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Fils, Michelsen, Mensik & Shang among #NextGenATP stars in 2024

  • Posted: Dec 10, 2024

The world’s best #NextGenATP stars are set to descend on Jeddah next week when they compete in the seventh edition of the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.

Arthur Fils, Alex Michelsen, Jakub Mensik, Shang Juncheng, Learner Tien, Luca Van Assche, Nishesh Basavareddy and Joao Fonseca will take to court at the 20-and-under event, aiming to follow in the footsteps of former champions Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Ahead of the tournament, ATPTour.com looks back at some of their breakthrough moments as part of our Best of 2024 series. On Wednesday, we will focus on first-time winners, with Shang featuring.

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Arthur Fils, 20 years old
The Frenchman built on his breakthrough 2023 season with standout results at ATP 500 events in 2024. Fils won titles in Hamburg and Tokyo, topping the 2024 ATP 500 Bonus Pool.

“I’m very happy about the tennis I’m producing,” said Fils after his triumph in Tokyo. “I’m working a lot and trying to build my tennis. I think now it’s better, from Hamburg to Tokyo. I still have to improve but it’s cool.”

The 20-year-old cracked the Top 20 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time in July, while he earned Top 10 wins against Hubert Hurkacz, Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz. Can he end 2024 with a title in Saudi Arabia?

Alex Michelsen, 20 years old
The 20-year-old has gone from strength to strength in 2024 after first gaining attention in July 2023 when he reached the Newport final. The American advanced to the title match in Newport once again in 2024 and enjoyed a run to the final Winston-Salem as well as a semi-final showing in Metz.

Michelsen is proud of his development in 2024.

“I try not to put pressure on myself this year,” Michelsen told ATPTour.com earlier this season. “I feel like even on the court, I’m always pumping myself up no matter what the score is. Win or lose a point, I’m saying something quietly or loudly to myself. I feel like the pressure hasn’t really gotten to me.”

Journey To Jeddah Hub

Jakub Mensik, 19 years old
Possessing a thunderous game, Mensik reached new heights in 2024.

The Czech made a fast start to the season when he came through qualifying to reach the second round at the Australian Open. He then reached his first ATP Tour final in Doha, beating Top 10 star Andrey Rublev and former World No. 1 Andy Murray. Quarter-final showings in Shanghai and Vienna meant Mensik ended the season inside the Top 50 in the PIF ATP Rankings, having started the year at No. 167.

Off court, Mensik put his head down and studied hard to complete his final exams in Czech language, English and Geography.

“It was super difficult in that time. I was also doing final exams in school, so that was also a big part of my life, because before a Grand Slam I had final exams, and I had the elbow [injury],” Mensik said. “I was really, really, nervous… But I think that we made a good decision that I stayed focused on school at that time and skipped Roland Garros.

“Of course, it was a difficult decision, but I have to say now that it was a very good decision. And after that, of course I was much more happier to play on the court, pain free. And obviously, with straight As in school.”

Shang Juncheng, 19 years old
Shang made Chinese history in September when he won his first ATP Tour title in Chengdu. By triumphing on home soil, the 19-year-old became just the second Chinese champion in ATP history (Wu Yibing, Dallas 2023).

The lefty’s dynamic game style has caused opponents plenty of problems in 2024, with Shang also reaching the semis in Atlanta and Hong Kong.

Shang owes a lot of his success to his parents, who were both professional athletes.

“When I got into tennis, as athletes they both helped,” Shang told ATPTour.com at Wimbledon. “My mum played an individual sport, she knows how to compete by herself and then also having her team help her. My dad playing a team sport was a little bit different, but with physical contact, he knows how important fitness is and measures to help prevent injury, so I think it’s really perfect for me as a kid to start like that in a family who understand. I’m fortunate they’ve taught me so many things, basically everything I know, and it’s just really positive.”

Basavareddy, Fonseca, Tien, Van Assche Shine
American Basavareddy finished 2024 on fire. Since September, he won two ATP Challenger Tour titles and reached a further three finals at that level. Inspired by Rajeev Ram, the 19-year-old will head to Jeddah high on confidence.

Brazilian Fonseca made his mark on home soil in Rio de Janerio, where he advanced to the quarter-finals at the ATP 500 event. The 18-year-old, who also reached the quarters in Bucharest, is thankful for the support he has received from Brazilian legend Gustavo Kuerten.

“My first interaction with Guga was at the Davis Cup at the start of the year,” Fonseca told ATPTour.com as part of our Next Gen Influences series. “He said some really nice stuff to the whole team. [He shared] his experience, the way he managed his career after so many injuries. It is really inspiring and he is an idol. He is a really nice person and he has said some really nice stuff.”

Tien lifted three ATP Challenger Tour trophies in 2024, more than anyone else competing in Jeddah. Van Assche, who played in Jeddah in 2023, enjoyed a run to the third round at the Australian Open in January.

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Sinner Repeats As Fans’ Favourite In 2024 ATP Awards

  • Posted: Dec 10, 2024

Jannik Sinner’s popularity goes far beyond those fervent, orange-costumed Carota Boys. For the second straight year, the Italian, the first from his homeland to reach No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, has been voted the Fans’ Favourite singles player in the annual ATP Awards.

“I just want to thank all the fans around the world for voting for me,” said Sinner, coming off the most successful season of his six-year pro career. “It means so much to me because the votes are coming from all of you. You are the reason why I love to play tennis. The support has been amazing throughout this whole season.”

Sinner opened 2024 on a 16-match winning streak, a perfect stretch that included his maiden major trophy in Melbourne, where he became the first Italian in the Open Era to win the Australian Open singles title. In all, he would claim a tour-best eight titles on the year, including his second major singles triumph at the US Open, three ATP Masters 1000s (Miami, Cincinnati, Shanghai) and the Nitto ATP Finals. He capped the year by leading a successful Davis Cup title defense for Italy, the clincher coming via his 7-6(2), 6-2 decision over Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor last month in Malaga. 

The 23-year-old is the 19th player to claim year-end World No. 1 status, and only the third man in the Open Era to win his first two Grand Slam titles in the same season, a feat last accomplished by Argentina’s Guillermo Vilas in 1977. Across 79 matches (73-6), Sinner never lost a match in straight sets, putting himself side by side with record 19-time Fans’ Favourite winner Roger Federer. Sinner and Federer are the only players to achieve this (minimum 20 matches played) in the Open Era.

This isn’t Sinner’s first trip to the ATP Awards podium: He was named Newcomer of the Year in 2019, and last year took home both the Most Improved Player of the Year and Fans’ Favourite honours.

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Luca Van Assche, an intellect & mathematician

  • Posted: Dec 10, 2024

Luca Van Assche is carving a unique path on and off the court, balancing the rigours of professional tennis alongside the challenges of studying university-level mathematics. And the 20-year-old Frenchman is excelling at both.

While some players may opt for rest during brief moments of free time, Van Assche elects to tackle his studies at Paris Dauphine University. It is not uncommon for his online classes to be sandwiched in between Van Assche’s training sessions, as showcased in our new ‘Journey To Jeddah’ video series.

“Even if I win 50 grand slams, I will not play when I’m 60, so that’s why I continued. I’m also enjoying it,” Van Assche said. “It’s difficult to do both. For the moment, I’m sorting it well.”

The #NextGenATP star is building a career that is about more than just rankings and trophies — it is a journey to sharpen not only his on-court performance, but also his off-court abilities.

“This is a young man who is very much an intellect,” said analyst Robbie Koenig. “The fact that he studies university-level maths. If your brain is wired that way, it’s only going to help you in your tennis to solve problems. Between the ears, he’s more qualified than most.”

One equation that Van Assche may relish is the amount of former competitors at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF who are currently in the Top 20. A semi-finalist last year in Jeddah, the World No. 128 in the PIF ATP Rankings will aim to follow in those footsteps.

In fact, Van Assche, countryman Arthur Fils and American Alex Michelsen are aiming for a second consecutive trip to the 20-and-under event, a feat that has only been accomplished by six players, four of whom are currently in the Top 20: Andrey Rublev, Alex de Minaur, Lorenzo Musetti and Frances Tiafoe.

“I want to do everything to win this tournament and I hope that I will,” said Van Assche, sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah.

“When we see the names of the players who have played the Next Gen ATP Finals, they are now very, very famous and very, very good players. It’s motivating to say, ‘Okay, I’m on the right path.’”

The Frenchman’s early success — such as reaching the third round of this year’s Australian Open — has allowed him to set his sights high.

“My biggest goal is to just have big dreams,” Van Assche said. “If you have no regrets and know that you’ve done everything, I think for me that’s the most important.”

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Tennis, gaming & fashion collide as Medvedev, Lacoste unveil Medvedev Court

  • Posted: Dec 09, 2024

Daniil Medvedev and Lacoste recently announced the unveiling of the all-new Daniil Medvedev Court in Grasse, France.

The project is a part of the ‘We are Etendart’ movement, which promotes the development of young people through an educational approach based on sport, creative arts and the power of inspiration. Novak Djokovic and Venus Williams are among other superstars who have previously joined the ‘We are Etendart’ movement.

The Medvedev court, located roughly 40 kilometres west of Nice, France, was inspired by the 28-year-old’s love for gaming. Featuring vibrant blue and green colours, the Medvedev court will offer a new gateway for young players to easily embrace tennis.

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Sinner meets Verstappen, waves chequered flag at F1 race in Abu Dhabi

  • Posted: Dec 09, 2024

Jannik Sinner ended the 2024 ATP Tour season by lifting the Nitto ATP Finals trophy and on Sunday, the Italian helped bring the Formula 1 year to a close. Sinner waved the chequered flag at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final race of the F1 season.

It was an action-packed weekend for the World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, who also spent time with renowned driver Max Verstappen and attended the F2/F3 Prize-Giving event.

<img alt=”Jannik Sinner attends the F2/F3 Prize-Giving event.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/12/09/15/32/sinner-abu-dhabi-2024.jpg” />
Jannik Sinner attends the F2/F3 Prize-Giving event. Credit: Formula Motorsport Limited

Sinner was not the only tennis star in attendance. Grigor Dimitrov, Arthur Cazaux, Aryna Sabalenka, Paula Badosa, Elena Rybakina and Sorana Cirstea also enjoyed their time in Abu Dhabi. Dimitrov shared on his Instagram story a picture of him with actress Eva Longoria.

<img alt=”Arthur Cazaux at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/12/09/15/38/cazaux-abu-dhabi-2024-grand-prix.jpg” />
Arthur Cazaux at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Credit: Arthur Cazaux

Earlier this season, Sinner met driver Carlos Sainz in Monte-Carlo, where the Spaniard sat courtside to watch the 23-year-old. Drivers George Russell and Lando Norris also attended the clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event this past April.

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Joan Solsona honoured with 2024 Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award

  • Posted: Dec 09, 2024

The media credentials pile up in a hurry when you’ve covered more than two decades’ worth of Grand Slams, ATP Masters 1000s, Nitto ATP Finals and Davis Cup ties. Now Joan Solsona, a longtime journalist with Spain’s daily sports tabloid MARCA, can add the Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award to his collection.

[ATP APP]

“It’s a big honour to receive this recognition, and I have to say thanks to everyone involved in tennis that makes our work easier as journalists,” said Solsona, who began his tenure with MARCA in 2000. “I’ve been very lucky to be around tennis at the same time as the Big Four, and I’m very excited now for the new generation coming.”

“This year, I had the opportunity to interview Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune,” he continued. “They represent the present and future of tennis.”

Solsona has also covered football, basketball, handball, swimming and water polo, and was on assignment for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But it’s in the tennis world that he truly found his voice as a sportswriter.

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Fonseca, Fearnley among five Challenger player storylines from 2024

  • Posted: Dec 09, 2024

To mark the end of the 2024 season, ATPTour.com highlights five player storylines from the ATP Challenger Tour season.

Fonseca’s Fast Rise Flourishes In Lexington
Joao Fonseca, 2023 US Open boys’ singles champion, lifted his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in Lexington, Kentucky at age 17. Fittingly, the #NextGenATP star’s triumph came on the five-year anniversary of Jannik Sinner’s title run at the same event. Fonseca was just one day younger than Sinner was when the Italian won the hard-court tournament.

Fonseca did not drop a set all week en route to becoming the youngest Brazilian Challenger champion. The former junior No. 1 is the seventh-youngest player from South America to claim a Challenger title and second youngest from the continent to win a hard-court tournament at that level.

“In the ceremony, they gave me the trophy and announced, ‘Lexington is the first Challenger to have three 17-year-old champions.’ He said, ‘Shang Juncheng, Jannik Sinner,’” Fonseca said. “That’s really nice.”

Fearnley Flies Through Challenger Tour
The Briton Jacob Fearnley secured one of the greatest campaigns in Challenger history this season. Coming into the year, Fearnley had played just one Challenger match in his career. The 23-year-old graduated from Texas Christian University as a four-time ITA All-American and made rapid progress starting in June, when he was No. 525 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Fearnley advanced through qualifying at the Nottingham Challenger and went all the way to the title. He rarely looked back, tallying a 27-3 season record at that level. Fearnley won four titles and became just the third player to finish a season with a win percentage of 90 per cent or greater (min. 25 matches played). Guillermo Canas and Carlos Berlocq both registered 28-3 (90.3 per cent) campaigns in 2006 and 2011, respectively.

“It’s been an amazing last year. I won my first couple Futures titles, I won a national championship with TCU with my teammates. Since then I’ve played on Centre Court at Wimbledon against Novak Djokovic, won four Challenger titles,” said Fearnley, who went on a 17-match winning streak at the Challenger level from August through October. “It’s been a pretty successful 12 months for me and a 12 months that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. I’m super grateful to have the opportunity to play at this level and get to the ranking I’m at now.”

Nagal Notches His Place In Indian Tennis History
Just two seasons ago, Sumit Nagal was returning to pro tennis following hip surgery. Outside the Top 500 of the PIF ATP Rankings, even falling to No. 638 in October 2022, Nagal was admittedly far from where he is today, at World No. 98.

The 27-year-old lifted two Challenger trophies this year, highlighted by his dream run on home soil in Chennai, where he secured his place in the Top 100, becoming the 10th Indian to achieve that feat. Nagal, who ascended to a career-high No. 68 in July, is the first Indian to crack the Top 100 since Prajnesh Gunneswaran in 2019.

“As a kid, everyone wants to be a Top 100 player. Everyone dreams of having that double-digit ranking,” Nagal said. “To be able to do this in front of the Indian crowd, I don’t think I could’ve asked for a better place. It was the most emotional day for me.”

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‘Fede’ Gomez Goes From Club Coach To Challenger Champ
After coaching in Miami from 2019-21, Federico Agustin Gomez gave up feeding balls to chase his professional tennis dream. The Argentine was not training regularly and any time with a racquet in hand was spent in a continental grip, feeding and coaching for 11 hours a day.

But in September 2021, Gomez’s friend, Pedro Caniza, approached him and offered financial help to kickstart his career. Gomez’s hard work reaped rewards this season, when he claimed three Challenger trophies: Milan, Trieste and Guayaquil. Now at No. 137 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Gomez has taken a non-traditional path to where he is today.

“I was just teaching and trying to make a living out of [coaching],” Gomez said when reflecting on his two years coaching, which he did after graduating from the University of Louisville. “I was trying to stay healthy just doing fitness. I don’t think I hit a two-handed backhand in two years. I was just doing fitness in the morning or late afternoon. I didn’t really have the time and also I was kind of disconnected from the entire Tour mentality.”

Naw, Syrian War Refugee, Makes Headlines In Koblenz
The 24-year-old Hazem Naw became the first Syrian to win a Challenger main-draw match in Koblenz, Germany, where he went on to reach the semi-finals. Naw shared that week his gripping refugee story.

“It’s a bad experience, but what I experienced is what makes me really tough mentally on court,” Naw said. “It doesn’t matter if I lose or win, I’m just happy to be able to play in these tournaments. It’s like a dream come true for me.

“Of course when you’re on court, you have this pressure and you forget about these things. But when I have tough times, it’s not worth it to be angry or go crazy on court. Just be thankful that you’re able to hold a racquet, play tennis, the spectators are watching and clapping for you. Enjoy that you are experiencing these kinds of things.”

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Arevalo/Pavic star in Best of 2024 doubles review

  • Posted: Dec 09, 2024

To mark the end of another thrilling season, ATPTour.com is unveiling our annual ‘Best Of’ series, which will reflect on the most intriguing rivalries, matches, comebacks, upsets and more. Today we highlight five standout doubles teams from this season.

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Marcelo Arevalo & Mate Pavic
It was a dream-fulfilling season for Arevalo and Pavic, who earned Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by PIF honours — not a bad feat in their first season together.

“Everybody plays at the start of the year dreaming about this, so to be here, to lift this trophy, obviously that’s why we play the whole year,” Pavic said when presented with the team’s new hardware in Turin.

The Salvadoran-Croatian pair’s opening week foreshadowed how its season would unfold. Arevalo and Pavic were crowned champions in Hong Kong and rarely looked back, compiling a 47-20 season record. The duo’s year was highlighted by title runs at Roland Garros and the Cincinnati Open.

Nikola Mektic & Wesley Koolhof
Reuniting as partners for the first time since their 2020 Nitto ATP Finals title, Koolhof and Mektic won a season-leading five tour-level trophies en route to sealing a Turin return. The Dutch-Croatian duo enjoyed a triple ATP Masters 1000 success spanning three continents by winning Indian Wells, Shanghai and Paris.

“It’s very special. To win three Masters in a year is an unbelievable achievement from both of us,” said Koolhof.

Koolhof and Mektic also made the final in ’s-Hertogenbosch and Basel. It was the perfect sendoff season for retiree Koolhof, who played his final ATP Tour match at the Nitto ATP Finals before ending his career by competing for the Netherlands at the Davis Cup Final 8.

Kevin Krawietz & Tim Puetz
Krawietz and Puetz signed off their memorable season in style, becoming the first German team to clinch the Nitto ATP Finals trophy in the tournament’s 55-year history. Additionally, the eighth seeds in Turin became the lowest-ranked team to triumph at the season finale.

It was a surprise run considering that three weeks prior, Puetz suffered a calf injury in Antwerp that seemed to jeopardise their chances of qualifying for Turin. “Two weeks ago I couldn’t even walk, now we are here having won the tournament,” Puetz said after winning the Nitto ATP Finals. “It’s amazing.”

Krawietz and Puetz also won their home tournament in Hamburg and reached the US Open final.

Harri Heliovaara & Henry Patten
Despite not beginning their partnership until the fourth month of the year, Heliovaara and Patten qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals and reached the semi-finals in Turin. Their success did not take long to launch. Straightaway, they won two ATP Challenger Tour titles and made the Bucharest ATP 250 final.

The Finnish-British team lifted trophies on all three surfaces, including saving three championship points against Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson to triumph at Wimbledon. Heliovaara and Patten also lifted tour-level trophies in Marrakech, Lyon and Stockholm.

“I think the season we’ve had, especially given that we started the year, has been amazing, highlighted by the Grand Slam win at Wimbledon,” said Patten. “[That is] everyone’s dream as a tennis player. It’s been a surreal season.”

Max Purcell & Jordan Thompson
Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson quadrupled their team trophy count this year with a standout season in which they won the US Open title and made the Wimbledon final. “Being a Grand Slam champion has a great ring to it,” said Thompson, No. 3 in the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings. “Especially after the heartbreak at Wimbledon.”

Entering the year having won just one tour-level title together — last year’s ATP 250 in Houston — the Aussies played a more consistent schedule and were equally as steady in their form. The Sydneysiders completed the Texas two-step by winning in Dallas and successfully defending their Houston title. Sandwiched in between those title runs was their triumph in Los Cabos, where Thompson swept the Mexican ATP 250 by also winning the singles crown.

<img alt=”Max Purcell/Jordan Thompson” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/09/07/18/28/purcell-thompson-us-open-2024-trophy-shot.jpg” />
Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson win the US Open. Credit: Al Bello/Getty Images

Thompson and Purcell dropped just one set across six matches to win their maiden major title at Flushing Meadows and finished the year with a semi-final run at the Nitto ATP Finals.

“It’s the best feeling ever when I get to win with Jordan,” Purcell said. “Teaming up with anyone else and winning big tournaments — I just don’t think it would feel the same. I think it’s about who you play with and the relationship you have.”

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