The Controversial NextGen Finals in Jeddah: A New Era of Tennis in Saudi Arabia

The NextGen Finals in Jeddah mark the end of a seemingly endless season. The tournament in Saudi Arabia is not without controversy.

von tennisnet.com

last edited: November 27, 2023, 5:03 p.m

© Getty Images

Arthur Fils is the favorite to win the tournament in Jeddah

While the awarding of the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia is now only a formal act, tennis is already venturing into the desert state 13 years earlier. This week in Jeddah, the NextGen Finals will be the first official tournament in Saudi Arabia.

Given the human rights situation there, the event is extremely controversial, but the NextGen Finals are only likely to represent the starting signal for an unstoppable development. According to rumors, Saudi Arabia will also play a major role in the planning of a “super tour”.

There will already be good money at the NextGen Finals. The total prize money this year is $2 million, and as an undefeated winner you would receive $514,000 – including entry fee. However, there are no points for the world rankings.

Fils in favorite role

Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune, Ben Shelton and Lorenzo Musetti will not take part in the unofficial U-21 World Cup; the top favorite for the title is now Arthur Fils. The Frenchman will face Dominic Stricker, Flavio Cobolli and Luca Nardi in the group stage, while Luca Van Assche, Alex Michelsen, Hamad Medjedovic and Abdullah Shelbayh will start in the red group.

At the end of the seemingly endless season – the United Cup in Australia started on December 29, 2023 – the eight participants will at least have a somewhat shorter format. The game is played in best-of-five mode, but at 3:3 it goes into a tiebreak. There is also a decision point at 40:40.

All information about the NextGen Finals

The singles tableau in Jeddah

2023-11-28 07:00:00
#Controversial #conclusion #seemingly #endless #season #tennisnet.com

Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *