Overview
The 2018 ATP Finals was the season‑ending championship tournament for the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour. Officially titled the Nitto ATP Finals for sponsorship reasons, it marked the 49th edition of the year‑end event for men's professional tennis. The competition brought together the eight highest‑ranked singles players and the eight top doubles teams based on the 2018 ATP rankings.
Venue and dates
The tournament was held at the O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom, from 11 to 18 November 2018. Matches were played on indoor hard courts.
Format
The event used a round‑robin format followed by semifinals and finals. In the singles draw, the eight players were divided into two groups of four; each player competed against the other three members of his group. The two players with the best records in each group advanced to the semifinals, where the winner of one group faced the runner‑up of the opposite group. The doubles competition followed an identical structure with eight teams.
Qualification
Qualification was determined by the ATP Rankings as of the end of the regular season. The top seven players (and teams) earned direct entry, while the eighth spot was reserved for a player (or team) with the most points earned in the ATP Tour events that year, provided they ranked within the top 20.
- Singles: The field comprised the season’s eight highest‑ranked singles players. Notably, Rafael Nadal qualified but withdrew prior to the tournament due to a knee injury; he was replaced by Kevin Anderson. Other participants included Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, John Isner, Juan Martín del Potro, Marin Čilić, and Dominic Thiem.
- Doubles: The eight qualifying teams were the top‑ranked pairs in the ATP Doubles Race. The championship was contested by teams such as Mike Bryan/Jack Sock, Oliver Marach/Mate Pavić, Pierre‑Hugues Herbert/Michaël Llodra, and others.
Results
- Singles: Alexander Zverev won the singles title, defeating Novak Djokovic in the final, 6–4, 6–3. Zverev’s victory marked his first ATP Finals championship and made him the youngest singles champion since 2005.
- Doubles: The team of Mike Bryan and Jack Sock captured the doubles title, overcoming the pair of Oliver Marach and Mate Pavić in the final, 6–4, 6–7 (3–7), [10–8].
Points and prize money
The tournament featured a total prize‑money pool of US $9 million. An undefeated singles champion earned 1,500 ATP ranking points and the top prize of approximately US $2.3 million. Doubles champions shared a prize of roughly US $620 000 and received 1,500 points per player.
Significance
The ATP Finals serve as the culminating event of the men's professional tennis season, offering the largest point and prize‑money allocation outside the four Grand Slam tournaments. Performance at the 2018 edition impacted the year‑end rankings and contributed to the historical records of the participating athletes.
References
- ATP Tour. 2018 Nitto ATP Finals – Overview. ATP Tour official website.
- International Tennis Federation. 2018 ATP Finals Results. ITF Tournament Archive.
See also
- ATP Finals
- 2018 ATP Tour
- List of ATP Finals champions