ATP Finals draw: Alcaraz, Sinner in different groups

TURIN, Italy (AP) — Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz was drawn in a group with Novak Djokovic at the ATP Finals, while defending champion Jannik Sinner was grouped with Alexander Zverev on Thursday.

The Jimmy Connors group features Alcaraz, Djokovic, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur.

The Bjorn Borg group has Sinner, Zverev, Ben Shelton and Felix Auger-Aliassime or Lorenzo Musetti, who are battling for the final spot.

Auger-Aliassime occupies the eighth and final qualifying spot but Musetti can leapfrog the Canadian if he wins a tournament in Athens this week.

The status of Djokovic, who is also playing in Athens, is questionable. Djokovic, who is a record seven-time champion at the finals, sat out the event last year and has said he will decide whether to play or not after the Athens tournament.

The finals start on Sunday with round-robin play. The top two finishers in each group advance to the semifinals.

The final is scheduled for Nov. 16.

Alcaraz will be playing in the finals for the third time; his best result was the semifinals in 2023.

Alcaraz and Sinner are still fighting for the year-end No. 1 ranking which will be determined by their performances at the finals.

Zverev won the finals in 2018 and 2021 while Fritz lost last year’s final to Sinner.

De Minaur is making his second consecutive appearance, and Shelton is making his debut.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis