Blockx Outduels Best Friend for Next Gen Final Spot
In Jeddah’s high-stakes arena, Alexander Blockx turned a semifinal against close friend Nicolai Budkov Kjaer into a test of wills, his explosive power edging out endurance to secure a historic berth in the Next Gen ATP Finals championship match.
Alexander Blockx stood one match from glory at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, his explosive baseline game carrying him through Jeddah’s unforgiving courts. The 20-year-old Belgian, who once spectated the inaugural event in 2017 as a wide-eyed fan, outlasted close friend Nicolai Budkov Kjaer in a grueling 4-3(4), 4-3(8), 4-2 semifinal that blended raw power with unyielding physicality. Now, Blockx awaits top seed Learner Tien or Nishesh Basavareddy in Sunday’s decider, his career-high No. 101 ranking signaling bigger breakthroughs ahead.
“I think it may have been straight sets but it was my most difficult match this week by far,” Blockx said. “I think the level we both played was really high. The second set, again it is just here that the luck fell on my side a bit. We had some very long rallies and I am very happy I could share this moment with him. We have been speaking about the Next Gen for a long time. In September we were talking: ‘Imagine if we made it to Jeddah and played each other there’, so it is amazing to have been able to share this match with him. He is one of my best friends on Tour so it was a really nice Saturday for me.”
The Belgian’s journey to this point built on a 2025 season of two ATP Challenger Tour titles and a breakthrough tour-level victory in Cincinnati, all fueling his qualification for this 20-and-under showdown. Budkov Kjaer, the 19-year-old Norwegian who became the first from his country to reach the semifinals, pushed back with impressive shot tolerance, extending rallies that forced Blockx into deeper defensive scrambles than in his 3-0 Red Group sweep.
Friendship sharpens the rally grind
From the opening set, Blockx leaned on his one–two pattern, big first serves setting up heavy topspin forehands ripped crosscourt to pin the Norwegian deep. Budkov Kjaer absorbed the pace with steady returns, countering with down-the-line backhands that pierced the lines and drew the crowd’s rising hum in the Jeddah arena. Their off-court bond—forged in talks of this very stage—added an emotional edge, making each extended exchange feel like a shared test of preparation.
Blockx’s movement shone through the longer points, his legs churning to track wide balls and redirect them inside-out to the backhand side. The no-ad format amplified the tension, stripping away service games’ safety nets and leaving scant recovery time under the arena’s bright glare. Yet the Belgian’s calm held, turning potential fatigue into focused counters that kept the Norwegian on the back foot.
The first Belgian in history to play for the title 🇧🇪#NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/cy3UL1yReX
— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) December 20, 2025
The first Belgian in history to play for the title 🇧🇪#NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/cy3UL1yReX
— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) December 20, 2025
Power surges through tiebreak battles
In the second set, Budkov Kjaer clawed into longer rallies, his four Challenger titles this year underscoring his resilience as he forced a tiebreak at 4-3(8). Blockx responded with tactical tweaks, mixing slice backhands to disrupt rhythm and varying his forehand trajectories to avoid predictability on the slick hard courts. A blistering forehand pass on the run in the decider’s final game sealed it, one of 27 winners that echoed his tournament total of 103 across four matches.
The surface’s quick bounce favored Blockx’s flatter shots, allowing him to redirect pace down-the-line when crosscourts grew routine. Budkov Kjaer’s higher kicks lost sting against the low skid, exposing vulnerabilities in the extended exchanges. Blockx’s physical edge, honed from his 2023 Australian Open boys’ champion run, proved decisive, his body holding firm where the Norwegian’s began to waver.
The crowd’s energy built with every deuce, the arena’s pulse mirroring the personal stakes of their friendship colliding with ambition. Blockx admitted the match’s difficulty stemmed from the high level on both sides, yet the victory felt like validation after months of grinding toward this moment.
Mental reset eyes Sunday decider
Post-match, Blockx spoke of the headspace required in the Next Gen format’s relentless tempo. “It sounds exciting,” he said. “I am going to prepare the best I can. I think physically I am feeling good, even though these are tough matches and you have shorter time between the points. The rallies go longer and with the no Ads you don’t have too much time to think, so I think the most important time here is to stay calm in the head and that is what I am doing.”
This poise, built through a season of rising expectations, positions him well against the Americans in the final, where deeper returns or varied underspin might jam aggressive serves. As Belgium’s pioneer on this stage, Blockx carries national pride into the championship, his path from fan to finalist a blueprint for blending power with patience. A title here accelerates his 2026 trajectory, targeting that elusive top 100 debut amid the tour’s deepening talent pool.
Budkov Kjaer departs with head high, his two wins in Jeddah affirming his status as an emerging force. For Blockx, the blend of explosive game and mental fortitude promises more collisions of friendship and fire on bigger courts ahead.
