Next Gen ATP Finals 2022 line-up confirmed: Jack Draper, Lorenzo Musetti, and Holger Rune set to participate
Many exciting names have been included in the line-up for the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals 2022, with Jack Draper, Lorenzo Musetti, and Holger Rune among those to have sealed a spot in the competition.
The season-ending tournament for players aged 21 and under will be played from November 8-12 in Milan.
A few players will make their second appearance in the competition, while others will be making their debuts. These players have earned their place in the tournament thanks to outstanding showings at various ATP tournaments during the season.
The "future of men's tennis" is the objective of the competition. For these young players, the tournament serves as the ideal training ground to prepare them for the challenges that lie ahead.
World No. 23 Musetti, World No. 18 Rune, and World No. 50 Brandon Nakashima are the three players who will be taking part in their second Next Gen ATP Finals. Last year, the trio competed at the Allianz Cloud Arena in Milan, with Nakashima making it to the semifinals.
World No. 45 Jack Draper, World No. 75 Jiri Lehecka, World No. 116 Dominic Stricker, and World No. 122 Francesco Passaro will play in the event for the first time.
Musetti and Passaro's participation will mark the first time two Italians are playing in the tournament in the same year, highlighting the growing status of Italian tennis. Jannik Sinner qualified last year, but withdrew.
The tournament will adopt new rules this year, including a quicker shot clock, a three-minute warm-up, off-court coaching and advanced analytics.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are not competing in the Next Gen ATP Finals despite qualifying
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were first and second in the ATP Race to Milan. However, they have both withdrawn from the competition.
Sinner won the tournament in 2019, beating Alex de Minaur in the final while Alcaraz won it last year, beating Sebastian Korda in the final.
While World No. 1 Alcaraz will compete in the ATP Finals, Sinner missed out on qualification after his loss at the Paris Masters earlier this week.