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Inaugural Milan finalists impress in 2018
Milan might be known for its fashion and design. But you can also call it a launching pad for some of tennis’ brightest talents, as the participants in last year’s inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals have since made even bigger names for themselves on the ATP World Tour.

At last season’s end, none of the #NextGenATP stars was placed inside the Top 30 of the ATP Rankings. But since, they have made strides. Five of last year’s participants are currently inside the Top 30, and if you count 2017 alternate Stefanos Tsitsipas, make it six.

Hyeon Chung captured the inaugural trophy at the Fiera Milano with a splendid performance. And the talent Chung showed in Italy certainly carried over into 2018, as he became the first South Korean to contest a Grand Slam semi-final, doing so at the Australian Open at just 21 years old. Along the way, Chung beat World No. 4 Alexander Zverev and six-time Melbourne champion Novak Djokovic.

“I really had a good finish to the season after Milan, so I [was able to] start really happy to start this season with confidence and [be] comfortable,” Chung said after defeating Djokovic.

But it wasn’t just the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals winner who broke through. Take Borna Coric, for example. Coric showed signs of brilliance at the Fiera Milano last season, going undefeated in round-robin play before ultimately succumbing in the semi-finals. But the Croatian has used the momentum from that performance to soar up the ATP Rankings in 2018.

Not only did Coric win his first ATP World Tour 500-level title at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle — defeating Roger Federer in the final — but he also advanced to his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, also defeating Federer at that event. Those results, as well as trips to the semi-finals at Indian Wells and the last eight in Miami have helped Coric climb to World No. 13.

ATP Rankings Rise Of 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals Competitors

Player 2017 Year-End ATP Ranking Top ATP Ranking In 2018 ATP Rankings Rise
Borna Coric 48 13 +35
Daniil Medvedev 65 17 +48
Karen Khachanov 45 18 +27
Hyeon Chung 58 19 +39
Denis Shapovalov 51 23 +28
Andrey Rublev 39 31 +8
Jared Donaldson 54 48 +6
Gianluigi Quinzi 329 153 +176
Stefanos Tsitsipas* 91 15 +76
*Indicates 2017 alternate
Daniil Medvedev was the final automatic qualifier into the 2017 Milan field. And the current Russian No. 1 had an even better season this year. Medvedev captured the first three ATP World Tour titles of his career — in Sydney, Winston-Salem and Tokyo — using those results to propel him into the Top 20 for the first time on 22 October, an impressive feat after being ranked as low as No. 84 in January.

"It has certainly been a very clear platform for players who are right on the cusp of being right there ranked amongst the best players in the world. Ultimately the intention was to showcase the skills, ability and personalities of these phenomenal players just before they burst onto the top of the sport,” said Ross Hutchins, the ATP Chief Player Officer. “It's been fantastic that Daniil Medvedev has picked up 3 ATP World Tour titles this year including one at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2018, and also with Borna Coric making the final of the Rolex Shanghai Masters and winning the Gerry Weber Open.These are just two examples but there are many more with this Next Gen class of 2017. I believe this is a huge platform which they didn't have before, which we hope the awareness of this and building their profile was helpful not only to themselves but also to the fans watching."

Russian No. 1 Karen Khachanov, who cracked the Top 20 for the first time last month, also continued forward in 2018 after battling at the 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals. The 22-year-old won his second and third tour-level crowns in Marseille and Moscow, also advancing to his maiden Masters 1000 semi-final at the Rogers Cup. And perhaps it was his mindset at that event that will continue to help his ascent.

“I don't want to be satisfied,” Khachanov said after beating Robin Haase in the quarter-finals in Toronto. “There is always something that you can do better.”

2017 Next Gen ATP Competitors (Including Alternate) By The Numbers

Stat Total
ATP World Tour Titles In 2018 7
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Finals 2
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Semi-finals 5
Canadian Denis Shapovalov broke through in a big way in 2017, advancing to the semi-finals of the Rogers Cup, which was one of the stories of the season. But the left-hander has improved after his debut in Milan last year, winning 35 tour-level matches in 2018, more than double his previous career total. Ahead of this year’s Mutua Madrid Open, the #NextGenATP star did not own an ATP World Tour clay-court match win, but he became the youngest player to reach the last four in tournament history. Shapovalov climbed as high as World No. 23 in June.

Gianluigi Quinzi, last year’s Italian wild card, has also made impressive strides in 2018. He finished 2017 at World No. 335. But since, he has climbed as high as No.153, with an impressive record of 28-15 on the ATP Challenger Tour, including his first two titles on the circuit.

Donaldson broke into the Top 50 for the first time in March after an impressive run to the semi-finals in Acapulco, but he has struggled with a knee injury, his last tournament coming at the Rogers Cup in Toronto.

Rublev, on the other hand, has overcome injury to make his second appearance in Milan. Earlier this season, the Russian had a stress fracture in his lower back, which kept him out for three months. But he has still managed strong results during the year, including a season-opening championship-match appearance in Doha, and a run to the Washington, D.C. semi-finals.

For the eight players competing at the Nitto ATP Finals, this week represents the culmination of their journey towards the top of the sport. But for 26 players who participated at ATP University in London this week, the journey is just beginning.
Those 26 players graduated in this year’s London sessions across the river at the Marriott County Hall, adding to the total number of rising stars who have gone through the tutorial on life on the ATP World Tour, which surpassed 1,000 graduates last year.
World No. 1 and five-time Nitto ATP Finals Champion Ivan Lendl spoke to the group on Tuesday morning and offered advice based on his own journey. The players also listened and participated in presentations during the week covering: Overview of the ATP, Rules and Officiating, Savings and Investments, Communicated Threats, ATP Marketing & Social Media, Medical Services, ATP Communications, Media Relations, Anti-Doping, Anti-Corruption and Player Relations.
Outside of the classroom, the players enjoyed group dinners and a trip to the Nitto ATP Finals on Tuesday evening and, of course, a fun night of miniature golf.
“I’ve had a good time in London. In my opinion, ATP is doing a very good job with the University. It’s important for us to understand how everything is working from behind and get advice about some of the most important subjects we have on Tour,” said Jaume Munar, who competed at the Next Gen ATP Finals last week in Milan. “Most of the information will be useful and helpful for us in the future. And the activities were fantastic, it’s always nice to share moments with guys who normally are opponents and be together for a couple of days, away from tennis.”
At the end of the three days of sessions, the ATP IQ test was won by 29-year-old German Yannick Maden, who claimed the coveted GoPro 7 prize.
It was an exciting week for Next Gen ATP Finals runner-up Alex de Minaur, who honoured on Centre Court Tuesday at The O2 as the Newcomer of the Year in the 2018 ATP World Tour Awards Presented By Moët & Chandon. But the Aussie also got a lot out of ATP University’s presentations.
“It was definitely better than I expected with a couple of very interesting lectures that I learned a lot from, especially the one having to do with social media and how to better manage that, and how to be able to engage with all your fans and followers,” De Minaur said. “The investment one was also very interesting, learning how to use your money, the smart things to do with it... I really enjoyed myself and thank you for everything.”
The London 2018 graduates included Sander Arends, Matteo Berrettini, Alex De Minaur, Egor Gerasimov, Antoine Hoang, Miomir Kecmanovic, Evan King, Yannick Maden, Pedro Martinez, Ben McLachlan, Andreas Mies, Mats Moraing, Bradley Mousley, Corentin Moutet, Jaume Munar, Ricardo Ojeda Lara, Jonny O'Mara, Oscar Otte, Hsien-Yin Peng, Alexei Popyrin, Ramkumar Ramanathan, Christopher Rungkat, Nino Serdarusic, Aldin Setkic, Lorenzo Sonego and Alexey Vatutin.