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Merely a short time ahead of the grand finale of the ATP season in Turin, the Sinner and Alcaraz spectacle had kicked off. While the two rivals are engaged in a fight to determine the top spot for the season, rumours swirled that they were set to practice with each other. True to form, that session they walked onto the center court together and were welcomed by thunderous applause from a large crowd.

A Training Match That Gripped the Global Audience

The practice set that ensued drew similar focus as many matches this year. A multitude of fans logged on to view the broadcast, and key moments were quickly posted later. The scores from practice sets usually do not leave the practice court, but on this instance the global audience soon discovered that the Italian star had finished the day with a 6-3 win. They celebrated the event with a selfie that rapidly circulated across the internet.

"The tour belongs to them now. Although the Spaniard experienced a surprising defeat in his initial contest at the recent tournament, the streak that has characterized this men's tennis year persisted with the Italian's following win: every time Alcaraz and Sinner have competed at a event this year, one of them has ended the event with the championship."

The Question: Is There a Challenger?

After years of expectations and forecasts about dominance, these displays are indicative of two unique talents who have already established themselves as legendary figures at such young ages. But this season has also highlighted the shortcomings of the standard of the rest of the field. Before the ATP Finals, the biggest inquiry is if any athlete is seriously capable of defeating the top two.

The Hopefuls

Currently, their prospects are dim. Per the official standings, Alexander Zverev is the number three in the world. He also presently possesses less than 50% as many ATP points as Alcaraz at number two. He remains one of the most successful players to have failed to secure a grand slam tournament, but he has been outclassed by the leading duo in their important duels and the gap only seems to be widening. After getting utterly dominated by the Italian in the first major of the year, his campaign has been unimpressive.

Taking into account he advanced to the semi-finals of all four grand slam tournaments this season, the Serbian legend has demonstrated that he is arguably the next in line in the world. Theoretically, his opportunities of overcoming the top two are better over shorter formats and on indoor courts than in five-set battles, but he is playing in the Greek tournament finale and he is has not confirmed if he will participate in Turin. The five matches in his system over the recent days would undoubtedly be further detrimental to his hopes of winning in Italy.

There are more doubts across the field. The American star has had an superb campaign, establishing himself in the upper echelon. His mental strength, continued improvement and the complete skill set he has constructed complemented by his biggest weapon is praiseworthy but it is hard not see him as a player who is maximizing all of his capability, instead of a player with adequate capacity for growth to close the distance to the dominant duo.

Fresh Talent and Veteran Presence

In his maiden appearance at the Finals, Ben Shelton is the most junior of the six challengers and possibly the intriguing newcomer. On one hand, with his incredible power, all-court aggression and physical prowess, he has huge upside. But there are also gaps in his game, especially his backhand side and return of serve, that the top players have taken advantage of effortlessly.

The Australian competitor has admirably reached the season-ending tournament for a second time in his career but his approach is lacking in firepower against the top tier. The final spot in the tournament field will be settled on the weekend. Should the Italian hopeful defeat Djokovic to win the Athens ATP 250 event, he would overtake the in-form Félix Auger-Aliassime in the qualification battle to become the final automatic qualifier.

Key Missing Players

Just as notable as the competitors in Turin are the absences. The dramatic struggles of Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev, consistent elite competitors until recently, have not helped the competition. The significant ailments to the British talent, in the midst of a breakthrough year, and the French prodigy, the highly gifted youngster who seemed to be in the process of a career-defining period, have weakened the chasing pack. Nobody else has come close to rising to the challenge.

The Final Verdict

For anyone other than the top two, the prospect of securing this year's ATP Finals seems very remote. Still, in a tournament featuring the finest athletes in the world, with the spotlight squarely on the backs of the top picks, each contest is an opportunity for the challenger to display what they are able to achieve. The tournament duration will show which player, if anyone at all, is equipped to step up.