Last week marked the official start of the clay season, with Federico Delbonis defeating Borna Corcic in the finals in Marrakech, and Juan Monaco defeating 2015 winner Jack Sock at the Men’s Clay Tournament in Houston.  The Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters is underway, which is one of the most beautiful stops on the tour.  It’s worth tuning in for the views alone!

This Week’s Tournament:
Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters – Monte Carlo, Monaco

ATP #NextGen
Earlier this season, the ATP World Tour announced their roster of #NextGen players.  We thought we’d introduce you to each of the players – Secret Fangirl style.  We highly suggest keeping up with your faves on social media.

Taylor Fritz (USA)
Instagram: @taylor_fritz
Twitter: @taylor_fritz97
Fritz, a California native, has been on a roll since winning the US Open Juniors title in 2015, rising to #69 in the rankings.  He reminds us of a young Pete Sampras, whom Fritz got to practice with on his 18th birthday. #MERICA.

Frances Tiafoe (USA)
Instagram: @bigfoe1998
Twitter: @ftiafoe
Also on the #MERICA squad is Frances Tiafoe, from Maryland.  After a big win over fellow American Taylor Fritz in Indian Wells, Tiafoe got to practice with his idol, Juan Martin del Potro.  Tiafoe’s inspirational story is definitely worth a read.

Borna Coric (CRO)
Instagram: @bornacoric
Twitter: @borna_coric
Coric has made it to 2 finals already in 2016, and is the youngest player in the top 50.  Coric has a tattoo on his forearm that says “there is nothing worse in life than being ordinary” and likes to show off his yoga poses on Instagram.

Alexander Zverev (GER)
Instagram: @alexzverev123
Alexander Zverev, AKA Sasha, had a great week in Indian Wells, taking out Grigor Dimitrov and pushing Rafael Nadal to 3 tough sets.  He also has an adorable dog, Lovik, who gets his own credentials!

Quentin Halys (FRA)
Instagram: @quentinhalys
Twitter: @QuentinHalys
We love all of the French players for their flair and style when they play.

Nick Kyrgios (AUS)
Instagram: @k1ngkyrg1os
Twitter: @NickKyrgios
Love him or hate him, Nick keeps things interesting on the court.  He’s a talented player and you never know what he’ll do next – even take a mid-match selfie.

Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS)
Instagram: @the_kokk1
Twitter: @TKokkinakis
We’ve missed Thanasi out on tour this year, as he’s recovering from shoulder surgery.  He was present at the AUS-USA Davis Cup tie in March, and gets an A+ for cheerleading for his squad all weekend (and rocking some frosted tips).  We hope he’s back on court soon!

Elias Ymer (SWE)
Instagram: @eliasymer
Twitter: @eliasymer
Ymer qualified for all 4 grand slams in 2015.  His father is a professional long-distance runner and while he hoped Elias would follow in his footsteps, he found tennis instead.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDnx6MXLafp/?taken-by=eliasymer&hl=en

Andrey Rublev (RUS)
Instagram: @andreyrublev
Twitter: @AndreyRublev97
When he’s not working on his tennis game, Rublev is also in a boyband.

Karen Khachanov (RUS)
Instagram: @karenkhachanov
Twitter: @karenkhachanov
Another Russian #NextGen player, who has teamed up with Rublev for doubles.  Maybe he can join the band, too?

Yoshihito Nishioka (JAP)
Twitter: @yoshihitotennis
Nishioka has been off to a great start in 2016, reaching the Quarterfinals in Memphis and the 4th round in Miami, taking out Feliciano Lopez on the way.

Hyeon Chung (SKR)
Instagram: @hyeon519
Chung hails from South Korea and trained at the IMG Academy in Florida.  Fun fact: he started tennis because his parents were told it could help his eyesight.  While he’s become one of the top teenagers on the tour, he still rocks glasses!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDO4o2-AoyL/?taken-by=hyeon519

Kyle Edmund (GBR)
Instagram: @kyleedmund8
Twitter: @kyle8edmund
Edmund was part of Great Britain’s winning Davis Cup squad in 2015.

header photo via ATP World Tour