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Teenager Joao Fonseca beat American Learner Tien to be crowned the second-youngest winner of the Next Gen ATP Finals title. <\/b><\/p>\n
The 18-year-old Brazilian, who was the youngest player in this year’s competition and lowest ranked, overcame Tien 2-4 4-3 (10-8) 4-0 4-2 in Jeddah. <\/p>\n
Only Jannik Sinner, in 2019, has lifted the title at a younger age than Fonseca, who won all five of his matches at the season-ending tournament for the top-ranked male players aged 21 and under. <\/p>\n
The pair also met in the group stage on Thursday, with Fonseca, ranked 145th in the world, again coming out on top against his 19-year-old opponent.<\/p>\n
The event has a best-of-five format with four games winning a set.<\/p>\n
As well as world number one Sinner, other former champions include four-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz and world number 11 Stefanos Tsitsipas.<\/p>\n
Tien started brightly and took the opening set in Saudi Arabia. But once Fonseca got himself level after a tight second set that went into a long tie-break, he was able to frustrate his opponent and seal the title in the fourth set.<\/p>\n
“I was really nervous before the match. I knew it was going to be so difficult,” Fonseca said.<\/p>\n
“I played a final against Learner in juniors at the 2023 US Open and I know the way he can play. He is such a nice guy and a great player, so I knew it was going to be difficult, mentally and physically. But I got through.”<\/p>\n
Speaking before the final, Fonseca spoke of how he wanted to emulate Sinner, for whom he was a hitting partner at last year’s ATP Finals – where he said he was convinced by the Italian to turn professional.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n