Pressure off for Djokovic at finals

LONDON • Novak Djokovic is bidding to win the ATP Finals for a record-equalling sixth time as Rafael Nadal chases the biggest title missing from his glittering resume at London's O2 Arena.

The top eight available players in the men's rankings - with six-time champion Roger Federer absent as he recovers from knee surgery - will compete at the end-of-season tournament, which starts today behind closed doors.

The two round-robin groups have been named Tokyo 1970 and London 2020 on the 50th anniversary of the first staging of the event.

World No. 1 Djokovic is in Group Tokyo alongside Daniil Medvedev, 2018 winner Alexander Zverev and Argentinian debutant Diego Schwartzman.

Nadal will compete against defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas, Dominic Thiem and Andrey Rublev, who is appearing for the first time, in Group London.

The four best-placed players from the round-robin stage will progress to the semi-finals of the event, taking place in London for the final year before a move to Turin in Italy.

Djokovic, who recently equalled Pete Sampras' record of six year-end No. 1 finishes, has lost just three matches this season, with one of those his default at the US Open.

The 33-year-old Serb, who has not won the London event since 2015, is looking to end his season on a high at the eight-man event.

"Coming into the tournament and knowing that I have clinched the year-end No. 1 releases some of the pressure, definitely," he said.

"But, at the same time, it doesn't change what I hope to achieve in this tournament and why I'm here.

"I really want to win every single match that I play and try to get my hands on the trophy and I want this trophy as much as anybody."

Novak Djokovic (Srb)

Daniil Medvedev (Rus)

Alexander Zverev (Ger)

Diego Schwartzman (Arg)

Rafael Nadal (Esp)

Stefanos Tsitsipas (Gre)

Dominic Thiem (Aut)

Andrey Rublev (Rus)

• Players from the same group play each other in round-robin matches.

• The best two in each group progress to the semi-finals.

Nadal, who pulverised 17-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic in the French Open final last month to pull level with Federer on 20, has qualified for the ATP Finals for a record 16 consecutive years.

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The Spanish world No. 2 is well aware of his shortcomings on indoor hard courts - only one of his 86 trophies has come on the surface.

"I think I am able to play a little bit better the last couple of years indoors than what I did at the beginning of my career without a doubt. But that's the numbers and I can't say something different," said the 34-year-old two-time finalist. "I hope to change that this week."

Despite his lack of indoor success, the shortened season could count in Nadal's favour - he has been forced to withdraw from the ATP Finals six times previously.

Last year's winner Tsitsipas, who beat Thiem in the final, comes into the tournament after early exits in Vienna and Paris.

"Very happy to be back, that's for sure," said the Greek world No. 6.

"It's like a meeting spot for those that had a good year to be back here, celebrate their hard work, their dedication to the sport."

Austrian Thiem broke his Grand Slam duck at the US Open in September, beating Zverev in the final, and the world No. 3 said he now felt as comfortable on hard courts as he does on clay.

Medvedev, who lost all three matches on his debut in London last year, comes into the tournament as one of the form horses after winning the Paris Masters last Sunday.

The ATP Finals also feature the top eight doubles teams. The top seeds are US Open champions and French Open finalists Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE