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ATP Finals predictions: Sky Sports panel pick their winners and surprise package as Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz lead the field | Tennis News


World No 1 Alexander Zverev and second seed Carlos Alcaraz are among the favourites the win the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin – but what do our Sky Sports panel think?

Zverev is a two-time champion at the tournament, having lifted the trophy in 2018 and 2021.

The German is in John McEnroe Group with Ben Shelton, Arthur Fils and Rafael Jodar, while Alcaraz – aiming to triumph at the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time – headlines Ivan Lendl Group, which also features Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli and Frances Tiafoe.

The action takes place at Inalpi Arena from 15-22 November – live on Sky Sports Tennis – but who do Gigi Salmon, Tim Henman and Jamie Murray think will win the tournament? They pick their winners and surprise packages.

And the winners are…

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Highlights of the Paris Masters final match between Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton

Gigi Salmon

Carlos Alcaraz: He is fresh after his lay-off, full of confidence after back-to-back titles, and he really wants this title.

Tim Henman

Alexander Zverev: Altitude and his serve will be very difficult to break. Has experience in Turin and winning WTF.

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Alexander Zverev won US Open…and he didn’t even realise it!!!

Jamie Murray

Carlos Alcaraz: I don’t think he’s played so much tennis this year, and he just won Vienna and Paris. He has never won the Tour finals so that will be a big motivation to get that on his CV.

Naomi Cavaday

Carlos Alcaraz: The Spaniard will win because he is the best player on tour right now. He has improved every area of his game on the hard, and that is now translating indoors. With no Jannik Sinner, it’s up to him.

Marion Bartoli

Carlos Alcaraz: When he plays the way he plays in Paris indoors, he’s pretty much unbeatable. That being said Zverev will try to finish on a good note because he’s the No 1 player in the world and has won the tournament before.

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Alcaraz blamed scheduling demands for ‘going in the wrong direction’ after Jannik Sinner’s season ended due to a knee injury

Who will be the surprise package?

Gigi Salmon

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Rafael Jodar won this fabulous point in his quarter-final match against Casper Ruud at the Shanghai Masters

Rafael Jodar: He is young with nothing to lose. Just 18 months ago, he was 800 in the world, and now he’s a part of the top 10.

He is the quickest player on the ATP Tour to have gone from your debut to the top 10! Beating Gustavo Kuerten by 176 days.

Tim Henman

Arthur Fils: The Frenchman loves the big occasion and is so powerful.

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Highlights of the Cincinnati Open final between Arthur Fils and Frances Tiafoe

Jamie Murray

Rafael Jodar: People might not think he’s a surprise package, but he was the last guy to qualify for the Tour Finals, so he’s coming in as the eight-ranked seed, but I’m picking him.

I’d also like to see Arthur Fils do something but the conditions might be too quick for him – just a feeling. But he’s got a big game, so let’s see.

Naomi Cavaday

Frances Tiafoe: He might have been looking pretty tired post US Open but he is a big-match player and can go on a deep run out of nowhere. The vast majority of his points have come from the four big tournaments this year and Turin has everything he needs to be able to turn it on again for a fifth big run of the year.

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Ben Shelton has hired Alcaraz’s former mentor Juan Carlos Ferrero as his new coach

Speaking at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells, former Australian Open champion Madison Keys told Sky Sports:

“You have Carlos, who won in Paris, and then you have Ben [Shelton], who was in the finals in Paris and US Open.

“I feel like when you have Zverev as the No 1 in the world, you also have Jodar, who is having an incredible year, and Fils, who won Cincinnati in amazing fashion. The difference between all those players is so much closer.”

On the American players, Keys said: “I’m cheering for Tiafoe to have an upset, absolutely. But Shelton is also my guy, and he’s playing amazing tennis. Everyone is going to play amazing tennis.

“Both groups are tough.”

Stream tennis with no contract on NOW and the Sky Sports App. You can watch the WTA Finals from Indian Wells this week on Sky Sports Tennis.


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