To read the top three names in the Race to Next Gen Finals in Milan, Italy, the under-21 world tennis championship, one is speechless: the first is Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, the second is Jannik Sinner, and the third is Lorenzo Musetti. To put it in numbers: number 4, number 10, and number 30 in the Atp Ranking.

It is clear that the three absolute talents are now in contention for the Turin Finals, the traditional Masters of the top players, and no longer have as their goal to play the under-21 ones (which Sinner and Alcaraz won in 2019 and 2021, respectively, by the way). But it is striking that in the special Atp under-21 ranking there are as many as 8 Italians in the top 20 in the world.

An absolute record that brings Italtennis to the first place among the nations that have the most promising youngsters in contention. No one like us, then. Not even Spain, which, it is true, showcases the strongest under-21 player of all, Carlos Alcaraz, but has no other players in the top 20. It should be added that Italy also boasts two other Azzurri in the top 30 of the under-21 ranking, confirming a movement that has really exploded.

Sinner and Musetti aside, the big surprise of this race is 20-year-old Giulio Zeppieri, a semifinalist on the Atp Tour in Ummag last week, in just his first tournament played on the big circuit. Having played evenly for three hours against the very strong Alcaraz gives Giulio the confidence he needed. Today the Roman is the 12th under-21 player in the world, but if he keeps it up, a place in the magnificent 8 of the Next Gen in Milan in the fall will not be taken away from him. Before him is another very talented 20-year-old, Peru's Francesco Passaro, with a Cilento father born in Trentinara, Salerno, who is tenth in the rankings. Passaro, too, can aspire to enter the Junior Masters. Following Passaro is Tuscan Flavio Cobolli, son of former pro Stefano. 

Great attention is being aroused by 18-year-old (but 19 in a few days) Luca Nardi, from Pesaro with a Neapolitan dad from Naples, who according to Italian coaches is the most talented of all, a sure top player in the near future. Nardi is 14th in the Race and fifth among the Italian Next Gen, behind Sinner, Musetti, Passaro and Zeppieri. We continue with 15th, Francesco Maestrelli from Pisa, a big guy over 190 centimeters with exceptional serve and potential. Behind him Luciano Darderi, 18th, and Matteo Gigante, 21st, just outside the top 20. To these magnificent eight, or rather nine, must also be added three other "magnificent" players. They are Matteo Arnaldi, 26th, Mattia Bellucci 29th and also top 50 Samuel Vincent Ruggieri. In the history of Italian tennis there had never been such a favorable situation for young people.

Behind the magnificent blue eight are the Czech Republic and the United States with two players in the top 20. A gulf. Spain after Alcaraz has the second best under 21 at 49th place with Gimeno Valero. We in the top 50 have as many as 12. And France, for years always clearly ahead of Italy in results, values and talent, has as its first player No. 34 Mayot.