ATP Finals 2022: Who could join Djokovic, Nadal, Alcaraz? A look at all key contenders

Serbian tennis superstar Novak Djokovic claimed his 90th ATP title by winning the ATP 500 event in Astana on Sunday. The 20-time Grand Slam champion continued from where he left at Wimbledon 2022 and sealed the fifth spot at the ATP Finals 2022 in Turin. With Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, and Stefanos Tsitsipas already qualified for the ATP Finals, there are only three spots up for grabs in next month’s season finale. 

While the ATP Finals 2022 begin on November 13, as many as 10 players are still in contention for the final three slots in the eight-player tournament. The top eight players in the ATP men’s singles rankings ahead of the ATP Finals in Turin will qualify for the coveted tournament. While Djokovic is currently 10th in the rankings, he has sealed qualification and is set to remain in the Top 20 list, irrespective of the results after the Paris Masters, which begins later this month.

Daniil Medvedev leads the list of contenders seeking qualification for 2022 ATP Finals

Meanwhile, former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev is currently placed 5th in the Race to Turin with 3,555 points to his name. Having retired from his Astana Open semi-final against Djokovic due to an injury, Medvedev can seal the sixth spot for qualification if he plays at the Paris Masters. Alongside Medvedev, his compatriot Andrey Rublev is also in contention to join the ATP Finals list. 

Rublev is currently seventh in the rankings with 3235 points and also with a significant lead over Taylor Fritz in the race for qualification. As of now, Rubled and Fritz are the favourites to earn qualification in the final two spots after Medvedev. Fritz currently sits eighth in the rankings with 2885 points and is up for making it to the ATP Finals for the first time in his career, having won the Japan Open 2022 last week.

More interesting details about the 2022 ATP Finals qualification scenario

It is pertinent to mention that a player qualifies for the 2022 ATP Finals if he is placed in the Top 20 list and has won a Grand Slam tournament in the season. While Nadal is yet to confirm his participation in the season finale in Turin, he is highly expected to play and was also seen training hard at his academy in Manacor. Several events are scheduled to be held ahead of the Paris Masters, the last ATP event this year before the ATP Finals.

It should also be noted that Felix Auger-Aliassime currently sits outside the cut-off spot for the 2022 ATP Finals with 2860 points. Given that he is only 25 points behind Fritz, Felix could also make it to the season finale with his performance in the upcoming events. Hubert Hurkacz with 2725 points and Alexander Zverev with 2700 stand behind Felix in the rankings list but Zverev is less likely to participate in the upcoming events due to his injury.