Before the start of the 2017 Indian Wells tournament, the ATP held an event featuring a few of the players in contention for the qualification to the inaugural edition of the Next Gen Finals. Fans had the chance to meet and hear from the future stars of the mens game.
Two years later, let’s have a look at their career so far.
Taylor Fritz
Age: 21 (28.10.1997)
Turned pro: 2015
Best ranking: 40
Titles: 0
Best Grand Slam result: 3R Australian Open 2019
Fritz became the youngest American to reach an ATP final since Michael Chang in 1988, when he advanced to the Memphis final in 2016 (l. to Nishikori, coached by Chang). Despite being ranked in the top 50, he doesn’t have any significant results or victories yet.
Read more:
– Fourth Memphis title for Kei Nishikori
– Sweetheart Sunday at the Memphis Open
Daniil Medvedev
Age: 23 (11.02.1996)
Turned pro: 2014
Best ranking: 15
Titles: 4
Best Grand Slam result: 4R Australian Open 2019
Medvedev had his big break last year with 3 titles in Sydney, Winston-Salem and Tokyo. He’s one of the in-form players of the start of the season: he reached the Brisbane final, captured his fourth career title in Sofia and advanced to the semifinals in Rotterdam. He’s also the only player to have taken a set to Djokovic at he recent Australian Open.
In 2018, Medvedev led the ATP Tour with 38 hard-court victories (38-15). It will be interesting to see how well he’ll do on clay.
Read more:
– Sofia 2019: Daniil Medvedev cruises to the title
– Brisbane 2019: Nishikori claims the title
Borna Coric
Age: 22 (14.11.1996)
Turned pro: 2013
Best ranking: 12
Titles: 2
Best Grand Slam result: 4R Australian Open 2019
He’s only 22 but it seems he’s already a veteran on the tour: aged 17 he defeated Nadal in Basel in 2014, he made his entry to the top 50 one year later, and won his first ATP title in Marrakesh in 2017.
Feeling his game and ranking weren’t evolving enough, Coric changed his whole team last year. Since then, he defeated Zverev and Federer in Halle for the biggest title of his career so far, and he defeated Del Potro and Federer en route to his first Masters 1000 final in Shanghai, where he lost to Novak Djokovic.
He also played an important part in Croatia’s Davis Cup triumph.
Karen Khachanov
Age: 22 (21.05.1996)
Turned pro: 2013
Best ranking: 11
Titles: 4
Best Grand Slam result: 4R Roland Garros 2018
Khachanov defeated 4 top 10 players to claim his first Masters 1000 trophy in Paris last November: John Isner, Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem and Novak Djokovic. It was his third indoor title in 2018 after also triumphing in Marseille and Moscow. As a result he was an alternate at the ATP Finals.
He struggled so far this year, with first round exits in Doha, Sofia, Rotterdam and Dubai.
Read more:
– Open du Nord 2015: Khachanov wins the title
Reilly Opelka
Age: 21 (28.08.1997)
Turned pro: 2015
Best ranking: 56
Titles: 1
Best Grand Slam result: 2R Australian Open 2019
The new John Isner? Opelka, the tallest player on the circuit (2.11m), defeated Isner in the first round of the Australian Open and again a few weeks later in the semifinals of the New York Open, with both players combining to strike 81 aces (43 for Opelka) – an ATP record for a three-set match. He then defeated Canadian qualifier Brayden Schnur to capture maiden ATP title.
Stefan Kozlov
Age: 21 (01.02.1998)
Turned pro: 2013
Best ranking: 115
Titles: 0
Best Grand Slam result: Q3 Australian Open 2018
The only one so far who did not have his big breakthrough.
In 2014, Kozlov reached two junior Grand Slam finals, where he lost to Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open and Noah Rubin at Wimbledon. He won a few Challengers titles here and there but never managed to qualify for a Grand Slam’s main draw. His current ranking is around the 300th place.
Three more players, Alexander Zverev, Hyeon Chung and Frances Tiafoe were part of the Next Gen campaign:
Alexander Zverev
Age: 21 (20.04.1997)
Turned pro: 2013
Best ranking: 3
Titles: 10
Best Grand Slam result: QF Roland Garros 2018
The leader of the Next Gen players.
At 21, Federer had won 4 titles: an ATP 1000, 500 and two 250 events. At 21, Alexander Zverev has won 10 ATP titles, including four Masters 1000 along with two 500, five 250 and the 2018 ATP Tour Finals. But he has again and again underperformed at Grand Slams: 3 third round eliminations at majors last year and a defeat in straight sets to Milos Raonic in the fourth round of the Australian Open this year. He hired Ivan Lendl to help him progress, let’s see how far he can go.
Hyeon Chung
Age: 22 (19.05.1996)
Turned pro: 2014
Best ranking: 19
Titles: 0
Best Grand Slam result: SF Australian Open 2018
Winner of the inaugural NextGen ATP Finals in 2017, Chung reached the Australian Open semifinals a few months later thanks to wins over Zverev and Djokovic. He then reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells (l. to Federer) and Miami (l. to eventual winner John Isner), and the Munich semifinals (l. to Zverev). He did not compete at Roland Garros or Wimbledon, and reached the second round of the 2018 US Open.
Plagued by injuries, he has an up and down career so far (he has a 1-4 record in 2019), and lacks a big weapon in his game.
Frances Tiafoe
Age: 21 (20.01.1998)
Turned pro: 2015
Best ranking: 29
Titles: 1
Best Grand Slam result: QF Australian Open 2019
The future of US tennis? Tiafoe became the youngest American to win an ATP title since Andy Roddick in 2002, when he claimed the Delray Beach title last year.
He made the quarter-finals at the Australian Open this year after wins over Kevin Anderson and Grigor Dimitrov, before being stopped by Nadal.
Read more:
– Estoril 2018: Joao Sousa triumphs
– Estoril Open 2018: Sousa and Tiafoe to clash in final
A few more young players to watch:
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Age: 20 (12.08.1998)
Turned pro: 2016
Best ranking: 10
Titles: 2
Best Grand Slam result: SF Australian Open 2019
The talk of the season so far.
Winner of his first ATP trophy in Stockholm last year, Tsitsipas made the headlines with his win over Roger Federer en route to the 2019 Australian Open semifinals. He then captured the title in Marseille and advanced to the Dubai final (l. to Federer).
Currently second at the Race, he is the second Next Gen player (after Zverev) to reach the top 10, and many see him as a future world number one.
– Dubai 2019: Federer and Tsitsipas face off in the final
– Rogers Cup 2018: Nadal ends Tsitsipas run, wins 80th title
– Stefanos Tsitsipas makes Greek tennis history in Barcelona
Andrey Rublev
Age: 21 (20.10.1997)
Turned pro: 2014
Best ranking: 31
Titles: 1
Best Grand Slam result: QF US Open 2017
Part of this new generation of Russian players who intend to follow the footsteps of their glorious countrymen Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin.
In 2017, as a lucky loser, Rublev won maiden title in Umag, on clay. A few weeks later, he upset Grigor Dimitrov and David Goffin to become the youngest US Open quarterfinalist since Andy Roddick in 2001. He reached the Doha final (l. to Monfils) in 2018, but had to deal with a recurring back injury and fell out of the top 100.
Alex De Minaur
Age: 20 (17.02.1999)
Turned pro: 2015
Best ranking: 24
Titles: 1
Best Grand Slam result: 3R Australian Open 2019
The Australian was named the 2018 ATP Newcomer of the Year: he began the season at rank 208, and made his way to the Brisbane semifinals and Sydney final. He also reached the Washington final (l. to Zverev).
This year he captured his maiden ATP trophy in Sydney, defeating Gilles Simon in the semis and Andreas Seppi in the final. Is he the big champion Australia has been waiting since Lleyton Hewitt’s retirement?
Denis Shapovalov
Age: 19 (15.04.1999)
Turned pro: 2017
Best ranking: 23
Titles: 0
Best Grand Slam result: 4R US Open 2017
A player there’s been much talk about is Denis Shapovalov. He first made a name for himself when he defeated Del Potro and Nadal to reach the Rogers Cup semifinals in 2017. He reached the last 4 in Madrid last year.
Felix Auger-Aliassime
Age: 18 (08.08.2000)
Turned pro: 2017
Best ranking: 58
Titles: 0
Best Grand Slam result: Q2 Australian Open 2019
Another young Canadian is making wave these days: Felix Auger-Aliassime. He recently reached the Rio final after wins over Fognini, Garin, Munar and Cuevas and the Sao Paulo quarterfinals. rom number 185 to a career-high number 58 in the span of 10 months, Felix is one player to watch this year.
Who do you think will have the biggest career? Who will win a Grand Slam first?
Photo credit: Tony for Tennis Buzz
In a rematch of their fourth round meeting at the Australian Open, 37-year old Roger Federer schooled 20-yr old Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4 6-4 in the Dubai final, to win his 100th career title.
Federer claimed his first trophy just more than 18 years ago, in February 2001 in Milan, defeating Julien Boutter in the final, after victories over Goran Ivanisevic and Yevgeny Kafelnikov.
“It’s been a long, wonderful journey… I have loved every minute,” Federer said on court after his victory. “It’s been tough but the sacrifice has been very, very worthwhile and we’ll see how much more I’ve got left in the tank. Reaching 100 is an absolute dream come true for me.”
Photo credit: Marianne Bevis
Roger Federer is just one win away from a mind-blowing 100th career title. After difficult victories over Kohlschreiber, Verdasco and Fucsovics, he dispatched Borna Coric 6-2 6-2 to reach his 152nd final, his 10th in Dubai .
His next opponent, Stefanos Tsitsipas had a much harder time to qualify for the final: the recent Australian open semi-finalist outlast Gael Monfils, who had beaten him in the quarterfinals of the Sofia Open a few weeks ago, 4-6 7-6 7-6 to reach his second final of 2019.
Federer and Tsitsipas met once, at the Australian Open earlier this year, with the latter upsetting the 20-time Grand Slam champion. So what do you think, who will win? Will it be title number 100 for the Swiss or number 3 for the Greek?
Photo credit: Marianne Bevis, Andrew Robertson
In-form, in-love, focused, spectacular, former world number 6 Gael Monfils defeated Stan Wawrinka in an entertaining final 6-3 1-6 6-2. It was the first Rotterdam final between two unseeded players since 2008, when Michael Llodra defeated Robin Soderling.
Semi-finalist in Sofia last week, Monfils registered some solid wins over David Goffin and Daniil Medvedev in Rotterdam, and confirms his good start of the season with his 8th career title, his second ATP 500 after Washington in 2016.
It was also a good week for Wawrinka, playing in his first final since Roland Garros 2017. The Swiss, who received a wild card, defeated Paire, Raonic, Shapovalov and Nishikori en route to the final.
The defending champion was Roger Federer, but he chose not to participate this year. The number two seed, Karen Khachanov has been ousted in the first round by young Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor.
In doubles, Jérémy Chardy and Henri Kontinen teamed up to lift the trophy, beating Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau 7-6 7-6.
Photo credit: ABN AMRO WTT Instagram
Read more:
– Rotterdam 2019: Stan Wawrinka advances to the final
– Rotterdam 2019: Tsitsipas ousted by Dzumhur
– Rotterdam 2018: the title and the number one ranking for Federer
3-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka is back in top form: he defeated number one seed Kei Nishikori in a thrilling 3-set match to advance to the Rotterdam final. Nishikori was bidding to reach his second final of the season, following his victory in Brisbane last month.
The Swiss had beaten his friend Benoît Paire and then Canadians Milos Raonic and Denis Shapovalov to reach the last 4. It will be his second Rotterdam final – he claimed the title here in 2015 defeating Tomas Berdych – his first final since his loss to Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros 2017.
In the other semifinal Gael Monfils took his revenge over Daniil Medvedev, who had took the better of him in the semifinals of the Sofia Open last week. Like Wawrinka, Monfils will play his second Rotterdam final – he lost to Martin Klizan in 2016, and his 29th overall. The Frenchman has a terrible record, having only won 7 out of 28 finals (16 out of 28 for the Swiss).
Photo credit: Marianne Bevis
