ATP Finals 2023: Friday's Top Storylines to Watch After Thursday's Results

Novak Djokovic's hopes of winning his record-breaking seventh ATP Finals title are still alive.

Djokovic can thank Jannik Sinner, whose win over Holger Rune guaranteed him a semi-final berth for the forth consecutive year.

With Sinner's victory over Rune, he has won the Green Group and keeps his undefeated record going in the tournament.

With the semi-finals slated to begin on Saturday, three of the four semi-finalist spots have been earned, with the last to be decided today.

Ahead of today's matchups, here's everything you need to know, from storylines to matchup expectations.

Carlos Alcaraz vs. Daniil Medvedev

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TURIN, ITALY - NOVEMBER 15: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain plays a backhand in the Men's Singles Round Robin match against Andrey Rublev during day four of the Nitto ATP Finals at Pala Alpitour on November 15, 2023 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images)

Though Daniil Medvedev has already clinched his spot in the semi-final round and is 4-0 in overall sets in the ATP Finals, the last thing he wants to do is take it easy on his opponent.

The world No. 3 said as much, speaking about his third round-robin match in the 2022 ATP Finals against already-clinched semi-finalist Novak Djokovic.

Though Djokovic was undefeated in group play and had already earned his berth in the 2022 semifinal, the Serbian approached the match like any other and defeated Medvedev in three sets, eventually going on to win his sixth ATP Finals title.

Medvedev has learned lots from that experience, citing the importance of continual rhythm on a tennis court even if his spot is secured.

For 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, that might not be what he wanted to hear, but he will certainly be up for the challenge.

The two recently faced off in the 2023 U.S. Open Semifinals, a match where Alcaraz, despite being an overwhelming favorite, stunningly lost in four sets.

That matchup is likely still fresh in Alcaraz's mind.

In his most recent match, Alcaraz reverted to his in-form self in his thwarting of Andrey Rublev, winning 32 of 34 first serve points and going 10-for-10 in net points.

If the talented Spaniard wants to advance to the semi-final in his ATP Finals debut, he must win this match.

To do so, he needs to limit the time Medvedev has on his groundstrokes.

Continuously going to the net has worked favorably for him in the past against Medvedev and will likely do so again.

Given the moment and opportunity at hand, Alcaraz should be able to get past Medvedev in a tightly contested, three-set match.

Alexander Zverev vs. Andrey Rublev

Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

TURIN, ITALY - NOVEMBER 15: Alexander Zverev of Germany plays a backhand against Daniil Medvedev during the Men's Singles Round Robin match on day four of the Nitto ATP Finals at Pala Alpitour on November 15, 2023 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

While Alexander Zverev may find out his semi-final round fate before he even plays later today, he will still fancy the chance to win this match and gain the 200 points rewarded by round-robin victories.

Just a year ago, the probability of Zverev even reaching this event seemed slim, considering his devastating ankle injury, fitness struggles, and lack of consistency.

However, as the year has gone on, his play has only gotten better and better.

After winning his opening round-robin match against Carlos Alcaraz, the 26-year-old German had his opportunities in his most previous match against Daniil Medvedev but blew two set-point opportunities in the first set and was broken in his final service game of the second set.

His opponent, Andrey Rublev, who headed into the ATP Finals tournament among the most in-form of all eligible tournament players, has significantly struggled in his round-robin matches, losing both matches without winning a single set.

While there's no denying Rublev's talent, his mentality and self-destruction have proven to be his downfall again and again.

Additionally, it has been his record against top-10 opponents this year that has limited him from making that next jump.

Even if Zverev is eliminated by the time he hits the court, given his current form and fitness combined with Rublev's track record against top-10 opponents, he should still win.