ATP Next Gen Finals 2024: Everything you need to know
The ATP Next Gen Finals are back, as the best rising talents from 2024 return to go head-to-head once again.
And we, at Tennishead, have the ultimate guide for you to find out all the information about the upcoming event:
What are the ATP Next Gen Finals?
The Next Gen Finals are a season ending exhibition tournament organised by the ATP Tour, pitting the top eight 20-and-under singles players from the year against one another.
For the first six editions of the event, it had been for players aged 21-and-under, but the 2024 tournament sees the age threshold lowered to only enable players born in 2004 or later.
How do the ATP Next Gen Finals work?
Like the senior edition of this event, the Next Gen Finals begin in a round-robin format with two groups of four, as every player competes against one another.
After the completion of these matches, the top two from each group advance to the semi-finals, where the top finisher from each group will play the second placed finisher in the other.
However, there are some major differentials in the Next Gen Finals in comparison to standard tour events, which is much of its unique selling point.
Starting with the scoring format, instead of playing traditional sets to six games, matches are played in the best of five tie-break sets, with each set being played as the first to four games instead.
A tie-break will be played at 3-3, and games will have a No-Ad system at deuce, instead having a deciding point with the server choosing which side they play on.
Some of the other innovative rules implemented specifically for the Next Gen Finals include no lets on serve, a shorter amount of time between points (15 seconds), free fan movement and a lower umpires chair to reduce obstruction for those in the crowds.
When are the 2024 ATP Next Gen Finals?
The Next Gen Finals will get underway on Wednesday 18th December, with the round-robin stage concluding on Friday 20th December.
Semi-finals will take place on Saturday 21st December, with the grand final following on Saturday 22nd December at 8pm local time (5pm GMT).
3 days… 🥁 #NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/zQr7diob4f
— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) December 15, 2024
Where are the 2024 ATP Next Gen Finals held?
The ATP Next Gen Finals were held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for the first time last year at the King Abdullah Sports City.
Jeddah will be the host for the year-end tournament once again this year, and is set to continue doing so until 2027.
Who is playing at the 2024 ATP Next Gen Finals?
The Next Gen Finals draw took place yesterday, with the eight players being split into the Blue Group and the Red Group.
Last year’s runner-up Arthur Fils is the top seed, and is by far the highest qualifier with more than 1,000 ranking points than his nearest rival.
Highlights from the Frenchman’s season include winning the first two ATP 500 titles of his career in Hamburg and Tokyo, enabling him to break inside the top 20.
Fils is part of the Blue Group and is joined by tournament debutants Jakub Mensik, Learner Tien and Joao Fonseca.
Mensik is just 19-years-old and has had a breakout season this year, reaching his first main tour final in Doha and the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters.
This has enabled the young Czech to reach a career-high of World No.48 and receive the ATP award for ‘Newcomer of the Year’.
See you soon, @mensik_jakub_ 👋#ATPAwards pic.twitter.com/j8M4lYd08q
— ATP Tour (@atptour) December 11, 2024
While Tien has impressed more on the Challenger Tour this year with three titles, and reached the quarter-finals in his main ATP Tour debut in Winston-Salem.
Fonseca is the youngest player in the field at just 18-years-old, with the Brazilian producing some eye-catching performances by reaching the quarter-finals in both Rio de Janeiro and Bucharest, while winning his first ATP Challenger title in Lexington.
The Red Group is headlined by the returning Alex Michelsen, who is making his second consecutive appearance at the Next Gen Finals after impressing in his first full season on the main ATP Tour.
Michelsen was unable to advance from the round-robin stage last year, and will face tough competition from Juncheng Shang, Luca Van Assche and Nishesh Basavareddy in the Red Group.
Shang was ranked outside the top 100 at the beginning of 2024, but after winning his maiden title in Chengdu has finished the year ranked inside the top 50 and qualified for the Next Gen Finals for the first time.
Van Assche is the third player to have qualified for the Next Gen Finals for a second year in a row, having reached the semi-finals last year.
While the last participant at this year’s Next Gen Finals is American Basavareddy, who has enjoyed a very strong season on the ATP Challenger Tour after winning 41 of his 54 matches this year, claiming titles in Tiburon and Puerto Vallarta.
The groups are set 🔵 🔴#NextGenATPFinals
— ATP Tour (@atptour) December 15, 2024
Alternates in case of withdrawals are Spaniard Martin Landaluce and Portuguese player Henrique Rocha.
Are there any ranking points on offer at the 2024 ATP Next Gen Finals?
As the Next Gen Finals are not classed as an official title by the ATP, there are also no ranking points on the line for the eight players involved. Although, match results still go towards official head-to-heads on the ATP website.
What is the prize money for the 2024 ATP Next Gen Finals?
Despite not having any ranking points on offer in Jeddah, there is a considerable total prize money pot containing $2,050,000.
Here is how players can get hold of a share of that:
| Stage in tournament | Prize Money |
| Undefeated Champion | $526,480 |
| Final Win | $153,000 |
| Semi-final Win | $113,500 |
| Each Round-Robin Win | $36,660 |
| Participation Fee | $150,000 |
| Alternate Fee | $15,000 |
Previous winners of the ATP Next Gen Finals
Last year saw Serbian Hamad Medjedovic beat Arthur Fils, 3(6)-4 4–1, 4–2, 3(9)-4 4–1, to win the first Next Gen Finals held in Jeddah.
The Next Gen Finals has seen both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz previously claim the title, who have shared out the four Grand Slam titles this year.
Here are all of the winners of the six previous editions of the Next Gen Finals:
| Year | Location | Singles Champion |
| 2017 | Milan, Italy | Chung Hyeon |
| 2018 | Milan, Italy | Stefanos Tsitsipas |
| 2019 | Milan, Italy | Jannik Sinner |
| 2020 | Not held due to the Covid-19 Pandemic | – |
| 2021 | Milan, Italy | Carlos Alcaraz |
| 2022 | Milan, Italy | Brandon Nakashima |
| 2023 | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | Hamad Medjedovic |
Carlos Alcaraz is the first Spanish player to win the #NextGenATPFinals! 🇪🇸@nextgenfinals @alcarazcarlos03 pic.twitter.com/l5P7qb7mXz
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 13, 2021
How can you watch the 2024 ATP Next Gen Finals?
You can watch the ATP Next Gen Finals on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland, or on Tennis Channel in the United States of America.
For more information on how to watch the fast-paced tournament in your location, visit the official ATP website here.
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