Alcaraz Starts No. 1 Chase against De Minaur in Turin Opener

Alcaraz Kicks Off No. 1 Ambitions Against De Minaur in Turin Showdown

Zverev faces off against debutant Shelton

November 08, 2025

The exciting 2025 Nitto ATP Finals kicks off this Sunday in Turin, where tennis’s elite compete at the year’s ultimate showdown. Day 1 brings forth two thrilling singles matches and a pair of doubles encounters at the Inalpi Arena.

Carlos Alcaraz will clash with Alex de Minaur in the Jimmy Connors Group, followed by Alexander Zverev taking on Ben Shelton in the evening’s highlight match from the Bjorn Borg Group.

The day starts with a doubles contest featuring defending champions Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz against Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos. The night session will see top seeds Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool face off against home crowd favorites Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.

[1] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs. [7] Alex de Minaur (AUS)
Alcaraz arrives in Turin ranked No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings, slightly behind Jannik Sinner. Nevertheless, he has secured the top seed through his leading position in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin. Aiming for the coveted title of ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF, he must either reach the finals with at least one round-robin victory or win all his matches.

“Performing well in this tournament is crucial for my goal of being No. 1,” Alcaraz commented about his ambitions for Turin. “The motivation intertwines; it’s going to be a pivotal week for me.”

After an unexpected loss to Cameron Norrie in Paris—which allowed Sinner to reclaim the top spot—Alcaraz is eager to get back to winning against De Minaur, who is making his second consecutive appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals. Historically, this match favors Alcaraz, who is undefeated at 4-0 against De Minaur, with victories this season in both Rotterdam and Barcelona.

Interestingly, De Minaur enters this event as the player with the most hard-court victories this season, boasting a commendable 42-14 record on this surface, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. His overall tally of 55 wins marks a personal record, surpassing his previous best of 48.

“I’m really pleased with how the year has unfolded,” the Aussie stated. “I’ve shown great consistency, particularly on hard courts.” Now, he is looking forward to a challenging group where everyone has the potential to excel.

As one of the circuit’s formidable retrievers, De Minaur recognizes that relying solely on speed and defense won’t suffice against Alcaraz. He will need to set the tone early on to have a chance against the Spanish star, who has only participated in one tour-level match since October.

[3] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs. [5] Ben Shelton (USA)
Since mid-October, Zverev has faced only one defeat, against Sinner, who also bested Shelton in his last match. This makes the showdown between two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion Zverev (2018, 2021) and newcomer Shelton particularly significant for both athletes.

While Zverev holds a 4-0 advantage in their Lexus ATP Head2Head, Shelton has yet to claim a set in their encounters this season, which span three different ATP Tour surfaces.

Buoyed by impressive performances in his last two tournaments—a runner-up finish in Vienna and a semi-final showing in Paris—Zverev’s confidence is rising, featuring a crucial victory in a tie-break against both Jacob Fearnley and Daniil Medvedev.

Shelton made it to the Paris quarter-finals in his last outing before his run was halted by eventual champion Sinner. Despite worries about his shoulder injury that forced him to retire at the US Open, Shelton rebounded with great form in October. Most notably, he earned his spot in Turin with a 7-6(6), 6-3 victory over Andrey Rublev, a five-time Nitto ATP Finals competitor.

In a bid to make his Turin debut memorable, Shelton is engaged in a parallel battle with Taylor Fritz for the title of American No. 1, an accolade he briefly held in 2024. He’s yet to finish a season ranked as the top American in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Doubles Action
The Peter Fleming Group kicks off the doubles segment in Turin. Defending champions Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz will begin the tournament against third seeds Granollers and Zeballos, the latter having claimed titles at both Roland Garros and the US Open this season.

British top seeds Cash and Glasspool, who are aiming to add to their seven titles this season (including Wimbledon), will face local heroes Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. This is the second consecutive year that the Italians are competing in Turin, having won four titles this year and reached the Australian Open final.