It’s the final countdown! (cue epic keyboard riff)

ATP Finals

The excitement will be reaching fever-pitch proportions in Italy this weekend as the ATP Finals descend on Turin once again for what is set to be a pulsating end to the season. With so many questions on the lips of tennis fans’ across the globe, you can bet your bottom dollar that we’re set for twists, turns and thrills galore as we feast our eyes on 7 days of top-tier tennis action.

With current number 1 Carlos Alcaraz out injured, perhaps the most pertinent question of all heading into this tournament is whether Novak Djokovic can rediscover his mojo as he seeks to pick up his 6th finale title (which would put him level-pegging with Roger Federer). The veteran Serb will still be seething from the pain of his shock defeat in the Paris Masters final, where he came a cropper against 19-year-old Danish upstart Holger Rune.

However, Djokovic isn’t the only seasoned veteran who’s eager to pick up yet more silverware as Rafa Nadal will also be champing at the bit to bring him the bacon once again. Nadal has been an absolute tour de force this season, kicking the year off with his best ever start to an ATP season (which saw him win his first 20 matches on the bounce), picking up 2 Grand Slam titles since the start of the year and victory here would arguably be a fitting end to such a fantastic season.

That being said, taking home the grand prize is far from a formality for Nadal here and some of the “next generation” will have other ideas. Chief among them will be Daniil Medvedev as he seeks to end a somewhat topsy-turvy season on a high note. Despite reaching World Number 1 earlier this year, the Russian has endured some tough times since then, missing out on Wimbledon due to a ban on Russian players and chalking up some poor results, such as his recent round-of-32 exit at the Paris Masters. As a result, he’ll be itching to show everyone what he’s capable of here.

Stefanos Tsitsipas will also be keen to lay down a marker in this tournament as he is in with a shout of ending the season as World Number 1, provided he can stay unbeaten in this tournament. What’s more, with the likes of Casper Ruud and Félix Auger-Aliassime also out to prove a point here, there’s plenty of younger talent ready to give the older generation a bloody nose here.

UCI Track Champions League

Cycling fans around the world will have reason to rejoice over the course of the next four weeks as the UCI Track Champions League makes its triumphant return for its sophomore iteration. This weekend’s action takes us to the Velòdrom Illes Balears in Palma, which also hosted the first round of this competition last year, and is bound to have us all glued to our screens.

Can anyone beat Harrie Lavreysen? That is the question for all of us keeping a keen eye on the men’s tournament. Lavreysen absolutely dominated this event last year, winning all 4 sprints on his way to being crowned champion and the Dutchman has also been flying as of late as well, picking up a fourth consecutive set of sprint rainbows and becoming a 3-time keirin champion in Paris last month. 

However, he’ll face stiff competition in the face of Matthew Richardson. Whilst the young Aussie came off second best against Lavreyesen in the solo spring final at Saint Quentin last month, he was less than a tenth of second away from taking it to a decider and will be eager to exact his revenge in his first appearance at this tournament.

What’s more, with the likes of Stefan Botticher, Kevin Quintero, Azizulhasni Awang and Mikhail Iakovlev among the chasing pack, you can bet your bottom dollar that’s there going to be plenty of jockeying for position in the mens’ tournament here.

As for the womens’ tournament, we’re bound to see a new champion no matter what as reigning champion, Emma Hinze, has decided against defending her title after a long, hard season. Her fellow German Lea Friedrich is looking like the favorite to emerge victorious heading into this tournament and she will most definitely be the one to beat in keirin, a discipline in which she’s a double world champion. What’s more, she also put in a very solid showing in the sprints at this tournament last year, winning 2 out of 4 rounds.

That being said, Friedrich will be looking anxiously over her shoulder in anticipation of Mathilde Gros potentially passing her by. After a solid debut in this competition this year, the 23 year-old has become a force to be reckoned with over the last 12 months and beat Friedrich in straight rounds in the sprint at Saint Quentin last month.

Will she triumph yet again or will her rival have the last laugh on this occasion? Whatever happens, we’re in for a tidal wave of excitement this Saturday.