2025 Nitto ATP Finals Kickoff: Alcaraz, Zverev, Shelton, and Minaur Open Round One
by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Geoffrey Ejiga
Top Eight Players Featuring in 2025 Nitto ATP Finals
- Jannik Sinner - 1st
- Carlos Alcaraz - 2nd
- Alexander Zverev - 3rd
- Taylor Fritz - 4th
- Ben Shelton - 6th
- Alex de Minaur - 7th
- Felix Auger-Aliassime - 8th
- Lorenzo Musetti - 9th
The 5th-placed 7-time ATP Finals winner, Novak Djokovic, is skipping this year's edition, saying, “ I was really looking forward to competing in Turin and giving my best, but after today's final in Athens, I'm sad to share that I need to withdraw due to an ongoing injury".
Nitto ATP Finals Schedule
Two Round 1 games will be played on the 9th, with the other two taking place on the 10th. Then prepare for an action-packed Tuesday, as seven Round 2 games are scheduled. The final Round 2 fixture will go down on the 13th.
Round 1 Opening Fixtures
Carlos Alcaraz vs Alex de Minaur
Carlos Alcaraz opens the ATP Finals with his clash against Alex de Minaur this Sunday afternoon. Both players had a Round 3 exit in the 2024 ATP finals, with Alcaraz losing out to Alexander Zverev and Minaur to Taylor Fritz.
The question now is who takes the first game and qualifies for the third round? Alcaraz is favored to win, but it's how he does it that’ll matter for punters. See our sharp pick in our Carlos Alcaraz vs Alex de Minaur prediction. Alcaraz, who was the world number one just last month, is rightfully the favourite in this game, and their H2H backs that up.
Alcaraz has now beaten Minaur in four of their five meetings, and the only loss was a 2-1 defeat in an Exhibition Game. And in the ATP Finals, Alcaraz made it to the semifinals in his first appearance, only losing out to Djokovic, who was the eventual champion.
Alexander Zverev vs Ben Shelton
Two-time ATP Finals winner Alexander Zverev takes on Ben Shelton, who makes his debut in the tournament. For insight into the outcome of this game, check out our tennis expert's best Alexander Zverev vs Ben Shelton prediction.
Zverev, who hunts for his third, couldn't have asked for a better opponent than Shelton, whom he has a perfect record against. They've met four times in the past, with three meetings coming in 2025 alone. Zverev beat Shelton in straight sets over all their 2025 clashes, but needed a 2-1 comeback in their first meeting, which took place in August 2024.
But while Zverev is the clear favourite in this game, we can't rule out Shelton, who looks to impress in his first ATP finals appearance. Shelton is a formidable player, and he proved himself yet again with his Toronto ATP 1000 win in August.
