🏆 Ongoing Tournaments

Hey, Tennis Pro! This is Tuesday!

The Next Gen Backstreet Boys. Yesterday we had a short break from the tennis fix we had been getting for the last few weeks. Since Novak's return after the US Open I have felt an increase in the tour's level and the build up of something very interesting for the ATP Nitto Finals. However, before the tournament that we are all looking forward to, the new generations come to show what they have to offer on court.

The photo above is the official shot of the Next Gen tournament and (tbh) any boy band from the last two decades came to mind. Although I have to admit, the do have a lot of style going on. Tomorrow we officially start the end of the tennis year and we expect a high level with great promises from the new generational tennis. Personally, from this year's pack my best wishes go to Draper. I like his style, witty and relentless. Very British if I may say.

🌟 Musetti is the Next Gen Favorite

Lorenzo Musetti is up top in the bookies basically because Holger Rune won't be participating in the tournament. If this were not the case, the favorite would definitely be the Dane who has made us all believe in the impossible again with his victory against Novak on Sunday. However, we see Lorenzo Musetti as the favorite to take the Next Gen Tournament, who closed the past season in the ranking's 59th spot and is now in a very comfortable 23rd place. Musetti has two titles to his name in 2022 and a positive record of 56-48 to close the year. Well done, Lorenzo.

In another way, I see this year's competition a bit divided. On the one hand, we have three players who have already made a significant leap in their careers and are beginning to appear in the Top 50 of the ranking. Whereas, at the other extreme we have the rest that are still looking for that first breakthrough even after more than a year on tour, currently fighting for positions below the Top 100. Although tennis has not stopped surprising us this year, I see it very likely that the trophy remains in the hands of the first three contenders. Their trajectories in the year and the acquired maturity should play in their favor under these circumstances. For these players this last step of the year certainly plays like the first step of the following year's season.

😮‍💨 Felix is flyyy

In this newsletter we are very happy that Felix has just broken his personal record by taking place at number 6 in the ATP ranking. Auger-Aliassime has had a phenomenal end to the year with three finals and two titles in just the last month. This in addition to securing a spot in the semi-final in Paris and falling midway to champion Rune.

Felix had an up and down year, albeit with more downs in the first half of the year. Since his Final in Marseille at the beginning of February, it took him almost eight months to reach the last stage again. In between, his season was plagued by Round of 16s and quarter-finals that took him from dead end to dead end, tournament after tournament.

However, Felix caught a last wind from October and took advantage of the loss of other top players to snatch that sixth place finish for the first time in his short career. Congratulations to Felix, he is doing very well and consistently. Best of luck in the Finals!

🚨 Yesterday’s Spotlight

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⏱️ Today’s Order of Play

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👋 So long, and thanks for all the tennis!

→ I loooved this court-level shot of Tsitsipas v Djokovic on Saturday.

→ An updated list of the ATP Top 10.

→ Next Gen meets F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

→ Heavy hittin' from Serena and Aryna.

→ Garcia and Sabalenka go Texas style in Fort Worth.