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In 2017, ATP introduced the Next Gen Finals in an attempt to crown the most promising young player on tour. Carlos Alcaraz is the latest winner of the event.
Similar to the ATP Finals, the tournament features eight of the best players aged 21-and-under based on the points they have accumulated throughout the year.
But from the get-go, the event experimented heavily to add more spice to the contests. For starters, human linesjudges were completely replaced by electronic line calling. The courts were futuristic to cater to a singles-only match, while winners needed to win three out of five sets by reaching four games first instead of the usual six.
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On-court coaching was also allowed, while 'let' calls on service points were considered fair game to force players to adapt to any situation.
Over the last few years, the winners of the Next Gen Finals have gone on to become household names on the men's tennis tour. Here's a look at where they are now:
#1 Hyeon Chung (2017)
Hyeon Chung won the 2017 edition of the Next Gen Finals, prevailing over current tennis superstars like Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Denis Shapovalov, among others.
The South Korean made history the following year at the Australian Open, reaching the semifinals as an unseeded player. In the fourth round, Chung bested Novak Djokovic in straight sets to pull off the upset of a lifetime.
He reached a career-high ranking of World No. 19, but injuries wrecked the career of the 25-year-old. Hyeon Chung played only three more Grand Slams after his run in Melbourne and reached the third round only once, at the US Open in 2019.
Chung's last official match was in the qualifying draw at the 2020 Roland Garros, where he lost in the second round. The former World No. 19 has fallen to a miserable World No. 485 since then, and it is uncertain if or when he will be back in action again.
#2 Stefanos Tsitsipas (2018)
Stefanos Tsitsipas was the winner of the 2018 Next Gen Finals, outclassing players like Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz and Hubert Hurkacz among others. The Greek has gone on to have a remarkable career since then, and is currently placed at an impressive World No. 4.
Earlier this year, the 23-year-old became only the sixth man in the Open Era to defend his title at the Monte-Carlo Masters. While he lost to Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev at Barcelona and Madrid respectively, Tsitsipas reached the final of the Italian Open last week, losing to Djokovic in straight sets.
Tsitsipas' resume boasts four semifinal finishes in Grand Slams, in addition to reaching one final. The World No. 4 fell in the final to Djokovic at the 2021 French Open.
#3 Jannik Sinner (2019)
Jannik Sinner was the winner of the 2019 edition of the Next Gen Finals, besting current day stars like Felix Auger-Aliassime, Casper Ruud and Frances Tiafoe, among others.
The Italian has since gone on to become one of the mainstays of the ATP tour and is currently ranked World No. 12. The 20-year-old has five titles to his name and is widely regarded as one of the brightest prospects in tennis at the moment. Among Italians, only Matteo Berrettini is ranked higher than Sinner at the moment.
#4 Carlos Alcaraz (2021)
Carlos Alcaraz lifted the trophy at the 2021 Next Gen Finals, dwarfing players like Sebastian Korda, Lorenzo Musetti and Holger Rune among others. Alcaraz is currently regarded as one of the brightest talents on the planet and is one of the favorites for the upcoming French Open.
Carlos Alcaraz has several records to his name already, one of which was becoming the first player to beat both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the same claycourt event. Alcaraz has five titles to his name so far, including the Miami Masters and the Madrid Masters. The Spaniard also became the youngest player to crack the top 10 since Nadal after his triumph in Barcelona.
Currently ranked sixth, Carlos Alcaraz enters Roland Garros on a 10-match winning streak, having won back-to-back titles in Barcelona and Madrid.
