Before he reached the Australian Open semi-finals last week, it had been the breakout week of his career. South Korea's Hyeon Chung sped through the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan in November, going 5-0 to claim the 21-and-under title. But Chung, who turns 22 in May, won't be able to defend his crown come 6-10 November 2018. Who might hoist the Next Gen ATP Finals “X” trophy instead? ATPWorldTour.com takes a look at some of the possible candidates. TWO POTENTIAL RETURNERS Andrey Rublev (Rank: 35; Age: 20): Tennis fans across the world should know Rublev's name after his 2017. The Russian won his first title at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag in July and became the youngest...
He has the same “I-can-win-any-match” attitude. He pounds his chest with similar enthusiasm after big wins, and Alex de Minaur's tennis still thrives best when saturated with emotion. But the 18-year-old Aussie, who, for the second year in a row, delighted his home fans during the Australian summer, believes he's a different player than he was in 2017, when he earned his first tour-level wins in January. De Minaur is stronger – physically and mentally – than he was 12 months ago, and he carries with him the experiences of his first full season as a professional tennis player, a year that saw him start strong in his home country but not win another tour-level match after January. “I think...
Watch highlights as NextGenATP Aussie Alex de Minaur reaches the Sydney International final by beating Frenchman Benoit Paire. Video courtesy Tennis Australia. Visit sydneyinternational.com.au for more video. Playback not available in Australia. Getty Images photo.
Alex de Minaur’s star continued to shine bright on Friday as the Australian teenager booked his spot in the Sydney International final. The local boy competed with great maturity, regrouping after losing the first set, to beat Benoit Paire of France 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 in one hour and 50 minutes for a place in his first ATP World Tour final. “I was a set down with not a lot of belief in me, and this crowd just picked me up, picked my intensity up and got me over the line,” said de Minaur. “I just tried to be tough. I tried to find a way to just keep making balls and just trying to be that blue wall. Once I...
Watch highlights as teenager Alex de Minaur beats Feliciano Lopez on Thursday night at the 2018 Sydney International. Video courtesy Tennis Australia. Visit sydneyinternational.com.au for more video. Playback not available in Australia. SMP Images photo.
