A look at the potential Nitto ATP Finals field: Nadal, Federer, Djokovic have clinched

The fall swing marks the annual home stretch to the Nitto ATP Finals, always sure to provide plenty of intrigue as the top players on tour battle for eight prestigious spots. This year’s field looks more clear-cut than usual with six weeks to go, but some moving and shaking could still be in the cards throughout upcoming stops in Asia and Europe.

Let’s take a look at the projected field in terms of current positioning in the 2018 race to London:

1 – Rafael Nadal (CLINCHED). 7,480 points. A knee injury may be a blessing in disguise for the reigning French Open champion when it comes to his hopes for a first-ever year-end championship title. Nadal needs to go into London well-rested to have a chance.

2 – Novak Djokovic (CLINCHED). 6,445 points. In a resurgence like no other from significant physical problems, Djokovic captured back-to-back slams at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Once an afterthought, the Serb is now the favorite to capture a sixth YEC title.

3 – Juan Martin Del Potro. 4,910 points. Del Potro is less than 100 points away from mathematically clinching, so it should happen next week in Beijing. Due mostly to recurring wrist issues, the U.S. Open runner-up has not participated at the O2 Arena since 2013.

4 – Roger Federer (CLINCHED). 4,800 points. Federer has already clinched even though he trails Del Potro in points because the Swiss has a Grand Slam title to his credit (Australian Open). He is six-time champion of this event but has not won it since 2011.

5 – Alexander Zverev. 4,365 points. Zverev will be skipping the NextGen ATP Finals for a second consecutive season because he will once again be playing with the big boys in London. Majors continue to be a problem for the German, but he has been awesome at Masters 1000s.

6 – Marin Cilic. 3,815 points. Cilic has never done anything at the year-end championship, with a horrendous 1-8 record and zero trips out of round-robin competition in three appearances. The good news for the Croat is that he is in strong position to get another shot at this tournament.

7 – Dominic Thiem. 3,525 points. Thiem is 2-4 lifetime at the O2 Arena and has never reached the semifinals. That’s hardly a surprise given that an indoor hard court does not suit his game. But the Austrian helped his London bid with a recent indoor title in St. Petersburg.

8 – Kevin Anderson. 3,450 points. This would mark Anderson’s first trip to the YEC. He had never even been in the discussion until last year, when he threw away a golden opportunity with a disastrous fall swing on the heels of a runner-up finish at the U.S. Open.

Alternates

9 – John Isner. 2,930 points. Isner came within two wins of making it to London last year. His chances are slim this time around because he is skipping the Asian swing following the birth of his first child.

10 – Kei Nishikori. 2,565 points. Isner’s absence from Asia means Nishikori has the best shot at overtaking either Cilic, Thiem, or Anderson. The Japanese star gets to play in front of the home crowd next week in Tokyo.

Fabio Fognini, David Goffin, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Pablo Carreno Busta, Milos Raonic, Borna Coric, Grigor Dimitrov, Marco Cecchinato, Diego Schwartzman, and Kyle Edmund are still in the distant discussion as they round out the top 20 in the current race.

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