There is nowhere to hide when a tournament includes the top eight players in the world and only the top eight players in the world. Every draw is going to be tough, and Alexander Zverev was aware of that fact as he participated in Tuesday’s Nitto ATP Finals draw ceremony.
Knowing that he would be the lowest-ranked player in his round-robin group as the No. 7 seed, Zverev could look forward to an opening showdown against one of the top two seeds–Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. It would be either the world No. 1 or the reigning Paris Masters champion who lost to Zverev in the Nitto ATP Finals title match last fall.
“I get to play against the world No. 1, or it would have been a repeat of the (2018) final,” Zverev noted.
The answer: world No. 1.
Zverev landed in Group A along with Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Medvedev and Tsitsipas will go head-to-head on Monday afternoon before the nightcap features Nadal vs. Zverev. Group B will kick off the proceedings on Sunday, when Djokovic faces Matteo Berrettini and Roger Federer goes up against Dominic Thiem. Those attractive matches generate a great interest for a betting-loving crowd, and bookies from all over the world like M88 present the option to place a bet on them.
“It is very interesting,” said Zverev. “We have three young guys in our group with Rafa. They are both tough groups. Obviously it was very special lifting the trophy last year an I’ll do everything I can to lift it again.”
It won’t be easy for the 22-year-old German, especially not with an opening test against Nadal. All five of their previous encounters have gone the way of the Spaniard, who prevailed at the 2016 Indian Wells Masters, twice in 2017 (Australian Open and Monte-Carlo), and twice in 2018 (Davis Cup and Rome). Zverev has managed to take at least one set on three occasions, including two in a five-setter at the 2017 Aussie Open.
Still, it’s a matchup Zverev surely likes more than a rematch with Djokovic. Whereas Djokovic is 12-1 since the U.S. Open with titles in Tokyo and Paris, Nadal is dealing with an abdominal injury after withdrawing from a Paris semifinal against eventual runner-up Denis Shapovalov. The 18-time Grand Slam champion was a question mark to remain entered in the field when the draw ceremony took place.
“Hello everyone,” Nadal wrote via social media on Tuesday. “Yesterday I had [an exam] in Mallorca and despite having a small strain in the right abdominal rectum, I will travel to London. Thursday or Friday I will start adapting to the service. The idea is to be able to play the #atpfinals in London. Thanks for the support!”
The draw:
Group Andre Agassi
Rafael Nadal
Daniil Medvedev
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Alexander Zverev
Group Bjorn Borg
Novak Djokovic
Roger Federer
Dominic Thiem
Matteo Berrettini
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