Sports
ATP Next Gen Finals: Who is in the race to Jeddah? And how will the event evolve?
This article is part of The Next Generation series. As the greats, such as Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal become the past, and Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek handle the present, The Athletic explores the next generation: the rising stars who will be tasked with securing tennis’ future.
Over the last seven years the ATP Next Gen Finals has established itself on the tennis calendar. There was a lot of excitement when it began in 2017 in Milan, as a way of showcasing the eight best players aged 21 and under from the season just gone, while trialling different rules and innovations that might then graduate to the main ATP Tour.
The tournament was the first to use electronic line calling and a video review system, while the scoring system is unique — five sets of first to four games, with a tiebreak at 3-3 in each set. The idea is to have fewer games with less at stake, and more games at the “business end” of sets.
The rules have been slightly tweaked for 2024, with the age cut-off now 20 instead of 21, in recognition of the fact that players like Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune have made their breakthroughs earlier than was typical at the tournament’s inception. When the Finals started in 2017, with the Big Three of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic still so dominant, it was rarer for players to make their mark when aged 21 or under.
This year’s event also has a different time slot, moving from early December last year to December 18-22 — meaning it will act almost as a pre-season event for 2025 (with the first events of next year’s season starting on December 27 and December 30). As with last year, the tournament will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
For now, the eight qualifiers remain unknown, but several players are already in a strong position. More broadly, the ATP Next Gen Finals is approaching an inflection point. In the slow absence of the Big Three, whether through retirement or the loosening of their grip on the sport’s biggest prizes, how the event will evolve — and the nature of its role within the tennis ecosystem — are both up for debate. And outside of men’s tennis, how likely is an equivalent event on the women’s side, and where might that happen?
GO DEEPER
Tennis usually passes the torch. Carlos Alcaraz is running away with it
Starting with the question around who will qualify, the man comfortably leading the race to Jeddah is the hugely talented Frenchman, Arthur Fils. The 20-year-old has perhaps not exploded quite as quickly as some expected, but it’s still been a year that has seen him reach the Wimbledon fourth round, and win his first 500-level ATP event — beating Alexander Zverev in the German’s home country in a tense Hamburg final two months ago.
Arthur Fils serving at Wimbledon. (Glyn Kirk / AFP via Getty Images)
Next in the race is America’s Alex Michelsen, who was beaten by Jannik Sinner in the U.S. Open second round last month. The 20-year-old Californian is up to a career-high ranking of No. 47 after a hugely promising summer in which he reached the finals in both Newport, Rhode Island, and Winston-Salem, N.C., as well as the quarters at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.
Coming up behind them are Shang Juncheng (19, from China), Jakub Mensik (19, from the Czech Republic) and Luca Van Assche (20, from France). All three of those players have reached Grand Slam third rounds this year. Shang, known as Jerry, and Mensik are ranked inside the world’s top 70 and are pretty safe bets to make Jeddah, while Van Assche is just outside the world’s top 100.
Below him come the three players currently in the qualification spots, separated by just 79 points. They are Joao Fonseca of Brazil (18), the American, Learner Tien (18), and Lithuania’s Vilius Gaubas (19). Fonseca and Tien have each garnered plenty of attention in 2024 for eye-catching results in Rio and Winston-Salem respectively. Earlier in the year, Tien put together a 28-match winning streak between May and July, earning a wildcard for the U.S. Open in the process.
Joao Fonseca celebrating during a Davis Cup victory this month. (Emmanuele Ciancaglini / Getty Images for ITF)
The players closest to pinching one of the last qualification spots are Portugal’s Henrique Rocha and Coleman Wong of Hong Kong (both 20). They are only 21 and 31 points respectively behind Gaubas.
Race to Jeddah | 2024’s best youngsters
|
Player
|
Age
|
Points
|
|---|---|---|
|
1. Arthur Fils (France) |
20 |
1615 |
|
2. Alex Michelsen (USA) |
20 |
1016 |
|
3. Juncheng Shang (China) |
19 |
820 |
|
4. Jakub Mensik (Czech Republic) |
19 |
770 |
|
5. Luca Van Assche (France) |
20 |
425 |
|
6. Joao Fonseca (Brazil) |
18 |
365 |
|
7. Learner Tien (USA) |
18 |
318 |
|
8. Vilius Gaubas (Lithuania) |
19 |
286 |
|
9. Coleman Wong (Hong Kong) |
20 |
280 |
|
10. Henrique Rocha (Portugal) |
20 |
265 |
Had 21-year-olds still been eligible then another exciting Frenchman, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, and Luca Nardi, who beat Novak Djokovic in Indian Wells earlier this year, would be in the qualification spots. As would America’s Zachary Svajda.
Even if those 21-years-olds were eligible, it still wouldn’t be a stellar lineup compared to the first edition, say, which in 2017 included Andrey Rublev, Denis Shapovalov, Daniil Medvedev and Borna Coric — all youngsters who had quite a bit of buzz around them. Likewise the two alternates Stefanos Tsitsipas and Frances Tiafoe.
In general, it’s been an event that has been a good indicator of future success. The winners of the Next Gen Finals have been Chung Hyeon, Tsitsipas, Sinner, Alcaraz, Brandon Nakashima and Hamad Medjedovic. Of those first four, two are multiple Grand Slam winners and future world No. 1s, one is a two-time major finalist, and even Chung has an Australian Open semifinal to his name despite a horrific run of injuries since his Next Gen title. Earlier this month a video from the 2019 event did the rounds, with Sinner alongside Tiafoe and Alex de Minaur, ahead of all three of them competing in the U.S. Open quarterfinals. Tiafoe made the semis; Sinner won the whole thing.
The ATP has been pleased with how the event has given young players exposure, with solid attendances in Milan when it was hosted there between 2017 and 2022. Unsurprisingly, Jeddah was more of a challenge last year.
The idea of a Next Gen has become a well-established concept in men’s tennis, and having an annual event is a way of solidifying that. The different scoring system, singles-only court, and innovations like headsets for the players to talk with their coaches give the finals a distinctive feel. The impressive list of former winners (and runners up like Rublev, De Minaur and Sebastian Korda) gives it credibility. And as long as players are progressing from the Next Gen Finals to the top echelons of the sport, and not leaping straight past the event to that stratosphere, the ATP considers it to have a worthwhile spot in the calendar.
There have been discussions about having such an event on the WTA Tour in Saudi Arabia, The Athletic has been told by well-placed sources who wish to remain anonymous to protect relationships, but nothing has been confirmed (and there certainly won’t be an event this year). In November, the WTA Finals will be hosted in the Saudi capital of Riyadh for the first of three editions there.
GO DEEPER
Saudi Arabia complete deal to host WTA Finals: The background, the backlash and the money
Should a Next Gen-type event happen, the WTA would have to make a decision on what the age cutoff should be. Typically WTA players have broken through quicker than ATP ones in part because generally women mature physically before men. As it stands though, there are currently only 11 players who are aged 21 and under in the top 100 (nine on the men’s side) and six players under 20 (four on the men’s side).
So an event for either age group would work fine without having to make it too young an age bracket which might feel like too much pressure too soon. That said, Coco Gauff would obviously skip a Next Gen-style event as she would qualify for the main WTA Finals.
The top 20 and under WTA players in 2024
|
Player
|
Age
|
Points
|
|---|---|---|
|
1. Coco Gauff (USA) |
20 |
3968 |
|
2. Diana Shnaider (Russia) |
20 |
2156 |
|
3. Mirra Andreeva (Russia) |
17 |
1973 |
|
4. Linda Noskova (Czech Republic) |
19 |
1913 |
|
5. Ashlyn Krueger (USA) |
20 |
900 |
|
6. Erika Andreeva (Russia) |
20 |
625 |
|
7. Robin Montgomery (USA) |
20 |
469 |
|
8. Maria Timofeeva (Russia) |
20 |
456 |
|
9. Brenda Fruhvirtova (Czech Republic) |
17 |
368 |
|
10. Marina Stakusic (Canada) |
19 |
352 |
The WTA does also have some history with putting on this kind of event. Between 2014 and 2018, there were five editions of the Future Stars event, which showcased some of the best young talent in the game. These though were done by region and by invitation. In 2015, ahead of the WTA finals in Singapore, there were four 23-or-under players selected to take part. The parameters were that two of the players had to be from Asia-Pacific and the others had to be from the rest of the world. Nine years on, the selection has aged extremely well, with the quartet made up of Naomi Osaka, Zhu Lin, Caroline Garcia and Ons Jabeur. Osaka, who had just turned 18, won the event.
Naomi Osaka went on to win four major titles by the age of 23. (Clive Brunskill / Getty Images)
A modern-day equivalent would likely generate plenty of excitement, as it has done intermittently for the men’s event. Especially when genuine future stars like Alcaraz have been involved.
The Next Generation series is part of a partnership with CHANEL.
The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Top photo: Fiona Goodall / Getty Images)
Sports
US figure skating power couple makes history with record breaking seventh national championship
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
U.S. figure skating stars Madison Chock and Evan Bates made history on Saturday with their record-setting seventh U.S. Figure Skating title in their final competition before the Milan Cortina Olympics.
The three-time reigning world champions, performing a flamenco-style dance to a version of the Rolling Stones hit “Paint It Black” from the dystopian sci-fi Western show “Westworld,” produced a season-best free skate and finished with 228.87 points.
“The feeling that we got from the audience today was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before,” Chock said.
Madison Chock and Evan Bates of United States perform during ISU World Figure Skating Championships – Boston, at TD Garden, on March 28, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Jurij Kodrun – International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images)
They’ll be the heavy favorites to win gold next month in Italy.
“I felt so much love and joy,” Chock continued, “and I’m so grateful for this moment.”
U.S. Figure Skating will announce its selections on Sunday.
Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik were second with 213.65 points and Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko were third with 206.95, making those two pairs the likely choices to join Chock and Bates on the American squad for the upcoming Winter Games.
The men’s medals also were to be decided on Saturday, though two-time world champion Ilia Malinin had built such a lead after his short program that the self-styled “Quad God” would have to stumble mightily to miss out on a fourth consecutive title.
The U.S. also has qualified the maximum of three men’s spots for the Winter Games, and competition is tight between second-place Tomoko Hiwatashi, fan favorite Jason Brown, Andrew Torgashev and Maxim Naumov to round out the nationals podium.
The last time Chock and Bates competed in the Olympics in 2022 in Beijing, they watched their gold initially go to an opponent who was later disqualified for doping violations.
Chock and Bates initially had to settle for team silver with their American teammates on the podium at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Team Russia and Kamila Valieva, who was 15 at the time, stood above them with their gold medals.
It wasn’t until the end of January 2024, when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found Valieva guilty of an anti-doping rule violation, when Chock, Bates and the U.S. were declared the rightful 2022 gold medalists.
UN URGES COUNTRIES TO HONOR TRUCE DURING WINTER OLYMPICS, NOT DENY VISAS TO ANY NATION’S ATHLETES
Madison Chock and Evan Bates compete in championship ice dance at the U.S. figure skating championships Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned substance, during an anti-doping test at the Russian Figure Skating Championships in December 2021. She was suspended for four years and stripped of all competitive results since that date.
Chock and Bates spoke about what their message to Valieva would be today during an interview at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee media summit in October.
“It’s hard to, I think, imagine what a 15-year-old has gone through and under that kind of situation,” Bates said. “And I know how stressful it is, being an elite athlete as an adult, as a 36-year-old. And I think that grace should be given to humans across the board. And we can never really know the full situation, at least from our point of view. … I genuinely don’t know what I would say to her.”
Chock added, “I would just wish her well like as I would. I think life is short. And, at the end of the day, we’re all human just going through our own human experience together. And regardless of what someone has or hasn’t done and how it has affected you, I think it’s important to remember we’re humans as a collective, and we’re all here for this, our one moment on earth, at the same time. And I just wish people to have healthy, happy lives, full of people that love them.”
Chock and Bates had to wait more than two years after the initial Olympics to get their rightful gold medals, and they were finally presented with them during a ceremony at the Paris Olympics last summer.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the USA perform in the Gala Exhibition during the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final Nagoya at IG Arena on December 07, 2025 in Nagoya, Japan. (Atsushi Tomura – International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images)
Chock, Bates and teammates Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim and Vincent Zhou were given a specialized gold medal ceremony to receive the medals in front of more than 13,000 fans.
Chock and Bates became the first ice dancers to win three consecutive world championships in nearly three decades in March when they defeated Canadian rivals Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Dave Roberts tossed T-shirts to fans. The students were back out in bunches. UCLA traded in its recent first-half troubles for a big lead.
It was sort of fun to be a Bruin again Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.
On an evening the team honored Roberts, the Dodgers manager and former Bruins outfielder who triumphantly hoisted the World Series trophy over his head during a timeout as fans roared, it was possible to forget about UCLA’s troubles for a few hours.
The Bruins’ 67-55 victory over Maryland was a needed reprieve for a team aching over its defense, not to mention a two-game losing streak that was comfortably snapped despite the Terrapins grabbing one offensive rebound after another.
Maryland (7-9, 0-5) finished with an absurd 20 offensive rebounds, leading to 24 second-chance points, and it still wasn’t enough to make the final minutes a worry for UCLA (11-5, 3-2) after a 6-0 push put the game away.
Forward Eric Dailey Jr. ensured that things didn’t go awry for the Bruins, nearly logging a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds. Trent Perry (16 points, six rebounds) hit a clutch corner three-pointer with a little less than six minutes left after Maryland had closed to within five points.
Maryland’s inability to make baskets — the Terrapins shot 30.3% overall and 18.2% from three-point range — was forced in part by some active defense, notably from UCLA’s Steven Jamerson II. The backup center had perhaps his best across-the-board showing as a Bruin, finishing with eight points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in 22 minutes.
UCLA guard Trent Perry, left, collides with Maryland guard Andre Mills while battling for a defensive rebound in the first half Saturday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
His top highlight came on an offensive rebound he snagged while falling out of bounds and saved by flinging a pass to Perry for a three-pointer. UCLA would have won with even greater ease had it not made just 18 of 27 free throws (67%).
There were moments it was easy to forget the Bruins were playing without guard Skyy Clark (hamstring) and forward Brandon Williams (lower-leg injury). Both players are considered day to day, meaning they could return soon.
Maryland could relate to being shorthanded. The Terrapins were missing star center Pharrel Payne, who remained sidelined because of a knee injury. Forward Elijah Saunders led Maryland with 17 points.
It wasn’t nearly enough given the Bruins looked a bit more like the team they need to be.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Atlanta Falcons have added one of the team’s greatest players to its front office.
The Falcons announced on Saturday that former quarterback Matt Ryan, who spent the first 14 years of his 15-year NFL career with the team after being drafted third overall in 2008, will be president of football on Saturday. The 40-year-old Ryan, who holds team records for passing yards, touchdowns and wins, will assume the new role immediately.
Ryan will report directly to owner Arthur Blank and collaborate with president and CEO Greg Beadles to ensure the alignment of the business and football areas of the organization.
Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) on the sideline before he is inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor at halftime of a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 3, 2024. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)
“Throughout his remarkable 14-year career in Atlanta, Matt’s leadership, attention to detail, knowledge of the game and unrelenting drive to win made him the most successful player in our franchise’s history,” Blank said in a statement.
“I am confident those same qualities will be a tremendous benefit to our organization as he steps into this new role. From his playing days to his time as an analyst at CBS, Matt has always been a student of the game, and he brings an astute understanding of today’s NFL, as well as unique knowledge of our organization and this market. I have full confidence and trust in Matt as we strive to deliver a championship caliber team for Atlanta and Falcons fans everywhere.”
The Falcons fired head coach Raheem Morris on Sunday after back-to-back 8-9 seasons. The Falcons had won their last four games, leading some to believe Morris might be afforded a third season, but Blank had other plans.
AARON RODGERS TAKES THINLY-VEILED SHOT AT JETS AHEAD OF STEELERS’ PLAYOFF GAME
CBS Sports broadcaster Matt Ryan before a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, on Nov. 16, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
The Falcons also fired general manager Terry Fontenot after five seasons on Sunday. Ryan will be fully involved in the team’s search for the Falcons’ next head coach and general manager.
“Arthur gave me the chance of a lifetime almost twenty years ago, and he’s done it again today,” Ryan said in a statement.
“While I appreciate the time I had with the Colts and with CBS, I’ve always been a Falcon. It feels great to be home. I could not be more excited, grateful, or humbled by this new opportunity. I began my career with a singular goal: to do right by the Blank family, the Falcons organization, the City of Atlanta, and especially our fans. My commitment to the success of this franchise has not changed. I’m beyond ready to help write a new chapter of excellence.”
Ryan has spent the last three seasons as a member of the CBS Sports team as an analyst.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) passes the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Jan. 2, 2022. (Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports)
“I want to thank the incredible team at CBS Sports. I loved my three years there and I am truly grateful for their support in pursuing this opportunity. The CBS Sports culture is amazing, and I have made teammates and friends for life,” Ryan said in a statement.
Ryan, who was drafted out of Boston College, played with the Falcons for 14 seasons and holds many franchise records, including passing yards (59,735), attempts (8,003), completions (5,242), passing touchdowns (367), passer rating (94.6), completion percentage (65.5) and 300-yard games (73).
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Chock, Bates win record-setting seventh U.S. Figure Skating title ahead of Milan
See how much homes prices fell in Sussex County recently
Winner and Loser of the Week in Florida politics — Week of 1.4.26
Georgia Men Defeat Florida State; Women Take Down Florida State and Arkansas
Community memorial service for Kazuo Todd today in Hilo – West Hawaii Today
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Trump says Venezuela has begun releasing political prisoners ‘in a BIG WAY’
Somali minister says Israel plans to displace Palestinians to Somaliland
Slow-moving prisoner releases in Venezuela enter 3rd day after government announces goodwill effort
Video: Raising a Baby in Altadena’s Ashes
Trump signs order to protect Venezuela oil revenue held in US accounts
-
Detroit, MI1 week ago2 hospitalized after shooting on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
-
Technology5 days agoPower bank feature creep is out of control
-
Dallas, TX2 days agoAnti-ICE protest outside Dallas City Hall follows deadly shooting in Minneapolis
-
Dallas, TX6 days agoDefensive coordinator candidates who could improve Cowboys’ brutal secondary in 2026
-
Delaware2 days agoMERR responds to dead humpback whale washed up near Bethany Beach
-
Iowa5 days agoPat McAfee praises Audi Crooks, plays hype song for Iowa State star
-
Health7 days agoViral New Year reset routine is helping people adopt healthier habits
-
Nebraska4 days agoOregon State LB transfer Dexter Foster commits to Nebraska