Last season, Brandon Nakashima made his mark at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals. The 21-year-old earned round-robin stage victories against Juan Manuel Cerundolo and Holger Rune before he lost to Sebastian Korda in a five-set semi-final thriller.

Twelve months on and the American is excited to be back in Milan where he is aiming to take the next step and triumph at the 21-and-under event.

“I had such great memories in Milan last year,” Nakashima told ATPTour.com. “I think the ATP and the tournament director do such a great job there. The atmosphere with the fans and everything is super nice, super cool. It’s always nice to just play a fun, competitive tournament with people your age. I think it’s going to be another great tournament this year.

“Last year I played Korda and that match was super exciting, [against a] fellow American. I think all these [young] guys have such great games and such unique games that bring different aspects to tennis that makes it so cool.”

After gaining a taste for Milan and the vocal Italian fans last year, Nakashima was determined to qualify again in 2022, making it a priority at the start of the season.

“All the young players coming up, being able to qualify for the Next Gen Finals means that you had such a great year and produced some good results,” Nakashima said. “I think qualifying for that is such a good achievement, especially for young players, to be able to get that exposure at a young age, playing such a high-level tournament is very important.

“The Italian fans are super cool, they are super electric out there. Playing in an indoor stadium with a full crowd is something super special and they really support all the young players out there. I think it’s really cool to see that.”

Nakashima entered 2022 off the back of a strong second half to the 2021 season. The American reached two ATP Tour finals (Los Cabos, Atlanta) last July and by November climbed to No. 62 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

The 21-year-old, who enjoys playing golf and watching football, has continued to build this year, winning his maiden tour-level title in San Diego. Nakashima is proud of how he has handled his second season on Tour.

“I’m very happy with my performance this year,” Nakashima said. “For me, looking at the wins or loss columns doesn’t matter too much. It’s a matter of developing my game and trying to keep improving every day. Coming to these big tournaments and having these experiences is only going to further my experience and make me more confident out here.

“I was always expecting it was going to be a tough year. [The] second year on Tour, a lot of people get familiar with you, with your game a little bit more. You’re not such a surprise to many people as you were your first year. I think I’ve handled it pretty well with the expectations and everything. I try not to think about it too much on my side, just focus on what I can do out there.”

Alongside his title triumph in San Diego, Nakashima performed well at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. He pushed Alexander Zverev hard in the third round in Paris, before he reached the fourth round on the lawns in London.

“That match [against Zverev], I definitely gained a lot of confidence from,” Nakashima said. “Leading up to Roland Garros, I wasn’t winning too many matches on clay and then winning the first few rounds of Roland Garros was super big for my game and confidence. Having that great match with Zverev in the third round, I definitely took a lot from that match, learned a lot. I think it definitely helped me for the next couple weeks.

“I kind of always knew that my game was good for grass. A lot of my coaches always said I could do really well on grass. Leading up to Wimbledon, I had some good matches, good practices, and Wimbledon was such a great experience. It was such a great run for me that I definitely took a lot of confidence from it.”

Holding a 30-22 tour-level record on the season, Nakashima will look to use his experience and become the fifth champion at the 21-and-under event.

The 2022 season reaches its crescendo this week for eight of the ATP Tour’s brightest 21-and-under talents, who head to the Allianz Cloud in Milan to compete in the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals.

Lorenzo Musetti, Jack Draper and Brandon Nakashima headline the field in Italy from 8-12 November at an event renowned for its unique format and pioneering innovations.

As the action kicks off with a round-robin stage consisting of two group of four, ATPTour.com looks ahead at five things to watch from the 2022 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals.

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FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN MILAN

1) Innovation Station: As it has done since the inaugural edition five years ago, the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals will once again introduce new innovations and rules for 2022. While the pioneering match format of best-of-five first-to-four-games sets remains, many of this year’s changes are designed to enhance the flow of the game.

They include a quicker shot clock, with the time in-between points shortened to 15 seconds (from the standard 25 seconds) if the server hits an ace, a double fault or if the returner misses the return through forced or unforced error. Other rule additions include a reduction to just one sit-down per set and three-minute warm-ups, while the TennisViz system, in partnership with Tennis Data Innovations, will provide match analysis information directly to coaches for them to use during a match.

2) Musetti Leads Italian Trio: For the first time in event history, three Italians will compete on home soil at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals. Second seed Lorenzo Musetti spearheads the home charge in Milan, where the Hamburg and Naples champion will be competing for the second consecutive year.

Francesco Passaro and Matteo Arnaldi join the 20-year-old Musetti in attempting to become the second Italian champion in Milan after Jannik Sinner in 2019. Musetti competes in Red Group, while 21-year-olds Passaro and Arnaldi line up in Green Group.

3) Draper Seeks Big Showing: Third seed Jack Draper joins Musetti in a heavyweight Red Group. The 20-year-old Briton started the year at No. 265 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, but he has surged to a career-high No. 41 after a breakout season in which he has notched a 17-12 tour-level record and lifted four ATP Challenger Tour titles.

Draper will be the first Briton to compete in Milan in event history and he opens his campaign on Tuesday by going head-to-head with a fellow big-hitting lefty, Switzerland’s Dominic Stricker.

4) 2021 Semi-Finalist Nakashima Headlines Green Group: Like Musetti, Brandon Nakashima will be appearing in Milan for the second year in a row. The American was impressive on tournament debut in 2021, defeating Juan Manuel Cerundolo and Holger Rune en route to the semi-finals.

Nakashima has continued his progress in the 2022 season, highlighted by lifting his maiden ATP Tour title in his hometown of San Diego in September. Passaro and Arnaldi will look to channel home support to hamper the fourth-seeded American’s chances of progressing from Green Group, however, as will Czech Jiri Lehecka. The 20-year-old Rotterdam semi-finalist reached a career-high World No. 59 in August.

5) Can Tseng Make His Mark?: Joining Musetti, Draper and Stricker in Red Group is Chun-Tsin Tseng. The 21-year-old from Chinese Taipei, junior champion at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon in 2018, won two Challenger Tour titles this season and will be feeling confident as he seeks an opening upset against Musetti on Tuesday. Tseng is the first Asian player to compete in the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals since South Korean Hyeon Chung lifted the trophy in 2017.

When Holger Rune began his 2022 season, he was No. 103 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and needed to enter qualifying at his first tournament of the year. The Danish teen will not need to worry about doing that again any time soon.

By defeating Novak Djokovic in the Rolex Paris Masters final on Sunday, Rune guaranteed he would crack the Top 10 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time on Monday at World No. 10. Rune is the first man from Denmark to accomplish the feat.

Only two active players broke into the Top 10 at a younger age than the 19-year-old — Rafael Nadal (18) and Carlos Alcaraz (18). Rune did so earlier than a laundry list of current and former superstars, including Djokovic, Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Marat Safin and Juan Carlos Ferrero.

“I didn’t expect that at all four or five weeks ago but now I’m here,” said Rune, who will be the first alternate at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.. “I’m super happy how I officially ended my season, and if there possibly is more matches, I’m just super excited for it. Right now I just can’t wait to get some sleep, get some food, just relax totally.”

^{Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour}
This time last year, Rune and Carlos Alcaraz were competing in the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals. Now Rune is in the Top 10 and Alcaraz is well-positioned to finish year-end World No. 1. This is the first time two teenagers have been ranked inside the Top 10 in more than 15 years. Djokovic and Murray were teens in the elite group on 14 May 2007.

Rune has been in especially imperious form of late, winning 19 of his past 21 matches. He reached the final in Sofia, lifted the trophy in Stockholm, made another championship match in Basel and earned the best result of his career in Paris, where he became the youngest champion since 18-year-old Boris Becker in 1986.

Rune has been clear since breaking onto the ATP Tour that he wants to be the No. 1 player in the world. While in Paris the Dane became the first player on record (since 1973) to defeat five Top 10 opponents at a tournament outside of the Nitto ATP Finals, this will only make him hungry for more.

According to one of Rune’s coaches, Patrick Mouratoglou, the 19-year-old still has places he can improve his game.

“We have to be very transparent on this. He can progress. He can improve much more. There are elements where he can actually improve very much,” Mouratoglou said. “We are reaching the end of the season. We will work on that. It’s not really that there is a danger, but there is a lot of work to provide. He’s Top 10. It’s not his ambition. It’s wonderful, but it’s not his ambition.

“I don’t know [if] we have seen actually his top tennis. It’s higher than before, but we have to upgrade his average tennis play and to make sure that his normal average play is as excellent as we have seen so far.”

Rune will shortly return to work to do just that. But for now, he will soak in the fruits of his memorable performance in Paris.

“It was very emotional after the match. It’s probably the best feeling of my life, of my whole career,” Rune said. “It’s kind of a small dream come true, even though I have bigger dreams.”

Novak Djokovic won five more points in the match. Holger Rune ran a specific serve strategy that won the point 16 of 18 times. There’s your upset in a nutshell.

Rune defeated Djokovic 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the Rolex Paris Masters final on Sunday on the back of dominating his service games with a Serve + 1 forehand approach. It was almost unstoppable. Rune won 89% (16/18) of points when he started with a serve and a forehand approach. In comparison, he came to the net only eight times behind a Serve +1 backhand approach, winning just three (38%).

Hit a serve. Hit a forehand approach. Collect the most impressive silverware of your emerging career.

Rune’s winning strategy was to take time away from Djokovic and take control of the point as quickly as possible. Rune served and volleyed eight times, winning five. He made contact with the ball 38 per cent of the time inside the baseline, compared to Djokovic’s 33 per cent. Rune took advantage of every opportunity to lean on the ball and make Djokovic defend. Rune hunted more forehands (165-147), repeatedly putting himself in an offensive situation in the point.
Fortune favours a north-south strategy.

Rune was also the more opportunistic player on the court. He only saw three break points in the match, and converted every one. In stark contrast, Djokovic amassed 12 break points in the two hour and 33 minute encounter, but only managed to convert two of them. It must have felt like sand slipping through his fingers.

Rune’s forehand was the difference maker in short rallies with his Serve +1 strategy. Once the point flowed into longer exchanges, it was his backhand that stole the show. Overall, Rune crushed 17 backhand winners to Djokovic’s six. It was a well-oiled, two-pronged attack that has catapulted Rune into the Top 10 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Rune’s court position provided another leverage point that helped him pull off an unlikely victory. He hit 37 per cent of his backhands inside the baseline trying to extract as many errors from Djokovic as possible. By comparison, the Serb only made contact with 26 percent of his backhands inside the baseline. The Dane stepped into the ball. The Serb too often let it passively come to him.

Rune was on a mission to move forward as often as possible to secure victory. Another data point that supports Rune’s superiority in the rally was his court movement. Rune ran 2739 metres for the match, while Djokovic was significantly higher at 2981 metres. Too much running for the former world No. 1.

Rune’s offense was simply spectacular, but so was his defense. If he wasn’t swarming the net, he was scampering side-to-side at the back of the court slicing forehands and backhands on the dead run to stay alive in the point. Djokovic hit 90 per cent topspin in the match, while Rune was only at 78 per cent. That’s a strong defensive stat for the 19-year-old. Rune played 58 per cent of his shots cross court, while Djokovic was lower at 54 per cent.

Defense goes cross court.

Rune’s stunning victory serves as a playbook for the younger generation to upset the established stars. Attack the net at will. Stay in the point with “squash-like” slice.

Run like the wind and admire your newly acquired personal-best ranking.

At the start of the Rolex Paris Masters, Wesley Koolhof knew a semi-final run would be enough to earn him a debut atop the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings. But the 33-year-old didn’t stop there, finishing the week with his seventh title of the 2022 season, all won alongside Neal Skupski.

“It means everything, obviously. I think the first goal you have when you start playing tennis is you want to become World No. 1,” Koolhof said after clinching the milestone achievement on Saturday. “I didn’t know until I opened the [Pepperstone ATP] Live Rankings on Monday, because I saw the Nitto ATP Finals points drop off for Ram and Salisbury. [I] needed to make the semi-finals here [Paris] to be No. 1. It feels great to reach the goal.”

Koolhof is the fourth Dutchman to rank No. 1 individually in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings, since 1976. He joins Tom Okker (1979), Paul Haarhuis (1994) and Jacco Eltingh (1995) in claiming the honour.

Set to be the top seeds at the Nitto ATP Finals, which begins 13 November, Koolhof and Skupski lead all doubles teams on the ATP Tour this season in wins (54), finals (10) and titles (seven). 

“It’s been great,” Koolhof said of the first-year partnership. “We first started playing together in Australia. We actually had a talk here in Bercy last year. I approached Neal [to ask] if he was available to play with next year. I think we just combined well from the first practice on. We’ve done very good, won a lot of matches, a lot of titles. I think it’s very special to share this with Neal.”

The new World No. 1 also paid tribute to other important figures in his tennis career, including coaches, former partner Matwe Middelkoop and girlfriend Julia Goerges, a former WTA star.

“[I’d like to thank] everyone who has been involved in my career. I had so many coaches with the Dutch federation. Switched from singles to doubles in 2016. Then I started with Matwe Middelkoop, so it’s also special to be able to beat him [in the Paris semi-finals] to become No. 1.

“Also Marco Kroes, who has been my coach for the past six or seven years. December of last year I switched to a different team, Rob Morgan, Mariusz Fyrstenberg. I think they’ve done an amazing job together. I’ve improved a lot.

“I’m grateful for everyone — my mom, my girlfriend Julia Goerges. She helped me a lot the past two-and-a-half years. I got all the good things from her career.”

By winning the Paris title — their third ATP Masters 1000 crown of the year (Madrid, Montreal) — Koolhof and Skupski clinched year-end No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Teams Rankings. The pair can now turn its attention to the Nitto ATP Finals, which Koolhof won in 2020 alongside Nikola Mektic.

“We still have Turin,” Koolhof said. “I managed to win that one two years ago. For Neal, it will be his first one. There’s still a lot to play for.”

Holger Rune’s 2022 Rolex Paris Masters campaign could so easily have been an unremarkable first-round exit. Instead it became a career-altering run that featured five consecutive Top 10 wins and a first ATP Masters 1000 title, earning him a place as first alternate at the Nitto ATP Finals.

The 19-year-old Dane saved three match points in a first-round thriller against Stan Wawrinka, his lone opponent not inside the Top 10. But after dropping the opening set against the Swiss, he did not lose another until Sunday’s final, a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 win against Novak Djokovic.

“It’s quite incredible,” Rune said of his dream week. “To stay here with the trophy, it’s an amazing feeling. Something that was tough to expect, starting the week off having three match points down. Then now to be able to be here with this beautiful trophy is an absolutely amazing feeling.”

Rune said the gravity of his accomplishment did not sink in immediately after the final, as he was focused on staying in the moment during the match. But he allowed himself to take a step back soon after.

“It was very emotional after the match. It’s probably the best feeling of my life, of my whole career,” he said. “It’s kind of a small dream come true, even though I have bigger dreams. It’s a really good step on the way to be able to play these kind of matches against one of the greatest players like Novak. To be able to win that last game was the biggest relief of my life. My stress level was very high, so I’m super happy to come through.”

Rune saved six break points in a marathon final game as he served out his victory and avoided a decisive tie-break. After sealing the win on his second match point, he celebrated with his team in the stands, sharing a long embrace with his mother.

“She’s so important,” he said. “Without her I would obviously not be here today. She’s been supporting me since I was a little kid, and she’s still here. It’s amazing to have her by my side. Also my whole family — my dad was here today and my sister back home. It’s amazing to have my family supporting me so well. So I appreciate that.”

Set to become the first Danish player to reach the Top 10 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Ruud has surpassed even his own expectations by booking his ticket to Turin as first alternate.

“Of course I’m going to go to Turin,” he said. “I’m one out. I wish [for] all the players that I’m not going to play, because I wish them to be healthy, but at the same time it would be awesome if I got to play.

“I didn’t expect that at all four or five weeks ago but now I’m here. I’m super happy how I officially ended my season, and if there possibly is more matches, I’m just super excited for it. Right now I just can’t wait to get some sleep, get some food, just relax totally.”

Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski clinched year-end No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Team Rankings on Sunday when they lifted the Rolex Paris Masters trophy. It is first time either player has been part of the year-end No. 1 duo.

The Dutchman and Briton made a quick start to their partnership at the beginning of the season and have not looked back. The pair has won seven titles this year, including triumphs at three ATP Masters 1000 events.

“[It means] a lot, obviously. It was one of the goals we set for this year. I think we’ve reached all the goals we set in January, so it means the world to us,” Koolhof said. “I think we’ve been playing great tennis from the start in Australia and managed to keep it going until here. We have one more week to go, so let’s continue this run in Turin.”

Koolhof and Skupski began 2022 by lifting trophies at ATP 250 events in Melbourne and Adelaide. That set the tone for the year, in which they have tallied a 54-17 record.

Their biggest victories of the season came at the ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in Madrid, Montreal and Paris. They have also triumphed in Doha and ’s-Hertogenbosch.

Other notable results include runs to the championship match in Miami, Barcelona and at the US Open.

“It’s been great with Wes from day one really in Australia. We just keep growing. We have a few setbacks here and there, but we bounce straight back,” Skupski said. “We both work hard. We get along very well off the court. I think that’s one of the keys to gel on the court. We keep putting the work in, things seem to be paying off. Hopefully we can keep going in Turin.”

Individually, Koolhof will also become No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings for the first time on Monday.

The year-end No. 1 duo will try to punctuate its standout season on a high as at the Nitto ATP Finals. Koolhof will appear at the season finale for the second time and Skupski will make his debut. Koolhof lifted the trophy at the year-end championships in 2020 with Nikola Mektic.

Novak Djokovic saw his twin 13-match win streaks snapped by Holger Rune in Sunday’s Rolex Paris Masters final, but leaves the ATP Masters 1000 event full of confidence ahead of the Nitto ATP Finals. The Serbian had recorded 13 straight victories both overall and in Bercy, where he won the 2019 and 2021 titles.

Djokovic gave Rune full credit for the upset victory, providing a glowing assessment of both the Dane’s level and his own.

“Of course I’m disappointed with the loss today, but I was very close. It was just very few points that decided a winner,” he reflected. “But the level of tennis that I’m playing is high, and I like my chances [in Turin]. Of course, every match is like a final there. There are no easy matches.”

While the Serbian rued his missed chances in the final, where he was seeking a record-extending seventh Paris title, he spent more time discussing the excellence of his 19-year-old opponent.

“He stayed composed also mentally all the way to the last shot,” Djokovic said of Rune. “For somebody who is so young to show this composure and maturity in the big match like this is very impressive. He’s had a week of his life, I mean, winning against five Top 10 players, it’s quite impressive.”

Now set to break into the Top 10 himself, Rune will join fellow 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, the World No. 1, in that elite group. Djokovic, who has faced both players this season, shared his view on their games.

“They are similar in terms of physicality,” he said. “I think they are both really fit. They train very hard. They are very dedicated guys. They defend, both of them, extremely well. Rune has a better backhand. Alcaraz has a better forehand. But they are both improving on those shots that maybe are not as good as maybe other shots.

“When I say ‘not as good’, meaning it’s not huge difference,” he clarified, noting both men are still strong on their weaker wing. “They have great shots, great forehand from Rune or great backhand from Alcaraz.

“They are very complete players for 19-year-olds. It’s quite impressive. Also their energy on the court, just wanting, motivating themselves and wanting to do well and staying mentally present, it’s impressive.”

While Alcaraz will miss the Nitto ATP Finals with an oblique injury, Rune’s Paris run earned him a place as the first alternate in Turin. Djokovic will be seeking his sixth title at the season finale, but his first since 2015.

“Every tournament is important at this stage of my career. Anywhere I play, I try to win. That’s not a secret,” he said when asked about his hunger to return to the winners’ circle. “That’s kind of my mentality and approach coming into [Turin]. I feel very good on the court. I think I’m playing very, very good tennis.”

He will now have one week to prepare for his second appearance at the Pala Alpitour.

“You’ve got to be fit, fresh,” Djokovic continued. “Good thing is that you have a day between every match in the group stage, so you have time to recover between each match, which is good.

“Let’s see. I played there last year, played really good tennis. Played semis, tight match against Zverev, who was the eventual champion. So I know that the conditions are different. The ball is flying more because it’s altitude. It’s quite fast. You’ve got to serve well. I’ll be there some days before to train, and hopefully be at my best.”