Nitto ATP Finals: Four stories that headline season-ending finale

Come November 10th and tennis fans across the globe will be toasted to a week long treat of some fine tennis featuring the best of eight on the Tour. The O2 Arena in London will once again witness the dramatic end to cracker of a season. The most coveted non slam tournament to attract eyeballs, the Nitto ATP Finals promises to showcase some tasty matches for fans to savour.

With three debutantes at the Finals, namely Matteo Berrettini, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, it is more than intriguing to watch who carves a niche and how.

It looks tough for defending champion Alexander Zverev to do an encore with the kind of season that the German has had. Nevertheless, it is about time to see if the World no 7 can be inspired enough to recreate what he achieved last year at the Tour finals.

Here are four must follow stories at the impending ATP Finals.

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Will Djokovic usurp Nadal for the year end No 1 ranking?

Novak Djokovic clinches a fifth title at the Paris Masters without dropping a set.

Novak Djokovic has forever been a beacon of perseverance. After enduring the roughest patch of his life when he slid out of the top 20 last year in May, the Serb, since then has portrayed an example of grit by steadily climbing up the rankings ladder. With five titles this season, including two Majors (Australian Open and Wimbledon, two Masters 1000 and the Japan Open) Djokovic without a doubt has all the weapons and confidence walking onto the court inside the O2 Arena as the action begins this Sunday.

With Rafael Nadal forced to withdraw minutes before his semi-final clash at the Paris Masters, Djokovic went all the way to clinch his fifth title in Bercy without dropping a set. Despite this, the Spaniard reclaimed his No. 1 ranking and will have to slog at the Finals to stay at the zenith. This should be the motivating factor apart from the trophy for both the legends to give it their best in London.

Nadal, who is drawn against Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsistsipas and defending champ Alexander Zverev in Group Andre Agassi, needs to win all the group stage matches if he is to secure his No. 1 spot. Losing even a single match could help the Serbian to grab the coveted top ranking. This could be a heap of work for Nadal who has always struggled to keep fit at the fag end of a season. Making his ninth appearance at the Tour Finals, the Spaniard has made it to the final only twice in 2010 and 2013. Djokovic on the other hand has been a champion for five years and twice a finalist at the ATP Finals.

With so much at stake, it shall be a blockbuster fight to see who will secure the top honors at the season finale.

Roger Federer looking to recreate his magic in London once again

Will Roger Federer stand the test of time and win a record seventh title at the Finals?

Drawn in the group Bjorn Borg alongside Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem and Matteo Berrettini, the timeless, Roger Federer will be going for his record extending seventh trophy at the Tour Finals. With most match wins at the tournament,, 57 to be precise, Federer was also the oldest at 30 to win the Finals in 2011.

Having won the tournament in 2003,2004, 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2011, the Swiss Great goes for glory in London again. Federer lost to Zverev in the semi-final last season and also had to struggle against David Goffin in 2017 in the last four. Albeit, Federer has faltered only once in 2008 at the group stage and made it at least to the semi-finals in each of his 16 appearances since 2002.

The World No. 3 has had a mixed season. Federer began the tour this year with a painful defeat at the hands of Tsitsipas in the fourth round of the Australian Open. The Swiss then went on to avenge his loss in Melbourne by toppling the same opponent in Tsitsipas to clinch the title in Dubai. Federer also won both the Indian Wells and Miami Masters but fell in the quarter-final of the Madrid Masters to Dominic Thiem.

Also the quarter-final loss at the US Open against Grigor Dimitrov was the one that rattled the Swiss hugely. Before winning the title in Basel for a record tenth time, Federer was inflicted with another tough loss at the hands of Zverev at the Shanghai Masters. But for the 20-time Grand Slam champion, all these losses are part and parcel of the journey that has got him so far and can barely come in the way of the magic that the maestro is known to create.

Debutant Daniil Medvedev, the man on fire this season

Russian young gun, Medvedev has been riding a wave this season.

If there has been one name that can define consistency this season, it has to be none other than Daniil Medvedev. The Russian arguably the man in form leading with 59 tour victories this season till the Paris Masters, has dished out some mind blowing tennis to ensure his name resonates on the tour for a long time to come.

Making six consecutive finals since Washington, Medvedev won his first two Masters 1000 titles in Cincinnati and Shanghai. The 23-year old Medvedev is at a career high of four and vouches to go a step further with his debut in London.

The agonizing loss against Nadal in the final of the US Open still proved that the Russian has all the resources to hurt the best in business. In what was his first final of a Grand Slam, Medvedev played the match of his life despite the close loss. Medvedev plays smart tennis since he accepts that he lacks the raw power that most of his rivals possess. One could sit back in awe and watch how calm and composed the Russian is with his celebrations after a match.

Perhaps, the mental strength and staying cool in pressure situations are his biggest assets, those that help him tread on the treacherous journey. With four titles under his belt this season, Medvedev looks all set to make the most of his debut among the elite eight.

Defending champion, Alexander Zverev not in a favourable position

Can Alexander Zverev defend his title in London?

Alexander Zverev's season has been a dampener yet again. The German who won the ATP Finals title last year has had a below par showing this year. Clinching just one title this season in Geneva, the 22-year old is actually not in a position to create any noise on this stage.

Dealing with numerous off-court problems which reflected on his tennis, the German surely knows about the work he has on hands if at all he has to have a shot to go deep in London. After a fourth round finish at the Australian Open, Zverev reached the final in Acapulco and then fell to Nick Kyrgios in the title clash.

The German did make the quarter-final at the French Open but lost in the fourth round at the US Open to Schwartzman. Since some brilliant tennis at the Shanghai Masters where he reached the final but lost to Medvedev, Zverev has been inflicted with early exits both at Basel and the Paris Masters.

And while all the drama unfolds this Sunday, let the countdown keep fans hooked.