There will be a new name on the trophy when this year’s ATP Finals conclude on November 17.

Novak Djokovic is laid low by injury and not around to defend the title he won in a straight-sets triumph over Italy’s Jannick Sinner in 2023.

Sinner is now the world No. 1 and will be heavily backed by the home crowd in Turin, with Carlos Alcaraz the other star attraction after he and Sinner went two apiece across this season’s four majors.

But how did the eight qualifiers reach the ATP Finals and how will they plot their paths to glory once the action gets underway on November 10?

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Who qualifies for the ATP Finals?

Over the course of the season, players accrue points for the ATP Race to Turin, with the top seven players in the ranking at the end of the ATP Tour on November 9 qualifying automatically.

Players acquire points for the race from 19 ranking events. Assuming they are fit to compete in the four annual grand slams and eight ATP Masters 1000 events, these will account for 12 of the tournaments, plus their seven best results in other competitions carrying ranking points.

After the top seven in the race, a space is reserved for a grand slam winner within the calendar year who might not rank within their number. That does not apply in 2024, with Sinner and Alcaraz ranked No. 1 and No. 3 respectively.

That meant a spot for Australia’s Alex de Minaur, while Djokovic’s withdrawal meant Andrey Rublev’s ninth position in the race was enough for him to sneak in.

MORE: The last time Djokovic, Federer and Nadal all missed the ATP Finals

ATP Finals tournament format

The eight players in the singles competition were drawn into two groups of four for the opening round-robin phase. The top two from each group at the end of this first phase will progress to the semifinals.

Ilie Nastase Group: Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur
John Newcombe Group: Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev

All matches, including the final, are best-of-three sets with tiebreaks in each set. 

Standings in the group stage are determined by the number of matches won by each player. In the event of players being level in terms of matches won, the following tie-breakers come into play:

• Most matches played (a 2-1 record would beat a 2-0 record in the event of a match not taking place)
• Head-to-head results between the tied players
• Highest percentage of sets won
• Highest percentage of games won
• ATP ranking after the final ATP Tour tournament of the year