4 superstars who won the Next Gen ATP Finals title to announce their arrival on the big stage before Joao Fonseca ft. Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner

18-year-old Joao Fonseca was crowned as the champion of the Next Gen ATP Finals 2024. He remained unbeaten in the group stage and defeated Luca Van Assche in the semifinals. He rallied from a set down to beat Learner Tien 2-4, 4-3 (8), 4-0, 4-2 in the summit clash.

Fonseca became the second-youngest player to win the title. The Brazilian teenager has improved at a rapid pace this year and has marked himself as the fresh talent to look out for in the coming season, and for good reason.

Winning the Next Gen ATP Finals has become a rite of passage for many of today's top stars. With that in mind, here's a look at four players who won the tournament before Fonseca and became a household name after their victories:

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#4 - Brandon Nakashima

Brandon Nakashima at the Next Gen ATP Finals. (Photo: Getty)

Nakashima's title-winning run at the Next Gen ATP Finals 2022 was preceded by a few career milestones. He advanced to the fourth round of a Major for the first time at that year's Wimbledon and won his maiden ATP title at the San Diego Open a few months later.

Nakashima struggled in 2023 on the heels of his triumph at the Next Gen ATP Finals. However, he returned to form in 2024, with a fourth-round finish at the US Open, which pushed him to a new career-high ranking of No. 35.

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#3 - Stefanos Tsitsipas

Stefanos Tsittsipas at the Paris Masters 2024. (Photo: Getty)

Tsitsipas won the 2018 edition of the Next Gen ATP Finals, which included the likes of Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Alex de Minaur, Hubert Hurkacz, and Andrey Rublev, among others. He became a top player in no time following his victory at the marquee event for fresh talent.

Tsitsipas won the ATP Finals 2019, which remains the biggest title of his career. He has also won three Masters 1000 titles over the years and was the runner-up at the French Open 2021 and the Australian Open 2023. He has peaked at No. 3 in the rankings and has won a total of 11 titles in singles, and two in doubles.

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#2 - Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner at the ATP Finals 2024. (Photo: Getty)

Sinner didn't accumulate enough points to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals 2019 and was given a wildcard to participate. With players like Tiafoe, de Minaur, Casper Ruud, and Ugo Humbert in the mix, came out on top to claim the title.

Sinner tasted a decent level of success in the wake of his triumph at the Next Gen ATP Finals. He won his maiden ATP title in 2020, won four titles in 2021 reached the top 10, and reached a Major quarterfinal during this period.

The Italian advanced to three Major quarterfinals in 2022 and won another title as well. He took things to the next level in 2023 as he reached his maiden Major semifinal at Wimbledon, and won his first Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open. He finished as the runner-up at the ATP Finals and ended the year ranked No. 4.

Sinner then smoked the rest of the field in 2024. He captured his first Major crown at the Australian Open and claimed the US Open later in the season. He won a total of eight titles and was the year-end No. 1 player thanks to an impressive 73-6 record during the season.

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#1 - Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open 2024. (Photo: Getty)

Alcaraz contested the Next Gen ATP Finals 2021, which also featured future stars such as Holger Rune, Sebastian Korda, and Lorenzo Musetti, among others. He beat Korda in the final and took over the ATP Tour the very next season.

Alcaraz started 2022 on a strong note and claimed the first Masters 1000 title of his career at the Miami Open. He nabbed his second Masters 1000 title at the Madrid Open, with wins over Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal along the way.

The young Spaniard then won the US Open, which helped him secure the World No. 1 ranking, and he became the youngest player to hold the top spot. He continued his exploits in 2023 with titles at the Indian Wells Masters and Wimbledon.

Despite being plagued by injuries in the lead-up to the French Open 2024, Alcaraz was the last man standing in Paris. He became the youngest man to win a Major title on all three surfaces. He then defended his Wimbledon title a few weeks later to complete the "Channel Slam". The 21-year-old has become an unstoppable force since he turned pro, and that's unlikely to change any time soon.