Awards
#NextGenATP stars Mensik, Shang nominated for Newcomer of the 12 months
Each 19-year-olds set to compete in Jeddah to shut season
December 02, 2024
ATP
Jakub Mensik and Shang Juncheng had been nominated for Newcomer of the 12 months within the 2024 ATP Awards.
By ATP Workers
Jakub Mensik and Shang Juncheng each rocketed up the PIF ATP Rankings this season, rising greater than 100 locations to complete the yr within the High 50. The 19-year-olds are already comfy on the sport’s greatest phases, however they’re simply getting began.
Each nominees for Newcomer of the 12 months within the 2024 ATP Awards will shut their seasons on the Subsequent Gen ATP Finals offered by PIF in Jeddah. Earlier than that showcase occasion, set to be performed from 18-22 December, considered one of these rising stars can have one other honour to his identify. ATP Awards winners will probably be introduced throughout Awards Week, beginning Monday, 9 December.
Chosen by gamers, the Newcomer of the 12 months award goes to the #NextGenATP participant who entered the High 100 for the primary time in 2024 and made the largest impression on the ATP Tour this season.
Participant
Age
Profession Excessive (Date)
Jakub Mensik
19
48 (28 October)
Shang Juncheng
19
47 (21 October)
Jakub MensikOn his strategy to his first ATP Tour last this February in Doha, Mensik beat Andy Murray, Andrey Rublev and Gael Monfils in consecutive matches. His victory in opposition to World No. 5 Rublev made him the youngest participant to earn a High 5 win since Carlos Alcaraz beat Stefanos Tsitsipas on the 2021 US Open.
“The [Doha] week will probably be for me unforgettable,” Mensik mentioned. “I feel for the long run, this event confirmed me that I can play with these gamers and that I may be quickly on high.”
That run earned him his High 100 breakthrough within the PIF ATP Rankings, and he continued his regular rise within the months that adopted. After incomes a win representing Czechia on the Olympics, Mensik achieved his greatest main results of the season by reaching the US Open third spherical — matching his outcome from his main debut the earlier season in New York.
The month of October noticed Mensik hit new heights behind two deep runs in Shanghai and Vienna. On the Rolex Shanghai Masters, he picked up two extra High 10 wins in opposition to Rublev and Grigor Dimitrov earlier than taking an opening-set tie-break in opposition to Novak Djokovic within the quarters. In Vienna he once more reached the quarter-finals, this time profitable a first-set tie-break in opposition to Alex de Minaur earlier than bowing out.
These outcomes helped him break into the High 50 at World No. 48 and likewise secured his place in Jeddah, engaging in considered one of his predominant objectives for the season.
“Earlier than the season, I set the aim to qualify for Jeddah and to play there,” Mensik informed ATPTour.com in June. “It will be nice to play this sort of occasion as a result of for us younger gamers it’s fairly thrilling. It’s a good alternative to see the way it works and to style one thing from the background of the ATP.”
Shang JunchengOne of three Chinese language gamers within the High 100 of the PIF ATP Rankings, Shang made historical past this yr in Chengdu by turning into the primary participant from the Asian nation to win an ATP Tour title on dwelling soil. He earned a High 20 win in opposition to Lorenzo Musetti within the last, dealing with the load of his dwelling followers like a veteran on the hard-court ATP 250.
“It is actually, actually particular for me, particularly to do it at dwelling” Shang mentioned on the time. “Total I’m simply very completely happy to be right here in Chengdu.”
His success there got here eight months after a semi-final exhibiting in Hong Kong to open the season and moved him to the brink of the High 50. Boosted by his maiden title and deep tour-level runs this season in Eastbourne (quarter-finals) and Atlanta (semis), Shang reached a profession excessive of World No. 47 in October — after extra dwelling success noticed him attain the Rolex Shanghai Masters second spherical, the place he squared off with Alcaraz in an entertaining stadium-court showdown.
All season, Shang has proven a penchant for pulling out wins on the recreation’s greatest occasions. He picked up 4 ATP Masters 1000 victories on the yr and posted a 5-3 file on the Grand Slams, reaching the third spherical at each the Australian Open and the US Open for his joint-best main outcomes.
To shut his breakthrough season, the Chinese language star has earned an opportunity to compete on the Subsequent Gen ATP Finals offered by PIF. Like Mensik, Shang is happy to grace the stage the place the likes of Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas have all featured as champions.
“I’ve had a tremendous yr and the Subsequent Gen ATP Finals is essential for my future,” Shang mentioned in ATPTour.com’s new ‘Journey To Jeddah’ collection. “In that occasion, all of the tennis highlight is on you as a result of you recognize there are solely eight gamers.”
His qualification for Jeddah made extra historical past for Chinese language tennis: Shang is the primary participant from his nation to qualify for the 20-and-under showpiece.
