ATP Tour

Fritz, Paul lift lid on Turin ambitions as Live Race heats up

As the 2026 ATP Tour season approaches its final few tournaments, an unflappable tension and lingering question remain: Who will qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals?

Among those still chasing a coveted place at the season finale are Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz, who face off Saturday in the semi-finals at the Grand Prix Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes in Lyon. Paul sits 12th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, with Fritz just 55 points behind him in 13th, as both look to make a late push for one of the five remaining spots in Turin.

For Paul, who owns the fifth-most tour-level wins in 2026 according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, the motivation is clear. Despite a demanding campaign, the 29-year-old American is willing to put in the extra work as the Live Race reaches its decisive stretch.

“I’ve played a lot of tennis this season, and this would normally be a week when I wouldn’t play,” Paul explained to ATPTour.com in Lyon, with a smile beginning to spread across his face. “But obviously, with everything heating up — trying to get into the Top 10 or trying to get into Turin — this week is pretty important for me this year.”

While Paul was quick to admit that finishing the year inside the Top 10 for the first time is his greater ambition, he also knows that achieving that goal would likely put him in a strong position to qualify for the season finale. The American reached a career-high World No. 8 last year, but knows that ending the year inside the Top 10 would represent another milestone in his career.

The Live Race remains finely poised, with Spain's rising star Rafael Jodar currently ninth and effectively occupying the final qualification position following Jannik Sinner's decision to end his season because of injury.

PIF ATP Live Race To Turin (as of Friday 23 October)

The indoor hard-court swing presents another valuable opportunity for Paul to push further in the Live Race. Three of his five ATP Tour titles have come on indoor hard courts, and the American appears to be finding fresh energy.

“I think I’m enjoying this part of the season more than I normally do,” Paul, who married longtime partner Paige Lorenze in July, said. “I’ve played pretty well in the indoor season, but at this point in the season, it’s hard to enjoy it. You’ve played a lot of tennis, and you get tired of anything you do too much. But this season, I feel pretty good. Mentally, I’m still enjoying it, probably more than I was a few months ago, honestly. So I think that’s the most important thing.”

While Paul is chasing a debut appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals, Fritz knows exactly what it takes to compete on the sport's biggest indoor stage. The 28-year-old has qualified for the season finale three times before, including reaching the title match in 2024.

Fritz has been open about his reasons for competing in Lyon, with his sights firmly set on qualifying and finishing the season inside the world's Top 10 for the fifth consecutive year.

“That’s the reason why I signed up to play here and also at the end of the year in Stockholm. That doesn’t count for Turin, but I’m motivated by potentially making Turin and finishing inside the Top 10 again,” Fritz said. “For me, when I have a really clear goal in mind, it’s pretty easy to get motivated and pumped up for that.”

Fritz has enjoyed another productive season, lifting the title in Washington and reaching three further finals in Dallas, Stuttgart and Halle. Yet, despite that consistency, Fritz sits 13th in the Live Race, underlining just how competitive the battle for qualification has become.

Four players seeking their Nitto ATP Finals debuts currently occupy qualification positions: fifth-placed Flavio Cobolli, seventh-placed Frances Tiafoe, eighth-placed Arthur Fils and ninth-placed Jodar. Still, Fritz knows better than most that a strong position at this stage of the season offers no guarantees.

When asked whether the race was already a major topic of conversation in the locker room, he suggested that the real pressure does not begin to build until the final ATP Masters 1000 event of the year in Paris.

“I think everyone really starts to feel it in Paris because there are so many different scenarios that can play out, obviously because there are so many more points up for grabs at a Masters 1000,” Fritz explained. “That’s where everyone starts to really feel the impact of it.”