Who has the most to prove heading into the ATP Finals?

With the final month of the 2025 season fast approaching, the Tennis Channel team takes a look at the growing ATP and WTA Finals fields and make their expert picks on who has the most to prove, which players on the bubble are most likely to qualify, and which of the men’s and women’s year-end championships will be more exciting.

First up: Which ATP Player has the most to prove heading into Turin? (Spoiler Alert: it's unanimous.)

PAUL ANNACONE

Of the top players, Alexander Zverev has certainly been the most volatile. He’s been at the top for such a long time and we know his struggles to win that elusive major title. But he has also had such great success in past ATP Finals—winning the title twice—that this could not only be a great way to finish 2025 but also help him jumpstart a new chapter starting in 2026.

JON WERTHEIM

Right now, Alexander Zverev's No. 3 ranking looks decorative. It’s time to make a real statement that proves he is the third-party candidate, the player most likely to challenge the Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz axis.

CHANDA RUBIN

I'm not sure I'd catergorize it as something to prove, but I think Alexander Zverev is the player who might have a few more questions to answer. He's still at the top of the game and a threat against anyone but he has lost some ground with Sinner and Alcaraz so dominant at the majors. Coming to the end of the season, this could be an opportunity for Zverev to reassert his game.

BRETT HABER

Alexander Zverev’s first round loss at Wimbledon kicked off an uneven second half of his season. He’s just 5-5 since Cincinnati. He’s won the ATP Finals twice before, but his confidence has seemingly taken a hit this year—all this despite still ranking third overall.

STEVE WEISSMAN

Other than Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev is the only active player with multiple ATP Finals titles. After claiming that tournament directors are slowing down courts to help Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, he needs to prove he can beat them. That might prove an extremely tall order: Zverev has lost his last 10 matches combined to Alcaraz, Sinner, Djokovic and Taylor Fritz All of those players are ones he’ll likely face in Turin.