Men’s tennis governing body, ATP, has unveiled a list of transformational changes to the Next Gen brand ahead of the 2024 season.
Back in 2017, the ATP launched the Next Gen ATP Finals tournament as part of its commitment to nurturing talent and improving young players’ pathway to the top of the sport. Furthermore, the ATP had a duty to market and make more players accessible to the wider tennis community.
At the time, the ATP’s bosses were clear in their overall strategy that changing of the guard was inevitable. Roger Federer, probably the household name in tennis, exited the stage. Federer’s longtime rivals – Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray are also in the twilight of their careers.
Part of its core mandate was to freshen up things, and the ATP has certainly succeeded in laying the platform to unearth the next big superstars in tennis. The Next Gen tournament has aided the development of players like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Stefanos Tsitsipas, who have won this tournament in the past.
A week ago, the ATP announced that in 2024, the Next Gen ATP brand would be expanded to include the Next Gen ATP Finals, Next Gen Top 350 players, and the Next Gen Accelerator Programme.
In their press release, they explain that the Next Gen ATP Finals qualification criteria will be revised by lowering the age threshold from 21-and-under to 20-and-under, widening the opportunities for the payers in that age bracket.
It will do that by creating up to eight ATP Challenger Tour 100 and 125 opportunities for players born in 2004 or after and in the Top 350. These players will be classified as Next Gen players.
Additionally, those Next Gen players who climb into the Top 250 will receive one main draw and two qualifying opportunities at the ATP 250 events in addition to the Challenger opportunities mentioned.
The Accelerator Programme will target to promote Junior and College players and will fall under the Next Gen brand. The promotion system will be substituted with the Top 350 opportunities highlighted at the top of the article.
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