Arthur Fils & Jakub Mensik dominate Next Gen ATP Finals as Alex Michelsen shines – our predictions

Oli Dickson Jefford 16 Dec 2024 12:13 PM

L-R: Arthur Fils, Jakub Mensik, and Alex Michelsen

Arthur Fils, Jakub Mensik, and Alex Michelsen will be in Next Gen Finals action.

Most players are gearing up for the start of 2025 but, for a select few on the ATP Tour, the 2024 season is not yet officially over.

The seventh edition of the Next Gen ATP Finals will get underway in Jeddah on Wednesday and with reigning champion Hamad Medjedovic ineligible to compete, a new champion will be crowned.

Four top-50 players – Arthur Fils, Alex Michelsen, Jakub Mensik, and Shang Juncheng – will be in action, joined by fellow rising stars Learner Tien, Luca Van Assche, Nishesh Basavareddy, and Joao Fonseca.

As eight of the ATP’s brightest talents look to try and follow in the footsteps of former champions such as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, we make our pre-tournament predictions.

Blue Group

Players: (1) Arthur Fils, (3) Jakub Mensik, (5) Learner Tien, (8) Joao Fonseca

Ranked over 20 places ahead of everyone else in the field – and with over 1,000 ranking points between him and second seed Michelsen – Fils heads into the tournament as a significant favourite.

The Frenchman was runner-up in 2023 and, after winning two ATP 500 titles this season, will be full of confidence heading into Jeddah.

The 20-year-old has not been handed an easy draw though, with Mensik, Tien, and Fonseca providing him with stern tests early on.

Perhaps the biggest test will come from Czech star Mensik, who finished the year inside the top 50 after reaching his first ATP final and picking up four top-10 wins across 2024.

The Fast4 format could also work to the advantage of US rising star Tien and Brazilian prodigy Fonseca, both of whom progressed rapidly this season.

However, Fils and Mensik are two clear contenders in Jeddah – and it is difficult to bet against them progressing.

Prediction: 1) Fils, 2) Mensik

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Red Group

Players: (2) Alex Michelsen, (4) Shang Juncheng, (6) Luca Van Assche, (7) Nishesh Basavareddy

Michelsen was one of several positive stories for US men’s tennis in 2024, with the 20-year-old reaching two tour finals and finishing the year as the world No 41.

But the American does not have an easy task early on in Jeddah, with three formidable opponents set to face him early on in group stage action.

The toughest threat will likely come from Chinese ace Juncheng, who went one better than Michelsen by winning his first ATP Title this season.

Chengdu champion Jungcheng is just six spots behind Michelsen in the rankings and, having raced up the rankings in the second half of 2024 will certainly fancy his chances here.

French prodigy Van Assche and Basavereddy – one of three Americans in the draw – will face an uphill task facing the two top-50 opponents.

Van Assche made the third round of the Australian Open back in January and is an impressive talent, though Juncheng and Michelsen will back themselves to progress.

Prediction: 1) Juncheng, 2) Michelsen