Turin and the ATP Finals - a fine connection
The second edition of the ATP Finals in Turin shows: The ATP's decision to award the tournament to the Olympic city of 2006 until 2025 was a good one.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Nov 20, 2022, 08:38 am
By Jens Huiber from Turin
The picture gallery that the ATP has set up in the heart of Turin comes suddenly to the walker. And maybe that's why it develops its effect. The organizers of the ATP Finals have planted 25 frames in the middle of the pedestrian zone, all of them played on both sides, after all it is 50 years of ATP to celebrate. One could argue about the thematic weighting, the interested passers-by see quite a lot of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and John McEnroe, a little less Rafael Nadal and in individual contributions also Arthur Ashe, Stefan Edberg or Boris Becker. It's nicely done, because it's unmistakable, but also unobtrusive.
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It is difficult to find out whether Turin is in tennis fever this week. In addition, comparisons with other weeks of the year would have to be used when the best tennis professionals in the world don't stop at the Pala Alpitour. But what can be compared: The audience who watch the matches in Turin seems a lot younger than those who have seen the O2 Arena in London for many years, which is incomparable in the truest sense of the word.
The fans are close in Turin
Moritz Lang, who has been moderating the ATP Finals and other highlights such as Wimbledon on site for Sky for years, has now classified the atmosphere in London as “clinical” compared to that in Turin. There is of course something to it. The O2 has several cinemas, an outlet shopping center, fabulous restaurants and, by 2020, some world-class tennis. In the Pala Alpitour, on the other hand, there is only one topic (and too few toilets, by the way): the ATP Finals.
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The special goodie is certainly the training court, which was installed in the spacious entrance area, unlike in London (where this was reserved for VIPs), ordinary fans are also allowed to get close to the players here. Holger Rune and Hubert Hurkacz have been training in public for the last few days, the two substitutes will continue their journey without match practice, but at least financially properly compensated, probably on an extended vacation.
The Italian charm captivates
The "Fan Village" complements the experience of visiting the finals, which is finite in terms of time per session with one doubles and one singles each. Funnily enough, the long matches mostly took place in the evening (exception: yesterday's game between Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev), but those who stopped by during the day could also treat themselves to a nightcap in the Village, the food court corresponds to all those ideas that makes you think of Italian cuisine as a cliché.
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At most one thing is striking: If you want to stock up on official merchandise, you cannot be helped on site, even after a long search. That's not too bad, there is an Italian outfitter who does offer a few tennis clothes for sale. But good: if you absolutely want to take a T-shirt with you on the way home, which brings together the very fine connection between Turin and world-class tennis, you can get help at a sales stand in front of the Pala Alpitour gates. Not official. But with a lot of charm.
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