The ATP, organizer of the top men’s tennis tour, has chosen Reggio Calabria in Italy as the host city of this year’s season-ending under-21 Next Gen ATP Finals event.
The new agreement, struck between the ATP and Italy’s FITP tennis federation, will see this year’s event held at PalaCalafiore stadium from December 9 to 13, with the ATP offering $2 million in prize money.
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It marks the return of the Next Gen Finals to Italy, with Milan serving as the inaugural host for the event between 2017 and 2022 (excluding 2020, which was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic), before moving to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2023.
The deal also adds to Italy’s portfolio of tennis events, after renewing its contract to stage the top-tier ATP Finals in Turin through 2027, having first taken over the rights from London in 2021.
FITP president Angelo Binaghi said: “The Next Gen ATP Finals represent the tournament of tomorrow: this is where the champions are born who, in the years to come, will conquer the world’s greatest stages.
“Bringing this event back to our country, following the pioneering experience in Milan, and choosing Reggio Calabria as the new venue confirms a clear vision: to make tennis a driving force for development across the whole country, whilst also promoting areas that deserve to host major international events.”
The event, featuring the top-ranked eight ATP singles players aged 21 and under, has served as a testing ground for the ATP, with the tour integrating electronic line calling, video reviews, and data integration through wearable technology at the event before eventually adopting the technology across the main ATP Tour.
Success in the event has also been a good indicator of future success in the main tour, with current world number one and two Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, respectively, among the champions.
The most recent champion was Learner Tien, who lifted the 2025 trophy before reaching a career-high ranking of World Number 12.
ATP chief tour officer Andre Silva said: “The Next Gen ATP Finals have proven to be a powerful platform in shaping the future of men’s professional tennis. The event offers a first glimpse of the sport’s next stars, bringing fans closer to the journeys and personalities that will define the years ahead.
“Bringing the event back to Italy allows us to showcase this talent in a country with a deep-rooted tennis culture and a proven ability to deliver an outstanding experience for both players and fans.”
The ATP has been seeking a new host for the end-of-season finals since November 2025 after having its contract with the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) terminated early.
Jeddah was meant to be the host for the event for the 2023-27 cycle. However, the ATP announced a new tender to find a new host from the 2026 edition onwards after the STF decided to trigger an opt-out clause after three years of the five-year deal.
No reason was given for the move, and the bid process was managed by professional services heavyweight Deloitte’s Sports Business Group (SBG). Final bids were submitted by January 22, 2026.
The ATP said further updates on the tournament’s location beyond 2026 will be provided in due course.
The early termination of STF’s contract has not reduced Saudi Arabia’s involvement in tennis, with the kingdom announced as the host of a new ATP Masters 1000 tournament due to be launched in 2028.
This is the first time the Masters 1000 category has been expanded since the birth of the concept in 1990.
Saudi Arabia also has a hosting contract in place for the women’s WTA Finals until at least 2027, and its Public Investment Fund is the official naming partner of both the ATP and WTA rankings.
