The final match of Next Gen ATP Finals between number 1 seed Arthur Fils and Hamad Medjedovic took place with a more dramatic scenario.
Hamad Medjedovic capped off his breakthrough season by lifting the Next Gen ATP Finals title in Jeddah. The young Serbian returned from squandering two match points in the fourth set against Arthur Fils to win the first five-set final in the tournament’s history.
The 20-year-old tennis player had a blast in front of a packed crowd at King Abdullah Sports City. He won 88% (61/69) of his first serve points to overcome his French opponent 3-4(6), 4-1, 4-2, 3-4(9), 4-1 after 2 hours 11 minutes.
Hamad Medjedovic continues to write success for Serbian tennis. (Photo: Getty)
Both Fils and Medjedovic did well in set service games. Each player dropped just one point on their first serve, with Fils scoring six aces and Medjedovic scoring seven points from serves.
The French player took advantage of his opponent’s mistakes in the tie-break series. He saved two set-points before sealing the win after Medjedovic’s inaccurate forehand.
The young Serbian talent then acted offensively by smashing his racket and going straight into the tunnel. This action makes many people think of Serbian tennis superstar – Novak Djokovic.
The 20-year-old tennis player smashed his racket and went straight to the tunnel after losing in set 1
After a period of calm, Medjedovic found her best form at the start of the second set. He dominated against Fils to win quickly 4-1.
The Serbian player continued to break in the first game of the third set. He continued his sublime form and won all 10 points after the first serve.
The fourth set then entered a tie-break series. Medjedovic got match point when the score was 6-4. Fils saved both crucial points on the second serve, before winning to take the match into a deciding set of five.
From here, Medjedovic showed the bravery and steely spirit of a champion. He scored 3 aces, achieved 100% first serve efficiency, scored successfully and won an emotional victory.
The turning point came when Arthur Fils hit his racket twice in a row and the referee deducted points in the deciding set. (Photo: Getty)
Medjedovic’s championship also marked the end of a great season for Serbia after Novak Djokovic set a record with his seventh ATP Finals title in Turin earlier this month. The world No. 1 tennis player also sent congratulations to his young compatriot right after he lifted the trophy.
Medjedovic shared after the match: “Two of us are from Serbia. He won the ATP Finals, and I won Next Gen. Obviously it’s a huge thing and I’m happy to follow in Novak’s footsteps in some way.
I can’t believe I won this title, but it will give me a lot of confidence going into 2024. Arthur is a great opponent. He’s in the Top 40 for a reason, so I’m really happy.”
Hamad Medjedovic became the first Serbian player to win the Next Gen ATP Finals. (Photo: Getty)
Hamad Medjedovic did not lose a single match on his way to becoming the first Serbian player to win the tournament, taking home a record prize money of $514,000.
At No. 110 in the ATP rankings, this 20-year-old tennis player is the lowest-ranked champion in the tournament’s history, and he is the 6th player to win the throne at the Next Gen ATP Finals, along with 10 stars. top Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
