The ATP Next Gen Finals are approaching: a great innovation and an impressive lineup of players

Carlos Navarro - 21 Oct 2026 | 14:10
ATP Next Gen Finals 2026 Moise Kouame Federico Cina Martín Landaluce Rafael Jódar

The 'Masters' for the youngest returns to Italy and goes back to its roots: this is how the fight for the eight spots is shaping up, with the possibility of having two Spaniards in the mix.

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Jódar and Landaluce: Can they return to the Next Gen Finals?

The ATP Next Gen Finals 2026 are getting closer. The event that marks the official end of the season is returning to its roots, leaving behind Saudi Arabia and once again making its mark in Italy, the place where it all began. In this case, we are swapping Milan or Turin for an unexplored region, Reggio Calabria, and this will be evident in the player lineup: Italy will have two representatives... although it may not be the only country to have a double representation: Spain could achieve the same.

It seems, however, to be quite complicated. In fact, it is more likely that there will not be a single Spanish player in Italian lands, given the demands of the season and their prior appearance at this event. They shone there last year, and logically neither Rafa Jódar nor Martín Landaluce, the first and third best under-21 players of the season respectively, would decide to take a break throughout December, especially Jódar, who will be in Bologna for the Davis Cup and could carry over his demanding 2026 until the second week of December.

The Next Gen Finals will feature a novelty: these are the possible players

Beyond Rafa and Martín, another high-status name will also not be in Italy: we are talking about Joao Fonseca, who by age could still play this event but ended his season several days ago, ruling out his presence in Reggio Calabria. Thus, this season the tournament will become a showcase for talents yet to blossom, players who have shown glimpses of their potential but can use this tournament to showcase themselves to the world with even more attention on them. Last year, Learner Tien and Rafa Jódar left pearls of what has turned out to be a magnificent 2026 for them: their examples should serve as an incentive for many of the candidates to become the best young player on the circuit.

The local hope will be Federico Cinà, who is progressing adequately, taking slow but firm steps. The Italian is the fourth best under-21 player of the year, although with less than half the points of the third (Landaluce has accumulated 822 points so far; Cinà has 401). This gives us an idea of the gap that exists between the top three and the rest, but it can become a virtue: Italy can help many fans truly get to know some of the biggest gems on the ATP circuit.

Perhaps the other great possible attraction for this season is Moise Kouamé, who does not hide his ambition, and who could significantly lower the average age: there is no one remotely close from his generation (he has not yet turned 18). His results after his unforgettable Roland Garros have been inconsistent, feeling the change of categories at the physical and tactical level, but the Frenchman is determined to demonstrate (even gradually) that he has something special, and his victory this week against Sonego in Lyon has given him wings to secure a spot. As of today, he is ranked #9 in the Race, but with two possible withdrawals, this would be the cutoff...

As this season, the ATP has reintroduced a rule that will benefit the transalpine country: Italy reserves an invitation for the eighth spot in this tournament, with the leading candidates currently being Jacopo Vasami and Pierluigi Basile, who are far from the best young rackets of the season. The cutoff is becoming stricter, but the possible withdrawals of Jódar and Landaluce, along with Fonseca, open the door for names like Budkov Kjaer (who has not quite made the leap expected in 2026) or another of the younger ones, Diego Dedura (with a very different profile).

Names with ATP experience are also assured, such as Rei Sakamoto or Darwin Blanch (who has had a worthy campaign at the Challenger level, with several titles, thanks to a team led by Juan Ignacio Chela), and the public may be surprised by others like Joel Schwaerzler or Felix Balshaw (who just recorded his first ATP victory a few days ago in Lyon). In any case, the competition is still fierce, and the appeal of the names will ensure that this new phase of the Next Gen Finals aims to regain the sparkle and magic of previous editions. Which player do you prefer?

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Se acercan las ATP Next Gen Finals: una gran novedad y un impresionante cartel de jugadores