If the Subsequent Gen ATP Finals winners roll is an indicator of issues to return from the younger champions, then Brandon Nakashima finds himself in an esteemed and thrilling membership alongside Hyeon Chung, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz is the present top-ranked males’s participant and reigning US Open champion, Tsitsipas sits two spots beneath him within the rankings chart, and Sinner has six ATP titles.
The American Nakashima could not have but whipped up the type of buzz his advantageous younger abilities have on the elite degree, however the 2022 Subsequent Gen champion is quietly shaping up as a high quality subsequent in line.
The 21-year-old wore the crown amongst this 12 months’s eight finest 21-and-under gamers after beating Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka 4-3(5), 4-3(6), 4-2 (the fast-paced Subsequent Gen Finals is competed in best-of-four video games, five-set matches) within the ultimate in Milan on Saturday. Nakashima dropped simply three units all by means of the week, going two steps additional than his semi-final present final 12 months the place he misplaced to fellow American Sebastian Korda.
By then, although, Nakashima had already carved a notable upward trajectory.
Son of California-born Japanese father and Vietnamese mom, the previous junior world No 3 turned professional in 2019 after spending a 12 months at College of Virginia. He gained an ATP Challenger title in 2018 and would go on so as to add 4 extra in 2020—he beat India’s Prajnesh Gunneswaran in a ultimate in Orlando in November—and 2021.
From beginning the 2020 season positioned 367 on this planet, Nakashima ended it because the 166th-ranked participant and Novak Djokovic’s coaching associate for per week on the US Open. Though he lists Roger Federer as his idol, Nakashima feels he performs loads like Djokovic.
He was about to do Roddick issues the subsequent season. In July 2021, the 19-year-old made consecutive ATP finals in Los Cabos and Atlanta, shedding them each but turning into the primary American teen to enter back-to-back finals on the ATP Tour since an 18-year-old Andy Roddick in 2001. Days later, he cracked into the top-100, reiterating his perception that he did “belong with these guys and that I can play on the ATP Tour”.
It was now time to win. Third time was the allure for Nakashima this 12 months at San Diego, the place he clinched his first ATP title in September to achieve a career-high world No 43 within the subsequent month. Extra eye-catching, nevertheless, have been a few of his victories on the Grand Slam stage.
After crashing out within the Australian Open opening spherical, Nakashima entered the third spherical at Roland Garros the place he bumped into to Alexander Zverev. At Wimbledon, he delivered the largest win of his profession so far in beating then world No 16 Denis Shapovalov within the second spherical and reaching the fourth earlier than shedding to eventual finalist Nick Kyrgios in 5 units. That top-20 win in London was no flash within the pan; Nakashima turned up in New York and packed off Nineteenth-ranked Grigor Dimitrov within the US Open second spherical.
The Gen Subsequent title was a candy little dessert to the unfold of firsts this season for Nakashima.
“It has been an incredible season for me,” Nakashima, armed with a power-packed groundstroke sport complemented by strong serve, stated after the ultimate in Milan. “Originally of the 12 months, I had some objectives—to win my first ATP title. And to have the ability to do this in San Diego was tremendous particular. Then to complete off the 12 months right here profitable the title at Subsequent Gen is tremendous particular.”
Maybe except Chung Hyeon who gained the inaugural version in 2017, Subsequent Gen Finals has invariably proved to be a stepping stone to richer returns the next season for Nakashima’s predecessors.
After Tsitsipas was topped its champion in 2018, the Greek kicked on to bag three titles on the ATP tour in 2019 and stamp his identify among the many “Gen Subsequent” contenders out to problem the Huge Three stranglehold. Italian Sinner had a breakthrough season final 12 months in reaching a maiden Masters ultimate and pocketing 4 titles on the again of the 2020 Subsequent Gen triumph. And what in regards to the 2021 winner Alcaraz persevering with to win hearts, matches and titles this 12 months, albeit on a a lot grander scale?
“(To be) combined will all of the previous champions is a good achievement,” Nakashima stated. “I am simply going to maintain working arduous and I’m wanting ahead to subsequent 12 months.”