Alexander Zverev and Holger Rune complete ATP Finals field

New Delhi, Nov 4 (IANS) The singles field for the 2023 ATP Finals with Alexander Zverev and Holger Rune claiming the final two spots for the season finale, which will be played at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from November 12-19.

Zverev and Rune on Friday joined Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the elite eight-man field.

With 20-year-olds Alcaraz and Rune both qualifying, two 20-and-under players will compete in the same ATP Finals for the first time since 2000, when 19-year-old Lleyton Hewitt and 20-year-old Marat Safin made their debuts, ATP Tout finals reports.

Four of the stars have triumphed at the ATP Finals before. Six-time champion Djokovic can break his tie with Roger Federer for the most titles in year-end championships history (since 1970). Zverev won the title in 2018 and 2021, while Tsitsipas triumphed in 2019 as a 21-year-old, becoming the youngest tournament winner since 20-year-old Hewitt in 2001, and Medvedev lifted the trophy in 2020.

Djokovic, Alcaraz and Medvedev have reached No. 1 in the ATP Rankings. The Serb is in pole position to earn ATP Year-End No. 1 honours.

If the 24-time grand slam winner achieves the feat for a record-extending eighth time, he would also reach 400 career weeks at World No. 1 on 20 November, the day after the tournament ends. He would become the first player to reach the milestone.

The doubles field is also set. Ivan Dodig/Austin Krajicek, Wesley Koolhof/Neal Skupski, Rohan Bopanna/Matthew Ebden, Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos, Santiago Gonzalez/Edouard Roger-Vasselin, Rajeev Ram/Joe Salisbury, Maximo Gonzalez/Andres Molteni and Rinky Hijikata/Jason Kubler will compete for the title at the Pala Alpitour.

This year’s ATP Finals will award a record $15 million in prize money. If the champion at this year’s tournament lifts the trophy without losing a match, he will earn more than $4.8 million, the largest prize money for an individual player in the history of tennis.

This will be the third edition of the ATP Finals in Turin. The draw is set to take place on November 9.