Destination KSA - Your Guide to Saudi

Destination KSA - Your Guide to Saudi

JEDDAH GEARS UP FOR ARRIVAL OF NEXT GEN ATP FINALS PRESENTED BY PIF

JEDDAH GEARS UP FOR ARRIVAL OF NEXT GEN ATP FINALS PRESENTED BY PIF

With less than one week to go until the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, Jeddah is ready to welcome the tennis stars of the future, while legend Rafael Nadal will visit the city to help inspire more people into the sport.

Held on indoor hard courts at King Abdullah Sports City from 18-22 December 2024, the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF features the eight best 20-and-under players on the ATP Tour. This year’s lineup comprises Frenchman Arthur Fils, Alex Michelsen of the United States, Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic, China’s Juncheng Shang, American Learner Tien, Luca Van Assche of France, American Nishesh Basavareddy, and Brazil’s Joao Fonseca.

Tickets for the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF are on sale and can be purchased here.

As the tournament returns to Jeddah for the second in a five-year partnership between the ATP Tour and Saudi Tennis Federation (STF), it represents another significant milestone for tennis in Saudi Arabia.

The 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF was the first professional tennis tournament staged in the Kingdom, and since then the sport continues to grow exponentially. In addition to hosting more prestigious tournaments, including the WTA Finals and the historic 6 Kings Slam in Riyadh, several community initiatives have been launched as the STF aims to inspire 1 million people into tennis by 2030.

Among the many initiatives is the ‘Tennis For All’ program, which saw 29,000 schoolchildren across Saudi Arabia participate in tennis in 2023, while the number of overall registered players has risen by 46 percent.

To further aid in these ambitions, Saudi Tennis Federation ambassador Rafael Nadal will be in Jeddah from 20-22 December to take part in coaching clinics, meet with fans, and mentor aspiring tennis players. The legendary 22-time Grand Slam champion is also scheduled to speak at the STF Coaches Conference at King Abdullah Sports City.

Beyond his work in the local tennis community, Nadal will be present at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, where he will attend the semi-finals and final to witness the new champion crowned for 2024.

The season-ending tournament is known for its fast pace and innovation and the 2024 event will be no different. Matches will be played in best-of-five sets, with each set the first to four games instead of the traditional six. Tie breaks will be played at 3-3. To speed up each game, the time between points is reduced to 15 seconds from 25 if the previous point is less than three shots. Fans can also move freely around the stadium during play except for limited areas behind the baseline in direct player view.

Technology will once again be an exciting feature at the tournament. Scoreboards with simplified scoring graphics will be displayed around the arena and have been designed to educate the younger spectators. Players will be able to wear wearable devices to collect data for physical performance and stress response, while the Tennis IQ match data platform will provide in-match data analytics to coaches sitting courtside.

The 2024 tournament will also see an increase in total prize money to a record $2.05 million. In addition to the cheque, the winner will add his name to an impressive list of champions, which includes current world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz, and 11-time ATP Tour event winner Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Tickets are now available for the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF on webook.com.


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