Tennis News

ATP opens bid process for Next Gen ATP Finals from 2026

The ATP has today launched a global bid process to decide the next host city of the award-winning Next Gen ATP Finals, starting from 2026.

Featuring the top eight ATP singles players aged 20-and-under, the event has been held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, since 2023, following five successful editions in Milan, Italy. With a season-long race to qualify, the event builds a consistent and powerful storyline for the host city – culminating in extensive global broadcast, social and digital exposure during the tournament.

Six of the current Top 10 in the PIF ATP Rankings have competed at the event – with both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz among its past champions. Most recently, Joao Fonseca lifted the 2024 trophy before capturing his first two ATP Tour titles this season, climbing to a career high World No.24.

Beyond providing a platform to showcase the sport’s rising talent, the Next Gen ATP Finals drives innovation in tennis. Concepts first tested at the event – including Live Electronic Line Calling, Video Review and data integration through wearable technology – have since been adopted across the ATP Tour. These advancements continue to reshape the fan and player experience, while the event’s high-tempo, cutting-edge format attracts a new audience to the sport.

ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said: “The Next Gen ATP Finals is where the future of tennis takes shape. It’s done exactly what it set out to do – create a launchpad for the stars of tomorrow and reimagine how our sport is played and experienced. The impact speaks for itself – from the rise of the event’s past champions to the game-changing technologies it has brought to life on Tour.

“We look forward to raising the bar once again with the event’s third edition in Jeddah this December. Our thanks go to the Saudi Tennis Federation and all event partners for their vision in creating something truly exceptional. As we look ahead to 2026, we’re excited to invite potential host cities to share in that vision as we build on the event’s continued growth and success.”

The bid process, which begins today, will be managed by Deloitte’s Sports Business Group. Interested parties must submit an Expression of Interest form available here: Expression of Interest Form

Suitable candidates will be sent full bid documentation in the coming weeks, with final bids to be submitted by 22 January 2026. A shortlist of potential candidate cities will then be selected, with the final location announced in early 2026.

More information about the Next Gen ATP Finals hosting opportunity is available here: More Information

Any queries – and completed initial Express of Interest forms – should be directed to NGATPF2026@deloitte.co.uk.

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On This Day: Murray's surge to No. 1 in 2016

Andy Murray ended the Big Three’s 666-week No. 1 reign on this day in 2016 after a scintillating run saw him dethrone Novak Djokovic at No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

The Scot spent the majority of 2015 inside the Top 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings and started 2016 by reaching the fifth and last Australian Open title match of his career. Murray fell to Djokovic in the championship match and lost to Serbian again in the Madrid final four months later. He gained revenge in Rome, where he captured his first ATP Masters 1000 title of the season and backed that up by reaching another major final at Roland Garros.

While Murray’s progress to this point in 2016 had been strong, the grass-court swing provided the first major highlight. As was the case so often in his career, the then 29-year-old produced his best on London’s lawns, winning Queen’s and Wimbledon to become just the seventh player to complete the Queen’s-Wimbledon double. Alcaraz would also go on to achieve the feat in 2023.

During the North American hard-court swing, Murray reached the final in Cincinnati and the last eight at the US Open. Arriving in Beijing at the start of October, Murray still trailed World No. 1 Djokovic by 4,695 points. However, it was two weeks and 10 straight-sets Murray wins in China that injected late-season intrigue into the 2016 race to become ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF.

He took his tally to six titles for the season by claiming the trophy in Beijing and then seven at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai, victories that reduced the gap between World No. 1 Djokovic and Murray from 4,695 to 2,415 points. The late-season wins kept coming when he returned to Europe.

He triumphed at the ATP 500 indoor-hard court event in Vienna to move to within range of Djokovic, before he captured his 14th and ultimately final ATP Masters 1000 title of his career in Paris. With the Serbian only reaching the quarters in the French capital, Murray became the 26th player to rise to No. 1.

At the Nitto ATP Finals two weeks later, Murray beat Djokovic again in the title match to earn ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours, capping a perfect year in which he held a 78-9 record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. Murray went on to spend 41 weeks at No. 1 before Rafael Nadal surpassed him in August 2017.

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Sabalenka roars past Gauff to join Pegula in WTA Finals last four

Aryna Sabalenka roars past Coco Gauff to avenge her French Open final loss and secure her place in the WTA Finals last four alongside Jessica Pegula.

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Djokovic captures 200th indoor victory, advances in Athens

Novak Djokovic captured his 200th indoor win of his career on Thursday at the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Hellenic Championship, where he moved past Nuno Borges 7-6(1), 6-4 to reach the semi-finals in Athens.

The Serbian missed three break-point chances in the opening set but raised his level when it mattered, dominating the tie-break. After racing to a 6–1 lead, he energised the crowd by running courtside to high-five fans before closing out the set to take the lead.

The former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings carried that momentum into the second set, delivering a composed and commanding performance to secure victory in one hour and 44 minutes in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

“It was a very physical battle. I thought Nuno played a high level,” Djokovic said. “I was a bit surprised with how good he played. I think we went toe to toe, most of the match. Just a few points decided the winner tonight and he deserves a round of applause for his performance.

“I played a great tie-break in the first set. Not too many opportunities for both of us to break the serve of the other guy. That game was the only game I was able to break him.”

Djokovic is chasing his 101st tour-level title this week, having become just the third man to win 100 trophies when he triumphed in Geneva earlier this year. Jimmy Connors leads the way with 109 crowns, with Roger Federer second on 103.

Djokovic defeated Alejandro Tabilo in his opening match in Athens to score his first victory against the Chilean in his third attempt. The 38-year-old Serbian has been rock-solid through his opening two matches and is in good shape ahead of the upcoming Nitto ATP Finals, which begin on Sunday.

The record seven-time year-end champ Djokovic has been drawn in the Jimmy Connors group alongside Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur.

For now, his focus will remain at the ATP 250 event in Athens, where he will play Marcos Giron or Yannick Hanfmann in his 199th tour-level semi-final on Friday. Djokovic is now 29-0 after winning the first set in 2025, according to ATP Infosys Stats.

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Norrie wins three-setter once again to make semis

Britain’s Cameron Norrie wins a third successive three-set match to reach the Moselle Open semi-finals.

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Hot Shot of the Month: Vote for October's winner

From jaw-dropping defence to highlight-reel winners, Nuno Borges, Cameron Norrie, Casper Ruud, and Botic van de Zandschulp lit up the courts to earn nominations for Hot Shot of the Month.

In Shanghai, Borges stuck a behind-the-body scorcher when scrambling to the baseline. Over in Paris, Norrie unleashed an outrageous passing shot on his way to stunning Carlos Alcaraz. Ruud demonstrated incredible defence in Stockholm, where he won the title and Van de Zandschulp hit a staggering skyhook smash in Basel to raise the roof.

Watch the hot shots below, then head to the voting page to cast your vote for your favourite before 12 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CET) on 11 November.

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Norrie seals Metz SF berth with late surge, former champ Sonego wins

Cameron Norrie overcame a stern test from home hope Kyrian Jacquet at the Moselle Open on Thursday. A finalist last year in Metz, Norrie rallied past the lucky loser 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 to reach his second semi-final of the season.

The only seed remaining at the ATP 250, Norrie won the final 11 points of the two-hour, 25-minute match to advance.

“He surprised me a lot,” Norrie said of Jacquet, the third Frenchman whom the lefty has beaten this week. “He was mixing it up really well. A lot of slicing, then really aggressive at moments. His serve is really, really good.

“The French have so many good players, so many different kinds of players. I really liked the way he competed and he could have easily won the match in the second set as well, but I managed to stay tough.”

Jacquet crushed 48 winners, half of which came from his forehand, to Norrie’s 28, but the 30-year-old Briton found his best tennis when he needed it most to earn his place in the last four. He will next meet Lorenzo Sonego after the Italian beat Daniel Altmaier 6-4, 7-6(6). Sonego has fond memories in Metz, having clinched the crown in 2022.

Norrie is aiming for his sixth tour-level title and first since 2023 in Rio de Janeiro, where he beat Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

In other quarter-final action, #NextGenATP star Learner Tien rallied past Matteo Berrettini 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 in one hour and 44 minutes to advance to his second tour-level semi-final.

In his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Berrettini, the 19-year-old converted all three break points he earned, according to Infosys ATP Stats. With the win, Tien became the youngest American man to record 30 victories in a season since Andy Roddick in 2002 and the fourth American to reach that mark this year. He is up four spots to No. 34 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

Tien will face lucky loser Vitaliy Sachko for a place in the final. Sachko defeated Clement Tabur 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to book his semi-final spot.

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ATP & Lexus announce multi-year partnership extension

The ATP today announced a multi-year extension of its partnership with Lexus, one of the world’s leading premium car brands. Lexus will continue as Official Automotive Partner and Platinum Partner of the ATP Tour through 2028.

Since joining forces in 2023, Lexus has served as Official Car partner at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals and Rolex Paris Masters, in addition to a global portfolio of tournaments spanning Almaty, Hamburg, Kitzbuhel, Montpellier, Marseille, Metz, Lyon, Rotterdam, Auckland, Barcelona, Houston, London, and Eastbourne.

<img alt=”ATP CEO Eno Polo and Head of Lexus Europe Andre Schmidt.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/11/06/15/30/lexus-2025-announcement-court.jpg?w=100%25″ />

Through the renewal, Lexus will continue to engage the tennis community through a global tournament portfolio and high-value brand exposure across the ATP Tour’s digital and social platforms. Lexus remains Title Partner of ATP Head2Head – a digital initiative showcasing the Tour’s biggest rivalries – featuring an exclusive content series that follows ATP players as they take on entertaining challenges at tournaments.

Lexus will also continue to provide a fleet of electrified vehicles at sponsored events to support the transportation of players, officials and guests. With a portfolio of self-charging hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all electric models, the brand’s leadership in electrification aligns closely with the ATP Tour’s sustainability ambitions under ATP Serves and UN Sports for Climate Action, which targets Net Zero emissions by 2040.

<img alt=”ATP CEO Eno Polo and Head of Lexus Europe Andre Schmidt.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/11/06/15/28/lexus-2025-announcement-car.jpg” />

Eno Polo, ATP CEO, said: “Lexus is a partner that truly adds value to our Tour. Since we began our journey together, they’ve shown a genuine commitment to tennis – elevating the experience for our players and staff at key events and helping advance our sustainability efforts through ATP Serves. That purpose-led approach is what makes this partnership stand out. We’re proud to keep building on this.”

Andre Schmidt, Head of Lexus Europe, commented “Lexus’ partnership with the ATP Tour reflects our shared commitment to excellence, precision, and passion — values that resonate deeply with our brand. Through our electrified portfolio, we offer a range of choices that make luxury a personal experience, perfectly aligned with the spirit of world-class tennis.”

– All photo credits belong to Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.

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Musetti maintains Turin challenge, reaches Athens SFs

Lorenzo Musetti moved to within two wins of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals on Thursday at the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Hellenic Championship, where he brushed past Alexandre Muller 6-2, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals in Athens.

The stakes could hardly be higher. To secure a dream debut appearance at the prestigious season finale in his home country, the Italian must lift the trophy at the ATP 250. Felix Auger-Aliassime currently holds the eighth and final qualifying spot in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin.

Whichever of the two competes in Turin will land straight in the spotlight, joining Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and Ben Shelton in the Bjorn Borg Group following Thursday’s official draw.

But 1,400 miles away from Turin, Musetti kept his focus locked firmly on the task in front of him. The 23-year-old pulled Muller from corner to corner with crisp shot-making and sealed the victory in style, closing out on serve at his first opportunity after 82 minutes. Into his seventh semi-final of the season, Musetti will next meet Sebastian Korda.

Korda booked his spot in his third tour-level semi-final of the season with a 6-3, 6-2 win against Miomir Kecmanovic.

The American also defeated Kecmanovic en route to the final in Adelaide in January and now leads the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series 3-1. Korda fired 13 aces and won 30 of his 33 first-serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats, in an impressive serving display against Kecmanovic.

The 25-year-old, up one spot to No. 48 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, is chasing his first title of the season in his last event of 2025. He is guaranteed to end the year inside the Top 50.

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ATP Finals 2025: Who is playing, prize money & format explained

BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team explains how the ATP Tour Finals work, who is playing, the prize money and the past winners

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