BIG BREAKTHROUGHS

From unexpected ATP Masters 1000 champions to historic runs across the globe, the 2025 season featured several electrifying moments when rising talents seized their opportunity at the sport’s biggest tournaments.

Take a closer look at the four nominees for the new Breakthrough of the Year category in the ATP Awards: 
   •   Jack Draper
   •   Joao Fonseca
   •   Jakub Mensik
   •   Valentin Vacherot

Photo:  ATP Tour/Getty Images

The field is now set for the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. Jakub Mensik and returning finalist Learner Tien will lead the charge at the 20-and-under event, to take place from 17-21 December in Jeddah. 

"I am super happy and super excited to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals for the second time," Mensik said. "The whole year was really good for me, winning my first ATP title with the Masters 1000 in Miami. It was a really great run and makes it even more special finishing the year as a Top 20 player. I am really excited to see you guys in December in Jeddah."

Rohan Bopanna came close to leaving the sport altogether in 2021. Instead, a shift in mindset — sparked by a conversation with his wife Supriya — paved the way for his 2024 Australian Open title with Matthew Ebden and his rise to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings at 43, the oldest man to hit that mark.

“I think my career is a story of patience, discipline and self-belief,” Bopanna told ATPTour.com after bringing his playing career to a close in November. “That is where it has shaped me. Yes, you have to have some kind of talent to get to a certain level, but you need to have a strong mindset. That’s where it made a massive difference, a massive switch for me going from almost quitting tennis to becoming World No. 1.”

Photo: Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images

Daniil Medvedev against Learner Tien was the rivalry that nobody saw coming in 2025. Medvedev began the season inside the Top 5 while Tien was outside the Top 100, hardly a setup for a recurring showdown. Yet their three Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings proved to be some of the most captivating of the year.

As all-court players capable of carving up opponents, their clashes became a series of compelling strategic equations. Another layer of intrigue lay in the battle between experience and youth as a former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings took on a rising teenage sensation.

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