{"id":100152,"date":"2026-03-29T08:15:50","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T12:15:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/?p=100152"},"modified":"2026-03-25T15:10:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T19:10:19","slug":"the-next-gen-report-card-where-are-they-all-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2026\/03\/29\/the-next-gen-report-card-where-are-they-all-now\/","title":{"rendered":"The Next Gen Report Card: Where Are They All Now?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Next Gen ATP Finals were born in 2017 with a simple promise: gather the eight most talented players under 21 in the world, put them in a room in Milan, and let the future of tennis play itself out. What it actually produced, across six editions from 2017 to 2022, was something far more complicated and far more interesting. Some of those players are now the best in the world. Some retired before they amounted to much. Most landed somewhere in between, occupying the vast middle ground between greatness and irrelevance, where most professional tennis careers actually unfold.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is not a review of the 2023 edition onwards. Those fields are too recent to fairly judge. The 2022 class has had three full years to show what they were made of, which is enough time for the trajectory to become legible. What follows is an honest accounting of what happened to every participant across the first six editions.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Next Gen Report Card<\/h2>\n

Class of 2017<\/span><\/h4>\n

Hyeon Chung (Champion)<\/strong><\/p>\n

There were genuinely few better stories in tennis during the winter of 2017-18 than Hyeon Chung. He won the inaugural Next Gen title undefeated, then walked into the Australian Open and beat Novak Djokovic to reach the semifinals. It looked like the beginning of something extraordinary. Persistent back injuries have disrupted his progress ever since, and he has spent years grinding back from outside the top 1,000. His career high was world #21, reached in May 2018. He is currently ranked 404th. A career derailed before it truly began, and a reminder that the gap between potential and durability is where most tennis dreams go to die.<\/span><\/p>\n

Andrey Rublev (Runner-Up)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Rublev has won over 20 ATP titles, reached a career high of world #5, and spent years as one of the most reliable top-ten presences on tour. He never won a Grand Slam, and his record in the biggest matches has been a source of persistent frustration, but as a career arc, he represents exactly what Next Gen was designed to identify and showcase.<\/span><\/p>\n

Daniil Medvedev (Semifinalist)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Medvedev went on to become world #1 and win the 2021 US Open. He was already 21 at the 2017 event and barely felt like a prospect even then, carrying the authority of a player who already knew precisely how good he was. By any measure, a generational talent who did quite well for himself and is still going strong almost a decade later.<\/span><\/p>\n

Karen Khachanov (Round Robin)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Won seven ATP titles, including the 2018 Paris Masters and reached a career high of world #8. Solid, durable and consistent. Never quite pushed into the genuine elite, but a legitimate top-fifteen player for several years and a professional that every tour needs to function. Currently ranked in the high teens and still competing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Denis Shapovalov (Round Robin)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The great frustration of this class. Shapovalov had one of the most electric games of his generation, a one-handed backhand that inspired genuine awe, and a personality that made him appointment viewing. He reached a career high of world #10 and a Wimbledon semifinal in 2021, but injuries, inconsistency, and a failure to find a settled identity within his own game have seen him drift. A career that promised a Grand Slam delivered a handful of memorable weeks and a long tail of early exits, but he\u2019s still competing, being ranked 38th.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Borna Coric (Round Robin)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Croatian squeezed more out of his career than most expected. He won the Cincinnati Masters in 2022 as the world #152, becoming the lowest-ranked player ever to win a Masters 1000 title, and reached a career high of #12. Shoulder surgery in 2021 essentially cost him two years, and he has never fully recaptured his peak. Currently battling back on the Challenger circuit in his late twenties, hoping to be better ranked than 178th.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jared Donaldson (Round Robin)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Donaldson’s career peaked at world #48 in 2018 with a semifinal in Acapulco, then knee problems ended everything. He played his final match against Rublev at Indian Wells in 2019, retired officially in 2021, and has since enrolled at university and taken up coaching. A brief rise of promise extinguished by injury at 22.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gianluigi Quinzi (Wildcard)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Italian wildcard officially retired from tennis in 2021, citing the weight of high expectations and competitive stress. He reached a career high of around 147 and won two Challenger titles. It\u2019s a cautionary tale about what the burden of being labelled a prodigy can do to a young player when the results fail to arrive on schedule.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Class of 2018<\/span><\/h4>\n

Stefanos Tsitsipas (Champion)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The blueprint for what Next Gen was supposed to represent. Tsitsipas won the ATP Finals the very next year, reached a career high of world #3, won the Monte Carlo Masters three times, and reached the French Open final. He has never won a Grand Slam, and a back injury in 2025 has raised questions about his long-term future. But as a career measured against the expectations that accompanied it, he delivered almost everything that was asked of him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alex de Minaur (Runner-Up)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Currently ranked world #6, de Minaur has ground his way to genuine elite status through sheer athletic will and relentless improvement, year after year, without much hype or even controversy. He has won multiple titles, including Queen’s Club and reached Grand Slam quarterfinals. No one in this class, and arguably no one across any of the five editions, has been more consistent over a longer period.<\/span><\/p>\n

Frances Tiafoe (Round Robin)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Won the first ATP title of this entire class at Delray Beach in 2018 and has since had a career full of extraordinary highs and maddening plateaus. The 2022 US Open semifinal run announced him as a legitimate contender. He has never built on it consistently. A career high of world #10, currently in the low twenties. Not a failure by any stretch, but not the player many believed he could become.<\/span><\/p>\n

Taylor Fritz (Round Robin)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Currently world #7. Fritz is now a legitimate top-ten fixture and the best American man in the game. His 2024 US Open final appearance was the high-water mark of a career characterised by steady improvement rather than explosive breakthroughs. A late bloomer who kept blooming, and one of the strongest arguments for patience in player development.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hubert Hurkacz (Round Robin)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reached world #7 and had a strong run at Wimbledon in 2021, beating Federer in straight sets in the quarterfinals. Added a Masters title in Miami and multiple Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances. A clear success story from this cohort, even if his 2025 shoulder surgery has cast uncertainty over what comes next.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jaume Munar (Semifinalist)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Won a Challenger in his home country and hovered around the 50-80 range in the rankings for years whilst struggling to establish himself as a consistent top-50 presence. But he recently reached career high of 33 and is playing the best tennis of his career. Not a disaster, but the ceiling was perhaps lower than advertised. <\/span><\/p>\n

Liam Caruana (Wildcard)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Italian wildcard never broke through at the tour level. His career peaked at around 370th in the world, and he has spent most of his professional life on the Challenger and ITF circuits. The weakest entry in a very strong class retiring in 2021.<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Class of 2019<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Jannik Sinner (Champion\/Wildcard)<\/strong><\/p>\n

World #2. Four-time Grand Slam champion. Former world #1. He was the Italian wildcard, given a spot in the draw as an 18-year-old with barely a ranking to his name, and he won the whole thing. Everything that has happened since has constituted one of the most linear ascents in the history of the sport. The single greatest return on investment the Next Gen Finals ever produced.<\/span><\/p>\n

Casper Ruud (Round Robin)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reached three Grand Slam finals, including consecutive French Open finals in 2022 and 2023, without winning any of them. Career high of world #2. An excellent career by any reasonable standard, defined by clay-court brilliance and some hard-court limitations (albeit he was a US Open runner-up). Currently ranked 12th in the world and still dangerous on his preferred surface.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Miomir Kecmanovic (Semifinalist)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carved out a comfortable top-30 career without ever threatening the top ten. A solid professional who has maximised what he had. Current ranking hovers around the 50-60 range. Two ATP titles in Kitzbuhel and Delray Beach, but not much besides that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ugo Humbert (Round Robin)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Became a genuine top-twenty player, won titles, and reached Masters quarterfinals. A lefty with a beautiful serve who has probably slightly outperformed what his initial trajectory suggested he would deliver. A quiet overachiever from this class.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (Round Robin)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Currently ranked 17th in the world. Has spent time in the top 20 and established himself as a consistent presence at that level. Better than expected from a player who entered this tournament as an alternate. Solid without ever quite threatening the upper echelon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mikael Ymer (Round Robin)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Won four Challenger titles that year and parlayed the form into this appearance. Career high of 50th in the world. Never broke into the consistent top 50. His career was ultimately defined by a doping suspension rather than tennis results. A sad turn to an underwhelming story.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0Class of 2021<\/span><\/h4>\n

(The event was not held in 2020 due to COVID.)<\/em><\/p>\n

Carlos Alcaraz (Champion)<\/strong><\/p>\n

World #1. Seven Grand Slam titles. Career Grand Slam completed at 22. The greatest single outcome the Next Gen Finals ever produced. He won the tournament undefeated at 18 and then spent the next four years becoming arguably the most complete player on the planet. There is nothing more to add that the sport has not already said for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sebastian Korda (Runner-Up)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Covered in depth this week following his Miami victory over Alcaraz. Career high of 15 and rising. Injuries have cost him precious development years, but in 2026 he looks increasingly like the version of himself the sport always believed was coming. The story is still being written.<\/span><\/p>\n

Holger Rune (Round Robin)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Has won titles including the Paris Masters, reached a career high of world #4, and beaten multiple top players in memorable matches. The talent has never been in doubt. The consistency and the temperament have regularly been the subject of legitimate concern. A career that has promised more than it has delivered so far, but at 22 he remains far from a finished product.<\/span><\/p>\n

Brandon Nakashima (Semifinalist)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Went on to win the 2022 Next Gen Finals and climbed to a career high of world #29. Has spent most of his career in the 40-80 range. A solid professional who has found his level and appears comfortable within it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lorenzo Musetti (Round Robin)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Currently world #5. The most impressive development story from this class outside of Alcaraz. He evolved from a flaky, inconsistent clay-court prospect into a genuine top-five fixture. Time will tell how far he can go but he\u2019s far from done.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sebastian Baez (Semifinalist)<\/strong><\/p>\n

A clay-court specialist who has won multiple titles on that surface and built a consistent top-40 career. Rarely threatens on hard courts or grass. Exactly the player his game suggested he would become, which is both a compliment and a limitation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Juan Manuel Cerundolo (Round Robin)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Has won a title and cracked the top 100, making him a decent success story from the bottom half of this draw. Currently ranked in the top 100 and still developing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hugo Gaston (Round Robin)<\/strong><\/p>\n

A slightly anachronistic who had his moments against top players without ever consistently living in the top 50. Career peaked around 58. Less remembered for his tennis than his questionable sportsmanship.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Class of 2022<\/h4>\n

Jiri Lehecka (Runner-Up)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Currently ranked 22nd in the world. Has won titles, beaten top-ten players regularly, and established himself as a genuine top-twenty presence. One of the stronger outcomes from this edition and a player whose ceiling may not yet have been reached.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jack Draper (Semifinalist)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Currently ranked 26th in the world, having peaked at #4. Won Indian Wells and made deep runs across several events. Injury woes derailed a fascinating rise, but time is on his side, and the talent hasn\u2019t let him down just yet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dominic Stricker (Semifinalist)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Was extraordinary at this event, beating the two highest-ranked players in the field and serving 20 aces in a single match. A wrist injury wiped out most of 2023 and 2024. He is still trying to piece his career back together. The potential was real. The injuries have been brutal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Matteo Arnaldi (Round Robin)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Broke into the top 30 and won a couple of challengers. A solid development from the last man into the Milan draw. Current ranking of 101. A bit of a what could have been story, thought at 25, he has many years to say more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chun-Hsin Tseng (Round Robin)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Career high of 83. A consistent Challenger-level player who has struggled to make the sustained jump to ATP-level success. The ceiling appears to have been found, for now at least.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Francesco Passaro (Round Robin)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hovered around 100-130 in the world, peaking at 89. Has never broken through at the ATP level in any meaningful way. The weakest results so from a player in the 2022 class.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Verdict<\/span><\/h4>\n

The overall picture is more nuanced than the event’s critics or its champions tend to acknowledge. The Next Gen Finals produced Sinner, Alcaraz, Medvedev, Rublev, Tsitsipas, de Minaur, Fritz, Hurkacz, and Musetti, which is essentially a who’s who of the modern tour. It also produced Gianluigi Quinzi and Liam Caruana, who barely registered at the tour level at all. The event did not create those divergent outcomes. It simply put them all in the same room at the same moment in their careers and let time do the sorting.<\/span><\/p>\n

What the five editions demonstrate, more than anything, is that tennis at 20 is a deeply unreliable predictor of tennis at 25. The players who won the tournament have had wildly different trajectories. The players who lost in the round robin have, in several cases, surpassed the champions entirely. The only consistent pattern is that there is no consistent pattern, which is either a damning indictment of the event’s predictive value or the most honest thing it ever revealed about the sport it was trying to forecast.<\/span><\/p>\n

Probably both.<\/span><\/p>\n

Main photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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