The Next Gen ATP Finals have long offered a preview of tennis’ future stars, showcasing young talent on the brink of breaking through amid fierce competition. Players like Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Taylor Fritz have all passed through the event on their way to main-tour success. With the 2025 edition set for Jeddah, anticipation is growing around a new crop of prospects, including Learner Tien, Martín Landaluce, Nicolai Budkov Kjær, and Alexander Blockx. Before the spotlight shifts forward, let’s revisit the former champions who conquered the Next Gen stage and went on to make their mark on the ATP Tour.
2017 Champion Hyeon Chung
The list begins with the inaugural champion of the prestigious event, South Korea’s Hyeon Chung. The Korean star made history by defeating current world No. 16 Andrey Rublev in the final, winning 3–4 (5–7), 4–3 (7–2), 4–2, 4–2 to claim the first title. Chung showed remarkable composure, saving seven break points and converting the lone break of the fourth set to seal the victory over the Russian.
Chung later climbed to a career-high singles ranking of world No. 18 on the main tour. However, his momentum stalled thereafter, as he failed to capture a title and has since slipped down the rankings, currently sitting at No. 363.
2018 Champion Stefanos Tsitsipas
Former World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas is the second name on the list, having lifted the title in 2018. The Greek standout emerged from a highly competitive field that included future main-tour stars such as Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, Hubert Hurkacz, Andrey Rublev, and others. After overcoming Rublev in the semifinals, Tsitsipas capped his campaign with a four-set victory over Australian Alex De Minaur to claim the crown.
The 27-year-old went on to rise through the main draw, reaching a career-high world No. 3 in 2021 and capturing 12 tour-level titles to date.
2019 Champion Jannik Sinner
The 2019 edition marked the rise of a talent who would go on to dominate the main tour. Jannik Sinner announced his arrival by lifting the title at just 18, defeating Australia’s Alex de Minaur 4–2, 4–1, 4–2 in the final and setting the tone for a remarkably bright future. It is worth noting that the Italian secured an entry into the draw as a wildcard. Nearly five seasons later, he climbed to the summit of the ATP rankings and has amassed 24 career titles, including four Grand Slam trophies.
2021 Champion Carlos Alcaraz
Spanish tennis star and current World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz is another notable player to have won the event. The then 18-year-old, Alcaraz, defeated American Sebastian Korda 4–3(5), 4–2, 4–2 in the final in Milan to become the first Spaniard to lift the title. He enjoyed an unbeaten run in the round-robin stage, registering wins over Holger Rune, Brandon Nakashima, and Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, before overcoming Sebastian Báez in the semifinals.
Alcaraz’s dominance carried seamlessly into the main tour, as he captured his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open the very next year. He has since gone on to win six Grand Slam titles overall. This season alone, the Spaniard added eight tour-level trophies to his résumé, including two Grand Slams.
2022 Champion Brandon Nakashima
Another edition held in Milan saw American rising star Brandon Nakashima claim the title. Notably, the American had fallen in the semifinals of the event that Alcaraz won a year before. He returned in 2022 with renewed composure, dropping just two sets in the round-robin stage before defeating Jiří Lehečka 4–3(5), 4–3(6), 4–2 in the final to secure the crown.
The World No. 33 has so far won only the ATP 250 event in San Diego, back in 2022, and has yet to make a significant impact on the main tour.
2023 Champion Hamad Medjedovic
This Serbian tennis star made waves by winning the tournament in 2023. The then 20-year-old went unbeaten throughout the tournament to become the first player from his country to claim the coveted crown. Playing aggressively in front of a packed crowd at King Abdullah Sports City, he held his nerve in a hard-fought final against Arthur Fils, prevailing 3–4(6), 4–1, 4–2, 3–4(9), 4–1. However, the breakthrough did not immediately translate to the main tour, with the Serbian yet to make a significant impact and currently ranked world No. 83.
2024 Champion João Fonseca
Fonseca has firmly established himself as one of the fastest-rising talents on the main tour. His promise was already on display on the Challenger circuit and during his appearance at last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah. The young Brazilian showcased his winning mindset by defeating top seed Arthur Fils and third seed Jakub Menšík in five sets in the blue group. He capped his run with a 2–4, 4–3(8), 4–0, 4–2 victory over American Learner Tien in the final, joining Alcaraz and Sinner as the only 18-year-olds to lift the title.
The 19-year-old has continued to impress on the main tour in 2025, capturing two tour-level titles and rising to a career-high world ranking of No. 24.
