Juncheng Shang, Alex Michelsen, Arthur Fils, and Jakub Mensik successfully qualified for the ATP Next Gen Finals, which will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from 18 to 22 December.
Juncheng Shang is the most prominent Chinese talent right now. He became the second Chinese ATP Tour player to win the ATP title. Currently ranked at 50, Shang won the title in Chengdu two months ago, defeating Musetti in the final. He was consistent throughout the season and is among the biggest favorites to win the Next Gen Finals. Juncheng also reached the semifinals in Atlanta and Hong Kong, respectively. In his last match, Shang lost in the ATP 250 Belgrade 2 opening round against Marozsan in three tight sets. He enjoys playing on the indoor hard courts like this one.
Alex Michelsen is only 20 years old and is already part of the top 50 company. The American is a heavy hitter and enjoys playing aggressively. His most significant results came on the grass and hard courts. Earlier this season, Alex reached the final in Newport on grass, where Giron stopped him in three tight sets. Before that, Michelsen reached the final in Winston Salem on hard, where Sonego stopped him in straight sets. The young American has been consistent throughout the season but failed in both finals due to a lack of experience. Michelsen also played last year in Jeddah when he made his Next Gen Finals debut. He lost all three group matches and was the last in the Red Group. In his last tournament, Michelsen reached the semifinals in Metz, where he failed against Bonzi in three sets.
Arthur Fils is the biggest favorite here in Jeddah. Currently ranked at 20, Arthur made an impact this season. He was consistent throughout the whole season on every surface. His last significant result was winning the title in Tokyo, defeating Humbert in the final. Earlier this season, Arthur also captured the title in Hamburg, upsetting Zverev in the final. There are big expectations from the Frenchman who played in last year’s final in Jeddah. Arthur won the Green Group last year and ended up winning all group matches. Later on, Fils defeated his compatriot, Luca van Assche, in the semifinals. Fils crumbled under pressure in the final match and lost in the deciding set against Hamad Medjedovic. His last tournament was in Paris, where he lost his 1/8-Final match against Zverev in three tight sets.
Jakub Mensik will make his debut in Jeddah. The big-hitting teen made his top-50 debut this season and showed his best tennis on every surface. At the beginning of the season, Mensik reached his maiden ATP Tour final in Doha, where he lost against Khachanov in tight straight sets. His last significant result was reaching the quarterfinals of the ATP Masters 1000 in Shanghai, where he fell short against Novak Djokovic after putting up a big fight. Mensik loves to play on the fast courts like this one. In his last match, Mensik retired mid-match against Moutet in the qualifying tournament of the Paris Masters. However, he has enough time to prepare for the season’s final tournament.
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
