Old Scores and New Edges in Jeddah
Jet skis fade into memory as the Next Gen ATP Finals 2025 ignites rivalries in Jeddah, where young talents like Budkov Kjaer and Landaluce chase breakthroughs amid shortened sets and familiar foes.
In the wake of Monday’s jet ski spins off Silver Sands Beach, the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF contenders in Jeddah sharpen their focus on the indoor hard courts ahead. Laughter from the Red Sea gives way to the quiet intensity of baseline drills, where these 19-year-olds size up group opponents with the weight of 2025‘s battles. Friendships hold until the first ball crosses the net, then dissolve into the raw pursuit of points in a format that demands instant aggression.
Debutant Nicolai Budkov Kjaer enters the Blue Group with a Tour-leading four ATP Challenger Tour titles from the year, but his Wednesday opener revives a tough history against Martin Landaluce, who has won all three of their meetings this season. The Norwegian also carries the echo of last year’s US Open boys’ final defeat to Rafael Jodar, another group member whose net approaches could disrupt his rhythm on these quicker surfaces. At 19, Budkov Kjaer senses the pull of rivals who’ve edged him in tight contests, their shared junior paths adding a layer of familiarity to the stakes.
“Especially Martin and Rafa here,” 19-year-old Budkov Kjaer said of his biggest rivals in Jeddah. “We’re the same age and they’ve always had the edge and I’ve never had the chance to beat them. it’s always been tight, but they have had the edge… Maybe because the Spanish develop faster than us up in the north [of Europe]. They were some of my rivals when I was young, so it’s fun to see them here.“
Landaluce approaches their head-to-head not as a lock but as a puzzle, especially with Budkov Kjaer’s pre-season changes potentially altering his heavy topspin forehands and 1–2 patterns. The Spaniard, whose flat backhand slices inside-out to wrong-foot returners, anticipates shifts that could test his explosive inside-in forehands on the medium-paced hard courts. His group chase extends to top seed Learner Tien, last year’s finalist, whose all-court game and drop shots add tactical depth to every matchup.
Media Day at Silver Sands Beach in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.
Pre-season shifts challenge Blue Group foes
In the Blue Group, the surface rewards quick transitions, where Budkov Kjaer’s second serve—a topspin kicker—might draw aggressive returns from Landaluce if he steps in early. The Norwegian’s off-season work aims to boost his first delivery’s pace, allowing deeper crosscourt groundstrokes to control rallies against Jodar‘s underspin backhands that skid low and force errors on the rise. Tien’s experience in the format underscores how a hesitant start can unravel in no-ad ties, his one–two serve-return combos often flipping momentum mid-set.
“I’ve beaten him three times this year, but I think in our match he will change some things,” Landaluce said. “After the pre-season, he has changed many things, so we’ll see what happens.”
“Learner is the first one [on my mind], but everyone is a good player,” Landaluce added with a smile. “I’ve played with some of them and they were very tough matches. So hopefully I’ll play many matches here and see which one is the toughest.”
Jodar, who surged over 700 spots in the PIF ATP Rankings during 2025, keeps his view wide, emphasizing execution over specific threats in a field where every point tests readiness. His US Open boys’ title fuels a drive to channel junior success into pro consistency, perhaps varying his down-the-line backhands to counter the group’s baseline power. As sets cap at four games, the Spaniard’s net-rushing could punish overhit topspin loops, turning defensive lobs into passing-shot opportunities.
Junior bonds fuel Red Group intensity
Across in the Red Group, Alexander Blockx and Dino Prizmic bring a rivalry spanning since age 11, deepened by their 2023 junior Grand Slam wins—Blockx at the Australian Open boys’ event, Prizmic at Roland Garros. Blockx trails 2-4 in six encounters, praising the Croat’s consistency despite injuries that tested his resilience through the year. On these hard courts, Blockx’s forehand whip and baseline proximity demand Prizmic refine his high-kicking serve to set up crosscourt angles that stretch the Belgian’s movement.
Alexander Blockx will make his Jeddah debut while Nishesh Basavareddy returns. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.
“I would say my biggest rival is Dino,” Blockx said. “We’ve played each other six times, and I think he’s won four. Every year we’ve been close to each other. He has been injured a lot in the past couple of years, but even with those injuries, he’s playing at an unbelievable level. I would say he’s one of the most consistent guys on the Tour, so I think I would see him as my biggest rival.”
Prizmic, with two ATP Challenger Tour titles in 2025, sees every opponent as a potential hurdle, though Blockx’s serve and forehand earn specific nods for their pressure in tight rallies. The Croat’s post-injury backhand down-the-line, honed on clay but adaptable here, could exploit gaps if Blockx overcommits on inside-out redirects. Basavareddy’s return injects variety, his versatile returns forcing group adjustments in serve placement and depth to avoid early breaks.
“I think every player is my biggest rival here,” said Prizmic, who won two ATP Challenger Tour titles in 2025. “But if Alex said me, maybe I will say [him] because we are in the same group. He has very good movement on the court, a very good forehand and very good serve. He’s also so close to the baseline and it’s very hard to play against him.”
Format tests mental fire in tight sets
Learner Tien, one of two returnees, draws on last year’s finalist run to navigate the format’s quirks, where slow openings lead to swift eliminations under no-ad rules. He mixes slice backhands with heavy forehand topspin to disrupt patterns, a tactic that could wrong-foot Landaluce’s flat hitting if the courts offer true bounce. The American’s excitement for the toss-up nature hints at how experience bends close contests, his drop shots amplifying the need for sharp reflexes in shortened sets.
“No one really has that much experience playing this format, so it can be a toss up,” Tien said. “I think it makes it a little bit more exciting because slow starts can kind of take you out of matches pretty quick, so I think it’s exciting. I think it’s fun to watch and it’s fun to play and I’m looking forward to it.”
Learner Tien is the top seed and defending finalist. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.
As Wednesday’s group play begins, the air in Jeddah thickens with anticipation—these arcs of Challenger triumphs, injury rebounds, and ranking climbs converge in rallies that echo junior battles. Budkov Kjaer’s northern resolve meets Spanish precision, while Blockx and Prizmic’s long history promises rallies stretched to the baseline’s edge. In a field this even, the player who channels pre-season tweaks into bold inside-in winners first may seize the momentum, carrying it toward a Jeddah breakthrough that echoes into 2026.
“I don’t have any big rivals… I just know that we are eight good players, and we all have a very high level, so it will be a fun tournament to follow,” said Jodar, who rose over 700 spots in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2025. “I wish all the players the best luck because it’s a great tournament against those top guys. At the end of the day, everyone is good, so you have to step on the court and try to do the things that you know — that’s what I’m trying to do.”
