The ATP Finals start this Sunday. The tournament will feature some perennial challengers such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. However, there will be new faces seeking to upset the ‘Big Three.’ Matteo Berrettini, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Daniil Medvedev will be making their debuts at the tournament. The three are all below 24 years of age and represent the new generation of tennis players.
The Big Three’s dominance of the finals
Federer has expressed his delight at seeing the young players compete at the tournament. The 38-year-old feels that the game is evolving, and a changing of the guard could happen soon. The ‘Big Three’ have been mainstays in the competition for the past few years, qualifying for finals on a consistent basis. Though Nadal has never won the tournament, Djokovic and Federer have won a combined 11 titles at the event. The 20-time Grand Slam champion holds six titles while his Serbian counterpart has won the finals five times. The two exchanged wins at the tournament between 2003 and 2015 before Andy Murray broke their dominance in 2016.
Head to head Federer vs Berrettini
Both have faced each other in a single match only. Federer came on top against the Italian in this match. It means in terms of H2H, it goes in favour of the Swiss for 1-0. (More details about H2H). With new players making their debuts in London, Federer says the young players are improving their standing in the game. Most players such as Berrettini and Tsitsipas are already stars in their respective countries. However, the Swiss player feels that being in the top ten in the world rankings is a huge step forward for the development of any player. “There’s a difference between being somewhat of a national hero in your country and being a Top 10 player.” The 20-time Grand Slam champion says that the ATP Finals will be a good opportunity for the young players to learn and grow their careers. He singled out Alexander Zverev’s achievement in last year’s finals as an example of what the tournament can do for young players.
Zverev’s 2018 title at the Finals over Djokovic
Zverev won the 2018 title by defeating Djokovic in the final. He also recorded a victory over Federer in the semifinal. The German player has been the most successful young player in the game. The 22-year-old has won 11 singles titles in his career. Federer has called Zverev the catalyst for the new wave of young players dominating the game. This year, Medvedev has stood out on tour with his impressive performances. The Russian had a run of six ATP tournament finals this year. He reached the final of the US Open in September, where he lost to Nadal.
Roger Federer’s ranking and performance in 2019
Ranked no.3, Federer played his last match on the 27th of October when he beat Alex De Minaur 6-2 6-2 in the final in Basel to win his 103rd career title.
This year the Swiss has a 49-8 win-loss record. The Swiss conquered 4 titles in 2019 in Dubai, in Miami, in Halle and in Basel. Federer was the finalist in Indian Wells and in Wimbledon.
Matteo Berrettini’s ranking and performance in 2019
Ranked no.8 (career-high), the Italian played his last match on the 30th of October when he had to bow to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4 6-3 in the 2nd round in Paris.
This year Berrettini has a 46-21 win-loss record. The Italian clinched 3 titles in 2019 in the Phoenix Challenger, in Budapest and in Stuttgart. Matteo was the finalist in Munich.
Roger Federer and Matteo Berrettini played each other 1 time. The head to head is 1-0 for Federer.
The last time that they fought against each other, Roger Federer won 6-1 6-2 6-2 in the 4th round in Wimbledon on the 08th July 2019.
Here the highlights.
Roger Federer and Matteo Berrettini |
| Embed from Getty Images |
