JEDDAH/WASHINGTON. December 2, 2023 (by Michael Dickens)
The Next Gen ATP Finals presented by NEOM championship match Saturday evening in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia featured top seed Arthur Fils of France against No. 6 seed Hamad Medjedovic of Serbia, meeting for the first time. Both players — the 36th-ranked Fils and No. 110 Medjedovic — came into the title showdown unbeaten (4-0) this week and each was the first player from their respective country to reach the final in the event’s six-year history.
It was the third time in the tournament’s six-year history that both finalists came in without a loss and first time since 2021. However, by the end of the two-hour, 11-minute thriller, it was Medjedovic who remained undefeated. He beat Fils, 3-4 (6), 4-1, 4-2, 3-4 (9), 4-1. The Serbian capped his first ATP Tour title triumph by hitting his 19th ace on his third match point and immediately collapsed to the court in celebration.
Jeddah title sealed with an ace 🏆@MedjedovicHamad | #NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/lCiE1Mj88Z
— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) December 2, 2023
Afterward, Medjedovic, who became the lowest-ranked champion in the tournament’s history, said throughout his victorious week he’s been receiving messages of support from fellow Serbian and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic.
“Two of us from Serbia. He won the big Masters, the real one, and I won the Next Gen,” Medjedovic said. “Obviously it’s a huge thing and I’m happy to follow in his footsteps in some way.”
After battling to 3-all in the opening set, both players had set points during the first-set tie-break, but Fils held tough when it mattered most and pulled out the 31-minute first set by winning the tie-break 8-6. He dropped only one point on his first serve, hit seven winners — including six aces — and took advantage of nine unforced errors by Medjedovic. The 20-year-old Serbian became agitated by the conclusion of the set and took his out frustrations on his racquet as he walked off the court.
Fils strikes first in the final 💥
He saves multiple set points to grab the opener 4-3(6) over Medjedovic!#NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/F2wqXKB07r
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) December 2, 2023
However, Medjedovic responded well in the second set and sandwiched a service break around a couple of routine holds to take an early 3-0 lead. He rode the advantage all the way to win the second set 4-1. With the match leveled at a set each, the final became a best-of-3 set battle between these two friends and foes.
Medjedovic broke Fils to open the third set by taking advantage of a couple of crucial unforced errors and consolidated the break at love after serving his 10th ace as the match reached the one-hour mark. Soon, Medjedovic closed out the third set, 4-2, with a superb backhand half-volley winner. He held at love to take a two-sets-to-one lead, needing only to win one more set.
Turning the tides 🌊🔄
Hamad Medjedovic roars back to take a 2-1 sets lead over Fils!#NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/0tCop90S8M
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) December 2, 2023
In his first service game of the fourth set, Medjedovic struck his 13th ace of the match, which lifted him past Dominic Stricker and into first-place all-time in the Next Gen ATP Finals competition with 63. (He would finish with 69.) Then, he held serve by hitting a 137 mile-per-hour ace on a deciding point for 1-all. Fils responded with a crucial service hold of his own, looking for any way he could to get the final into a fifth set. He let slip a couple of break points and lost a deciding point as Medjedovic held for 2-all, but rallied with a love hold for 3-2. Next, Medjedovic held at love and it was on to a tie-break.
With plenty of tension-filled drama on display, Fils saved championship point at 5-6, then another one at 7-8. The Frenchman maintained his poise, executed his shots confidently and pulled out the tie-break 11-9 on his own serve after Medjedovic hit a forehand service return long. It was on to a deciding fifth set as the final neared the two-hour mark.
Settle in 👀@ArthurFils1 saves two match points against Medjedovic to take the final into a fifth set for the first time in #NextGenATPFinals history. pic.twitter.com/Re2labBumF
— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) December 2, 2023
As the final set unfolded, Medjedovic broke for a 2-0 lead and wasted little time consolidating it behind his 17th ace to get some breathing room at 3-0. Emotions began to escalate and it was Fils who smashed his racquet in frustration. After a quick hold by Fils, Medjedovic found himself serving for the championship.
He began with a five-shot, half-volley winner but double-faulted the next point for 15-all. Then, the Serbian hit a service winner that was followed by a backhand slice winner to set up his third championship point as the clock read 2:11. Finally, Medjedovic fired his 19th and final ace down the middle for game, set, match, championship. It was a time to celebrate his fifth career win over a Top 50 player.
Lift that trophy high @MedjedovicHamad 🏆#NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/wb8qnz3vPl
— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) December 2, 2023
Medjedovic finished with 34 winners to 19 unforced errors, compared to 23 winners and 24 unforced errors by Fils. He outpointed his opponent 101-79 by winning 88 percent (61 of 69) of his first-serve points and saved all four break points he faced. Medjedovic broke Fils three times in four opportunities. With the margins as thin as they were, the service breaks played a big difference in the three sets that Medjedovic won.
As Medjedovic approached the net to congratulate and be congratulated by the 19-year-old Fils, the scoreboard inside King Abdullah Sports City flashed “I Am Next.” As he raised his champion’s trophy, Medjedovic joined past winners Hyeon Chung, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Brandon Nakashima as champion of the Next Gen ATP Finals.
Next Gen ATP Finals Champions:
2017: Hyeon Chung
2018: Stefanos Tsitsipas
2019: Jannik Sinner
2021: Carlos Alcaraz
2022: Brandon Nakashima
2023: Hamad MEDJEDEOVIC 🆕In good company 💪 pic.twitter.com/m6kAYlkQFY
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) December 2, 2023
“I can’t believe I have won this title, but it’s going to give me a lot of confidence for 2024,” Medjedovic said. “Arthur is an amazing player; rankings-wise he’s much better than me. He’s Top 40 for a reason, so I’m really happy.”
Fils can take solace in knowing he’s the first French teenager to finish the season inside the Top 50 since it was last accomplished by then-19-year-olds Richard Gasquet and Gaël Monfils in 2005.
“I will enjoy every time on the court with him and I will try my best to play and learn from him.”
From the final in Jeddah to practice with @RafaelNadal 🤩@ArthurFils1 | #NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/dToFyGknZ7
— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) December 2, 2023
As for Medjedovic, he admitted that he “didn’t play good when I had match points in the fourth set.
“I wasn’t relaxed, I was very stiff. Thank God, I recovered and I was just trying to stay relaxed as much as I could and I managed to do it in the end.”
Remember the name 🏆@MedjedovicHamad defeats Arthur Fils 3-4(6), 4-1, 4-2, 3-4(9), 4-1 to salute in Jeddah.#NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/awUMFCPYkL
— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) December 2, 2023
By the numbers
This was the third time in the tournament’s six-year history both finalists come in without a loss:
2023 Hamad Medjedovic def. Arthur Fils
2021 Carlos Alcaraz def. Sebastian Korda
2018 Stefanos Tsitsipas def. Alex de Minaur
“Quotable …”
“We’ve known each other a long time. We played juniors together, so I know that he has an unbelievable serve. The fastest of the tournament. It’s going to be a tough one. I’m going to need to know exactly how to play, with good tactics, but I think that it’s going to be a good match for sure.”
— Top seed Arthur Fils of France, as quoted by the ATP Tour website, commenting on his title match opponent, No. 6 seed Hamad Medjedovic of Serbia
