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Matteo Berrettini will represent Public Investment Fund (PIF) as its new tennis ambassador, both parties announced on Monday.

The Italian star will aim to support PIF’s mission of elevating the game, nurturing young talent and creating opportunities at all levels.

“I think it's something that goes beyond tennis and not just my tennis career, but makes tennis and other sports bigger and better and more accessible to all the people around the world,” the 28-year-old said in an Instagram video.

“As a PIF ambassador, one of my roles is to inspire the next generation, the youth, the kids. Together with PIF, I’m going to be able to do that and this is one of the greatest things that I can do.”

Berrettini, 28, is a 10-time tour-level titlist. This season alone, he earned three titles, lifting trophies in Marrakech, Gstaad and Kitzbühel. Berrettini was named the 2024 ATP Comeback Player of the Year. The 2021 Wimbledon finalist has been as high as No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard has been selected by his peers as the Most Improved Player of the Year in the 2024 ATP Awards. The 21-year-old Frenchman earned this honour after winning his first two tour-level titles this season and rising from outside the Top 200 to a career-high PIF ATP Ranking of No. 30.

"I'm very happy to win the Most Improved Player award," Mpetshi Perricard said. "It was a good year for me and my team. Now we are looking [forward to] 2025."

See you back on court soon ?@MpetshiG | #ATPAwards ? pic.twitter.com/SdcLtABDiN

Having played just five tour-level matches prior to 2024, Mpetshi Perricard posted a 16-12 record this season. In his first ATP Tour main draw appearance of 2024, he completed a storybook run to the title in his hometown of Lyon.

As a wild card at the ATP 250, he saved a match point against Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the final before winning a dramatic third-set tie-break for the trophy.

The ATP has announced a record $28.5 million in ATP Challenger Tour prize money for the 2025 season – up $6.2 million year on year and 135 per cent since 2022. The increases are the result of major Challenger Tour reforms delivered under OneVision – ATP’s long-term strategic plan – to expand the number of players able to make a sustainable living from tennis.

A central driver of prize money increases has been the formation of Tennis Data Innovations (TDI) and the successful commercialisation of Challenger Tour rights. Calendar enhancements have helped drive growth, through the introduction of premium Challenger 175 events and a rise in the number of higher category Challenger 100 and 125 events.

Under OneVision, ATP has established a dedicated Challenger Tour team with new leadership to oversee growth and new revenue opportunities. Significant investment in marketing, headlined by the launch of the Challenger Tour’s ‘On The Rise’ brand campaign, has played an important role in enhancing the visibility and commercial appeal of the Tour.

ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said: “Creating a sustainable player pathway to the ATP Tour is vital for the future of our sport. Since 2022, we’ve invested in significant reforms on the Challenger Tour. The results have been clear: record-breaking prize money, year on year increases and most importantly, more players inside the Top 250 provided with greater financial compensation at this level.”

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Nick Kyrgios is preparing for the Brisbane International presented by Evie, where he will compete in his first tournament in more than 18 months.

The ATP 250 event shared footage on social media of the 29-year-old practising in Brisbane Thursday.

Kyrgios reached the Wimbledon final in 2022 and played just one match the following year due to injury.

Making his third Brisbane appearance, the home favourite lifted the trophy in 2018. Kyrgios is a seven-time tour-level champion who has been as high as No. 13 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

The Brisbane International presented by Evie runs from 29 December - 5 January.

Adding spin to your shots can give you a significant edge on the court by enhancing control, increasing shot variety, and keeping opponents on their toes. Here's how to effectively incorporate spin into your game: 1. TopspinWhy Use It: Adds height and safety to your shots while allowing them to dip sharply into the court. Great for aggressive basel...

The media credentials pile up in a hurry when you’ve covered more than two decades’ worth of Grand Slams, ATP Masters 1000s, Nitto ATP Finals and Davis Cup ties. Now Joan Solsona, a longtime journalist with Spain’s daily sports tabloid MARCA, can add the Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award to his collection.

“It’s a big honour to receive this recognition, and I have to say thanks to everyone involved in tennis that makes our work easier as journalists,” said Solsona, who began his tenure with MARCA in 2000. “I’ve been very lucky to be around tennis at the same time as the Big Four, and I’m very excited now for the new generation coming.”

“This year, I had the opportunity to interview Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune,” he continued. “They represent the present and future of tennis.”

Solsona has also covered football, basketball, handball, swimming and water polo, and was on assignment for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But it’s in the tennis world that he truly found his voice as a sportswriter.

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Jannik Sinner ended the 2024 ATP Tour season by lifting the Nitto ATP Finals trophy and on Sunday, the Italian helped bring the Formula 1 year to a close. Sinner waved the chequered flag at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final race of the F1 season.

It was an action-packed weekend for the World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, who also spent time with renowned driver Max Verstappen and attended the F2/F3 Prize-Giving event.

Jannik Sinner attends the F2/F3 Prize-Giving event. Credit: Formula Motorsport Limited

Sinner was not the only tennis star in attendance. Grigor Dimitrov, Arthur Cazaux, Aryna Sabalenka, Paula Badosa, Elena Rybakina and Sorana Cirstea also enjoyed their time in Abu Dhabi. Dimitrov shared on his Instagram story a picture of him with actress Eva Longoria.

Arthur Cazaux at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Credit: Arthur Cazaux

Consistency is crucial in tennis. Regular play not only refines your skills but also builds confidence and stamina. Here's why frequent practice matters and how to make it enjoyable: 1. Strengthen Muscle MemoryWhy It Matters: Repeatedly practicing strokes, serves, and footwork helps you perform them instinctively during matches.How to Do It: Schedu...

To mark the end of another thrilling season, ATPTour.com is unveiling our annual 'Best Of' series, which will reflect on the most intriguing rivalries, matches, comebacks, upsets and more. Today we relive the five best Grand Slam comebacks this season.

5) Australian Open R2, Daniil Medvedev d. Emil Ruusuvuori 3-6, 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-6(1), 6-0
With daybreak approaching in Melbourne, Daniil Medvedev avoided an early upset by rallying from two sets to love down, a position he would again win from in the semi-finals against Alexander Zverev.It could have been easy for Medvedev to deflate after losing a topsy-turvy, 83-minute second set against Emil Ruusuvuori. But the 20-time tour-level titlist did just the opposite, clawing his way back to eventually win at 3:40 a.m.

“This one is for sure going to stay in my memory,” Medvedev said after the four-hour, 23-minute triumph.

The 28-year-old showed some early signs of backhand rust in his first tournament of the season. “I was missing all over the place,” he later assessed. But Medvedev matched the clean hitting of the Finn and raised his level in important moments, such as when he was two points from defeat at 4-5 in the fourth set.

Moments later, he raced through the fourth-set tie-break to level at two sets all and asserted his dominance in the decider as Ruusuvuori began to struggle physically.

Mixing up your shots in tennis is a powerful strategy to keep your opponent off balance and disrupt their rhythm. Here are detailed ways to vary your shots effectively: 1. Use Different SpinsTopspin: Generate a high bounce to push your opponent back, especially on clay or slow courts.Slice: Hit under the ball to create a low bounce and force your o...

To mark the end of another thrilling season, ATPTour.com is unveiling our annual 'Best Of' series, which will reflect on the most intriguing rivalries, matches, comebacks, upsets and more.

From saving match points, overcoming the brink of defeat to eventually lifting the trophy, or a narrow escape in a high-stakes match, today we highlight the five best comebacks from ATP Tour tournaments in 2024.

5) Dubai R2, Lehecka d. Khachanov 6-7(6), 7-6(5), 6-4
Czechia's Jiri Lehecka produced fearless hitting in pressure moments to save five match points in Dubai and down fourth seed Karen Khachanov, who had captured the Doha title the week prior and was on a five-match winning streak.

All of Khachanov’s match points came on Lehecka’s serve late in the second set, but the 23-year-old relied on his booming forehand to pull him out of near defeat at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. In the decider, Khachanov seemingly recovered from his blip, gaining a 4-2 lead before Lehecka tallied four consecutive games to seal the match. Lehecka fell to his knees in relief and celebration.

4) Shanghai R3, Paul d. Tabilo 6-7(2), 7-6(6), 6-2
All signs pointed towards a routine, straight-sets win for Alejandro Tabilo when he led American Tommy Paul 7-6(2), 5-1 at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. The 27-year-old then held five match points on his serve at 5-2 in the second set when suddenly things began to change.

Neale Fraser, an estimable Australian left-hander who owned one of the craftiest serves in tennis during his prime years in the late 1950’s and early sixties, securing no fewer than 19 major championships altogether in singles, doubles and mixed doubles between 1956 and 1962 despite frequently living in the shadows of countrymen including Lew Hoad, Ken Rosewall, Ashley Cooper and Mal Anderson, and establishing himself as an outstanding Davis Cup player and captain—died on 2 December, 2024. He was 91.

Exploiting his versatile serve to the hilt and turning it into the cornerstone of his game, Fraser was a formidable player who thrived in an era when three of the four majors were held on grass. Fraser’s southpaw mastery of spins on serve set him apart in his time and made him especially formidable on grass courts. His serve was deceptive and often unstoppable. He could release it flat into the corners, carve it with slice out wide or stifle right-handed opponents with his devilish deuce court kick serve to the forehand.

Fraser was a tried and true serve-and-volleyer, backing up his excellent delivery with soundness on the volley, attacking relentlessly, smothering opponents with his capacity to come forward at all the right times. He was a product of his era on fast courts, unrelentingly aggressive as a match player, weighing the percentages assiduously to give himself the best possible chance to succeed.

The ITHF remembers Hall of Famer Neale Fraser, one of Australia’s legends.

A 19-time major champion and stalwart in Davis Cup as a player and captain, Fraser reached the game’s peak and mentored a generation of Aussies.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends today.

Neale Andrew Fraser was born on 3 October, 1933 in Melbourne where he grew up and lived as an adult, starting to play tennis at the age of eleven on a neighbour’s court with his brother John, a physician later in life and a decent player in his own right who once made the semi-finals of Wimbledon in doubles alongside Rod Laver. The son of a lawyer who became a judge, Neale Fraser won his first tournament — a 13-and-under event — at 12. At 17 he won the Australian National Junior Championships. By 1954, when he turned 21, Fraser was included on the Australian overseas team, touring with the likes of Hoad and Rosewall under the tutelage of the revered coach and Davis Cup captain Harry Hopman, making crucial strides in that period.

Before champions are crowned in front of packed stadiums on the ATP Tour, they are made on the practice court under the watchful eye of their coaches. These coaches often work in the background, happy to leave the glory to their players. In the 2024 ATP Awards, our five Coach of the Year nominees step into the spotlight.

This year's nominees are Xavier Malisse (coach of Alexei Popyrin), Emmanuel Planque (Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard), Michael Russell (Taylor Fritz), Brad Stine (Tommy Paul) and James Trotman (Jack Draper). The nominees and winner in this category are voted on by fellow coaches.

ATP Awards winners will be announced during Awards Week, starting Monday, 9 December.

Xavier Malisse (Alexei Popyrin)
As part of Popyrin's coaching team alongside Neville Godwin, Malisse — a former Top 20 player in the PIF ATP Rankings — has helped the Aussie climb to the cusp of that elite group this season. Under the tutelage of Malisse and Godwin, a former Top 100 player himself, Popyrin won the biggest title of his career at the Cincinnati ATP Masters 1000 and entered the Top 25 for the first time.

"Neville and I worked a lot on the backhand. We've been working on more variety, slicing a little bit, and then working with the serve," said Malisse, who also credited fitness coach Evan Jenkins and physiotherapist Valentin Hollier for improving Popyrin's strength.

The strength in depth of men's tennis ensures there are no guarantees on the ATP Tour.

The PIF ATP Rankings offer a tangible way to assess the order of things in the men’s game, yet the 2024 season nonetheless offered plenty of seismic upsets. There were results that rocked top stars, went against the form book and catapulted young players' names into the global spotlight.

As part of our annual in-review series, ATPTour.com counts down the five most unexpected upsets of the year. On Tuesday we'll look at the biggest upsets at the Grand Slams.

5) Madrid R2: Monteiro d. Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4
Not even a Top 10 opponent in red-hot form was enough to stop Thiago Monteiro when he was in full flow at the Mutua Madrid Open.

After coming through qualifying at the ATP Masters 1000 event, Monteiro stunned Stefanos Tsitsipas with a clinical, clean-hitting display. Tsitsipas entered the pair’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with a 10-1 record for the year on clay after winning Monte-Carlo and reaching the final in Barcelona, but the Greek was powerless to deny the inspired Monteiro from notching the fourth Top 10 win of his career.

Perfect Your Stance for Better Tennis Performance Your stance is the foundation of every shot in tennis. A solid stance improves balance, generates power, and enables quick recovery for the next play. Here's how to perfect it: 1. The Ready Position The ready position is your neutral starting stance before each shot: Feet Position:Stand shoulder-wid...

Shang Juncheng is a teenage sensation — a “compound of menace and energy” according to analyst Robbie Koenig — who overwhelms opponents with relentless force. With a contagious smile and a teddy bear always attached to his tennis bag, the 19-year-old is enjoying his journey as one of the sport’s fastest rising #NextGenATP stars.

The word ‘historic’ is often associated with the Chinese teen, who this year became the first player from the Asian country to win an ATP Tour title on home soil. Led by his triumph in Chengdu, Shang has his sights set on being the first Chinese player to qualify for the 20-and-under Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, which has featured champions such as Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

“I've had an amazing year and the Next Gen ATP Finals is very important for my future,” Shang said in our new ‘Journey To Jeddah’ series. “In that event, all the tennis spotlight is on you because you know there are only eight players.”

Fittingly, Shang's ascent has been fast — the very word his coach Martin Alund used to describe what initially stood out about the lefty. “At the beginning, I was like, ‘Oh, I cannot believe how fast you are!’” Alund recalled in the longform video, which also features an interview with ‘Jerry’s’ father Shang Yi.

While fans have become more familiar with Shang, the 19-year-old’s season, from his perspective, has been more about accomplishing goals than a surprising breakthrough. He remembers telling a friend earlier this year that he would capture his maiden tour-level title before his home tournament in Beijing. Shang achieved that with no time to spare. He defeated Lorenzo Musetti in the ATP 250 final just two days before he was competing in Beijing.

Tickets for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, to be held in Jeddah, Saudia Arabia, are now on sale.

The 20-and-under event takes place from 18-22 December at King Abdullah Sports City on indoor hard courts. Tickets to catch the action can be purchased here.

The Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF was first hosted in Jeddah in 2023 when Hamad Medjedovic lifted the title. Previous winners of the 20-and-under event include Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Arthur Fils, Alex Michelsen, Jakub Mensik and Shang Juncheng have qualified for the seventh edition of the event and there are four qualification spots still open.

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Arthur Fils, Alex Michelsen, Jakub Mensik and Shang Juncheng have qualified for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, to be held from 18-22 December.

Frenchman Fils reached the title match in Jeddah last year and has enjoyed another impressive season on Tour, highlighted by ATP 500 titles in Hamburg and Basel. The 20-year-old, who topped the 2024 ATP 500 Bonus Pool, is 37-26 on the season.

American Michelsen is set to return to Jeddah, having made his debut at the 20-and-under event last year. The 20-year-old made his Top 50 breakthrough in August and is currently at No. 42 in the PIF ATP Rankings, one spot off his career high.

Michelsen reached tour-level finals in Newport and Winston-Salem in 2024 and advanced to the third round at a major for the first time at the Australian Open.

Mensik and Shang will make their debuts in Jeddah, having made major progress in 2024. The 19-year-old Czech Mensik started the year at No. 167 in the PIF ATP Rankings but will arrive at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF at No. 48.

Jannik Sinner rounded out his stunning year in a typically cool and collected fashion on Sunday in Malaga.

The No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings defeated Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(2), 6-2 to seal a second consecutive Davis Cup title for Italy. After Matteo Berrettini earlier defeated Botic van de Zandschulp, Sinner’s win completed a 2-0 triumph for his country against the Netherlands and capped another year in which Italian tennis has enjoyed considerable success across the board.

“It has been an amazing year. I’m very proud of the whole team,” said Sinner. “There is a lot of work behind it and I’m very happy to hold this trophy again. It was a very difficult day today, because anything can happen.”

Sinner saved the only two break points of the opening set against Griekspoor, before clinching it in a tie-break. In the second set, he responded to letting slip an early break lead by reeling off four straight games from 2-2 to earn a 91-minute victory and spark ecstatic celebrations among his teammates.

Phenomenal season. Incredible player! ? ??@janniksin shines again to secure @federtennis their second consecutive Davis Cup title! ?@DavisCup | #DavisCup pic.twitter.com/Zl1aNtT6I5

With victory in a rematch of last year's Davis Cup final against Australia, defending champions Italy are back in the title round thanks to contrasting singles wins for Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini on Saturday in Malaga. The Italians advanced behind a 2-0 semi-final scoreline, with Sinner beating Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4 after Berrettini edged Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-7(6), 6-3, 7-5.

Berrettini needed two hours, 39 minutes to dispatch Kokkinakis, who won a third-set tie-break against Ben Shelton of the United States in his previous outing. The Aussie struck first after saving two set points from 4/6 in the opening tie-break, having stopped his opponent from serving out the opening set at 6-5. But Berrettini would not surrender another break in the match as he powered Italy into a 1-0 lead.

"After I lost the first set, it wasn't easy to digest that," said the Italian. "But I'm fighting for my country with this crowd, so I'm happy."

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At 5-5 in the third set, Berrettini conjured a forehand squash shot from deep behind the baseline that angled sharply for a stunning winner. The majestic, driven slice left a stunned Kokkinakis stranded and sparked a run of six straight points from 15/0 to put Berrettini on the brink of victory.