ATP Finals Tiebreakers: How a Round Robin Group Is Ranked, and Why 2-0 Is Not Safe
The 2026 Nitto ATP Finals are played at the Inalpi Arena in Turin from 15 to 22 November. Eight players are split into two groups of four, each plays the other three, and two from each group go through. Most previews print the groups and stop. This page covers the part that settles bets: the order in which the ATP rulebook separates players on the same number of wins, where set and game percentages come in, and what a retirement does to the arithmetic. No tips, no odds, no predicted results.
The short answer. Count wins first. If two players are level, the match between them decides. If three are level, the percentage of sets won decides, then the percentage of games won, then the ATP ranking. When that step separates one player and leaves two level, the head-to-head between those two settles it. The fields are set by the PIF ATP Race To Turin on the Monday after the last ATP Tour event of the season.
The ranking order, step by step
The order below follows the ATP rulebook, chapter IV (World Championships), and the official rules page of the event. Every singles match is best of three tie-break sets, including the final. The steps run in sequence, and a later step is reached only when the earlier ones fail to separate the players.
| Step | Criterion | Used when | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| a) | Greatest number of wins | Always applied first | Three wins beats two, two beats one. Sets and games play no part while the win counts differ. |
| b) | Greatest number of matches played | Only matters when somebody has not played all three | The rulebook's own examples: a 2-1 record beats 2-0, and 1-2 beats 1-0. It exists for withdrawals and alternates. |
| c) | Head-to-head | Exactly two players level | The match between the two of them decides. Nothing else is consulted. |
| d) i | Three level on one win each: anyone who has not played all three matches is eliminated | Three players level | The two remaining players with 1-2 records are then separated by the match between them. |
| d) ii | Highest percentage of sets won | Three players level | Sets won divided by sets played, across the three round robin matches. |
| d) iii | Highest percentage of games won | Three players still level on sets | Games from a match ended by retirement or a conduct default are left out of this count. |
| d) iv | Position in the PIF ATP Rankings | Three players still level on games | As of the Monday after the last ATP Tour event of the year. A ranking cannot tie, so the sequence always ends. |
| then | If one player separates and two remain level, head-to-head between those two | After any step of d) | The three-way test is not re-run on two players. It drops straight to the match between them. |
The difference from a football table is the absence of anything like goal difference between two tied players. In the Nations League tiebreakers head-to-head also comes first, but a further eight criteria sit behind it. In Turin, two players level on wins are separated by one match and nothing else. Set percentage appears only when three are level.
Worked example 1: the player who started 2-0 and went home
Invented results, chosen to match the pattern in the rulebook’s own Comment 4. After two rounds Player A has beaten D 2-0 and B 2-1 and leads the group. In the third round A loses 0-2 to C. B beats D 2-0 and C 2-0, and C beats D 2-1. Three players finish on two wins.
| Player | Won-lost | Sets | Sets won % | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player B | 2-1 | 5-2 | 71.43% | Group winner |
| Player C | 2-1 | 4-3 | 57.14% | Runner-up (beat A) |
| Player A | 2-1 | 4-3 | 57.14% | Eliminated |
| Player D | 0-3 | 1-6 | 14.29% | Eliminated |
D is out on wins. Among A, B and C, B has the best set percentage: 5 of 7 sets, 71.43%. That makes B superior, and the rulebook then says the two players still level go to head-to-head rather than to games. A and C both won 4 of 7 sets, 57.14%, and C beat A in the third round. C is runner-up. A, who led the group with a round to play, finishes third.
The lesson for anyone holding a “to qualify” bet on a 2-0 player: the third match is not only about winning it. If he loses, the sets he dropped on the way to his two wins, and the margin of the defeat, decide whether he goes through. The useful number before the last round is each player’s sets won and lost, not the won-lost column.
Worked example 2: the player who started 0-2 and reached the semi-finals
Invented results again. Player A wins all three matches: 2-0 against B and C, 2-1 against D. D loses his first two matches, both in three sets (1-2 to A, 1-2 to C), then beats B 2-0 in the third round. B beat C 2-1 and C beat D 2-1. B, C and D each finish on one win from three matches.
| Player | Won-lost | Sets | Sets won % | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player A | 3-0 | 6-1 | 85.71% | Group winner |
| Player D | 1-2 | 4-4 | 50.00% | Runner-up |
| Player C | 1-2 | 3-5 | 37.50% | Eliminated |
| Player B | 1-2 | 2-5 | 28.57% | Eliminated |
All three played three matches, so step d) i does not eliminate anyone and the set percentage decides. D won 4 of 8 sets, 50%; C won 3 of 8, 37.5%; B won 2 of 7, 28.57%. D is runner-up after starting 0-2, because both of his defeats went to a third set and his only win was in straight sets. A third-round match involving a 0-2 player is therefore not automatically a dead rubber, and a price that treats it as one can be wrong.
Retirements, withdrawals and alternates
Retirement.For the standings, the ATP counts a retirement or conduct default as a straight-set win and a straight-set loss. If a player wins the first set and then retires, his set disappears: the match goes into the table as 2-0 to his opponent. The games from that match are left out of the games percentage altogether. A player who retires through illness or injury may carry on in the event only with the tournament doctor’s approval, a rule the ATP says exists to stop players retiring after winning a set.
Your bet is a separate matter. The ATP rule decides the table. A bet on the match itself settles on the bookmaker’s tennis retirement rule, and those rules are not uniform across UK-licensed operators. Some void match bets unless the match is completed, some settle once the first set is complete, and some pay the player who progresses. Read the rule before the first ball, not after a medical time-out. Our guide to choosing a betting site covers where those rules sit in an operator’s terms.
Withdrawal. A withdrawal before the official pre-tournament media conference is replaced by the next player on the Race list. After that, an alternate on site takes the place. The alternate can reach the semi-finals if his results qualify him, while a player who withdraws from a round robin match after the first round cannot play the knockout stage. That is where step b) does its work: an alternate who wins his one match (1-0) still ranks below a player who finished 1-2.
Which markets settle on what
Group winner
Settles on: The final group standings under the ATP order above
Watch for: With three players on two wins, the winner is the best set percentage, not the player who started 2-0.
To qualify from the group (top two)
Settles on: Whether the player is placed first or second when the round robin ends
Watch for: A player who withdraws from a round robin match after the first round is barred from the semi-finals even if his record would have placed him there.
Individual round robin match
Settles on: The match, under the bookmaker's tennis retirement rule
Watch for: The ATP counts a retirement as a straight-set result for the standings. Your bet follows the bookmaker's own rule, which may differ.
Outright winner
Settles on: The final on Sunday 22 November 2026
Watch for: Semi-finals pair each group winner with the other group's runner-up. There is no third-place match.
Group and outright markets are a form of outright betting, and because the ranking order always ends on the ATP ranking, a group position cannot finish level. A dead-heat rule has nothing to act on in a group-winner market here. To compare a fractional price with a decimal one before the event, use the odds converter.
Key dates
- Field fixed: by the PIF ATP Race To Turin on the Monday after the last ATP Tour event of the season. The top seed goes into Group A, the second seed into Group B, and seeds 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8 are drawn in pairs.
- Round robin and knockout stage: 15 to 22 November 2026, Inalpi Arena, Turin.
- Group positions final: when the last round robin match of each group is complete. The semi-finals pair group winners with the other group’s runner-up, and the final closes the event on 22 November.
Frequently asked questions
Is a player who wins his first two ATP Finals matches guaranteed a semi-final?
No. If he loses his third match and two other players in the group also finish on two wins, three players are level and the order is decided by the percentage of sets won across all three matches. A 2-0 start built on close three-set wins can leave him third on that count, and if he is level on sets with one other player, the head-to-head between those two decides. The worked example on this page shows a player who led the group after two rounds and was eliminated.
Can a player lose his first two matches and still qualify?
Yes. If one player wins all three matches and the other three each finish with one win, those three are ranked on set percentage. A player who lost his first two matches in three sets and then won his last one in straight sets can finish with the best percentage of the three and take second place. That is why a 0-2 record after two rounds is not the same as being out, and why a third-round match between two players on 0-2 and 1-1 is not always a dead rubber.
How does a retirement count in the ATP Finals group standings?
The ATP rulebook says a retirement or conduct default counts as a straight-set win for one player and a straight-set loss for the other. A set the retiring player had already won disappears from the set count, and the games from that match are not counted in the percentage of games won. A player who retires through illness or injury can continue in the event only if the tournament doctor approves it.
What happens if a player withdraws during the round robin?
An alternate, who must be on site and available until the last round robin match starts, takes the place. The alternate can reach the semi-finals if his results qualify him. The player who withdrew after the first round cannot play the knockout stage, whatever his record. This is the situation the matches-played criterion exists for: a 1-2 record ranks above a 1-0 record.
Who plays whom in the ATP Finals semi-finals?
The winner of each group goes into a separate half of the draw and plays the runner-up of the other group. Group A's winner plays Group B's runner-up, and Group B's winner plays Group A's runner-up. The winners of those two matches meet in the final, and there is no match for third place.
Sources
Read on 26 October 2026. Both worked examples are invented results, labelled as such, and their percentages were recalculated by script. No operator is named and no price appears on this page.
- Nitto ATP Finals, Rules and Format — format, seeding, group draw and ranking criteria — nittoatpfinals.com
- ATP Rulebook, chapter IV, World Championships — ranking Comments, retirements and defaults, alternates, semi-final placement — atptour.com (PDF)
- Turismo Torino, Nitto ATP Finals 2026 — dates and venue — turismotorino.org
18+. A group that stays open for three rounds invites a second bet to cover the first one. The ranking order can be read today; the decision to add to a stake is better taken away from a live match. Deposit limits, time-outs and support are on our responsible gambling page.