Watch PIF documentary showcasing innovative event 

Joao Fonseca has experienced a rapid rise over the past 12 months, though nothing would have equipped him for the spotlight quite like his title run at the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.

The 18-year-old was the youngest and lowest-ranked player in the field, but that did not stop him from taking Jeddah by storm in December. Fonseca reeled off five dazzling victories en route to becoming the second-youngest winner of the event behind Jannik Sinner, the current runaway leader atop the PIF ATP Rankings. The Brazilian went on to extend his win streak to 14 matches at all levels as he qualified for his Grand Slam main-draw debut at the Australian Open, where he defeated World No. 9 Andrey Rublev in a stunning first-round display. 

“I was brave when I needed to be brave, and I was patient when I needed to be patient,” said Fonseca in episode 8 of the Journey To Jeddah series. “It was really nice on my part. I’m really proud of myself. It’s going to be a great start to my career.”

Watch Journey To Jeddah episode 8 here:

While Fonseca’s undefeated run may have attracted many of the eyes in Jeddah, the whole tournament was a celebration of the promising talent that is knocking on the door of the sport’s greats. One of those is Learner Tien, who captured three ATP Challenger Tour titles in 2024 to confirm his spot at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. 

The 19-year-old American became the first player in tournament history to beat the top three seeds en route to the final. Tien then further highlighted his credentials as one of the Tour’s brightest prospects by reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open just four weeks later, a run highlighted by his major upset over World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev.

“Just being here [in Jeddah] is obviously an accomplishment for me,” said Tien. “It was one of my big goals at the beginning of the year, so to have a shot at the title is more than I could have ever wished for. I’m just really happy with where I am right now.”

It All Adds Up

Off the court, the players had the opportunity to sit down with one of their biggest idols, Rafael Nadal. The 22-time major winner and former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings gave invaluable insight into his journey, and how the #NextGenATP stars could shape their own careers on Tour.

“If you asked Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Rod Laver or Jimmy Connors if they had chances to really sit down with their mentors and see how they can become a better athlete and person, I would venture to say that not many of them could,” said tennis analyst Andrew Krasny. “This is a huge opportunity for our future stars.”