The first balls have been struck in the leadup to the 2022 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals.

Brandon Nakashima and Francesco Passaro on Saturday morning enjoyed the first training session ahead of the 21-and-under season finale. 

Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
It will not be the last time Nakashima stand across the net from one another this week in Milan. Both #NextGenATP stars were drawn into Green Group alongside Denmark’s Holger Rune and the Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka.

Nakashima is competing at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals for the second consecutive year. In 2021, the American advanced to the semi-finals in Milan.

“It feels great to be back here. I had such a great time last year. I think the tournament, the ATP does a great job here, so I’m really looking forward to playing here again,” Nakashima said. “Again this year the field is very strong. All of us had such great years with great consistency, doing well at the big tournaments, so I think it’s going to be a great tournament for the fans to watch and for us players to compete against each other [in].”

Passaro is making his debut at the prestigious 21-and-under event. The 21-year-old is at a career-high No. 121 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.