Medvedev eyes seventh straight Turin berth

Daniil Medvedev has etched his name into Nitto ATP Finals history with six straight appearances, his 2020 victory a highlight amid the season’s closing frenzy. The 29-year-old arrived at the Shanghai Masters teetering on the edge, ranked 20th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and staring down a potential end to his streak before the event kicks off in Italy from November 9-16. Yet his drive to the semifinals there shifted the momentum, lifting him to 15th with 2,360 points and rekindling the fire that once powered him to the top.

Shanghai run reignites defensive edge

Medvedev’s semifinal push in Shanghai showcased the elastic defense that defines him, stretching points with deep crosscourt backhands before firing inside-out forehands to wrong-foot opponents on the outdoor hard courts. The moderate bounce favored his flat strikes, allowing low slices to skid and disrupt aggressive returns, turning potential breaks into prolonged rallies that wore down foes. This tactical pivot, born from early-season frustrations, not only added crucial points but also quieted the mental static of a year marked by inconsistency, as the crowd’s rising hum fueled his focus during key holds.

Now trailing eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti by 1,075 points, he draws on that Shanghai resilience, where serve placement to the body limited return aggression and second-serve poaches clinched breaks. The psychological lift is palpable—those arena lights in Turin beckon again, a seventh appearance within grasp if he channels the same underspin approaches that pinned rivals deep. With time short, every practice rally in Almaty sharpens the one–two patterns needed to bridge the gap.

Almaty and Vienna test indoor adaptations

This week at the Almaty Open, an ATP 250 where Medvedev seeds second, the indoor hard courts demand quicker transitions, balls skidding low to amplify his counterpunching while testing serve efficiency against top-seeded foes. Musetti, chasing his first Nitto ATP Finals berth, heads the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open in Brussels, his fluid groundstrokes setting up a parallel duel in the race. Medvedev’s schedule extends to the ATP 500 in Vienna, site of his 2022 title, where faster pace rewards down-the-line passes and aggressive returns to neutralize big servers.

The Paris Masters rounds out his trio of events, offering up to 1,750 points through deep runs on similar indoor surfaces, where humidity tweaks force shorter swings for precision. Here, adaptation means blending slice backhands with flat drives to manage rally lengths, sustaining the belief forged in Shanghai against the season’s creeping fatigue. Psychologically, these venues evoke past glories, the crisp air and echoing shots pushing him to visualize Turin under pressure.

Rivals chase spots amid shifting standings

Sixth-placed Ben Shelton and Musetti hunt debut Nitto ATP Finals qualifications, their bold inside-in forehands clashing with the experience of holdovers like Novak Djokovic, the record seven-time champion, and Alexander Zverev, a two-time winner. Ninth-placed Jack Draper, sidelined by injury for the season, opens a window, while tenth-placed Felix Auger-Aliassime, fresh off US Open semifinals and 530 points behind Musetti, seeds second at the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm. Eleventh-placed Casper Ruud (2,495 points) joins him there as second seed, facing top-seeded twelfth-placed Holger Rune (2,490 points) in a tactical battle of topspin versus explosiveness.

Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur anchor higher positions, their steady baselines adding pressure to the chase, as already-qualified Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner— the defending champion—set the standard with all-court dominance. Medvedev, drawing on his former World No. 1 poise, must convert Shanghai’s spark into efficient breaks above 40 percent, navigating these matchups where every crosscourt winner edges him closer. As Almaty’s baseline beckons, his path to Turin hinges on that blend of intellect and execution, turning the season’s doubts into a seventh straight roar from the finals crowd.