World No. 1 Alexander Zverev will meet Ben Shelton, Arthur Fils and Rafael Jodar in the ATP Finals McEnroe Group, while Carlos Alcaraz heads the Lendl Group with Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli and Frances Tiafoe. Two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner is out with a knee injury.
Turin, Italy: The draw for the 2026 ATP Finals was made on Thursday, setting up a tournament without defending champion Jannik Sinner and with four players making their debuts. Play begins on Sunday at the Inalpi Arena, with the top two players in each group advancing to the semi-finals on Saturday 21 November and the final on Sunday 22 November.
McEnroe Group: Zverev leads a young field
Alexander Zverev, the world No. 1 and top seed, is drawn with third seed Ben Shelton, sixth seed Arthur Fils and eighth seed Rafael Jodar. Zverev won the title in 2018 and 2021 and arrives as the reigning Roland-Garros and US Open champion this year.
His group includes the man he beat in New York. Zverev defeated Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 in the US Open final and leads their head-to-head 6-0. Shelton has since lost the Paris Masters final to Alcaraz, a result covered here, and will look to avoid another defeat to Zverev in Turin.
Fils is the first Frenchman to qualify since Gaël Monfils in 2016, while Jodar, in his first full season on tour, completes the group. Both are debutants.
Lendl Group: Alcaraz and Medvedev renew their rivalry
Carlos Alcaraz, the second seed, is in the Lendl Group with fourth seed Daniil Medvedev, fifth seed Flavio Cobolli and seventh seed Frances Tiafoe. It is Alcaraz’s fourth appearance at the event. He has not yet won the title and lost last year’s final, but he comes in after winning in Tokyo, Vienna and Paris since returning from a wrist injury.
The standout match-up is Alcaraz against Medvedev. Alcaraz leads their head-to-head 7-3, although the pair have split their two meetings in 2026. Medvedev won the title in 2020 and has won 18 of his 22 matches since the US Open, including titles in Hangzhou and Almaty. Alcaraz has won his only meeting with Cobolli.
Cobolli, a Roland-Garros finalist, has not played since retiring in Vienna, so his fitness will be watched closely. Tiafoe, the Halle champion, is also making his debut, which means Cobolli, Fils, Tiafoe and Jodar are all playing in Turin for the first time.
Sinner out with a knee injury
Jannik Sinner, who has won the last two editions, will not defend his title. The Italian has not played since Wimbledon in July because of a right-knee injury and has said he hopes to return for the Australian Open in January 2027. Alex de Minaur and Taylor Fritz are the alternates.
What to watch
Zverev’s record against Shelton, Alcaraz’s search for a first Finals title and Medvedev’s form since the US Open give both groups a clear storyline. With only the top two in each group going through, a single defeat could prove costly for the favourites.
Groups: McEnroe Group: Zverev (1), Shelton (3), Fils (6), Jodar (8). Lendl Group: Alcaraz (2), Medvedev (4), Cobolli (5), Tiafoe (7). Play starts Sunday 15 November; semi-finals Saturday 21 November; final Sunday 22 November.
