Next Gen ATP Finals 2024: Rules, players, formats & everything else you need to know
The Next Gen ATP Finals 2024, which will be held from December 18-22 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will officially bring the season to a close. The tournament is an opportunity for the next generation of players to prove their mettle.
The best eight players under the age of 20 years will go head-to-head over the next few days. Hamad Medjedovic was the defending champion but wasn't eligible to compete this time due to being above the age limit.
Last year's runner-up Arthur Fils has qualified once again, with Alex Michelsen and Luca Van Assche being the other two returning players. They're joined by five new players for this year's edition. On that note, here's everything to know about the Next Gen ATP Finals:
What is the Next Gen ATP Finals?
The Next Gen ATP Finals was conceptualized to give the best performing youngsters an opportunity to compete together akin to the ATP Finals. The cutoff for the tournament was top eight players who were 21 years or below until last year, which was lowered to 20 years and under starting from this year.
The debut edition of the tournament was held in 2017 in Milan, Italy, and it was held there until 2022. The tournament moved to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2023. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are two of the most notable former champions of this event.
Venue
The Next Gen ATP Finals will be held at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Players
The eight players to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals 2024 are Arthur Fils, Alex Michelsen, Jakub Mensik, Shang Juncheng, Learner Tien, Luca Van Assche, Nishesh Basavareddy, and Joao Fonseca.
Fils won two titles this year, both at the ATP 500 level, and peaked at No. 20 in the rankings. Michelsen advanced to a couple of finals at the ATP 250 level, and reached No. 41 in the rankings. Mensik also cracked the top 50, was the runner-up at the Qatar Open, and made the last eight at the Shanghai Masters.
Shang won his debut title on the ATP tour at the Chengdu Open, and peaked at No. 50 in the rankings. Tien and Basavareddy won three and two titles on the Challenger circuit, respectively. Van Assche advanced to the third round of a Major for the first time at the Australian Open. Fonseca is the youngest of them all, and won a Challenger title and tallied his first wins on the ATP tour this year.
Format and Rules
Players are drawn into two groups, with the top two from each group advancing to the semifinals, and then competing in the final. Fils, Mensik, Tien, and Fonseca are in the Blue Group, while Michelsen, Shang, Basavareddy, and Van Assche are in the Red Group.
The Next Gen ATP Finals is an experimental tournament, and has its own set of rules. Each match follows a first-to-4 and best-of-5 set scoring pattern. A tie-break will come into the picture at 3-3, with the first to seven points with a margin of two points taking the set. There will be no ad-scoring either, and "let" is done away with as well, provided the serve lands in the correct service box.
Players will have up to eight seconds between their first and second serves. Time between points will be reduced from 25 seconds to 15 seconds if the rally is under three shots. Fans also have freedom of movement even during points except for certain designated areas. Players are also allowed to wear devices tracking their data for a detailed analysis of their physical performance.
Schedule
The group stage matches will take place from December 18-20. The semifinals will take place on Saturday, December 21, followed by the final on Sunday, December 22 at 8:00 p.m. local time.
Prize Money and Ranking Points
The Next Gen ATP Finals offers no ranking points. The total prize money is $2,050,000, with an undefeated champion earning $526,480. Here's a breakdown of the ranking points:
Where to Watch
Viewers can tune into the following channels and sites to watch the Next Gen ATP Finals:
USA - Tennis Channel
Canada - TSN
UK - Sky Sports
For more information regarding the broadcast of matches, click here.