Amongst the professional tennis landscape, the ATP Tour NextGen Finals should be an absolute showcase event for emerging talent, featuring seven of the best under-21 players, alongside a wildcard entrant. However, despite the unique premise, the event finds itself somewhat lost in its current place on the calendar, serving as the last hurrah in a final month of tennis, that includes the prestigious ATP Finals, and the long running Davis Cup.
The tournament’s format is commendable, pitting the brightest young stars against each other in a bid for glory. Past champions such as Hyeon Chung, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Brandon Nakashima attest to the event’s knack for propelling rising talents onto the global stage.
As always, the event serves as a laboratory for rule experiments and technological innovations designed to make tennis quicker, more engaging for spectators, and allow for real-time insight.
Key rule differences and innovations for 2025 include:
Scoring and Match Format
- Best-of-5 sets, first to 4 games (must win by 2)
- Tiebreak at 3-3 (first to 7, win by 2)
- No-Ad scoring throughout, with the server choosing the service box on deuce point
Changeovers and Pace of Play
- No change of ends after the first game of each set
- 90-second sit-down changeovers only after the 3rd game, after the 5th game (if the score reaches 3-2), and at the end of the set (reduced from 120 seconds)
- Warm-up shortened to 3 minutes on court
- Time between points reduced: 15 seconds for rallies of 0–3 shots, 25 seconds for rallies of 4+ shots
- Serve shot clock tightened to 8 seconds between first and second serve
- New balls introduced after every 7 games
Fan Experience Enhancements
- Free fan movement allowed throughout the stadium for the first three games of each match
- After the initial period, unrestricted movement continues except in restricted zones directly behind the baseline in the players’ line of sight
- Lower umpire chair retained to improve sightlines for spectators
In-Arena Data and Analytics
For the first time, fans in Jeddah will see an expanded range of live statistics displayed in the arena, including:
- Classic metrics (aces, serve percentage, break points)
- Performance by rally length
- Shot Quality ratings for serve, return, forehand, backhand, and movement
- Advanced Match Insights: “In Attack” percentage, Attack Conversion Score, and Defensive Steal Score
Coaches will have access to the same data in real time via the ATP Tennis IQ platform plus post-match video clips tagged with analytical overlays.
These adjustments continue the Next Gen Finals’ mission to test ideas that could eventually migrate to the main ATP Tour, all while delivering a faster, louder, and more interactive experience for a new generation of tennis fans.
Timing is Off
Yet, the timing of the NextGen Finals poses a significant challenge. As the last hurrah of the tennis calendar, it suffers from a peculiar predicament.
As alluded to earlier, the two preceding weeks are bursting with the elite ATP Finals and the Davis Cup, leaving tennis enthusiasts with a somewhat lacklustre conclusion to the year.
For most tennis pundits, the NextGen Finals undeniably have a place in the tennis landscape, offering an insight into the future of the sport. However, is it time to reconsider its spot on the calendar?
Less than two weeks separate the conclusion of the NextGen Finals and the commencement of the new season, leaving players and fans with minimal time to savour their achievements and re-gather for the opening week of 2026.
Surely we should be trying to look after our younger players, by allowing a longer break, not by forcing them to go all the way through to the end of the calendar.
Last year we had the privilege of seeing both Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien springboard off the NextGen Finals, and start the 2025 season in stunning fashion. As was expected though, they both went through a bit of a form slump midway through the year, before finishing strong.
Whether that was due to a lack of rest at the back end of 2024, it’s unclear. But either way, the timeslot isn’t ideal.
There are a couple of alternatives which present themselves as possible solutions to elevate the NextGen Finals to a more prominent status.
The first proposal would be to hold the event concurrently with the ATP Finals, acting as a curtain raiser for each session. This move would ensure significant attendance, yet also provide an invaluable opportunity for young players to share the spotlight with the tennis elite. While scheduling additional matches in each session poses logistical challenges, the prospect of witnessing the next generation alongside the best in the game is undeniably enticing.
The second option proposes moving the NextGen Finals to the week before the ATP Finals, both hosted at the same venue. In this scenario, the entire event would serve as a fascinating curtain raiser to the season finale, with the spectacle of the final match, being played on night one of the ATP Finals. Perhaps we could even have the world number one potentially presenting the trophy? Cast your mind back, and envisage Novak Djokovic presenting the trophy to a young Jannik Sinner in 2019, or Carlos Alcaraz in 2021, merely 18 months before the young Spaniard toppled him at Wimbledon.
This alternative promises unparalleled exposure and an electric atmosphere that would undoubtedly elevate the status of the NextGen Finals.
Right now, it’s hard to work out who the event is being geared towards, and the sport needs as many eyeballs on the young up-and-comers as possible, in order to generate new fans. Holding the event after the pinnacle of the season, in both an individual, and team sense, just doesn’t sit right.
By implementing one of these alternatives, the ATP could revitalize the NextGen Finals, ensuring that it remains a relevant, and highly watched event on the tennis calendar.
The best young talent should be on show for all to see. We want the tournament to be a highlight, not a footnote in the long tennis calendar.
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