The end of the 2022 Tennis Season is finally here! There's much to analyze and discuss once the dust settles in the next eight days. We may have a recap of this whole season in another thread before the end of the year - the ups and downs, surprises, players who started with such potential, excitement, and hope and fulfilled it all through the year or those whose claim to fame burst onto the scene in the second half or toward the end of this season (I'm thinking of Holger Rune for one). Then there's the players who petered out, fell far short of expectations, and/or just plain disappeared off the tennis map after the beginning of the year - either due to desire (Naomi Osaka?), or injury, illness (Covid still wreaks inordinate havoc on a number of players this year, hopefully next year is much better for them).
The Nitto ATP Finals is the year-end climax to the ATP Tour season. The WTA had their finale more than a week ago, which also produced some surprises. Like the WTA Finals, this event features only the world's best eight qualified singles players and doubles teams, and has been contested in major cities around the world, with a rich history dating back to the birth of The Masters in Tokyo (1970). From 2021-2025, the tournament will be held at Turin’s Pala Alpitour stadium.
Finally, congratulations to this year's Champion at the Intesa Sanpaolo NextGen ATP Finals - Brandon Nakashima d. Jiri Lehecka!
After the Nitto Finals, there will be some regulation tour but lower-level events played across both tours in ATP Challengers and WTA 125s and below, plus Exhibition tournaments. So .... one more time ... let's get to it!👇
Nitto ATP Finals
Pala Alpitour Stadium
Turin, Italy
November 13-20, 2022
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| Final 8 (Top photo l.-r.) Formal - Taylor Fritz, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev. (Bottom l.-r.) Casual - Fritz, FAA, Ruud, Nadal, Tsitsipas, Medvedev, Rublev and Djokovic. |
Surface: Hard indoor
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| PALA ALPITOUR ARENA - Turin, Italy |
The tournament was first held in 1970, although with a different name. The eight players are divided into two groups, and each participant plays three round-robin matches. The top two players from each group advance to the SFs which determine the two finalists. Pala Alpitour Stadium is the largest indoor sporting venue in Italy.
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| VILLA DELLA REGINA DI TORINO Designed in early 1615 by Italian soldier, architect and military engineer, Ascanio Vittozzi. When he died in 1615, the project passed to his collaborators, father and son Carlo and Amedeo di Castellamonte. Built for the Prince-Cardinal Maurice of Savoy during the reign of his brother Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy as a private villa with its own vineyard, hence its alternative name of Vigna di Madama. In 1637 Cardinal Maurice's sister-in-law, Christine Marie of France became Regent of Savoy for her young son, Carlo Emanuele II of Savoye. The Villa was later used by the Spanish Queen of Sardinia Maria Antonietta Ferdinanda. It remained the property of the House of Savoy until 1868 when it was donated by Victor Emmanuel II of Italy to the Institute of the Army's Daughters and in 1994 it was given to the State domain. |
Current champion: Alexander Zverev, who did not qualify this year. He defeated Daniil Medvedev.
Carlos Alcaraz, who qualified in the No. 1 spot, withdrew because of injury.
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| The Sacra di San Michele Sometimes known as Saint Michael's Abbey, is a religious complex on Mount Pir Chiriano, situated on the south side of the Val di Susa in the territory of the municipality of Sant'Ambrogio di Torino, in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. The abbey, which for much of its history was under Benedictine rule, is now entrusted to the Rosminians. A special regional law acknowledges it as the "Symbolic monument of the Piedmont region." This monumental abbey served as one of the inspirations for the book The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco |
SINGLES
Green Group:
(1) Rafael Nadal (ESP)
(3) Casper Ruud (NOR)
(5) Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN)
(8)Taylor Fritz (USA)
Red Group
(2) Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE)
(4) Daniil Medvedev (*RUS)
(6) Andrey Rublev (*RUS)
(7) Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Alternates: (DEN) Holger Rune and (POL) Hubert Hurkacz
*Officially, Russia isn't allowed to be identified by their country, but it's not as if we don't know where these players are from
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| BUON APPETITO Turin boasts a huge range of fantastic opportunities for dining out. The local Piedmontese cuisine is some of the most varied and celebrated in Italy. Piedmont is the region where the Slow Food movement was born, focusing on local, fresh, top quality produce. Salone del Gusto e Terra Madre, a biennial international food fair and convention, is hosted in Turin in the autumn to highlight the importance of producing locally, eating healthily and savouring socially. |
SINGLES PRIZE MONEY
Alternate - $150,000
Participation Fee - $320,000
Round-robin match win - $383,300
Semi-final match win - $1,070,000
Final win - $2,200,400
Undefeated champion - $4,740,300
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| Pasta varieties local to Piedmont include agnolotti, a ravioli traditionally stuffed with minced lamb. A cute, mini version is the Agnolotti del Plin, served in a meat broth. |
Singles Participation Fee Schedule (2022)
1 match: $160,000
2 matches: $240,000
3 matches: $320,000
DOUBLES
Green Group
(1) Wesley Koolhof (NED)
Neal Skupski (GBR)
(4) Nikola Mektic (CRO)
Mate Pavic (CRO)
(5) Ivan Dodig (CRO)
Austin Krajicek (USA)
(8) Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS)
Nick Kyrgios (AUS)
Red Group
(2) Rajeev Ram (USA)
Joe Salisbury (GBR)
(3) Marcelo Arevalo (ESA)
Jean-Julien Rojer (NED)
(6) Lloyd Glasspool (GBR)
Harri Heliovaara (FIN)
(7) Marcel Granollers (ESP)
Horacio Zeballos (ARG)
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| Piedmontese antipasti are local favourites including: antipasto misto (mixed hors d’oeuvres), Tomini (mini creamy cheeses served with chilli), Vitello Tonnato (veal in a tuna mayonnaise), marinated anchovies or anchovies in a green sauce, red and yellow peppers (sweet varieties are grown in nearby Carmagnola) with Bagna Cauda (garlic and anchovy sauce) or cold cuts. Locally baked grissini (breadsticks), native to Turin, will accompany any meal worth its salt. |
DOUBLES PRIZE MONEY PER TEAM
Alternate - $50,000
Participation Fee - $130,000
Round-robin match win - $93,300
Semi-final match win - $170,000
Final win - $350,400
Undefeated champion - $930,300
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| Dolci & Formaggi (Desserts & Cheeses) Local favourites for dessert include bonet (chocolate and amaretti biscuit, coffee cream caramel slice), gelati (ice-creams), sorbetti (lemon or apple sorbets – with or without vodka), panna cotta topped with caramel sauce, tiramisù, torta di mele (apple cake) and zabaglione/zabaione (cream of egg yolks with sugar and Marsala or Moscato wine). |
Doubles Participation Fee Schedule (2022)
1 match: $52,000
2 matches: $97,500
3 matches: $130,000
You all may think this 2022 season was long, but I know Trinigirl and I think that a 'fair' amount of work went into our collective effort to get you a weekly Blog to discuss, argue and then the occasional Live match calling.
But no one worked harder week in and week out than SHIRLEY HARTT!
I feel confident in speaking for everyone on MCM thanking Shirley for her tireless, accurate, punctual work, 365 days a year, in providing tournament content. Without Shirley, there'd be no MCM, so please don't hold back on your praise.
SHIRLEY - Grazie dal profondo dei nostri cuori - caio Bella🙇
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