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Good footwork is essential to improve your movement, positioning, and shot quality on the tennis court. Here are some key footwork tips to help you move efficiently and play at your best: 1. Stay Low and BalancedKnee Bend: Always maintain a slight bend in your knees to lower your center of gravity. This helps with balance and quick reactions.Weight...

Objective: To improve serve placement, consistency, and the ability to target specific areas of the service box. Setup:Divide each service box into four quadrants using cones, chalk, or visual markers.Have several tennis balls ready for continuous practice.How to Perform:Stand behind the baseline and prepare to serve as you normally would.Aim to pl...

The Australian Open has delivered countless unforgettable moments over the years. From legendary comebacks to record-breaking performances, these highlights showcase the grit, talent, and drama that make the tournament so special. 1. Nadal's Marathon Win Over Medvedev (2022)What Happened: Rafael Nadal came back from two sets down to defeat Daniil M...

Drills are a crucial part of improving your tennis skills, as they focus on specific aspects of your game and build muscle memory. Here are some effective drills to incorporate into your training: 1. Cross-Court Rally DrillObjective: Improve consistency and control.How to Do It: Rally with a partner, keeping the ball cross-court. Focus on maintaini...

The approach shot is critical when transitioning from baseline play to the net. This drill helps improve your ability to move forward and execute a solid shot while preparing for a volley or overhead. Here's how to do it: Objective: To practice hitting an effective approach shot and transitioning to the net for a volley. How to Perform the Drill:St...

Racquetball Tips for Improving Your Game 1. Focus on Your Stance Stay in a low, athletic stance with knees bent and feet shoulder-width apart to react quickly to shots.2. Master the Ceiling ShotUse ceiling shots to reset the rally and move your opponent to the back of the court. This buys you time to regain position.3. Learn to Serve StrategicallyM...

Your grip pressure directly influences your control, power, and feel on the court. Learning how to adjust it depending on the situation can elevate your game: Loose Grip for Spin and ControlKeep your grip relaxed when hitting shots that require finesse, such as slices, drop shots, or topspin-heavy strokes. A lighter grip allows the racquet to flow ...

The open stance is a modern tennis technique used primarily for forehands and sometimes backhands. It allows players to hit powerful and efficient shots while maintaining balance and preparing for quick recovery. Here's a breakdown of the open stance and tips to incorporate it into your game: What is the Open Stance?In the open stance, your body fa...

In pickleball, strategy and control often outweigh sheer power. Here's how to play smarter for better results: 1. Focus on PlacementAim for the open spaces or corners of the court to force your opponent to move.Hitting deep shots keeps opponents back, while angled shots can pull them out of position.2. Stay Patient in RalliesAvoid trying to win the...

Keeping your eyes on the ball is one of the most essential skills in tennis. It ensures accurate timing, better contact, and improved shot placement. Here's how to master this critical aspect of the game: 1. Focus From Start to FinishWatch the ball as it leaves your opponent's racket.Track its spin, speed, and trajectory as it moves toward you.Keep...

The Serve and Return Drill is a foundational exercise to enhance both serving accuracy and returning skills. It's a dynamic drill suitable for players of all skill levels, as it targets two of the most critical aspects of the game. Drill ObjectiveImprove serve placement and consistency.Practice reading and effectively returning serves.Develop match...

The seventh edition of the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF get underway Wednesday in Jeddah, pitting the world’s eight best 20-and-under players against each other in a fight for glory.

With the aim of showcasing the promising talent on offer in the tennis world, the innovative event has acted as a stepping stone for some of the sport’s brightest stars. Ahead of the tournament, ATPTour.com revisits the six previous champions and examines where they are now.

2017 Hyeon Chung
Hyeon Chung took the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF by storm with his undefeated run to the title. After a short offseason, it felt as if the South Korean was already headed for further stardom when he produced an inspired campaign at the Australian Open, notching a momentous win over Novak Djokovic en route to the semi-finals.

Yet Chung’s promising form was cut short as he grappled with injury in the years that followed, ultimately leading to a two-year hiatus between 2020 and 2023. Last year, Chung returned to action on the ATP Challenger Tour and ITF Tours.

2018 Stefanos Tsitsipas
Having already made a name for himself by climbing inside the Top 15 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Stefanos Tsitsipas further cemented his status as one of the sport’s brightest prospects with his performance at the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.

American tennis is experiencing a renaissance, with the current generation of talent making waves on the global stage. Taylor Fritz capped off a stellar year by finishing No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings, highlighted by a career-best run to the US Open final. Meanwhile, Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton, and Sebastian Korda all finished the season in the Top 25, solidifying the U.S.'s presence at the top of the men's game.

This week, the spotlight shifts to the next wave of American men as three rising stars — Alex Michelsen, Learner Tien, and Nishesh Basavareddy — take centre stage at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in Jeddah. For the first time in tournament history, three American players are set to compete together at this prestigious event.

While this marks the trio’s first appearance together at a tour-level event, they are far from strangers. All three players grew up in California, where their paths crossed frequently in junior competitions. Over the years, they developed fierce rivalries, but also built strong friendships that have stood the test of time.

“I remember playing Nishesh when I was 10, and he lived just 20 minutes from me,” Michelsen recalled with a smile to ATPTour.com. “We would play a lot, and it was always tight—either I’d win or he’d beat me in a match tie-break. With Learner, it was a different story. He was always a step ahead, even when he was younger. When he showed up at tournaments, we all knew he was the one to beat.”

Basavareddy has similar memories of his early encounters with Tien.

Before the eight 20-and-under players compete in the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, they participated in a fun-filled media day. All photo credits belong to Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.

The field of eight gathers for the official group photo for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.

Close friends Learner Tien and Alex Michelsen share a laugh.

China's Shang Juncheng is seeded fourth in Jeddah.

Arthur Fils and Nishesh Basavareddy during Media Day.

There are few players in the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF field who have tasted success quite like Learner Tien in 2024.

Boasting a 31-9 win-loss record across the year, the American has thrived on the ATP Challenger Tour. After scooping three titles and climbing to a career high of No. 114 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Tien arrives as the fifth seed among the world’s eight best 20-and-under players.

“I felt like I couldn’t lose a match,” said Tien of his 28-match win streak from May to July across all levels. “No matter the score, it wasn’t meant to be over and I still found a way, until I didn’t. I always had this confidence that I could come through, which I feel you should always have.”

Yet it has not all been plain sailing for the 19-year-old, who was forced onto the sidelines for three months at the beginning of the season through a seventh-rib fracture.

“If you had told me then that I would be ranked where I am now, I would be thrilled. Even before I was injured, I had the goal of being around 150-175 [in the rankings], without that setback. To come back after missing three months and still have a year as good as I ended up having, it’s great. I’m really happy with where I am.”

Frenchman Luca Van Assche is one of three players making a return trip to Jeddah at this week’s Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, alongside Arthur Fils and Alex Michelsen. The 20-year-old Van Assche made the semi-finals in 2023 before falling to countryman Fils.

But this year, there is a new team in Van Assche’s corner, Italians Vincenzo Santopadre and Paolo Cannova, the latter accompanying the Frenchman this week.

Since beginning their partnership in February, Van Assche and Santopadre — who previously spent 13 years with Matteo Berrettini — have built a strong connection that extends beyond the tennis court. Santopadre introduced his charge to the Italian card game Scopa, sparking a new source of friendly competition.

“It’s a fun game,” Van Assche said. “I didn’t play a lot of cards when I was young. When I met [Vicenzo], he bought some new cards and they are Italian cards. We started to play this game and we are very competitive.

“The last two weeks, we didn’t play that much because Paolo bought another game — Sequence — so we are trying some new things. It’s very fun off the court.”

You could argue that Shang Juncheng was born to become an elite athlete.

The Chinese star has firmly established himself as one of the brightest prospects on the ATP Tour in 2024, during which he surged to a career-high No. 47 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Dealing with a meteoric rise can be tough for any young talent, but Shang has not one, but two former pro sportspeople at hand to offer sage advice — his parents, ex-footballer Shang Yi and ex-table tennis player Wu Na.

“I think I’m where I am because of them,” Shang told ATPTour.com on Tuesday in Jeddah ahead of the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, where he will compete as the fourth seed. “I think for each player, parents are the most important. At the end of the day, it’s the people around you — your team, your coach, your family — I think they are most important for me.

“They are definitely very understanding of how it is to be a professional athlete. We have conflict always about things. It’s never perfect, and there are ups and downs for sure, but at the end of the day we try to not make it an argument. More to describe your own feelings and express the way you are feeling on the court, and what you need to improve. At the end of the day, it’s all about just communicating.”

Regular communication from a parent has also been vital to the development of Arthur Fils. The Frenchman may not have a parent who played pro sport, but his father played basketball to a high level as a teenager. Jean-Philippe Fils passed on his competitive edge to his son, who is now a Top 20 player at just 20 years old.

The Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF begins with a flourish Wednesday, with all eight of the world’s best 20-and-under players in action in Jeddah.

Top seed and 2023 finalist Arthur Fils, who headlines Blue Group's evening session, will open his campaign against debutant Joao Fonseca, with the Frenchman aiming to overturn his 1-0 deficit in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. Their clash will follow third seed Jakub Mensik’s match against American Learner Tien.

Red Group’s afternoon session pits second seed Alex Michelsen against countryman and good friend Nishesh Basavareddy and hosts a first-time battle between fourth seed Shang Juncheng and last year's semi-finalist Luca Van Assche.

[1] Arthur Fils (FRA) vs [8] Joao Fonseca (BRA) [n.b 8 p.m.]
Having risen to a career high of No. 20 in the PIF ATP Rankings this year, Fils will start a firm favourite to improve on his runner-up finish in Jeddah in 2023. Yet the top seed will have to be locked in from the onset as he faces tough competition.

Despite being the youngest and lowest-ranked competitor in the field, 18-year-old Fonseca is the only player to own a positive Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Fils, having beaten him to record his maiden tour-level win earlier this year en route to reaching the quarter-finals on home soil in Rio de Janeiro. Fonseca will hope to reignite that form to spark an early upset in Jeddah.

One key aspect to succeeding at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF? Getting your head around the rules.

The 20-and-under event has been a hotbed for innovation since its inaugural edition in 2017. This year’s tournament is no different, as the eight-player field discovered during a pre-tournament meeting on Tuesday in Jeddah.

Arthur Fils, Alex Michelsen, Jakub Mensik, Shang Juncheng, Learner Tien, Luca Van Assche, Nishesh Basavareddy and Joao Fonseca gathered in a King Abdullah Sports City press conference room for a run-through of the signature rules and innovations in play for the tournament.

The 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF player briefing. Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour

As in previous years, matches will be first-to-four-games, best-of-five-sets, with a tie-break (first to seven points) at 3-3. A No-Ad scoring format will be used, with the server choosing the service box at 40/40.

Less than two weeks after turning pro, Nishesh Basavareddy is set to compete at one of the sport's marquee events. The 19-year-old American enters the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF ready to kickstart the next chapter of his tennis career.

"It's a great feeling," the former Stanford star said on Monday, ahead of his Jeddah debut. "This is probably one of the best tournaments of the year outside of the main [Nitto] ATP Finals. All the treatment and the setup here at the Finals with the hotel, the courts, it's been great. I'm really excited to be a part of this tournament with these guys here."

Competing in Jeddah was a goal for Basavareddy this season, one he accomplished despite competing for Stanford through May. After two All-American years with the Cardinal, Basavareddy has risen to a career-high of No. 138 in the PIF ATP Rankings behind his success this season on the ATP Challenger Tour, where he won two titles and reached four additional finals. Though it was difficult to leave his teammates behind, the American has proven he belongs at the next level.

"I loved the team aspect of that and those are some of my best friends that I'll have for the rest of my life," he explained. "But I was ready to move and start playing professional tennis, which has always been my dream. It was tough to let it go, but I'm excited for the future."

Basavareddy enters Jeddah in fine form after winning his second ATP Challenger Tour trophy of the season in his most recent tournament. He can also take confidence and comfort from some familiar faces in Saudi Arabia: fellow Americans Learner Tien and Alex Michelsen. Basavareddy will open his Jeddah campaign Wednesday against Michelsen. If both Basavareddy and Tien advance to the knockout rounds and square off, their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting will be the latest installment of a friendly rivalry that began when they competed as six-year-olds at the famous "Little Mo" tournament.

Another more senior American has also seen Basavareddy rise through the junior ranks. Former doubles World No. 1 Rajeev Ram has been a guiding influence on his younger countryman for more than a decade.