The Next Gen stars:
Jannik Sinner:
Jannik Sinner won four titles in Melbourne, Washington, Antwerp and Sofia and finished runner-up to Hubert Hurkacz in the Miami Open final. Sinner broke into the top 10 of the ATP Rankings for the first time in his career. The Italian Next Gen star became the first teenager to win an ATP 500 title since 2009 and the first Italian player to reach the final in Miami and the second youngest finalist in 36-year tournament history.
Sinner is the youngest player to finish in the top 10 since Juan Martin Del Potro in 2008.
“It was a great season for sure. There were a lot of highlights. It was a great feeling. I grew as a player, but also as a person, which is very important. I started the season at number 37 and finishing in the top 10 is great. It’s a big pleasure to be one of these incredible players. On the other hand, I know what I have to improve, my team knows that as well, so it’s going to be interesting next year, but I don’t want to rush, that’s for me the main goal. I am 20, next year I am 21. There are still many years that I can play on the Tour”, Sinner reflected.
Sinner was the first alternate at the ATP Finals in Turin and entered the tournament after his countryman Matteo Berrettini was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to an abdominal injury. He beat his friend Hubert Hurkacz 6-2 6-2 to become the youngest player to win an ATP Finals match on debut since Lleyton Hewitt in Lisbon in 2000.
Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz crowned his breakthrough season with his title at the Intesa San Paolo Next Gen Finals in Milan. The rising star beat US Sebastian Korda 4-3 (7-5) 4-2 4-2 in the final.
Carlos Alcaraz: “It’s amazing. To be able to win this tournament means a lot to me. I am so excited right now and emotional. It feels good to end the year in the best way possible, playing great matches against great players”
During the 2021 season the 18-year-old player won his first ATP 250 title in Umag beating Richard Gasquet to become the youngest tour-level champion since 18-year-old Kei Nishikori won in Delray Beach in 2008. Alcaraz is the youngest Spanish player to win an ATP Tour title since Rafael Nadal claimed his first trophy in Sopot 2004.
At the US Open Alcaraz beat world number 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas in a fifth-set tie-break, becoming the youngest quarter finalist at the New York Grand Slam tournament in the Open Era. He also became the youngest Grand Slam men’s singles quarter finalist since 18-year-old Michael Chang at the 1990 French Open.
During the autumn season Alcaraz beat world number 7 Berrettini at the Erste Bank Open, scoring the second biggest win of his career, and the second win over a top 10 player. At the Paris Rolex Masters in Bercy he beat Pierre Hugues Herbert in three sets in the opening round before scoring the third top 10 win of his career against Jannik Sinner in straight sets.
Alcaraz achieved a career-high number 32 at the age of 18, becoming the youngest player to end the year in the top 32 since Andrei Medvedev finished the 1992 season at world number 24.
Alcaraz is coached by Juan Carlos Ferrero, who won the French Open title and became World number 1 in 2003 soon after Alcaraz was born.
The Newcomer of the Year
Jenson Brooksby
US Next Gen player Jenson Brooksby has been voted Newcomer of the Year in the 2021 ATP Awards. Brooksby is the first US player to win this award since Taylor Fritz in 2016 and the third American player to achieve this feat, also joining Andy Roddick in 2001.
Brooksby, who had won just one ATP Tour level match before the 2021 season, ended the year at world number 56. He advanced to his first ATP Tour final in his grass-court debut in Newport becoming the second youngest finalist in 45-year tournament history. He beat Felix Auger Aliassime to achieve the biggest win of his career en route to the semifinal at the Citi Open in Washington in 2021 as the 130th ranked wild-card player. He reached the fourth round at the US Open as a wild card, becoming the youngest American player to achieve this feat since Andy Roddick in 2000. At Flushing Meadows he beat Aslan Karatsev and Taylor Fritz before losing to Novak Djokovic in four sets. He also reached two ATP Tour semifinals and won three Challenger titles in Potchefstroom, Orlando and Tallahassee.
