The final Masters’ tournament of the year has finished, but there are still tournaments to go. This week we dig into the Next Gen Finals 2022.
Next Gen Finals 2022
For those who haven’t followed the Next Gen Finals before, it’s similar to the ATP Finals, but with the top-ranked players on or below 21 years of age. Holger Rune and Carlos Alcaraz are not playing this year. Carlos is injured and already ATP world number one, and Rune is a reserve for the ATP Finals thanks to his win in Paris.
But the playing field for the Next Gen Finals 2022 is still pretty strong. These are the players battling for a sizable chunk of prize money.
Francesco Passaro, Chun-Hsin Tseng, Brandon Nakashima, Lorenzo Musetti, Jack Draper, Jiri Lehecka, Dominic Stricker, and Matteo Arnaldi.
The field includes three Italians, which shows how strong Italian tennis is currently.
Next Gen Finals Prize Money
The total prize money of the 2022 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan is $1,400,000.
| Prize Money | |
|---|---|
| Alternate | $13,000 |
| Participation Fee | $82,250 |
| Round-robin match win | $28,000 |
| Semi-final match win | $113,500 |
| Final win | $153,000 |
| Undefeated champion | $432,750 |
Milan Participation Fee Schedule
1 Match: $41,125
2 Matches: $61,690
3 Matches: $82,250
Format
The Next Gen Finals has a round-robin format, with eight players divided into two groups of four. All singles matches are the best-of-five sets, with each set the first to four games (not six games).
The final standings of each group shall be determined by the first of the following methods that apply:
a) Greatest number of wins.
b) Greatest number of matches played.
Comment: 2-1 won-loss record beats a 2-0 won-loss record; a 1-2 record beats a 1-0 record.
c) Head-to-head results if only two (2) players are tied.
Rules
Below are the returning rules and innovations for the 2022 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals:
– First-to-4, Best-of-5 Set Matches
– No-Ad Scoring
– Free Fan Movement
– Live Electronic Line Calling
– Video Review
– Towel Racks
Updated rules
The idea with the Next Gen Finals is to test rules that speed up the action. Such as a quicker Shot Clock (15 secs on aces and double faults), one sit-down per set, 3-minute warm-up.
Off-court coaching will be allowed.
Predictions
It’s very difficult to predict the Next Gen finals, but looking at previous years, it seems like the favorite always wins (Tsitsipas, Sinner, Alcaraz). The most experienced player in the field is Musetti, and playing at home should be a bonus for him. That’s why I’ll pick Musetti for the title, with Draper as an outside favorite.
Who do you think will win and will you be watching?
