Day 2 Stakes Rise in Jeddah’s Next Gen Battles

In Jeddah’s electric arena, the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF surges into Day 2, with Red and Blue Groups locked in a tense scramble for semifinal spots. Challenger standouts and ATP newcomers alike carry the scars and sparks of their 2025 campaigns, every rally pulsing with year-end ranking implications. The First-to-4 format amplifies the drama, turning baseline grinds into high-wire acts under the Saudi night sky.

Tien Seeks Redemption Against Landaluce‘s Fire

Learner Tien, last year’s finalist and World No. 28, confronts a pivotal Blue Group matchup against Martin Landaluce following his five-set heartbreak to Rafael Jodar, where four match points vanished in the clutch. The American, riding a fresh ATP title from Metz, must rediscover his inside-out forehand rhythm to dictate points and avoid an 0-2 slide that could doom his title defense. Landaluce, the 19-year-old Spaniard hungry for his biggest ranking scalp, draws on a Cincinnati Masters win and second Challenger crown this year, ready to counter with flat backhand crosscourts that exploit any hesitation.

The psychological undercurrent runs deep: Tien’s experience clashes with Landaluce’s unburdened drive, their duel unfolding right after the evening opener in a bid to seize Blue Group momentum.

Budkov Kjaer and Jodar Vie for Blue Group Control

Not before 7 p.m., Nicolai Budkov Kjaer and Rafael Jodar, both 1-0 after sharp Day 1 wins, square off in a winner-takes-charge Blue Group clash. The Norwegian’s aggressive four-set takedown of Landaluce featured heavy topspin forehands that pinned deep, setting up a 1–2 pattern to test the Spaniard’s footwork. Jodar, fresh from his first Top 100 victory over Tien, holds an edge from their US Open boys’ final triumph in 2024, where quick transitions neutralized Budkov Kjaer’s power and saved four match points in Jeddah’s opener.

With seven Challenger titles shared between them in 2025, this matchup promises down-the-line surprises and slice backhands to disrupt rhythms, the victor poised to near a semifinal berth while easing qualification pressures. View Day 2 Schedule here

View Qualification Scenarios here

Red Group Duels Blend Power and Precision

At 2 p.m., Dino Prizmic and Justin Engel battle for their first points in Red Group, both 0-1 but far from out. The Croatian’s two Challenger titles and 6-2, 6-2 clay win over the German in San Marino this year highlight his topspin loops that draw opponents forward, while Engel’s forehand bombs—echoing his all-surface tour-level wins as the second-youngest since 1990, behind only Rafael Nadal—aim to flip the script with crosscourt angles. Round-robin math keeps them alive, a breakthrough here vaulting one toward contention against the group’s leaders.

Not before 3 p.m., Alexander Blockx‘s booming serve, which fired 17 aces and claimed 85 percent of first-serve points against Engel per ATP Stats, meets Nishesh Basavareddy‘s return aggression that snagged 57 percent of second serves in his Prizmic win. The American, in Jeddah for a second year under new coach Gilles Cervara, could redirect inside-in to force the Belgian into rallies, testing his debut resolve in this first Head2Head. A Red Group lead hangs in the balance, where serve holds and return bites dictate the path to semis and ranking climbs.

As these clashes unfold on Jeddah’s medium-paced hard courts, tactical tweaks—like varying serve depths or targeting backhands—will expose mental cracks, propelling winners toward semifinals and hinting at the stars who’ll light up future ATP tours.