This week, the stars of tomorrow have been on full display at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan. On Saturday, one of the biggest rivalries of the Next Generation will take centre stage. 

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex de Minaur are set to square off in a blockbuster championship clash under the bright lights of the Fiera Milano. The highest-ranked players in the field have separated themselves from the rest of the #NextGenATP pack, and the stakes could not be greater as they tangle for the trophy.

While many of today’s 21-and-under stars are just getting to know each other on the court, Tsitsipas and De Minaur have already established a competitive rivalry. Saturday’s title match will be their fifth professional encounter and eighth overall since 2015, with a trio of meetings coming at the junior level. 

Just last year, the 20-year-old Greek and 19-year-old Aussie met in the first round of qualifying at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Surbiton, UK. They were both outside the Top 200 of the ATP Rankings and making their initial ascent. One year later, with both firmly entrenched inside the Top 50, they are already household names on the ATP World Tour. Last month, Tsitsipas took their first tour-level clash 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships.

Safe to say, there will be no secrets on Saturday.

“I know it is going to be tough, so I’m going to have to be prepared for that,” said Tsitsipas. “I’m going to have to be 100 per cent. And I’m going to just mentally be there and just give my last effort and give everything I have.

“I think it would be a fantastic end of the year if things go well tomorrow. I’m going to have to play differently than today. I need to press, but not over-press because that’s what he’s waiting for. Be wise, be patient on the court. And of course make him move, make him run. Come to the net, play good tennis, play clever tennis, play all around tennis.”

Both Tsitsipas and De Minaur advanced to the final after surviving five-set thrillers on Friday. The Greek star needed a fifth set tie-break to overcome last year’s finalist Andrey Rublev, while his Aussie counterpart overcame a stern test from Jaume Munar.

“I’m just going to do what I need to do: recover, get a good night’s sleep and tomorrow is a new day,” De Minaur said. “It’s going to be my last match of the season, so I’m really looking forward to it. He’s got a big serve and definitely likes to dictate with his forehand. He’s very aggressive, likes to come to the net as well. So got to really make sure you have good depth and not leave too many balls short.

“As soon as the draw came out, first thing we thought about was my first-round opponent. And then on to the next, on to the next, on to the next.”

And now the next is the only player seeded ahead of him in Milan: the only player left standing in his way of a title.

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Heading into the Nitto ATP Finals, Roger Federer took a moment to reflect on his 2018 season as he looks to end his year with a milestone 100th tour-level trophy at The O2 in London.

After a stunning 2017 season which saw the Swiss capture seven titles, including Grand Slam crowns at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, Federer was clear that his 2018 season has been a success as he heads into the elite eight-man event. After defending his Australian Open title to win his 20th major trophy in January, Federer has lifted three further titles this year and compiled a 46-8 tour-level record.

“If I would have known that last year, this would have been the season [I would have], I would have taken it,” said Federer. “I am very happy that I won a Grand Slam. I am very happy that I played as well as I did throughout the season. Maybe Wimbledon and the US Open didn’t go the way I was hoping, but those were really the only two disappointments of the season.

“I won a bunch of tournaments again and played great at the Australian Open. Again, I won my home tournament in Basel… I have just had a really solid season. I stayed injury free also, for most of the year, so I am actually very happy with this season so far.”

With a record six titles at the Nitto ATP Finals, second-seeded Federer is eager to capture his first trophy at the season-ending tournament since 2011. Including his debut in 2002, the 99-time tour-level champion has competed in 15 of the past 16 editions of the event. Only in 2016, after cutting his season short to aid rehabilitation from knee surgery, has the Swiss not appeared at the season finale.

“I love playing this event. I always have, ever since I qualified for the very first time back in 2002,” said Federer. “It was a massive highlight in my career to be amongst the best eight and I actually had a great run too, that first time in Shanghai.”

Two of Federer’s six triumphs in the unique competition have come in London, having lifted back-to-back titles at The 02 in 2010 and 2011. Playing in front of a packed crowd, in a world-renowned venue, has always provided Federer with the perfect end to a successful season. More than 250,000 fans attend the event annually, with global viewership figures reaching an average of 95 million viewers each year.

“Here at The O2 we have really had some great crowds, a beautiful, great venue and also some good matches too,” said Federer.

Having hosted the event since 2009, when Nikolay Davydenko defeated Juan Martin del Potro in the championship match, the 10th edition of the event begins with questions over the future location of the tournament. With a contract in place until 2020 at The O2, plans for the future of the event, from 2021 onwards, will be announced early next year. Alongside a number of interested cities, London will be up for consideration when the ATP World Tour makes its decision not before March 2019.

“If [the tournament] stays I think it is definitely a good choice,” said Federer. “I don’t know what the options are. I think the options are clearly important to look at… If The O2 is happy and the crowds keep coming here to this venue and the Tour has a good deal, why not stay here?

“I don’t see a reason to change, unless there is somewhere else. A city that really wants it badly and is really willing to come in and support the Tour in a major way for many years to come… I have enjoyed playing in a city that knows tennis very well and has got a strong media following. It has been a good place for us players to showcase our talents.”

The BNP Paribas Open, Fever-Tree Championships and Intrum Stockholm Open have been named Tournament of the Year in their respective categories in the 2018 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët and Chandon. The tournament awards, voted annually by ATP players, recognise the leading standards set across events on the ATP World Tour.

The BNP Paribas Open wins in the Masters 1000 category for a fifth straight year. Ahead of the 2018 tournament, the BNP Paribas Open unveiled a brand-new “Full Bloom” marketing campaign that highlighted the world-class venue and players set amidst the stunning natural beauty and backdrop of the desert landscape. In parallel, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden underwent a beautification project to further amplify the feeling of Tennis Paradise. Inside Stadium 1, video walls were replaced and upgraded to complement the action on court. Earlier this year, BNP Paribas extended its title sponsorship of the tournament through 2023.

“We are honoured and humbled that for the fifth straight year, our event has been recognised by the players as Tournament of the Year,” Tournament Director Tommy Haas said. “Our entire staff works incredibly hard to deliver a world-class experience, and our goal will be to make the 2019 event even better this March.”

The Fever-Tree Championships reclaims the distinction as Tournament of the Year after previously winning in the ATP World Tour 500 category in 2015-16 and the 250 category in 2013-14. The grass-court event has been staged for more than a century at The Queen’s Club in London, and has increased its centre court capacity by more than 30 per cent over the last two years. In 2018, the tournament welcomed Fever-Tree, the premium mixer drinks company, as its title sponsor.

Stephen Farrow, Fever-Tree Championships Tournament Director, said: “The ATP-500 category is full of excellent tournaments, so for the players to vote the Fever-Tree Championships as their favourite event is immensely satisfying for everyone involved, particularly our tireless tournament team and The Queen’s Club grounds staff who maintain our magnificent grass courts year after year. I’d like to thank the players for voting for us, and our spectators, sponsors and media partners for their support.

“The Lawn Tennis Association has a vision to open up tennis in Britain to anyone with an interest, from players of all abilities and backgrounds to its millions of fans. As part of that vision, we want to entice people who have never experienced live tennis to come along to our tournaments and see it for themselves in 2019.”

The Intrum Stockholm Open wins the Tournament of the Year award in the 250 category for the second time. It previously shared the honour with the Winston-Salem Open in 2016. The indoor hard-court tournament marked its 50th anniversary this year. With the help of new tournament promoter Game Set Events, it celebrated unique moments of the tournament, including interviews on court with Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg.

“On behalf of Stockholm Open AB and Game Set Events I want to thank everyone involved in planning and delivering this event,” said Tournament Director Simon Aspelin. “It is such an honour to receive this award from the players and makes us very happy as we want all players to feel at home enjoying the best Swedish hospitality. A special thanks to all our loyal sponsors, volunteers and spectators for making this event possible and pushing us to keep improving every year.”

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas have been named among the recipients of the 2018 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon, with winners revealed ahead of Friday evening’s award presentations at the Official Launch of the Nitto ATP Finals.

Djokovic, who will receive the 2018 year-end ATP World Tour No. 1 trophy this Sunday at The O2, has also been selected by fellow players as the Comeback Player of the Year following his historic return from elbow surgery and a No. 22 ATP Ranking in June to clinch year-end No. 1. Marian Vajda, who guided Djokovic in his return to the top with the pair reuniting in April, has been named by his peers as ATP Coach of the Year.

Nadal has been honoured by players as winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for a second time, while fans have selected Federer as the ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favourite presented by Moët & Chandon for a 16th straight year. In doubles, a new pair – Americans Mike Bryan and Jack Sock – has been crowned Fans’ Favourites.

A pair of #NextGenATP players win in two player-voted categories, with 19-year-old Australian Alex de Minaur awarded Newcomer of the Year and 20-year-old Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas taking Most Improved Player of the Year honours. Other winners include Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic, the year-end ATP World Tour No. 1 Doubles Team, and Tommy Robredo, who receives the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award.

The ATP World Tour’s best tournaments have also been revealed, with the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells (Masters 1000), the Fever-Tree Championships at The Queen’s Club (500) and the Intrum Stockholm Open (250) named the Tournaments of the Year in their respective categories.

And the BBC’s Sue Barker has been recognised as the recipient of the Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award for her long-standing contribution to the popularity of the game.

Visit the official ATP World Tour Awards section on ATPWorldTour.com

2018 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon

ATP World Tour No. 1
(determined by ATP Rankings)
Comeback Player of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
Novak Djokovic: The Serbian secured a historic return to year-end No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, becoming the first player to be ranked outside the Top 20 and climb to the top spot in the same season. Djokovic fell as low as No. 22 in June after undergoing right elbow surgery earlier in the year. Everything changed when he entered Wimbledon, subsequently posting a 31-2 record including Grand Slam titles at the grass-court major and the US Open, as well as ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns in Cincinnati and Shanghai. With his victory in Cincinnati, he notched the Career Golden Masters, becoming the first player to complete the set of all nine Masters 1000 titles. Having previously finished at year-end No. 1 in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015, Djokovic joins Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer for the second-most top finishes, behind only Pete Sampras (6).

ATP World Tour No. 1 Doubles Team
(determined by ATP Doubles Team Rankings)
Oliver Marach & Mate Pavic: The Austrian-Croatian duo clinched the year-end top spot for the first time, becoming the first players from their respective countries to achieve the feat in any of the ATP Rankings (singles, doubles, team). Marach and Pavic completed a dominant campaign, beginning with a 17-match win streak and titles in Doha, Auckland and the Australian Open. Also champions in Geneva and Chengdu, they reached a total of nine finals, including runner-up finishes at Roland Garros and Monte-Carlo. Marach, 38, is the oldest member of a year-end No. 1 doubles team since 38-year-old Sherwood Stewart in 1984. The 25-year-old Pavic is the youngest member of a year-end No. 1 doubles team since Todd Woodbridge, 24, in 1995. It marks the fifth straight year in which a different team has finished as year-end No. 1.

Most Improved Player of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
Stefanos Tsitsipas: The 20-year-old became the top-ranked Greek in ATP Rankings history after rising to a career-high No. 15 this season, and he also became the first player from Greece to win a tour-level title. The champion at the Intrum Stockholm Open, Tsitsipas dropped just one set en route to the indoor-hard court crown. He rose from a season-opening ATP Ranking of No. 91 to become the youngest member of the Top 20. He also finished runner-up at the ATP World Tour 500 event in Barcelona and the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Toronto, falling to Rafael Nadal in both finals. In Toronto, Tsitsipas became the youngest player to beat four Top 10 opponents at a single tournament since the ATP World Tour was established in 1990.

Newcomer of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
Alex de Minaur: From outside the Top 200 to open the year, de Minaur soared to a career-high No. 31 in 2018. De Minaur began his campaign with a first tour-level semi-final in Brisbane and final in Sydney. He would carry the momentum to the Challenger circuit, where he captured his maiden title in Nottingham in June. The 19-year-old also reached his biggest final at the ATP World Tour 500 event in Washington and earned third-round finishes at Wimbledon and the US Open. In 2017, de Minaur won two tour-level matches. In 2018, he secured a total of 24 victories. Making his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, he is one of just two teenagers in the year-end Top 100 of the ATP Rankings.

Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award
(voted by ATP players)
Rafael Nadal: Fellow players voted Nadal as the winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for a second time, recognising the Spaniard for his fair play, professionalism and integrity on and off the court. Nadal also received this honour in 2010. This season, the 32-year-old Spaniard spent 36 weeks atop the ATP Rankings and won five titles, including record 11th titles at Roland Garros, Monte-Carlo and Barcelona. Off the court, Nadal supported flood relief efforts in Mallorca. 

Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award
(awarded by ATP)
Tommy Robredo: To honour the memory of his close friend, the Spaniard launched his foundation and an international wheelchair tennis tournament, the Santi Silvas Open, in 2009. Robredo’s foundation organises activities which encourage sports training for disabled people, especially wheelchair tennis. It also creates awareness of the importance of sport as beneficial to mental and physical health, and at the same time as a stimulant to personal growth and wellbeing.

ATP Coach of the Year
(voted by ATP coaches)
Marian Vajda: Vajda and long-time pupil Novak Djokovic reunited this past April at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters after a one-year split in 2017. The 53-year-old Slovakian guided Djokovic to a return to No. 1 in the ATP Rankings and Grand Slam victories at Wimbledon and the US Open, as well as ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns in Cincinnati and Shanghai. Vajda is a former World No. 34 and won a pair of ATP World Tour titles in the late 1980s.

ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favourite presented by Moët & Chandon (Singles)
(voted by fans)
Roger Federer: The 37-year-old Swiss extended his reign in this category, winning the popular vote from fans for a 16th straight year to take his record tally of ATP World Tour Awards to 37. This season, Federer became the oldest World No. 1 in the 45-year history of the ATP Rankings and also claimed his 20th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Ahead of the Nitto ATP Finals, he won his 99th tour-level title at his hometown tournament in Basel.

ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favourite presented by Moët & Chandon (Doubles)
(voted by fans)
Mike Bryan & Jack Sock: The Americans claimed the fan-voted award in their first year as a duo. Mike Bryan previously won this Award with his brother Bob Bryan from 2005-17. With Bob sidelined with injury since Madrid, Mike Bryan and Sock teamed up during the grass-court swing and won the Wimbledon title in only their second tournament together. They followed with a second Grand Slam title at the US Open.

Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award
(awarded by ATP)
Sue Barker: As accomplished in a television studio as she once was on a tennis court, the former Roland Garros champion and World No. 3 anchors BBC’s tennis coverage, including this coming week from the Nitto ATP Finals. Each summer at the All England Club, Barker performs what has become a Wimbledon tradition: an on-court interview with the new men’s and women’s singles champions.  Barker started her television career with Channel 7 in Australia, before working for SKY and then becoming one of the most celebrated presenters at the BBC.

ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Tournament of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells): The BNP Paribas Open wins in the Masters 1000 category for a fifth straight year. Ahead of the 2018 tournament, the BNP Paribas Open unveiled a brand-new “Full Bloom” marketing campaign that highlighted the world-class venue and players set amidst the stunning natural beauty and backdrop of the desert landscape. In parallel, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden underwent a beautification project to further amplify the feeling of Tennis Paradise. Inside Stadium 1, video walls were replaced and upgraded to complement the action on court. Earlier this year, BNP Paribas extended its title sponsorship of the tournament through 2023.

ATP World Tour 500 Tournament of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
Fever-Tree Championships (Queen’s Club): The Fever-Tree Championships reclaims the distinction as Tournament of the Year after previously winning in the ATP World Tour 500 category in 2015-16 and the 250 category in 2013-14. The grass-court event has been staged for more than a century at The Queen’s Club in London, and has increased its centre court capacity by more than 30 per cent over the last two years. In 2018, the tournament welcomed Fever-Tree, the premium mixer drinks company, as its title-sponsor.

ATP World Tour 250 Tournament of the Year
(voted by ATP players)
Intrum Stockholm Open (Stockholm): The Intrum Stockholm Open wins the Tournament of the Year award in the 250 category for the second time. It previously shared the honour with the Winston-Salem Open in 2016. The indoor hard-court tournament marked its 50th anniversary this year. With the help of new tournament promoter Game Set Events, it celebrated unique moments of the tournament, including interviews on court with Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg.

After a thrilling final day of round-robin action at the Fiera Milano, four men remain at the Next Gen ATP Finals with ambitions of capturing the trophy.

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev will meet for the first time at tour-level on Friday, in a repeat of a blockbuster first-round encounter on the ATP Challenger Tour last season. With both players yet to enter the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings for the first time, Rublev battled past Tsitsipas 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(7) in Quimper. But a lot has changed, for both men, since that meeting in France.

Top seed Tsitsipas arrives into the semi-finals with a 3-0 unbeaten record in Milan, dropping just one set in round-robin play to Jaume Munar. After a breakthrough season on the ATP World Tour, which included capturing his first title at the Intrum Stockholm Open, the World No. 15 will be looking to cap his stellar season by capturing the title at the Fiera Milano in Milan.

“[Andrey] won’t give me that many opportunities like Hubert [Hurkacz] today,” said Tsitsipas. “It’s going to be a fight. It’s going to be tough match to deal with.

“I’m going to have to be ready for that, for the battle. I’m going to have to be ready mentally to work hard to get that win.”

As the only returning player from the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals 12 months ago, 2017 runner-up Rublev will be eager to make his way back to the championship match after falling to Hyeon Chung last year. The Moscow native qualified for the semi-finals with a 2-1 record, defeating Taylor Fritz and Liam Caruana in his first and final group stage matches.

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In the first semi-final, Alex de Minaur will meet Spaniard Jaume Munar for a place in Saturday’s final. Like Tsitsipas and Rublev, the pair has previously met below tour-level. On both occasions, Munar defeated the Australian in straight sets to win trophies in Spain. But De Minaur will be confident of notching his first win against the Mallorcan after an impressive Group B performance.

De Minaur dropped one set in three matches to emerge as the winner of Group B, beating Rublev, Fritz and Caruana to book his place in the last four. The 19-year-old, who reached tour-level finals in Sydney and Washington, D.C, this year, will be aiming to maintain his high level of performance as he bids to reach another championship match in 2018.

“Going into each day you’ve got different tactics. And tomorrow will be different,” said De Minaur. “But I just want to go out there and keep doing what I’ve been doing. I’ve been serving well. I’ve been playing confident and just leaving it all out there.”

Munar’s chances of reaching the last four appeared bleak after losing his opening two matches in Milan, but an impressive three-set victory over Frances Tiafoe, coupled with Tsitsipas’ victory over Hubert Hurkacz, earned the Spaniard a shot at reaching the championship match. After two victories below tour-level against his semi-final opponent, will Munar be able to maintain his winning record against De Minaur on such a big stage? That remains to be seen.