The Next Gen Finals will move away from Jeddah next year, with the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) opting out of their five-year deal with the ATP Tour.

The Next Gen Finals, which features the top eight players in the world aged 20 and under, was the first professional tennis tournament to be staged in the kingdom when it made its Saudi Arabian debut back in 2023.

It was announced as a five-year agreement between the STF and the ATP and was meant to stay in Jeddah through 2027.

But The National has learnt that this year’s edition, scheduled from December 17 to 21 at King Abdullah Sports City, will be the last staging of the tournament on Saudi Arabian shores.

The ATP is now open to bids from cities willing to host the event, which has proven to be a successful platform for young players looking to step up the ranks and make an early statement in their budding careers.

The Next Gen Finals was introduced to the tour in 2017 and was held in Milan through 2022 before moving to Jeddah.

Besides showcasing the top talent on the men’s tour, the tournament has also been used to test out innovative rules and technology that could be adopted in bigger events.

Stars like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are among the the Next Gen Finals champions who have gone on to become world No 1 and clinched multiple-time grand slam winners.

Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic won the first Next Gen Finals title in Jeddah in 2023, while Brazilian phenom Joao Fonseca lifted the trophy last year.

The ATP now has just over a year to find a new host city for the tournament.

Since the signing of the Next Gen Finals deal with the ATP, Saudi Arabia has added more tennis events to its calendar, including the ongoing WTA Finals in Riyadh.

Two weeks ago, it was announced that a Masters 1000 tournament will be held in Saudi Arabia as early as 2028, which marks the first-ever expansion of the tournament category in ATP Tour history.

The National has reached out to the STF for comment.

Singham Again

Director: Rohit Shetty

Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone

Rating: 3/5

Despacito’s dominance in numbers

Released: 2017

Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon

Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube

Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification

Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.

Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards

MATCH INFO

Real Madrid 2

Vinicius Junior (71′) Mariano (90 2′)

Barcelona 0

match info

Chelsea 2
Willian (13′), Ross Barkley (64′)

Liverpool 0

The Details

Kabir Singh

Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series

Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga

Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa

Rating: 2.5/5 

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

Fanney Khan

Producer: T-Series, Anil Kapoor Productions, ROMP, Prerna Arora

Director: Atul Manjrekar

Cast: Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Rajkummar Rao, Pihu Sand

Rating: 2/5 

Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding

Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.

Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.

Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.

For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae

 

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SERIE A FIXTURES

Friday Sassuolo v Benevento (Kick-off 11.45pm)

Saturday Crotone v Spezia (6pm), Torino v Udinese (9pm), Lazio v Verona (11.45pm)

Sunday Cagliari v Inter Milan (3.30pm), Atalanta v Fiorentina (6pm), Napoli v Sampdoria (6pm), Bologna v Roma (6pm), Genoa v Juventus (9pm), AC Milan v Parma (11.45pm)

The years Ramadan fell in MayBahrain%20GP

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Company profile

Date started: 2015

Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki

Based: Dubai

Sector: Online grocery delivery

Staff: 200

Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends

Tamkeen’s offering
Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
Option 2: 50% across three years
Option 3: 30% across five years 
Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Samaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

Killing of Qassem Suleimani