Nitto ATP Finals
Granollers & Zeballos chase elusive Turin title, year-end No. 1
The Spanish-Argentine enter the Nitto ATP Finals second within the PIF ATP Stay Doubles Groups Rankings
November 10, 2024
Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Horacio Zeballos and Marcel Granollers have clinched two titles in 2024.
By Rafael Plaza
Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos have been only one win away from claiming the Nitto ATP Finals in 2023. They misplaced within the ultimate to Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury. One season later, Spaniard and Argentine are again in Turin after a spectacular 2024 season that has catapulted them to the top of the PIF ATP Doubles Workforce Rankings, the place they might finish the season if issues go their means in Italy.
“We arrive right here after an excellent 12 months,” Granollers defined on Saturday. “We’ve had good ends in virtually each event we’ve performed in. We’ve had a really constant 12 months and arriving right here with these outcomes actually provides us confidence,” he added. “We’re enjoying effectively, practising effectively and hopefully we’ll have a superb event.”
Granollers and Zeballos, who will play their opener on Sunday towards Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten, have paced themselves exceptionally effectively all through the season, with a really well-thought-out schedule.
“Neither of us are 20”, stated Granollers, 38. “We attempt to obtain that stability, to be contemporary and hungry and have a superb mindset when the essential tournaments come round. Judging by the outcomes we’ve had all year long, it’s labored effectively for us. We’ve managed to create a schedule that prioritizes the large tournaments,” he added.
“I feel in case you take care of your self and do issues proper… we see plenty of doubles gamers of our age, some even older, and so they’re in a position to play at a superb degree,” continued Granollers. “We’re not pondering 5 years forward, actually we’re taking issues extra 12 months by 12 months. We really feel good, we’re enjoying effectively, so why not?”
That “why not?” was a affirmation that Granollers will proceed to play in 2025, even supposing he had been contemplating retirement on the finish of this season. With two titles in 2024 (the ATP Masters 1000s in Rome and Canada) and an additional three finals (Auckland, Buenos Aires and Indian Wells), there’s actually no scarcity of causes to proceed.
“This 12 months has been so good and, in the long run, we’re getting actually good outcomes,” Granollers continued. “Clearly, that helps with the every day grind. We’ve stated that hopefully we are able to do the same schedule subsequent 12 months, which might imply we’ve executed effectively. We’re actually motivated to have one other good season.”
First although, in fact, they’re on a mission to overcome Turin, and to complete the 12 months on the high of the rankings whereas they’re at it.
“It will be good, in fact”, stated Granollers. “We’ve been on the high of the rating for a number of months. It will be wonderful, however we’re actually centered on attempting to play our tennis. We all know that the workforce that performs effectively right here will obtain that, however we’re taking it daily. It’s a really robust event and we have now to be at our greatest.”
