Three young players on the rise will enter January's ASB Classic men's tournament giving the event a huge amount of depth.
Teenager Jakub Mensik, Italian Flavio Cobolli and powerful Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi-Perricard are set to star in Auckland.
Mensik (Czechia), at 19 years, is the world’s highest ranked teenager, already inside the ATP Top-50 in his first season on the Tour.
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Cobolli, 22, jumped more than 70 spots in 2024 to be 32nd in the world rankings with some impressive scalps to his credit this year.
Mpetshi-Perricard (France) (pronounced Em-pet-shi Perry-car) is one of only four players in the world aged 21 years or younger ranked in the top 30 on the ATP rankings.
ASB Classic Tournament Director, Nicolas Lamperin said the tournament continues to be well received to start the new season in the run-up to the first major in Australia.
“The entries of Jakub, Giovanni and Flavio fit ideally with the ASB Classic’s push to attract tomorrow’s superstars today,” said Lamperin.
“This trio of young men have stunned the tennis world this year and we are delighted they have chosen to come to Auckland.
Mensik, has already pushed his way to No 48 in the world and this year became the first player born 2005 or later to reach an ATP Final, after beginning the year ranked No 167.
He has enjoyed a remarkable 2024 season. This year in ATP Tour events, he was runner-up in Doha, reached the semifinals in Umag, and the quarterfinals in Mallorca, Vienna and Shanghai, where he lost to Novak Djokovic.
“Reaching the final rounds of ATP events, finishing top 50 in the world, and competing in the Paris Olympic Games were absolute dreams come true, giving me much motivation for what’s next,” said Mensik.
“What a hell of a season it was. Absolutely incredible year with a lot of amazing experiences, memories, fights, struggles, emotions and love, some real highs and lows yes, but the ending string is something I’m taking with me into next year.”
Mpetshi-Perricard is a product of the French development system, joining the programme at 12 years from a sporting background, with a father a former footballer and sister a basketballer of note.
The 2.03m tall player emerged quickly on the ATP Tour, breaking into the top-100 in May and pushing to No 30 at years-end. This followed his outstanding ATP Tour 500 victory in Basel, Switzerland, with victory over ASB Classic semifinalist Ben Shelton in the final.
His other tournament conquests included wins over Felix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov and Holger Rune.
His first ATP title came in Lyon this year. He also won three Challengers in Nottingham, Morelos, and Acapulco. Giovanni made it to the round of 16 at Wimbledon, where he became the first Lucky Loser to reach the fourth round since 1995.
Cobolli, started the year outside the top 100, he is now at No. 32. Cobolli, who is coached by his father, accounted for Ben Shelton twice this year, on his way to the semifinal at Geneva and runner-up in Washington.
He made the quarterfinals at Montpellier, Delray Beach (losing to Tiafoe), Eastbourne and Beijing and the third round at the Madrid Masters, Australian Open, Cincinnati Masters, US Open and Shanghai Masters (losing to Novak Djokovic).
“Since I was young, I told myself that I was good at tennis and can do well in this sport. Stay calm, take your time and be patient, because the results will come,” Cobolli said. “This year, the results came, so I’m happy,” he said with 31 of his 37 ATP career wins earned in 2024.
He also soaked up being the alternate for Team Europe in the Laver Cup, rubbing shoulders with his heroes.
“I learned a lot from the guys. They are amazing. They are really professional, and they never miss a thing,” he said. “They spend a lot of time recovering their bodies. All the training sessions are 100 per cent. At the beginning of the year, it wasn’t like this for me. I did 70 or 80 per cent, I ate McDonald's. Now it has changed after I watched them. I changed it.”
Other players already confirmed for the January 6-11 tournament are Alejandro Tabilo, Ben Shelton, Cam Norrie and Gael Monfils.