Next Gen ATP Finals return to Italy with Reggio Calabria to host 2026 edition

Sept 9 - Italy will now host both of the ATP's season-ending tournaments after the men's tour announced on Wednesday that the Next Gen ATP Finals will return to the country this year following a three-year stint in Saudi Arabia.

The tournament, which features the leading players aged 20 and under, will be staged at the PalaCalafiore arena in the southern coastal city of Reggio Calabria from December 9-13, with $2 million in prize money.

The first five editions were held in Milan before the event moved to Jeddah under a deal that had been due to run until 2027.

However, the agreement with the Saudi Tennis Federation came to a premature end last year, with the ATP launching a global bid process in November to decide the next host city.

The announcement further strengthens Italy's position on the tennis calendar, with Turin staging the ATP Finals in November before Bologna hosts the Davis Cup Finals.

"If Italy is now the country of tennis, it is because it had the courage to invest in the future before anyone else," said Angelo Binaghi, president of Italian Tennis and Padel Federation.

"The Next Gen ATP Finals represent the tournament of tomorrow: this is where the champions are born who, in the years to come, will conquer the world's greatest stages.

"Bringing this event back to our country, following the pioneering experience in Milan, and choosing Reggio Calabria as the new venue confirms a clear vision: to make tennis a driving force for development across the whole country."

Previous winners of the tournament include Italy's world number one Jannik Sinner in 2019 and seven-times Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz in 2021. American Learner Tien won the 2025 title in Jeddah. REUTERS