Tennis News

Set to take flight in Jeddah, Mensik recalls childhood airport mishap

Jakub Mensik earned his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF with a breakout season that included four Top 10 wins. One of four Jeddah competitors inside the Top 50 of the PIF ATP Rankings — alongside Arthur Fils, Alex Michelsen and Shang Juncheng — Mensik knew before the 2024 season started that he wanted to end it at the 20-and-under showcase event.

“It was one of my biggest goals to reach this event before the season,” he said this week. “I’m glad to be here. So far it’s amazing, the facilities and everything that they did for us. You can feel really that you’re one of the best younger players in the world.”

Throughout his rise, Mensik has always been able to count on the unwavering support of his parents, Michal and Katerina. Both his parents are in Jeddah, and they have regularly travelled with Mensik since his junior tennis days.

The family are frequent flyers now, but they recalled an airport mishap years ago, long before Mensik grew accustomed to the nomadic life. When he was nine, the family was waiting at baggage claim when Mensik became distracted by a cat. After going over to investigate, he lost track of his parents, who left the baggage area before realising their son had gone missing.

Mensik remembers a scary wait until his father returned: “From nowhere, my dad appeared after 30, 45 minutes, and everything was good,” he said with a laugh.

It will be hard to lose sight of Mensik this week as he competes under the spotlight of the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.

While Mensik exceeded all outside expectations this year on the ATP Tour, the 19-year-old is not putting himself under any undue pressure in Jeddah. As the third seed, he will open his campaign against Learner Tien on Wednesday.

“I never have expectations,” he explained. “Obviously just to enjoy this beautiful tournament. Of course I would be happy to win a couple of matches and of course I’m going here to win it.”

Mensik took a similar approach at his first ATP Tour tournament this February in Doha, where he beat Andrey Rublev en route to the final. He also beat Rublev on his way to the quarter-finals at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where he pushed his idol Novak Djokovic to three sets. Mensik lists those two weeks as the highlights of his year, along with representing Czechia at the Olympics and Davis Cup. 

He’ll hope to end his 2024 campaign with another week to remember in Jeddah.

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Sinner & Alcaraz headline Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF alumni

The seventh edition of the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF get underway Wednesday in Jeddah, pitting the world’s eight best 20-and-under players against each other in a fight for glory.

With the aim of showcasing the promising talent on offer in the tennis world, the innovative event has acted as a stepping stone for some of the sport’s brightest stars. Ahead of the tournament, ATPTour.com revisits the six previous champions and examines where they are now.

2017 Hyeon Chung

Hyeon Chung took the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF by storm with his undefeated run to the title. After a short offseason, it felt as if the South Korean was already headed for further stardom when he produced an inspired campaign at the Australian Open, notching a momentous win over Novak Djokovic en route to the semi-finals.

Yet Chung’s promising form was cut short as he grappled with injury in the years that followed, ultimately leading to a two-year hiatus between 2020 and 2023. Last year, Chung returned to action on the ATP Challenger Tour and ITF Tours.

<img alt=”Hyeon Chung” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/12/17/23/49/chung-next-gen-celebration.jpg” />_{^{Hyeon Chung wins the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in 2017. Photo Credit: Getty Images}}

2018 Stefanos Tsitsipas

Having already made a name for himself by climbing inside the Top 15 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Stefanos Tsitsipas further cemented his status as one of the sport’s brightest prospects with his performance at the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.

The Greek’s promise is reflected in his achievements the following season, during which he did not lose track of his ascent. Tsitsipas finished the year as World No. 6 after surging to glory on his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals. With three ATP Masters 1000 titles in Monte-Carlo, two Grand Slam final appearances and a career-high ranking of No. 3 to his name since, Tsitsipas has proven to be one of the hottest talents of his generation.

2019 Jannik Sinner

When Jannik Sinner received a wild card to the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2019, not many anticipated the sheer dominance that the Italian would go on to execute in the sport. Sinner showed glimpses of his potential in the subsequent seasons, picking up 10 ATP Tour titles between 2020 and 2023, but that form proved to be far from his peak.

There is an undeniable abrasiveness beneath the business-like exterior of Sinner and it has shone through in 2024. After clinching his maiden Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open, Sinner became the first Italian to reach No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, but that wasn’t enough. The history-making 23-year-old finished the season with a Tour-leading eight titles, including the Nitto ATP Finals, the US Open and three ATP Masters 1000s (Miami, Cincinnati, Shanghai), guided Italy to a successful defence of its Davis Cup, and won his first ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours.

With a resounding 73-6 win-loss record in 2024, according to Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Sinner looks far from letting slip the firm grip he holds at the top of the ATP Tour.

2021 Carlos Alcaraz

With his rise to the top of the tennis world following his success at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in 2021, Carlos Alcaraz is a beacon of hope for the young stars competing at the 20-and-under event this year. The Spaniard won five tour-level titles in 2022, including his first Grand Slam at the 2022 US Open – a triumph which earned him the status as the youngest ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours in history at 19 years of age.

Alcaraz’s eye-catching ascent was no flash in the pan, however. The 21-year-old’s consistency has cemented himself among the game’s elite and his blistering game has made him a threat to any opponent. This is highlighted in his 3-0 Lexus ATP Head2Head record over World No. 1 Sinner across 2024, despite the success the Italian achieved. The Spaniard will be aiming to become the youngest player to complete the career Slam when he heads to the Australian Open in January.

<img alt=”Carlos Alcaraz” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/12/17/23/43/alcaraz-next-gen-celebration.jpg” />_{^{Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after winning the 2021 Next Gen ATP Finals. Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour}}

2022 Brandon Nakashima
Along with Chung, Brandon Nakashima found it difficult to become accustomed to life as a Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion following his triumph in 2022. The American, who finished that season inside the World’s Top 50, found himself competing in ATP Challenger Tour events at the same point of the following season following injury issues.

A large part of Nakashima’s slight drop was due to his unsuccessful title defence in San Diego, his hometown and site of his maiden tour-level title. Yet aware of the measures he was forced to take to work his way back to form, Nakashima played nine Challenger tournaments in the first half of the 2024 season, and it paid dividends. By the end of the year, the 23-year-old had reached a career high of No. 35 in the PIF ATP Rankings following an impressive run to the last 16 at the US Open.

2023 Hamad Medjedovic

It felt as if it was all falling into place for Hamad Medjedovic, the prodigy of countryman Novak Djokovic, when he became the latest champion at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF at the end of the 2023 season.

Yet the Serbian has struggled with injuries and illness in 2024, posting an 18-15 win-loss record at all levels. Medjedovic did, however, finish the year with a run to his maiden ATP Tour final in Belgrade and the 21-year-old will look to draw on that as he kickstarts his 2025 campaign.

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Behind the scenes: From interviews to jet skiing, Jeddah players enjoy Media Day

Before the eight 20-and-under players compete in the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, they participated in a fun-filled media day. All photo credits belong to Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.

<img alt=”Media day at Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/12/17/16/19/next-gen-2024-group.jpg?w=100%25″ />
^{The field of eight gathers for the official group photo for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.}

<img alt=”Learner Tien and Alex Michelsen in Jeddah.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/12/17/16/27/tien-michelsen-jeddah-2024-media.jpg” />
^{Close friends Learner Tien and Alex Michelsen share a laugh.}

^{China’s Shang Juncheng is seeded fourth in Jeddah.}

<img alt=”Arthur Fils and Nishesh Basavareddy in Jeddah.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/12/17/16/35/fils-basavareddy-jeddah-2024-media.jpg” />
^{Arthur Fils and Nishesh Basavareddy during Media Day.}

<img alt=”Luca Van Assche in Jeddah for media day.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/12/17/16/39/van-assche-jeddah-2024-media2.jpg” />
^{Luca Van Assche is competing in the 20-and-under event for the second consecutive year.}

<img alt=”The eight players competing at the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/12/17/16/43/jeddah-2024-selfie.jpg” />
^{Alex Michelsen takes a group selfie.}

<img alt=”Shang Juncheng, Joao Fonseca and Jakub Mensik.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/12/17/16/48/shang-fonseca-mensik-jeddah-2024.jpg” />
^{Teenagers Shang Juncheng, Joao Fonseca and Jakub Mensik.}

<img alt=”Learner Tien and Alex Michelsen.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/12/17/18/08/tien-michelsen-next-gen-2024.jpg” />
^{Learner Tien and Alex Michelsen.}

<img alt=”Arthur Fils is the top seed in Jeddah.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/12/17/17/11/fils-jeddah-2024-media-day.jpg” />
^{Arthur Fils is the top seed.}

<img alt=”Joao Fonseca and Shang Juncheng.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/12/17/17/15/fonseca-shang-jeddah-jet-ski-2024.jpg” />
^{Joao Fonseca and Shang Juncheng relish a jet-ski ride.}

^{The players share a meal together to cap a busy day.}

<img alt=”The eight players joined by last year’s champion Hamad Medjedovic.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/12/17/18/09/next-gen-2024-jeddah.jpg” />
^{This year’s field joined by 2023 champion Hamad Medjedovic.}

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Lumsden & Wainwright win at Tennis Scotland Open

Scotland’s Ewan Lumsden and English 17-year-old Mia Wainwright emerge victorious at the Tennis Scotland Open Tour finals.

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Van Assche's 'sequence' to Jeddah return trip

Frenchman Luca Van Assche is one of three players making a return trip to Jeddah at this week’s Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, alongside Arthur Fils and Alex Michelsen. The 20-year-old Van Assche made the semi-finals in 2023 before falling to countryman Fils.

But this year, there is a new team in Van Assche’s corner, Italians Vincenzo Santopadre and Paolo Cannova, the latter accompanying the Frenchman this week.

Since beginning their partnership in February, Van Assche and Santopadre — who previously spent 13 years with Matteo Berrettini — have built a strong connection that extends beyond the tennis court. Santopadre introduced his charge to the Italian card game Scopa, sparking a new source of friendly competition.

“It’s a fun game,” Van Assche said. “I didn’t play a lot of cards when I was young. When I met [Vicenzo], he bought some new cards and they are Italian cards. We started to play this game and we are very competitive.

“The last two weeks, we didn’t play that much because Paolo bought another game — Sequence — so we are trying some new things. It’s very fun off the court.”

Does Van Assche, who studies mathematics at Paris Dauphine University, use those skills to give him an edge in such games?

“It can help but also sometimes, it’s a bit of luck. When I win, of course it’s normal because my brain works very well,” Van Assche joked. “But when I lose, it’s because the others are lucky!”

Van Assche’s season highlight came at the start of the year, a third-round run at Australian Open that featured back-to-back five-set wins. Now the No. 128 player in the PIF ATP Rankings looks to put a bow on 2024 with a deep run in Saudi Arabia. He will be the first to take the court Wednesday against China’s Shang Juncheng. It will be their first Lexus ATP Head2Head series meeting.

“It is a fun tournament with some different rules. It’s such a special atmosphere here. It’s different from a normal tournament, only eight players competing,” Van Assche said. “With the group stage, I lost a match [last year] and I still qualified for the semis. I also played against a good friend [Fils] in the semis. It was a good experience.”

Introducing the Class of 2024 🫡🎓#NextGenATPFinals | @sauditenfed pic.twitter.com/eW7aH5PFwp

— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) December 16, 2024

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Players briefed on unique rules ahead of Jeddah action

One key aspect to succeeding at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF? Getting your head around the rules.

The 20-and-under event has been a hotbed for innovation since its inaugural edition in 2017. This year’s tournament is no different, as the eight-player field discovered during a pre-tournament meeting on Tuesday in Jeddah.

Arthur Fils, Alex Michelsen, Jakub Mensik, Shang Juncheng, Learner Tien, Luca Van Assche, Nishesh Basavareddy and Joao Fonseca gathered in a King Abdullah Sports City press conference room for a run-through of the signature rules and innovations in play for the tournament.

_{^{The 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF player briefing. Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour}}

As in previous years, matches will be first-to-four-games, best-of-five-sets, with a tie-break (first to seven points) at 3-3. A No-Ad scoring format will be used, with the server choosing the service box at 40/40.

Reduced and shortened changeover times are also in place to ensure fast-moving encounters. Players will sit down at the end of the set for 90 seconds, reduced from 120 seconds in 2023. On-court warmups have been reintroduced for 2024 after they were absent last year. Players will warm up for three minutes on court, two minutes fewer than warmups on the ATP Tour.

A No Let rule, which was used in previous editions of the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF but not in 2023, will also be reimplemented. Play will continue even if the ball touches the net during a serve, provided it lands in the correct service box. It raises the prospect of a player’s reaction time to a net-cord being potentially decisive at a key moment in a match.

The 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF will take place at the King Abdullah Sports City from 18-22 December, with a tournament-record US $2.05 million prize money on offer.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Scouting Report: Fils, Michelsen, Mensik headline field in Jeddah

To draw the curtain on a thrilling ATP Tour season, the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF will shine a light on the eight brightest 20-and-under stars, who all get underway in Jeddah on Wednesday.

Top seed Arthur Fils and American Alex Michelsen are back for a second consecutive year, with the Frenchman aiming to go one better than his runner-up finish in 2023. ATP Newcomer of the Year Jakub Mensik, Shang Juncheng, Learner Tien, Nishesh Basavareddy and Joao Fonseca will all make their first appearance at the event, while sixth seed Luca Van Assche is back in Jeddah for a second straight year after his semi-final run in 2023.

Ahead of the innovative event, ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch.

1) Fearless Fils eyes title: Fils’ standout season, underpinned by two ATP 500 crowns in Hamburg and Tokyo, has earned him the status as top seed in Jeddah for a second straight year. After falling short in last year’s final to Hamad Medjedovic, the No. 20 in the PIF ATP Rankings is eager to go one further and forge a memorable run to this year’s title, but will he succeed?

2) Michelsen leads American trio: Second seed Michelsen is back in Jeddah for a second straight season after reaching a further two ATP Tour finals in 2024. The 20-year-old is joined by countrymen and friends Tien and Basavareddy, who have all known each other for the past 10 years. Second seed Michelsen opens against Basavareddy on Wednesday, having shared the spoils at two ATP Challenger events in 2023.

3) Menacing Blue Group: Fils is joined in the daunting Blue Group by World No. 48 Mensik, three-time ATP Challenger Tour champion in 2024 Tien and 18-year-old Fonseca. Top seed Fils will have his work cut out from the onset as he opens against Fonseca, who beat the Frenchman 6-0, 6-4 en route to the quarter-finals in Rio de Janeiro earlier this year in the pair’s only previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

4) Shang flying Chinese flag: Fourth seed Shang has enjoyed a historic season on the ATP Tour, having become the first Chinese player to win a title on home soil after his run in Chengdu. The 19-year-old has climbed inside the World’s Top 50 and has now carved his name as the first player from his nation to compete at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.

5) Jeddah hosts for second year: The King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudia Arabia, will host the Next Gen ATP FInals presented by PIF for a second consecutive year. The seventh edition of the event, which pits the world’s eight best 20-and-under players, will commence on Wednesday, with all competitors in action. The round-robin stage will run Wednesday through Friday, with the semi-finals on Saturday. The title match will take place at 8 p.m. local time on Sunday.

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'Circled on my calendar': Improved Michelsen makes Jeddah return

Alex Michelsen came up empty last year at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, losing a pair of final-set tie-breaks in a dramatic group campaign. Armed with that experience and an improved all-around game, he returns as the second seed and one of the favourites to lift this season’s Jeddah crown.

“I’m very happy to be back. This has been circled on my calendar pretty much the whole year,” said the American. “To be back here as the second seed is really cool. I get my own locker. I’m super pumped.”

Michelsen entered the 20-and-under event last season shortly after breaking into the Top 100 of the PIF ATP Rankings. He’s now on the brink of the Top 40 after his first full season on the ATP Tour.

“This year I think is a little different,” he explained. “I can carry the experience I got this year into this week and all the experience I’ve gained from playing 33 weeks this year. I’m super happy to be back and hopefully I can do a little better than last year.”

One year after making the Newport final in just his second tour-level event, Michelsen backed that up by reaching two ATP Tour singles finals this season. He once again finished runner-up on the Newport grass before making another deep run on home soil on the hard courts of Winston-Salem.

“Very happy to make both those finals,” Michelsen said, looking back on what he called a “very positive year”.

“I finaled Cincy in doubles and then I went straight over to Winston-Salem and finaled in singles,” he continued. “I played a match every day for 12 or 13 days. I was pretty toasted going into the Open this year, but making those two [singles] finals was incredible. It was the highlight of my year for sure.”

The 20-year-old credits his dedication to fitness and a more professional diet for his strong 2024, as well as improvements on his forehand and serve. Thanks in large part his parents, Erik and Sondra, Michelsen has a strong foundation on which to build.

He often hit with both parents growing up and benefited from their varied playing styles. While his dad played an aggressive game, his mom was more of a grinder: “When I would go out on the weekends to play with both my parents, I’d just be grinding with my mom. Then my dad would step in,” he said with a laugh. “It was always a little more fun with my dad because we’d play all these fun little games, like cross-court first to five, chip backhands, stuff like that. My mom was like, ‘OK, we’re going to hit forehand cross-court for 30 minutes.’

“She built me a great base. I hit with her almost every day until I was 15. When COVID came around, that’s kind of when I stopped hitting with her. But I used to hit with her four or five times a week and without her there’s not a chance I would be here. I’m incredibly grateful to my parents.”

Now, Michelsen fine-tunes his game with coaches Robby Ginepri and Jay Leavitt. They have both helped him get used to life on the ATP Tour, when — even for the very best — most weeks end with a loss.

“At the beginning it was tough not winning,” Michelsen said of the adjustment. “Not winning a tournament, it bums you out a little bit. In juniors I was winning a lot in the local tournaments and then the ITFs. And then you get on Tour and everyone is so good and it’s just so tough to win a tournament. I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better [at dealing with that] just because you know everyone is losing except one guy. I’ve matured in that way for sure.”

With the unique format this week in Jeddah, Michelsen could take a loss and still win the title. Or he can match Jannik Sinner’s run at the Nitto ATP Finals with a perfect 5-0 record en route to the trophy.

No doubt aiming for the latter, Michelsen will begin his Jeddah campaign Wednesday with an all-American matchup against seventh seed Nishesh Basavareddy.

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Fils brings fun to Jeddah: 'Smiling is one of the most important things'

One year after reaching the title match Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF as the top seed, Arthur Fils returns as the lead man in the Jeddah draw once again. Still, this year’s event has a different feel for Fils, coming three weeks later in the calendar.

“This year it’s late in the season. It’s almost the new season, actually,” the 20-year-old Frenchman said on Monday. “We’ve already started to practise very hard in the preseason and everything. It’s been three or four weeks that I’m practising.”

Fils is looking forward to starting his 2025 season in Hong Kong and Australia, but first hopes to take care of some unfinished business in Saudi Arabia. The timing of the event is not the only change from last year. Among the innovations and rules this week, players will warm up for three minutes — a change from no warm-ups last year but shorter than the usual five minutes on the ATP Tour. Fils is a fan of this tweak: “Three minutes is pretty good,” he said, describing it as a happy medium. “Five minutes sometimes is a bit long.”

Now a tour-level regular, Fils followed his maiden title in 2023 with a pair of trophies this year. He won a clay title in Hamburg and a hard-court title in Tokyo, saving a championship point in the final against Ugo Humbert at the latter event.

“Hamburg was unbelievable but Tokyo was crazy,” Fils said. “It was a tough week. I played against so many great players.”

He notched four Top 20 wins on his way to that ATP 500 title, beating Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Holger Rune before edging his countryman Humbert in the final. That result helped him climb into the Top 20 of the PIF ATP Rankings himself, with Fils ending the year at a career-high of World No. 20.

Among all of his accomplishments in 2024, one of the most crucial for Fils has been his ability to continue having fun despite the added pressure of playing at the highest level. He set a personal goal to smile during every match, and he was happy to report that he achieved that goal this season.

“That’s the most important. I think for my game it’s one of the most important things,” he said, “because if I don’t have any pleasure to be on the court then I don’t play good. I try to have fun, to enjoy the moment. When I’m like this, I know that I’m playing good.”

As for 2025, Fils revealed a more concrete pair of goals: to win at least one more ATP Tour title and finish the year with a new career-high PIF ATP Ranking. In the final act of his 2024 season, Fils will open his Jeddah campaign Wednesday against Joao Fonseca.

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