There’s nothing quite like the competitiveness of the men’s tennis circuit. Don’t get me wrong, the WTA is no less, but, what we’re witnessing at the ATP Finals is nothing short of commendable. Top eight players in the world – Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Alex de Minaur, and Andrey Rublev – all battling for the year-end championship’s title and, with it, a solid finish to the season. Subsequently, their incredible performances have caught the attention of Coco Gauff‘s ex-coach.

Heading into the final race to Turin, contestants like Sinner, Zverev, Djokovic, and Alcaraz had a confirmed spot due to their superior ranking points. However, courtesy of the Serb’s abrupt withdrawal, Rublev secured a fifth straight qualification into the event. Surprisingly, Aussie de Minaur also punched his maiden ticket in Turin. With excitement soaring and guaranteed back-to-back thrillers, Gauff’s former coach Brad Gilbert highlighted a noteworthy stat, one that hasn’t made the charts for quite some time.

Taking to his official X handle, the American coach mentioned that for the first time in years, all seven round-robin opening-round clashes concluded with a straight-set scoreline. Simply put, this goes a long way to showcase contestants’ laudable athleticism and hunger for the year-end tournament’s title. “Very surprised @SharkoTennis 1st 7matches @atptour finals all straight sets, probably been a few years since that happened,” Gilbert said.

Starting with the top seed Sinner, the Italian took out de Minaur without facing much resistance, 6-3, 6-4. Second seed Zverev downed an out-of-sorts Rublev with a 6-4, 6-4 score. Then came a nasty twist. Third seed Alcaraz was shockingly flushed out by Norwegian Ruud, 6-1, 7-5. And lastly, Fritz got the better of Russian rival Medvedev.

There’s no surprise that seven-time Finals champion Djokovic is being missed at the event. However, fans have been feeling Rafael Nadal‘s absence in Turin as well. He is due for retirement. Consequently, Ruud was prompted to forward his urgent pleas to the Spanish legend.

Casper Ruud sides with Novak Djokovic and urges Rafael Nadal to reconsider retirement at ATP Finals

On October 10, Rafael Nadal shared a crucial update for the community. He aired his highly speculated retirement, confirming that he will draw the curtain on his stellar career of nearly two decades after representing his nation for the final time at the Davis Cup Final 8 in Malaga. Shocked by the announcement, fans and players alike rushed to social media to address the news and pay tribute to the Spaniard’s impeccable legacy – notably home to 22 Grand Slam titles.

Later, his arch-nemesis Novak Djokovic tried reasoning with him, urging him to not retire during their final dance at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Riyadh. “Don’t leave tennis man, stay a little bit longer, stay with us.” And then, Casper Ruud reiterated Nole’s stance. During a presser in Turin, the Norwegian said, “I kind of think Novak said it well during the Saudi tournament. Please don’t retire yet because you have so many fans around the world.”

With no plans to attend the Spaniard’s farewell in Malaga, Ruud is likely focused on catching a break at the ATP Finals. After a bitter-sweet run this year, he’ll stop at nothing and hope to crush competitors’ challenge for a strong finish.