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Brandon Nakashima is on a roll once again at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals.

The 2021 semi-finalist moved to a 2-0 record at this year’s edition of the 21-and-under season finale with a commanding 4-1, 4-3(2), 4-2 victory against Jiri Lehecka on Wednesday in Milan.

With the unique first-to-four-games set format in place, Nakashima’s destructive early hitting earned him the first set in just 17 minutes at the Allianz Cloud. The fourth seed’s forehand remained a particularly potent weapon throughout his first tour-level meeting with Lehecka, who recovered a 1-3 deficit to force a second-set tie-break. The 20-year-old Czech then led 2-0 in the third set, but was unable to maintain the pressure on his free-flowing opponent.

“Going into it, I knew it was going to be another tough match for sure,” said Nakashima after his 69-minute victory. “He plays a very solid game, very flat, a very progressive game, so I knew I had to minimise the errors on my side and try to be aggressive off the first ball as much as possible. I thought I did that pretty well today, so [I am] happy to get the win.”

Nakashima struck 21 winners, including seven aces, and converted four of 10 break points during his victory. He later credited his hard-fought five-set win over Matteo Arnaldi on Tuesday with helping him hit his stride against Lehecka.

Rafael Nadal has hit the ground running in Turin. The legendary Spaniard practised on Wednesday at the Pala Alpitour ahead of the Nitto ATP Finals with first-time qualifier Taylor Fritz of the United States.

Nadal is a 17-time qualifier for the season finale. The 36-year-old, who will pursue his first title at the event next week, was thumping forehands on Centre Court in preparation for the year-end championships.

"It's always great news to be playing the last event of the year. That says that you had a great season, so I'm excited," Nadal said. "Italy is a very close country for me. Being in Turin for the first time in my life, it's a new experience, so I'm very happy for that and i'm looking forward to seeing the stadium and the fans. I'll try my best as always."

This year's Australian Open and Roland Garros champion was training under the watchful eyes of his coaching staff, including Carlos Moya, Francisco Roig and Marc Lopez. Across the net was Fritz, the man he played in the final of this year's BNP Paribas Open and his coach, Michael Russell.

It has been a breakthrough season for the American, who cracked the Top 10 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time on 10 October after lifting the trophy in Tokyo.

Italian Francesco Passaro staged a remarkable comeback at the Intesa Sanpaolo ATP Finals Wednesday, saving three match points to claw past countryman Matteo Arnaldi 4-3(7), 2-4, 3-4(4), 4-3(4), 4-3(8) in Milan.

In a dramatic clash, Passaro rallied from 1-3 in the fourth set as he overcame heavy cramping to win the set in the tie-break. With his movement limited, the 21-year-old then rallied from a break down in the fifth set before saving three match points in the tie-break to triumph after two hours and 38 minutes in one of the best matches in thetournament’s history.

"I am very tired," Passaro said. "It was a really long match and this format I think it is tough and physical. For me it was physical today, with the tension as well, I was cramping. It was not easy. I am really happy to win and I will enjoy."

Passaro, who is making his debut in Milan, has improved to 1-1 in Red Group. He will play fourth-seeded American Brandon Nakashima in his final round-robin match on Thursday.

With just 15 seconds between points following aces or missed returns, both players raced through their service games, while the one sit-down per set rule led to a fast-paced but physically testing encounter.

Chun-Hsin Tseng is making his debut this week at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, where he is just the second Asian player to compete at the event alongside 2017 champion Hyeon Chung.

The 21-year-old, who will face Dominic Stricker on Wednesday, spoke to ATPTour.com about his acting dreams, love for biking and more...

[ATP APP]

If you weren’t a tennis player, what job would you do and why?
Probably an actor. I like drama and also I think it's pretty fun to do different stuff in life. I feel as an actor you can travel to so many places and see different things. Learn different things.

If you could have dinner with three people, who would they be and why?
I would choose Roger [Federer]. We have the same birthday and he's a legend of tennis. I think it'll be a great experience to speak to him and ask how he grew up. Then a singer called Jay Chou. I love his music. I listened to his music when I was very young and until now. Most of the time it helped me to get back up when down and it motivates me. Then probably, an actor from China.

Francesco Passaro started the season outside the Top 600 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Eleven months on and the Italian arrives at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals at a career-high No. 119.

The 21-year-old is one of three Italians competing at the event and will be aiming to impress on home soil in Milan. Passaro spoke to ATPTour.com ahead of his second Green Group match, sharing his interests and aims.

[ATP APP]

If you weren’t a tennis player, what job would you want and why?
A football player. When I was younger, I played football and [wanted to be] a professional or to be a manager in sports.

If you could have dinner with three people, who would they be and why?
Roger [Federer] Because he is my idol. I mean, he is the god of tennis. Lionel Messi, because of what he's done. The third [would be] an actor. To have a different kind of conversation.

The world’s best players will compete at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin next week, with Rafael Nadal pursuing his first title at the season finale and Novak Djokovic chasing his record-tying sixth.

When is the Nitto ATP Finals?

The 2022 Nitto ATP Finals will be held from 13-20 November. The indoor hard-court event, established in 1970, will take place at the Pala Alpitour in Turin. The tournament director is Adam Hogg.

What is the format & who is playing at the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals?

The event in Turin will see eight players divided into two groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to the semi-finals. Rafael Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Andrey Rublev, Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz will compete.

When is the draw for the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals?

The Turin draw will be made on Thursday 10 November at 12 p.m.

What is the schedule for the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals?

* Main Draw Round-Robin Matches: Sunday 13 November – Friday 18 November. Afternoon session starts at 11:30 a.m. (doubles), 2 p.m. (singles). Evening session not before 6:30 p.m. (doubles), not before 9 p.m. (singles).
* Semi-finals: Saturday 19 November. Afternoon session starts at 11:30 a.m. (doubles), 2 p.m. (singles). Evening session not before 6:30 p.m. (doubles), not before 9 p.m. (singles). 
* Final: Sunday 20 November. Doubles final at 4 p.m. and singles final at 7 p.m. 

View On Official Website

What is the prize money for the Nitto ATP Finals?

The prize money for the Nitto ATP Finals is $14,750,000

Singles
Undefeated Champion: $4,740,300
Final Win: $2,200,400
Semi-Final Win: $1,070,000
Each Round-Robin Match Win: $383,300
Participation Fee: $320,000
Alternate: $150,000

Doubles (per team)
Undefeated Champion: $930,300
Final Win: $350,400
Semi-Final Win: $170,000
Each Round-Robin Match Win: $93,300
Participation Fee: $130,000
Alternate: $50,000

How can I watch the Nitto ATP Finals?

View TV Schedule

How can I follow the Nitto ATP Finals?

Hashtag: #NittoATPFinals
Facebook: Nitto ATP Finals
Twitter: @atptour
Instagram: @nittoatpfinals

Who won the last edition of the Nitto ATP Finals in 2021?

Alexander Zverev won the 2021 singles title in Turin with a 6-4, 6-4 win against Daniil Medvedev in the championship match (Read & Watch).

Who holds the Nitto ATP Finals record for most titles, oldest champion, youngest champion and more?

Most Titles, Singles: Roger Federer (6)
Oldest Champion: Roger Federer, 30, in 2011
Youngest Champion: John McEnroe, 19, in 1978
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1s Ilie Nastase (1973), Jimmy Connors (1977), Bjorn Borg (1979-80), John McEnroe (1984), Ivan Lendl (1985-87), Pete Sampras (1994, 1996-97), Lleyton Hewitt (2002), Roger Federer (2004, 2006-07), Novak Djokovic (2012, 2014-15) and Andy Murray (2016)
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 12 David Nalbandian in 2005
Last Home Champion: Andy Murray in London in 2016
Most Match Wins: Roger Federer (59)

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

On Wednesday at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, three players will have an opportunity to clinch a place in the semi-finals with one match to spare.

Jiri Lehecka is the only man to hold his fate in his own hands on Day 2, as a win against Brandon Nakashima in three or four sets would see him through. Nakashima and Lorenzo Musetti could also book their tickets to the semis with wins, but both would need help from other results.

Here's what to watch as the action continues at the Allianz Cloud in Milan.

View Schedule | View Draw

[ATP APP]

Dominic Stricker earned a statement win at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals Tuesday when he defeated third seed Jack Draper 4-3(5), 4-3(5), 4-3(5) in his opening Red Group match.

The 20-year-old produced an impressive serving performance inside the Allianz Cloud, swinging his lefty serve out wide to pin Draper deep. Stricker fired 14 aces, showed good touch around the net and held his nerve in the crucial moments to triumph after 88 minutes.

Stricker is making his debut in Milan this week. However, he took little time adjusting to the innovations and rules in place at the 21-and-under event, including the first-to-four, best-of-five set format and one sit-down per set.

Stricker, who squandered four match points on Draper's serve at 2-3 in the third set, now holds a 1-0 record in Red Group. He will play Lorenzo Musetti, also a victor on Day 1, in his second match on Wednesday. Draper will look to get off the mark when he faces Chun-Hsin Tseng.

Earlier this season, the World No. 111 Stricker clinched two ATP Challenger Tour titles and earned four Top 40 wins. Stricker opened his shoulders throughout the clash against Draper, dictating points with his fearsome forehand. 

Brandon Nakashima survived a five-set thriller against Italy's Matteo Arnaldi to earn an opening win on Tuesday in his return to the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals. In a battle of 21-year-olds in Milan, the American saved five set points to avoid going two sets down before prevailing 2-4, 4-3(7), 4-3(4), 3-4(4), 4-2.

In a back-and-forth contest in the Green Group, Nakashima let slip a 3-1 lead in the fourth set but regrouped to claim the fifth, closing out the victory in two hours and 10 minutes.

"It kind of took me a little while to get used to the new format, the new conditions out here," Nakashima said post-match. "Right from the beginning it was a lot of critical points, the sets were going by fast, so I just tried to adapt as quick as possible. The tie-breaks, I was kind of lucky to squeeze them out and today I think it was just all about finding a way out here. He's a super tough opponent, he was playing really well, and it was just some critical points in the end that helped me get over the line."

A semi-finalist last year at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, Nakashima joins Lorenzo Musetti in bidding to become the first player to win the Milan title in his second appearance. The American peaked at No. 43 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings last month after winning his first ATP Tour title in his home city of San Diego.

It was Arnaldi — a native of Sanremo — who had the home advantage in Milan.

As the season’s brightest #NextGenATP stars set their sights on a strong week at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, the Challenger Tour has been a vital part of each of the Milan qualifiers successes this year.

Seven of the eight players in Milan have won a Challenger title in 2022. ATPTour.com looks at each of the competitor’s rise through the Challenger level this season.

Jack Draper
No player has a better winning percentage on the Challenger Tour this season than Draper. The 20-year-old boasts a 24-4 Challenger match-winning record in 2022. The Briton holds a season-leading four Challenger titles (tied w/ Pedro Cachin): Forli-2, Forli-4, Forli-5, and Saint-Brieuc. At the Forli-5 Challenger, Draper fended off four match points in the final to defeat Swiss Alexander Ritschard.

“I think the Challenger Tour is massive for players,” Draper told ATPTour.com. “When you come through and start winning tournaments back-to-back at that level it gives you huge confidence you can come on Tour and compete with these guys. Everyone on the Challenger level is hungry to do well because that is what gets you onto the Tour. The Challenger Tour has given me a real base and confidence of coming onto the Tour.”

 

The Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals spotlights the best 21-and-under tennis players in the world. Popular 35-year-old Italian Fabio Fognini might be more than a decade removed from that classification, but he was thrilled to be at the Allianz Cloud on Tuesday with wife, WTA legend Flavia Pennetta.

“It’s nice. Milan, it’s a really beautiful city,” Fognini said. “For the tennis, especially because we are in Italy, it’s really important for us to have these kind of [Italian] guys who are on the top of the world [playing].”

?? @fabiofogna supporting @Lorenzo1Musetti ?@intesasanpaolo #NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/eRHsO2WHba

— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) November 8, 2022

There are three Italians in the field: Lorenzo Musetti, Francesco Passaro and Matteo Arnaldi. Another Italian, Jannik Sinner, won the 2019 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals. Fognini watched countryman Lorenzo Musetti from courtside Tuesday.

“It’s always nice. I always say that the more we are, the better it is,” Fognini said. “There are three Italians, Lorenzo [Musetti], [Francesco] Passaro and Matteo [Arnaldi]. It’s really important for us.”

Italian Lorenzo Musetti wasted little time earning victory at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals Tuesday when he flew past Chun-Hsin Tseng 4-2, 4-2, 4-2 to move to 1-0 in Red Group.

Making his second appearance in Milan, the 20-year-old delighted the vocal home crowd throughout the 70-minute clash with his stunning shotmaking. Musetti struck a series of passing shots off both wings and demonstrated good touch around the net to ensure he made the perfect start at the 21-and-under event.

“It was really nice,” Musetti said. “I remember playing here from last year. The crowd here is really amazing. They gave me extra energy. I am pretty confident and happy with the win. The shorter times [between points] means you can be in a rush, so you need to be patient and look at the times and not rush.”

Musetti was in constant dialogue with coach Simone Tartarin during the clash. Seated courtside, Tartarin was provided with data and analytics by the TennisViz system during the match, helping him negotiate a tactical plan with Musetti, who is the highest ranked player competing in Milan.

The World No. 23, who hit 17 winners and broke serve four times, captured his maiden tour-level title in Hamburg in July before he tasted success on home soil in Naples last month.

Dominic Stricker will try to make a fast start at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals Tuesday when he faces Jack Draper in Green Group.

The 20-year-old Swiss, who earned four Top 40 wins in 2022, is making his debut in Milan as he aims to become the fifth champion at the event. Stricker caught up with ATPTour.com ahead of his opening match, discussing deep sea fishing, his perfect day and more…

[ATP APP]

If you weren’t a tennis player, what job would you want and why?
I think I would be a teacher. I went once to a school to see what that job is like. My sister is on her way to being a teacher, but I'm also pretty interested in being a teacher. I think I would be a sports teacher.

If you could have dinner with three people, who would they be and why?
I would choose Roger [Federer]. I would choose Tiger Woods and I would choose Michael Jordan. These three guys are really something special in their sport. I think it's also pretty different from every sport. I think all three had amazing careers.

Jiri Lehecka celebrated his 21st birthday in style at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals Tuesday when he cruised past Francesco Passaro 4-1, 4-3(7), 4-1 to move to 1-0 in Green Group.

The Czech is making his debut in Milan and made a strong opening statement at the 21-and-under event, quickly adapting to the first-to-four, best-of five set format to triumph after 67 minutes.

"I have never played a match in this format before," Lehecka said. "In the beginning I was getting used to it a little bit. I think I adapted well. We have used this format in practise and I got used to it pretty fast and it was fun."

Lehecka pulled Passaro around the court with his consistent groundstrokes, firing 18 winners and breaking serve three times. With just 15 seconds between points following aces or missed returns, he also raced through his service games to earn victory.

The World No. 74 has enjoyed an impressive season. He reached the semi-finals as a qualifier in Rotterdam in February, before he clinched an ATP Challenger Tour crown in August.

Jiri Lehecka couldn’t stop smiling when he sat down inside the Allianz Cloud ahead of his debut at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.

The Czech qualified for the 21-and-under event last month following an impressive season that saw him reach the semi-finals in Rotterdam and win an ATP Challenger Tour event. Ahead of his opening match in Milan, the 21-year-old Lehecka spoke to ATPTour.com about his interests, dream dinner guests and much more…

If you weren’t a tennis player, what job would you want and why?
I think I would go to business school first. Then I would probably still be in tennis. I would be in the sport as a coach or in a business role within the sport.

If you could have dinner with three people, who would they be and why?
I would choose Michael Jordan. Then I would choose Conor McGregor and probably my grandpa who [passed away].

I think Michael Jordan because of his sporting mentality. What things he was able to sacrifice for the success in what he was doing. McGregor, I would say that with him, I would love to speak about handling the pressure.

When American Ben Shelton fell short in the Tiburon Challenger final this past month, the teenager left California frustrated that he had lost in all three ATP Challenger Tour finals in which he had competed this year. But a new mindset aided Shelton this week as he grabbed his maiden Challenger crown.

Shelton, who is one of five Challenger champions this week, defeated close friend Christopher Eubanks 7-6(4), 7-5 in the final at the Jonathan Fried Pro Challenger in Charlottesville, Virginia to capture his long-awaited title.

“I started to realise that when I looked back on the film, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was,” Shelton said. “I really tried to focus on the things I can control, stop worrying about the little things such as how well I’m hitting my forehand and instead just compete really hard.”

 

After runner-up finishes in Rome (Georgia), Chicago, and Tiburon, the 20-year-old dropped just one set all week in Charlottesville en route to the title. The former University of Florida standout is the fifth player to win the NCAA singles title and a Challenger title in the same season and the first since Steve Johnson in 2012.