The ATP Finals is a special tournament for which only the eight best singles players and eight best doubles teams of a given season qualify, based on the ATP Race. It's the last Tour-level event of the year, and unlike other tennis tournaments, it's played in a round-robin format with a knockout stage from the semi-finals.
The event has been held since 1970, and it was held in many different cities throughout the years, such as Tokyo, Paris, Melbourne, New York City, Shanghai, and London, but currently, the event is held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin, Italy.
After 12 years in London's O2 Arena, the tournament switched the venue in 2021, committing to Turin until 2025. The ATP Finals changed the format a little bit over the years, but currently, every player, or team, plays three round-robin matches, with players being divided into two groups, with the first two advancing into the semi-finals.
Historically, some of the best players in the world have won the ATP Finals, including a record seven titles won by Novak Djokovic, six Roger Federer's titles, and five titles won by Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras. One of the all-time greats who has never won the ATP Finals title is Rafael Nadal.
The ATP Finals is the tournament for which the anticipation builds throughout the whole tennis season, as the ATP Race is often closely followed, and even though the top four or five spots are often decided early in the season, the last spots are usually decided late in the season, providing additional drama for the tennis fans following lower-level events.
