad luck.

“But of course when I play these guys right now, the facts are they’re a level above everyone. Yeah, I’m going to need to put some work. I’ve never been afraid of some work, so it’s all good.”

Auger-Aliassime won titles in Adelaide, Montpellier and Brussels in 2025, finishing with a 50-24 record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. It was the first time since 2022 that the 25-year-old had earned more than 50 tour-level wins in a season.

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Final Preview: Alcaraz, Sinner ready for last dance of 2025 at Nitto ATP Finals

We’ve been building towards this moment for some time.

From their respective titles as emerging talents at the Next Gen ATP Finals to their Grand Slam sweep during the past two seasons, it all adds up to this moment Sunday when World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and No. 2 Jannik Sinner face off in the Nitto ATP Finals title match (6 p.m. CET/noon ET) for the first time inside Turin’s Inalpi Arena.

As if to emphasise their dominance, Alcaraz and Sinner dropped a combined 13 games in their respective resounding semi-final wins Saturday over Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alex de Minaur.

Alcaraz will be looking to crown his season by adding a personal-best ninth title – and first at the season finale – just three days after claiming ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours for the second time. But he know nothing will be handed to him Sunday.
“It is great facing Jannik,” Alcaraz said, looking ahead to the final. “If it was someone else I wouldn’t mind to be honest, but it is great…I have to play my plan A if I want to beat him, if I want to win the tournament. We will both raise our levels to the top, which is great for the fans and the crowd.”

Sinner, who most recently was No. 1 for a week after winning the Rolex Paris Masters, looks to become an undefeated champion for the second straight year by winning his 10^th consecutive match in Turin and extending his indoor winning steak to 31 matches.

And this is all set against the backdrop of the game’s most captivating Lexus ATP Head2Head series, one that already is showing potential to evolve into one comparable to all-time great rivalries like Borg-McEnroe, Sampras-Agassi, Federer-Nadal and Djokovic-Nadal.

After Alcaraz claimed four of the previous five meetings this year, Sinner will enjoy the off-season a whole lot more if he ends 2025 with a meaningful slice of revenge in front of passionate home fans. 

But don’t count on Alcaraz to give the home favourite an inch in what promises to be an epic showdown expected to add an exclamation point to a memorable 2025 ATP Tour season. 

Most meetings between current or former No. 1s in a season…

At 24, Sinner is the youngest player to reach three consecutive Nitto ATP Finals title matches since Lleyton Hewitt (23) in 2004. Having held all 40 services games this week, Sinner joins Novak Djokovic (2018) as the only player to reach the final without being broken (since records were kept in 1991). The Italian last surrendered his serve (just once) to Ben Shelton in the Paris quarter-finals.

Sinner is also looking to narrow the significant 5-10 deficit in career meetings with the Murcia native. Here is a look at their five meetings in 2025…

Asked in press after his 7-5, 6-2 semi-final win over De Minaur about the prospect of playing Alcaraz in the final, Sinner showed respect for Auger-Aliassime by offering measured comments about the possible dream final against the Spaniard.

“I’m of course happy first of all to finish my season here, another final. It has been an amazing year for me. I’m looking forward for tomorrow,” he said.

“These are matches I look forward to. Also to see for me where my level really is but in the same time it’s great before the off-season to have this matchup.”

Longest indoor hard-court winning streaks

You have to go back to their first meeting at the Rolex Paris Masters in 2021 to find the only time Alcaraz and Sinner have played on indoor hard. The Spaniard won that match 7-6(1), 7-5. He also has won seven of their nine meetings on hard court, including most recently in a four-set US Open final.

How Alcaraz handles Sinner’s first serve – and how aggressive he is on second serves – could prove critical in Sunday’s meeting.

If Sinner plays to his strengths, he will lean into first-strike tennis against his great rival. According to TDI Insights data, this season against all opponents Sinner has won 57 per cent of rallies between 0-4 shots, significantly better than Alcaraz’s 53 per cent clip. Sinner enjoys a similar edge in extended rallies of nine or more strokes.

Alcaraz’s sweet spot comes in the 5-8 shot range, where he has won 57 per cent of points against all opponents this year, with Sinner winning 54 per cent of those rallies.

Topping his previous-best 65 wins and six titles in 2023, Alcaraz’s 71 wins sets him well clear of Sinner (57), De Minaur (56) and Zverev (55).

Most tour-level wins in 2025…

Alcaraz is bidding to be the first player since Andy Murray in 2016 to win nine titles in a season. Back then, the Briton defeated Novak Djokovic in the Nitto ATP Finals title match when year-end No. 1 was a winner-takes-all final showdown.

After defeating Auger-Aliassime 6-2, 6-4 in the semi-finals, Alcaraz is now looking to become the first Spanish winner since Alex Corretja enjoyed a surprise victory in 1998 and third Spaniard overall (also Manuel Orantes in 1976).

Salisbury Chases Third Nitto ATP Finals Doubles Crown
In the doubles final (3 p.m. CET/9 a.m. ET), Joe Salisbury takes a personal 14-match winning streak at the tournament into battle with partner Neal Skupski against Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten.

Salisbury triumphed in Turin in 2022 and 2023 with Rajeev Ram. But did not qualify for the tournament last year. Fellow Brit Skupski is into the final at the season-end event for the first time.

Salisbury and Skupski hold a 46-21 record on the season and seek their first title of 2025 together this week. The Brits reached finals at Roland Garros and the US Open.
In Saturday’s semi-finals, Salisbury and Skupski enjoyed a 6-7(3), 6-3, 10-8 win over Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, who this week clinched Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by PIF honours.

One year on from suffering a semi-final exit on debut at the prestigious season finale, Heliovaara and Patten marched into the final following a 6-4, 6-3 last-four victory against Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.

The 36-year-old Heliovaara, of Finland, and 29-year-old Patten, of Great Britain, will on Sunday play for their eighth tour-level title as a team, and their second indoor title of the year after they lifted the Rolex Paris Masters title earlier this month.

– Jon Jeraj provided research for this article.

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British pair hunt ATP Finals history – will it be their last match together?

Great Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski are said to be splitting as a doubles team, but they have an ATP Finals title match to play first.

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Salisbury returns to Nitto ATP Finals title match with first-time finalist Skupski

Joe Salisbury moved to within one win of capturing his third Nitto ATP Finals trophy on Saturday when he teamed with Neal Skupski to overcome Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool 6-7(3), 6-3, 10-8.

Cash and Glasspool clinched Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by PIF honours earlier this week following their standout season that featured seven titles. However, they were unable to bookend their year with an appearance in the championship match in Turin, with Salisbury and Skupski edging a dramatic semi-final in one hour and 31 minutes.

Salisbury has now won his past 14 matches at the Nitto ATP Finals, having triumphed in Turin in 2022 and 2023 with Rajeev Ram. The 33-year-old did not qualify for the tournament last year. Skupski is into the final at the season-end event for the first time and he and Salisbury will face Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten in the final on Sunday at 3pm local time (CET).

In a tight clash, little separated the teams in the first set, with just the one break point on offer, leaving a tie-break to decide the opener. Cash and Glasspool played the more proactive tennis in the breaker and struck a few bullet returns to lead.

However, Salisbury and Skupski gained an early break of serve at the start of the second set to swing momentum their way and were rock solid on serve, winning 94 per cent of points on their first delivery in the set. The fifth seeds then edged out a nervy tie-break to reach the final.

Salisbury and Skupski hold a 46-21 record on the season, and are searching for their first title of 2025 together this week. The Brits reached finals at Roland Garros and the US Open.

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Sinner keen to cap 'amazing week' with ATP Finals title

Defending champion Jannik Sinner plans to savour his last match of the season after overcoming a determined Alex de Minaur in their semi-final at the ATP Finals.

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Heliovaara/Patten spoil home Nitto ATP Finals party, sink Bolelli/Vavassori for final spot

Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten banished some year-old Nitto ATP Finals heartache in style on Saturday afternoon in Turin.

One year on from suffering a semi-final exit on debut at the prestigious season finale, Heliovaara and Patten this time marched to a 6-4, 6-3 last-four victory against Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. The Finnish-British duo produced a stunning all-around display to overwhelm their Italian opponents and nullify the partisan atmosphere inside Inalpi Arena.

Finals bound 🕺🕺

Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten power into the championship match in Turin, defeating Bolelli/Vavassori 6-4 6-3!#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/PcIQxxiNTk

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 15, 2025

“We had to dig deep yesterday, but we were ready for this semi-final,” said Heliovaara. “I think we really enjoyed being out on court. We had more experience, and we just executed exactly what we wanted to do today.”

Patten advancing to the championship match continued Great Britain’s dominance in the doubles competition at this year’s Nitto ATP Finals. He and Heliovaara will on Sunday take on an all-British duo in the championship match: Top seeds and Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by PIF-winning team Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, or Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski.

Heliovaara and Patten converted the only break point of the opening set at 1-1, 30/40 to move ahead in Saturday’s semi-final, while they also decisively broke serve in the third game of the second. Patten, who started the week in Turin by getting engaged to his partner Ellie Stone, served a double fault at 3-2, 40/30 to gift Bolelli and Vavassori a chance to break at Deuce deciding point, but he followed that with a nerveless lefty serve out wide to clinch the game.

That proved to be the final moment of peril for Heliovaara and Patten on serve, and the pair soon closed out for a 76-minute victory in which they finished the match having won 87 per cent (20/23) of points behind first serves, according to Infosys ATP Stats. They now hold a 3-1 Lexus ATP Head2Head series lead over Bolelli and Vavassori, having also prevailed in the two teams’ Australian Open semi-final clash earlier this year.

“Lots of practice. There’s no secret really,” said Patten, when asked about he and Heliovaara’s returning performance. “They are two very good servers. We’ve struggled returning against them in the past. Sometimes you get a bit lucky as well. No secret, just lots of hard work and lots of repetitions, really.”

The 36-year-old Heliovaara and 29-year-old Patten will on Sunday play for their eighth tour-level title as a team, and their second indoor title of the year after they lifted the Rolex Paris Masters title earlier this month.

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Hewett and Reid beaten in quest for record title

Great Britain’s Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid lose an epic Wheelchair Masters final as they narrowly fail to win a record fourth title.

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SF Preview: Sinner duels De Minaur, Alcaraz meets Auger-Aliassime at Nitto ATP Finals

After a dramatic round-robin stage at the Nitto ATP Finals, the knockout stage begins Saturday with semi-final action in Turin.

Carlos Alcaraz clinched ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours by going 3-0 in group play, but he needs two more wins to secure a perfect end to a career-best season. His next hurdle will be Felix Auger-Aliassime, who beat Alexander Zverev in what was a win-or-go-home group finale for both men.

Jannik Sinner needed Alcaraz to stumble in Turin to have a chance to finish the year at No. 1, but his Nitto ATP Finals title defence remains firmly in his own hands. After his own 3-0 group campaign, the Italian home favourite will face Alex de Minaur in the semis.

In doubles action, top seeds Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool take on Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury in an all-British matchup, while Italians Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori meet Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten.

[2] Jannik Sinner (ITA) vs. [7] Alex de Minaur (AUS)
While Sinner’s semi-final place was secured after his second victory, De Minaur faced a nervous wait Thursday after his 7-6(3), 6-3 win against Taylor Fritz. Alcaraz’s evening triumph against Musetti ultimately sent the Aussie through; if Musetti won, he would have advanced.

De Minaur’s victory — and Alcaraz’s subsequent favour — was the perfect tonic after the seventh seed’s brutal defeat to Musetti two days prior. The Aussie led 5-3 in the final set but lost the last four games against the home favourite to drop to 0-2 on the week. His win against Fritz was his first victory in two Turin appearances, following his debut last year.

“I have dealt with a fair bit of heartbreak recently, so it was good to finally get a win here in Turin,” De Minaur said after earning his first Top 10 win of the season outside team events. “I have worked really hard so it was good to get some positive feedback or a positive reward for the hard work, so I am very happy with the performance.”

Even Sinner said he was happy for the Aussie, speaking after he wrapped his group campaign Friday with a scrappy 6-3, 7-6(3) win against Ben Shelton: “When you have these kinds of losses, it’s tough. So props to him to come back with an incredible performance against Taylor,” said the Italian. “I have to be very careful [in our match], because he doesn’t have a lot to lose… I have a lot to lose.”

While both players enter the semi-finals on the back of a win, Sinner could find extra motivation in his fresh hunt for World No. 1. The Italian spoke of his excitement to “chase” Alcaraz after the Spaniard dethroned him from the top spot in the PIF ATP Rankings by beating him in the US Open final. Eight weeks later, Sinner regained the top spot — though his stint lasted just a single week.

The 24-year-old may no longer be World No. 1, but he has played like it in Turin. For the second straight year, he advanced through the group stage without losing a set. The defending champion has now won eight consecutive matches and 16 consecutive sets in Turin, having won the 2024 title without dropping a set.

“When you come here and win all three round-robin matches, you have to play at a very high level, which I’ve done,” Sinner said. “Serving very well in important moments has brought me to this point.” The home favourite has saved all eight break points against him in the tournament, seven against Zverev and one against Shelton.

De Minaur broke serve twice in each of his group matches, including against Alcaraz in his opener. Next he will try to break his duck against Sinner by earning his first Lexus ATP Head2Head win in the pair’s 13th match.

Their first meeting came at the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. After three previous matchups this season, including in the Australian Open quarter-finals, the pair will now meet at the Nitto ATP Finals for the second straight year.

<img alt=”Carlos Alcaraz, Felix Auger-Aliassime” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/11/14/17/28/alcaraz-felix-turin-2025-preview.jpg” style=”width: 100%;” />

[1] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs. [8] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN)
With his World No. 1 mission already accomplished this week in Turin, Alcaraz can now turn his full attention to his bid for a maiden Nitto ATP Finals title. By reaching the semis, the Spaniard has matched his deepest previous Turin run, from his 2023 debut — though he went 2-1 in group play that year.

While Alcaraz’s place in the knockout rounds was secured before his 6-4, 6-1 win Thursday against Musetti, that matchup carried enormous pressure: If the top seed lost, he would have faced a semi-final showdown against Sinner, with his position atop the PIF ATP Rankings under threat.

“It means the world to me, to be honest. The year-end No. 1 is always a goal,” said Alcaraz, who admitted to feeling nerves in the high-stakes match.

After the round-robin drama and all the intricacies of the battle for ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours, the task ahead for Alcaraz is now straightforward: win two knockout matches to claim his ninth tour-level title of the year. His previous high in a season was six in 2023.

The Spaniard will seek his fifth straight Lexus ATP Head2Head win against Auger-Aliassime to earn a spot in his first Turin final. After losing their first three meetings from 2021-22, Alcaraz won all nine sets he played against the Canadian across 2023 (one match) and 2024 (three matches). Their Saturday showdown will be their first encounter this season.

Auger-Aliassime played what effectively amounted to a quarter-final against Zverev on Friday. Making his second Nitto ATP Finals appearance, the Canadian advanced to the semis for the first time with a 6-4, 7-6(4) result — his 50th win of the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. After losing his first three sets of the week — two against Sinner and the opener against Ben Shelton — the 25-year-old rattled off four consecutive sets to extend his stay in Turin.

“This is a high-value tournament for players,” said Auger-Aliassime, who moved up to No. 5 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings with his two wins. Three years after reaching a career high of No. 6 in November 2022, the Canadian will make his Top 5 debut if he matches or betters De Minaur’s result in Turin.

He could rise as high as No. 4 with the title, but his full focus Saturday will be on spoiling the trophy hopes of World No. 1 Alcaraz.

“[The Nitto ATP Finals] is like a grand finale and when you have a look at the list of champions, there have been many No. 1s. You want to be in the final, but I’ll have to go through a great player to do that. I will take my chance if I have it.”

Doubles Action
The first all-British pair to claim Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by PIF honours, Cash and Glasspool booked their semi-final place with a 6-3, 7-5 victory against Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in a win-and-advance showdown Thursday. That victory also ensured there will be an all-British finalist: They will meet countrymen Salisbury and Skupski, winners of the John McEnroe Group and both former No. 1s in the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings, for a place in the trophy round. Both pairs are seeking the perfect end to their first full season as a team.

The opposite semi-final will see home favourites Bolelli and Vavassori take on Heliovaara and Patten, who advanced with a 7-6(5), 6-2 victory in their own must-win match against Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic on Friday. Both teams are competing at the Nitto ATP Finals for the second consecutive year, with Heliovaara and Patten reaching the semi-finals last season.

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