ATP Next Gen Finals to use shot clock between first and second serves

One of the anomalies on the ATP Tour could finally be about to come to an end.

The Next Gen Finals, which will begin in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on November 28, will showcase a number of innovative rules, as it has done ever since its inception in 2017.

And one of the innovations for this year’s event, held for the top eight players aged 21 and under in 2023, will include a shot clock between first and second serves.

The shot clock was adopted by the ATP Tour in 2019, after both the Australian Open and US Open used it in 2018, following the lead of the Next Gen Finals, which started it all off in 2017. But until now, players have been free to take as long as they like if they miss their first serve, leading many to call for its use before the second serve.

Players at the Next Gen Finals will have just eight seconds to hit their second serve. As in previous editions, the usual 25 seconds between points is reduced to 15 if the previous point included fewer than three shots.

If it’s successful, expect some noise about the ATP and WTA Tours adopting it as a rule on the regular Tours sooner rather than later.

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