🎾 Christmas Comes Early for Brazil

Happy Tuesday and Happy Holidays! As tennis fans worldwide prepare for the end-of-year festivities, Brazil unwrapped an early Christmas present in Joao Fonseca's historic Next Gen ATP Finals triumph.

In this week's newsletter:

• ⭐ Tennis Welcomes Its Newest Teenage Superstar

• 🎾 Weekly Roundup: Returns, Reveals & Revenue

• 🎅 Christmas Wish List: Tennis Edition

🧠 Tennis Trivia Challenge 🎾

Think you know your tennis? Take a swing at this week’s question! Difficulty: Easy

⭐ Tennis Welcomes Its Newest Teenage Superstar 🤝 

Brazilian Breaks New Ground: In a remarkable display of talent and composure, 18-year-old Joao Fonseca captured the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals title in Jeddah, defeating American Learner Tien 2-4, 4-3(8), 4-0, 4-2. The victory makes him the second-youngest champion in the tournament's history, following only current World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. 

Record-Breaking Run: Ranked 145th in the world, Fonseca became the lowest-ranked winner in the event's seven-year history and the first Brazilian to claim the prestigious under-21 championship. His path to victory included impressive wins over top seed Arthur Fils and rising star Jakub Mensik, culminating in a perfect 5-0 record for the week.

Champion's Composure: After dropping the opening set in the final, Fonseca showed remarkable resilience, particularly in a crucial second-set tiebreak that proved to be the match's turning point. The Brazilian then found another gear, losing just five points in a dominant third-set bagel before confidently closing out the match.

Star-Studded Future: The victory holds special significance as Rafael Nadal was in attendance. The Brazilian's aggressive shot-making had already caught attention at the Rio Open, where he reached the quarterfinals in his ATP Tour debut. "If you told me at the start of the year that I'd achieve all this, I would think it's amazing," reflected Fonseca after his triumph. With wins over multiple top 50 players under his belt, he joins an illustrious list of former Next Gen champions, including Alcaraz and Sinner, potentially rounding out a new-age Big Three for the next decade of men's tennis.

🎾 Weekly Roundup: Reveals, Returns & Revenue 🎾

Jenson Brooksby reveals autism diagnosis ahead of his January tennis return. The 24-year-old American, who reached World No. 33 in 2022, revealed he was nonverbal until age 4 and underwent intensive therapy. "It's something I don't want to have to keep to myself," said Brooksby, who returns to competition after a two-year absence marked by wrist surgeries and a reduced doping violation ban.

Nick Kyrgios announces dual partnerships for his early 2025 return, teaming up with Novak Djokovic in doubles at the Brisbane International and Jack Sock in professional pickleball. The 29-year-old Australian, sidelined since June 2023, will first join the Serb at the ATP 250 event, before partnering with Sock at January's inaugural Australia Pickleball Open in Melbourne.

ATP's Baseline program distributes $1.3 million to 26 players in its inaugural year, implementing tennis's first-ever guaranteed minimum earnings initiative. The groundbreaking program supported 17 players through minimum guarantees, 3 with injury protection, and 7 via newcomer investment. For 2025, the ATP will increase minimum thresholds to $200,000 for players ranked 101-175 and $100,000 for those ranked 176-250, ensuring all Top 250 players earn at least $100,000 annually.

US Open doubles champion Max Purcell accepts suspension after admitting to receiving an IV vitamin infusion above the allowable 100ml limit. The 26-year-old Australian, who voluntarily reported the violation to the ITIA, began his provisional suspension on December 12. "This news was devastating to me because I pride myself on being an athlete who always makes sure that everything is WADA safe," said the World No. 12 in doubles, who will miss the Australian Open.

🧑‍🎄 Christmas Wish List: Tennis Edition 🎄

With Christmas around the corner and the 2025 tennis season looming, we've played Santa's helper by crafting the perfect wish list for tennis's biggest stars.

Jannik Sinner: A first-round Australian Open matchup with Nick Kyrgios. The Italian is eager to face the outspoken Aussie, who’s been vocal about Sinner’s doping scandal, and continue to prove his play under the bright lights of Melbourne.

Aryna Sabalenka: TikTok superstardom. The world's best player wants to show fans her fun side, one viral dance trend at a time.

Carlos Alcaraz: Rafael Nadal on his coaching team. While Juan Carlos Ferrero and new addition Samuel Lopez are excellent, imagine adding the 22-time Slam champion's wisdom.

Iga Świątek: A reliable source of melatonin. The Pole values her sleep routine as much as her forehand, and finding a trustworthy supplement has become essential after her controversial TMZ incident.

Alexander Zverev: A secret formula for closing out big matches. The German's talent is undeniable, but he's still searching for that elusive first Slam after heartbreakers against Thiem (2020 US Open) and Alcaraz (2024 French Open) where victory was within grasp.

Coco Gauff: More doubters, please! The American thrives on proving critics wrong, so she's asking Santa for extra motivation to fuel her fire in 2025.

Novak Djokovic: More respect from fans. The GOAT has conquered every mountain, broken every record, and silenced every critic, but in his two-decade career, he's never won the ATP Fans' Favorite Award. Perhaps 2025 is the year crowd support matches his trophy cabinet.

Zheng Qinwen: A Sabalenka-free draw at major tournaments. After going 0-5 against the Belarusian in 2024, including crucial late-round matches, she's hoping for different faces across the net.

Nick Kyrgios: A new knee. The Aussie's made it clear: he wants to "shut up" the doubters with a Grand Slam title, but first, he needs his body to cooperate.

Elena Rybakina: A voice-activated serve clock to speed up her pre-serve routine. The talented Kazakh could dominate even more if she cuts down on those time violations.

🎬 Reel of the Week 🎬