For Grand Slam record winner Rafael Nadal (Spain), the ATP final of the eight best professionals of the year in Turin started with a false start.
The 36-year-old, who would replace his injured compatriot Carlos Alcaraz as world number one in the event of his first triumph in a year-end tournament, lost his opening game in the green group against the American Taylor Fritz, eleven years his junior, 6: 7 (3: 7). , 1:6.
The Norwegian Casper Ruud won the opening game of the almost $ 15 million ATP finals in the same group against Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 7: 6 (7: 4), 6: 4. The two best players from each of the two preliminary round groups reach the semi-finals. Nadal has a chance to be world number one at the end of the year for the sixth time.