ATP’s ‘Next Gen’ to take centre stage.
Sinner, Alcaraz….? Who can follow in their footsteps?
Another exciting year on the ATP tour is set to conclude this week, when eight of tennis’ top prospects meet in Jeddah for the Next Gen finals.
Since 2017 the Next Gen finals have proved to be a launching pad for many of tennis’ top stars. Past winners include 2019 ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas, and legendary rivals Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. The field this year has been weakened by the withdrawals of the two top eligible players Jakub Mensik and reigning champion Joao Fonseca, leaving world number 28 Learner Tien as the frontrunner against relatively unknown opposition.
Joao Fonseca (left) and Jakub Mensik’s (right) withdrawals have blown the competition wide open.
Founder and co-host of the Tennis Weekly podcast Joel Girling expressed concerns over the quality within the tournament and how it may affect the viewing for fans. “I think this year is probably the least box office.” Girling said when previewing the tournament, and admits “I wouldn't necessarily say it's something I probably look forward to.” The energy on social media has been similar, leading plenty to label this as the worst edition of the tournament.
Only one entrant in this year’s competition currently sits in the top 100 of the ATP rankings with most of the players coming from the ATP Challenger tour. Failing to attract even tennis superfans like Girling leave the tournament in a tough position, ending the calendar as a quiet whimper as opposed to a mighty bang. It may be this lack of attraction from fans that led Saudi Arabia to give up hosting the event going forward, with bidding currently open to take over from Jeddah from 2026 onwards.
Even with waning interest, the finals are a huge opportunity for a young starlet to put their name in with some of the very best of the current era and claim over $2M in the process. Last year’s champion Joao Fonseca has firmly cemented himself in the top 50 and claiming the Next Gen prize did plenty for the young Brazilian’s reputation. There may be a lack of star power in Jeddah this year, but it is always worth keeping an eye on the Next Gen finals. You may just be watching the next Carlos Alcaraz.
Click the image above to head over to TikTok and find out about the three top British prospects hoping to make a splash in 2026, including a junior Wimbledon champion!