By Tony Fairbairn
- Carlos Alcaraz [1] v Alex De Minaur [7]
- Alexander Zverev [3] v Ben Shelton [5]
TURIN, ITALY – Carlos Alcaraz will begin his bid for a first title at the Nitto ATP Finals when he takes on Alex De Minaur in his first round robin match.
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Carlos Alcaraz [1] v Alex De Minaur [7] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Carlos Alcaraz [1] v Alex De Minaur [7] | H2H: Alcaraz leads 4-0 |
| Nitto ATP Finals 2025 | Turin, Italy |
| Indoor Hard | Prize Money: $396,500 |
| Second on InAlpi Arena (Not before 13:00 GMT) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Day one of the Nitto ATP Finals will begin with Carlos Alcaraz as he begins his bid for a first Nitto ATP Finals crown when he takes on Alex De Minaur in Turin.
It has been an incredible season for Alcaraz who has been dominant at times and has two Grand Slam titles to show for it. The first was that epic Roland Garros final against Jannik Sinner where the Spaniard saved Championship points to win in Paris. That was followed by defeating Sinner in the US Open final to become world number one. Now, Alcaraz will aim to top the Italian in his home country in order to seal the year-end world number one ranking in what will be a pulsating end to the 2025 season.
Before thinking about Sinner, Alcaraz must concentrate on his first opponent of the week which is De Minaur. The Australian has had another remarkable year which started off by reaching a first Australian Open quarter-final. Since then, De Minaur has gone from strength to strength and now finds himself back in Turin after some sensational wins. The next step for the seventh seed will be to now prove that he doesn’t just belong at this stage but that he can become a challenger to win one of these big titles.
It will be a good match for Alcaraz to start off with as he can build confidence on the forehand as he looks to improve his record on indoor hard courts. Meanwhile, De Minaur will put pressure on Alcaraz by serving aggressively and dictating play. This should be a competitive contest between two players that are resilient and raise their level in important moments. However, Alcaraz’s variety and power should get the Spaniard over the line to begin his Turin campaign.
Prediction: Alcaraz in three sets.
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Alexander Zverev [3] v Ben Shelton [5] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Alexander Zverev [3] v Ben Shelton [5] | H2H: Zverev leads 4-0 |
| Nitto ATP Finals 2025 | Turin, Italy |
| Indoor Hard | Prize Money: $396,500 |
| Fourth on InAlpi Arena (Not before 19:30 GMT) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
The second match of the day in Turin will see former champion Alexander Zverev battle debutant Ben Shelton.
It’s been a mixed year for Zverev who has failed to impress at times and has struggled for confidence. It is credit to the German’s resilience and determination that he has bounced back in order to book a place at the Nitto ATP Finals. A former champion here, Zverev will fancy of his chances of a successful tournament if he can produce his best tennis although the feeling is that he will need to raise his level if he wants to have a chance of reaching the final.
First up for Zverev is a player that he enjoys playing in the form of Shelton. The confident American is playing his first ever edition of the Nitto ATP Finals after a sensational breakthrough year. After starting the year by reaching the Australian Open semi-finals, Shelton then backed that up by claiming his first ever Masters 1000 title in Canada. A big serve and a powerful baseline game means that Shelton will like his chances of causing a shock or two in Turin as he looks to put the finishing touches on a strong season.
This will be an interesting match where nerves and safe tactics will be present. Zverev will be passive from the baseline and will invite Shelton to break his defensive game down. Meanwhile, the serve will be key for Shelton if he wants to win an important first match of this campaign. In a tense affair, experience will top exuberant youth as Zverev will edge to victory in Italy.
Prediction: Zverev in three sets.
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