New York, Sep 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) As the dust settles on the 2026 edition of the US Open, the last Grand Slam tournament of the season, Rafael Jodar remains atop the Race To ATP Next Gen 2026 to be played from December 16–20, 2026.
With his remarkable rise, Jodar is the top contender for the event, with plenty of other players continuing to make moves in their bids to qualify for the showpiece, which will be played in Reggio Calabria, Italy.
Behind second-placed Joao Fonseca and third-placed Martin Landaluce is Rei Sakamoto, who claimed his first main-draw win at the US Open and has surged to fourth with 321 points.
The 19-year-old Japanese won three rounds of qualifying in New York, including a victory against his idol and former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori, before overcoming Aleksandar Vukic in five sets for his first main-draw win at a major. Sakamoto, who is aiming to make his Next Gen ATP Finals debut, is nine points clear of fifth-placed Federico Cina.
Cina also came through qualifying to reach his first US Open main draw, but fell to eventual quarter-finalist Alex Michelsen in the first round. The 19-year-old Italian is at a career-high No. 168 in the PIF ATP Rankings and is the fifth seed at the ATP Challenger event in Guangzhou this week.
Like Cina and Sakamoto, sixth-placed Joel Schwaerzler (305 points), seventh-placed Jan Kumstat (283) and eighth-placed Diego Dedura (279) are also bidding to make their Next Gen ATP Finals debuts. Schwaerzler won his third Challenger title last month in Poland and has maintained his strong position in the Live Race.
The Next Gen ATP Finals take place from December 16 to 20, featuring the best ATP players aged 21 and under in a season-ending championship that showcases the future stars of men’s tennis.
Played on indoor hard courts in a round-robin format with innovative rules, the tournament has established itself as a proving ground for the next generation of Grand Slam champions and world number ones.
The tournament was held in Milan from 2017 to 2022, moved to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in 2023, and has continued to explore new host cities to expand the event’s global footprint. The venue is typically an indoor arena with a capacity of 3,000 to 5,000, creating an intimate atmosphere that brings spectators close to the action. Once confirmed, the host city will be announced through ATP Tour official channels.
Source: IANS
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