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Following a competitive bid process, the ATP has announced that Milan, Italy, will host a new ATP tournament featuring the world’s top 21-and-Under singles players of the ATP World Tour season.

The event, named the Next Gen ATP Finals, will take place over five days at the Fiera Milano stadium from 7-11 November, 2017, and will remain in Milan for a five-year period, through 2021.

A season-long “Emirates ATP Race to Milan”, starting in January, will see the world’s best up-and-coming talents battle to qualify for the tournament. The Top 7 players in the race will qualify automatically, while the eighth spot will be reserved for a wild card.

Visit NextGenATPFinals.com for trailer & more information

ATP Executive Chairman & President, Chris Kermode, said: “We’re delighted to bring this new world class event to Milan, Italy. The next generation of players coming through on the ATP World Tour is gathering huge momentum. This event will provide a platform for the stars of the future to showcase their talents on a global stage. We received significant interest from a number of cities worldwide, and we’re pleased to partner with the Italian Tennis Federation in Milan in this new venture.”

The tournament will trial a number of rule changes and innovations, to be announced in due course, with a view to ensuring continued growth in popularity of men’s professional tennis. “This event will also act as a launch pad for tennis innovation as we bid to make our sport more attractive to the changing consumer habits of the next generation of fans,” said Kermode.

Angelo Binaghi, President of the Italian Tennis Federation, said: “We are proud that the ATP has made the decision to bring such an important and new event to Italy and to Milan. To host the stars who are already shining brightly today and will be the leaders of the circuit in the future perfectly reflects the philosophy of our federation which is to approach the young talents who will be the main actors of the Tour in the near future. With its choice, the ATP has shown its long-term vision: to promote the Next Generation is to ensure the continued success of tennis in years ahead.”

The event will award US$ 1.25 million in prize money, and will follow a similar format to the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, with a round robin group stage followed by knock-out semi-finals and a final. While Emirates ATP Ranking points will serve as the criteria for entry, the tournament itself will not carry points.

Former Barclays ATP World Tour Finals champion and six-time Grand Slam winner Stefan Edberg has hailed the introduction of the Next Gen ATP Finals from 2017 as a “great opportunity” for the rising stars of the game.

The new ATP World Tour tournament, hosted in Milan, Italy, will feature the world’s top 21-and-under singles players each season.

Edberg, who featured in a similar event back in 1985 called the Tennis World Young Masters, won his first ATP World Tour title in Milan (1984) and would relish the opportunity to feature in this new competition if he was a junior once again.

“I think this is a great idea. It's good for tennis. It's great to promote these young players,” said Edberg. “They're probably going to need more time to break into the top of the tennis game.
“Obviously when you're young, you see just opportunities. This is going to be a great opportunity. It's a great format,” declared Edberg, who believes the competition for qualification will be fierce.

“I think a lot of these guys are really, really going to battle it out to get into this tournament because there's going to be attractive prize money and it's going to be a good way for them to promote themselves. It's a win-win situation here. It's definitely the right move to do it. If I was young, I would love to have this setup.”

Replicating the format of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, with a round-robin group stage followed by knock-out semi-finals and a final, players aged 21-and-under will vie for seven automatic qualification spots or the sole wildcard through their ranking in the Emirates ATP Race to Milan.

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The event will take place over five days at the Fiera Milano stadium in the picturesque Italian City and will remain in Milan until 2021 over a five-year period. In 2017, the inaugural competition will take place from 7-11 November, between the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London.

17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, like Edberg, won his first ATP title in 2001 in Milan and the fledging talent on the ATP World Tour such as Alexander Zverev, Borna Coric and Taylor Fritz will vie with fresh faces hoping to follow in the Swiss Maestro’s footsteps towards the upper echelons of the game. Next Gen star Frances Tiafoe, currently ranked World No. 108, is targeting qualification as a key element in his 2017 campaign.

“We're incredibly excited about the event. It's definitely going to be a great event,” said the American teenager. “I want to thank the ATP for everything they've done launching the Next Gen. It was a huge deal for us, a bunch of different personalities. I think it's going to be a really good turnout and I’m really excited for it.”

ATP Executive Chairman and President Chris Kermode is delighted to provide the platform for the stars of the future to showcase their talents on a global stage. “The next generation of players coming through on the ATP World Tour is gathering huge momentum. The big focus for us is we're at this incredible time in tennis where we're at almost the changing of the guard,” said Kermode. “We have superstars in the game that have transcended the sport over the last 10 years, reached beyond tennis and become global sporting icons, Roger (Federer), Rafa (Nadal), Novak (Djokovic) and Andy (Murray) in particular. But the changing of the guard is coming.

“We have a duty to start highlighting and really bringing to life characters in the game that are coming through with immense, immense talent. This is the future of the game.”

The Emirates ATP Race To Milan is officially underway. Released this week are the first standings in the season-long race to the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, Italy, from 7-11 November.
Russian 20-year-old Daniil Medvedev has the honour of being the Race leader after week one of the 2017 ATP World Tour season after he reached his first tour-level final in Chennai.
Medvedev has 150 points to start the battle for one of eight spots in Milan, well clear of second-placed Australian Omar Jasika (48 points), who reached the final of the Happy Valley Challenger in Australia.
See the Week 1 Emirates ATP Race To Milan standings
Both ATP World Tour champions and #NextGenATP players have shared their excitement for the tournament, which will help introduce the top 21-and-under players to tennis fans around the world. The event will award $1.275 million in prize money and will follow a similar format to the ATP Finals, with a round-robin group stage followed by a knock-out semi-finals and a final.
“I think this is a great idea. It's good for tennis. It's great to promote these young players,” Stefan Edberg said when the tournament was announced in November.
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Eighteen-year-old Frances Tiafoe, who was on hand for the announcement in London, said he and his American peers already have their eyes on qualifying for the event. “It's a great opportunity to compete against the top young guys,” he said.
Seven spots will be determined by the Emirates ATP Race To Milan standings. The eighth player will be chosen by wild card.
Stefan Kozlov, another #NextGenATP American, said he'll be watching the leaderboard right along with ATP World Tour fans. “Hopefully I have a good year so that I can always check the leaderboard,” Kozlov said. “It will be fun. It's really competitive. I think it's a wonderful idea.”
Next Gen ATP Finals contenders currently in the Emirates ATP Rankings Top 100
Alexander Zverev (Rank: 24; Age: 19): The 6'6” German thrilled tennis fans throughout the world in 2016 with his rock-solid backhand, easy power and big-match prowess. In September, the Hamburg native ended Stan Wawrinka's 11-match win streak in finals by winning the St. Petersburg Open. The right-handed Zverev also became the first teenage titlist on the ATP World Tour since 19-year-old Marin Cilic won New Haven in 2008.
Read More: Zverev's First-Time Winner Spotlight
Karen Khachanov (Rank: 51; Age: 20): All season long, the Moscow native had been hovering outside the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, working hard to break through on the ATP World Tour. Then, at the inaugural Chengdu Open in China, Khachanov beat four Top 35 players to win his maiden ATP World Tour title.
Read More: Khachanov's First-Time Winner Spotlight
The next week, he jumped 46 spots in the Emirates ATP Rankings, from No. 101 to No. 55, and solidified himself as one of the top #NextGenATP players. In 2017, the right-hander will look to show he belongs in the Top 50.
Borna Coric (Rank: 57; Age: 20): The determined Croatian put together another impressive season in 2016, finishing in the Top 50 for the second consecutive year. Coric played in his first two ATP World Tour finals in 2016, falling in Chennai to Stan Wawrinka and in Marrakech to Federico Delbonis of Argentina.
In Cincinnati, the 20-year-old Zagreb native brought his best tennis to one of the game's grandest stages, reaching the quarter-finals of the Western & Southern Open, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event. Coric beat Benoit Paire, Nick Kyrgios and then-No. 5 Rafael Nadal to become the youngest Masters 1000 quarter-finalist since Novak Djokovic in 2006.
Daniil Medvedev (Rank: 65; Age: 20): The Russian snuck into the Top 100 at the end of 2016 in part because he reached his first ATP World Tour quarter-final at the VTB Kremlin Cup in Moscow, Medvedev's hometown. Along the way, the 6'6” right-hander earned the biggest win of his career by beating then-No. 28 Viktor Troicki of Serbia in the second round.
Medvedev, who uses Tecnifibre gear, was also named the Tecnifibre Young Gun on the Road in 2016 for his on-court success and social media skills.
Taylor Fritz (Rank: 91; Age: 19): The American burst onto the scene in early 2016, reaching the Memphis Open final in only his third tour-level event. He improved throughout his first year on the ATP World Tour as well, winning 15 tour-level matches and reaching a career-high Emirates ATP Ranking of No. 53 in August.
The California native punctuated his debut season by being named the ATP Star Of Tomorrow presented by Emirates, which is given to the youngest player in the Top 100 and also had been awarded to Coric (2014) and Zverev (2015).
Read More: Fritz's Path To Another Banner Season
Top 100-200
Jared Donaldson (Rank: 101; Age: 20): The 6'2” American savoured his Grand Slam breakthrough in New York, reaching the third round of the US Open. Donaldson, who trained in Argentina as a teenager, will try to make successive wins at big tournaments a pattern in 2017.
Hyeon Chung (Rank: 104; Age: 20): An abdominal injury forced Chung to miss June through August but the Korean rebounded by winning an ATP Challenger title in September (Kaohsiung, Taiwan) and November (Kobe, Japan). Chung reached his career-high ranking of No. 51 in October 2015.
Frances Tiafoe (Rank: 107; Age: 18): The next young talent in an impressive group of Americans showed promise in 2016, holding two match points against David Goffin in Indian Wells and taking his first ATP Challenger Tour title in Granby. After cracking the Top 100 for a week at No. 100 in October, the Maryland native will try to earn a two-digit ranking for all of 2017.
Stefan Kozlov (Rank: 117; Age: 18): The Macedonia native, who moved to the U.S. with his parents when he was about 1, celebrated his first ATP World Tour victory in 2016. The right-hander beat #NextGenATP player Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan at the Ricoh Open in 's-Hertogenbosch before following it up with a straight-sets win against then-No. 39 Steve Johnson.
Ernesto Escobedo (Rank: 133; Age: 20): The California native beat countryman Tiafoe in July for his first ATP Challenger title. A month later, Escobedo celebrated his first Grand Slam win by beating Lukas Lacko at the US Open.
Duckhee Lee (Rank: 148; Age: 18): The Korean might have the most fascinating story on the ATP World Tour: Lee is deaf and is one of the best young talents. He spent all of 2016 at ATP Challenger tournaments or playing qualifying matches. But look for Lee to reach the main draw of an ATP World Tour event in 2017.
Quentin Halys (Rank: 154; Age: 20): The 6'3” Frenchman took his first ATP Challenger title in April in Tallahassee (d. Tiafoe). Halys made another Challenger final in October in California (l. to Giraldo).
Andrey Rublev (Rank: 156; Age: 19): The 6'2” Russian finished 2016 by making his second ATP Challenger final in Mouilleron Le Captif, France, where he lost to Frenchman Julien Benneteau in the final but beat World No. 47 Benoit Paire in the semi-finals.
Elias Ymer (Rank: 161; Age: 20): The right-hander reached his first ATP World Tour quarter-final in July at the J. Safra Sarasin Swiss Open Gstaad. Three months later, he partnered with his younger brother, Mikael Ymer, to win his first ATP World Tour doubles title at the If Stockholm Open.
Michael Mmoh (Rank: 195; Age: 18): Another young American ranked inside the Top 200, Mmoh won his first ATP Challenger title in Knoxville in November and earned a wild card into the 2017 Australian Open.
Noah Rubin (Rank: 197; Age: 20): The 5'10” Rubin, the 2014 Wimbledon boys' singles champion, struggled with an ankle injury for part of 2016 but regained his health in time to reach his second ATP Challenger final in October in Stockton (l. to Tiafoe).

Chennai finalist looks to keep improving in 2017
Daniil Medvedev has earned the "Milan Contenders Spotlight" for the month of January and has also put himself in early contention to be one of the rising stars who qualify for the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals this November in Milan. The top seven 21-and-under players in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan standings will play at the event. The eighth player will be chosen by wild card.
The 20-year-old Medvedev started the year by reaching his first ATP World Tour final in Chennai, enabling him to jump from No. 99 in the Emirates ATP Rankings to a career-high standing of No. 63.
“I was really happy to be chosen for this. It means a lot to me,” said Medvedev. “It means I’ve had a good month and the best start to the year among the #NextGenATP players, so I’m really proud of that.”
The Russian made plenty of improvements to his game during the off-season at his home base in Cannes, France, working on strengthening his volleys and increasing his stamina to contest long matches. He also spent four days this past December in Bretagne, France, participating in a pre-season physical training camp organised by Tecnifibre.
“It was something new that I had never done before. It was actually my first time swimming in the ocean!” said Medvedev. “It was very fun and only guys from the centre where I practise were there, so we all know each other well. It was just a fun camp with physical work and some activities, so there were also chances to relax a bit from tennis."

The Russian is hopeful that the physical and on-court additions to his game will be enough to qualify for Milan. But with a growing crop of #NextGenATP stars, including Alexander Zverev, Borna Coric and Taylor Fritz, Medvedev knows that doing so will be a difficult task.
“It’s still a long way to get there because there are a lot of good young players who are playing well,” said Medvedev. “If you qualify for Milan, you will probably have to be ranked in the Top 100 or maybe even the Top 80, so it means you’ve had a great year. There are a lot of us who will have chances to make it to there.”
View Emirates ATP Race To Milan
Luckily for Medvedev, the chances for accomplishing his goals have been helped by a boosted bank account. He won a $50,000 cheque for being named the Tecnifibre Young Gun on the Road in 2016, beating out Mitchell Krueger, Omar Jasika and Gregoire Barrere in the four-month competition.
More: Medvedev Named Top Tecnifibre Young Gun
“I’m putting the money into everything for my career,” said Medvedev. “I could spend some of the money to buy tickets for my coach to come with me to Chennai and Melbourne. Maybe I’ll take a physio to some tournaments if I feel that I need it. It’s a very big start-up for my future.”
Medvedev plays with the Tecnifibre TFight 305 racquet. Click here to purchase if you live in Europe. Click here to purchase if you live outside of Europe, including in the U.S.