2024 Next Gen ATP Finals Round-Up: Alex Michelsen falls short, Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien set to battle for the title

This Saturday saw the semifinals of the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals, with the final four competitors battling it out. In the first all-American clash, Learner Tien stunned Alex Michelsen with a remarkable comeback, finishing the match in dominant fashion.

On the other side, Brazilian star Joao Fonseca continues to shine in his rise. The 2006-born player, the youngest in the draw, was the last to qualify for the tournament but has had an impeccable run so far. This time, he comfortably defeated Luca Van Assche to secure his place in the final.

At the beginning of the week, there were four clear favorites to advance from the groups, all in the top-50 and accustomed to competing in ATP-level tournaments against the best in the world. The rest of the qualifiers, all ranked outside the top-100, were considered underdogs. However, Arthur Fils (No. 20), Jakub Mensik (No. 48), and Shang Juncheng (No. 50) fell short in their attempts to progress.

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Tien's stunning comeback against Michelsen

An all-American showdown with a clear favorite: world No. 41 Alex Michelsen, who has this season defeated players like Stefanos Tsitsipas, Taylor Fritz, and Alex de Minaur, in addition to a close battle with Novak Djokovic in Shanghai that was decided in two tight tiebreaks.

With his experience and ranking, Michelsen entered as the second seed and seemed like the clear favorite against Tien (No. 122), who had limited appearances at the top level. Michelsen showed his strength early on, taking the lead after breaking Tien's serve in the second game, but Tien fought back in the second set to win 4-2.

In the third set, Tien’s serve faltered, while Michelsen dominated with an 82% first-serve percentage. However, the match took an unexpected turn in the final stages, as Michelsen struggled with his serve, losing seven games in a row, allowing Tien to take the match and secure his place in the final.

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Fonseca dominates Van Assche to reach the final

Joao Fonseca began his journey in the tournament with an impeccable level, defeating world No. 20 and tournament favorite Arthur Fils, a painful defeat for the Frenchman that ultimately cost him his spot in the next round. Fonseca has been the most dominant player so far, remaining unbeaten and showing he’s ready to take his game to the next level.

He faced a difficult opponent in Van Assche, who, at just 20 years old, has three Challenger titles and a round of 32 appearance at the Australian Open. However, Van Assche couldn’t find answers to Fonseca's powerful game. In the first set, Fonseca dropped only one point on his serve, winning 92% of his first serves, while Van Assche managed just 55%. Fonseca broke Van Assche's serve in the fifth game, taking the first set 4-2.

The second set was no different, with Fonseca maintaining control, although Van Assche improved his return game. The Frenchman still couldn’t hold on, and Fonseca claimed the second set 4-2.

In the third set, Van Assche’s game unraveled. Fonseca secured an early break and consistently dominated, winning 63% of the points on return. With a fourth break at 3-1, Fonseca sealed the win in straight sets (4-2, 4-2, 4-1), converting four out of 14 break points and never conceding a break point to his opponent.

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