Grand Slam Kids Step Up in Jeddah
Five former boys’ Grand Slam champions debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals, blending junior triumphs with pro pressures on Jeddah’s fast courts, where early glory meets the real grind.
In Jeddah’s arena, the Red Sea air hums with anticipation as the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF unfolds. Five of the six debutants arrive as boys’ major champions, their junior titles a badge of promise amid a field that pulses with raw potential. Against returners Learner Tien and Nishesh Basavareddy, who carved paths without those early crowns, this lineup reveals the depth of men’s tennis’s next wave—talent forged in pressure, now tested on indoor hard courts that reward quick adjustments and mental steel.
Blockx turns Melbourne fire into steady rise
Alexander Blockx, the 6’4” Belgian, claimed the 2023 Australian Open boys’ title with a serve that boomed through tight rallies, setting up inside-out forehands that carved angles on Melbourne’s baseline. That run beat players like Joao Fonseca and Tien, now both in the world’s Top 30 in 2025, signaling how his game accelerates toward pro breakthroughs. On Jeddah’s faster surface, he shortens his 1–2 pattern, using height for net rushes that disrupt shorter opponents, all while building on the confidence that fuels yearly progress.
“It gave me a lot of confidence on the court that showed me that I can really keep up with the guys and play in those big moments,” Blockx said. “It definitely helped me in my career, and now I feel like every year I am progressing little by little. I hope it keeps going that way.”
The Belgian’s journey from those junior marathons to pro circuits involves resetting after close losses, breathing steady between points to maintain focus amid a grueling schedule. His flat groundstrokes gain bite here, piercing crosscourt to exploit weaker returns, turning early momentum into a climb that eyes Challenger contention.
Landaluce and Jodar share Spanish pressure
Martin Landaluce won the 2022 US Open boys’ title at 16, his heavy topspin forehand bouncing high to exhaust rivals in Flushing Meadows’ crosscourt exchanges. Now 19 and honed at the Rafa Nadal Academy, he incorporates breathing drills to calm nerves during tiebreaks, adapting that clay-bred power for hard-court punch. Sharing Jeddah with countryman Rafael Jodar, who took the same trophy in 2024, adds camaraderie to the intensity—both lean on ad-side forehands, but Jodar’s footwork forces tactical variety like added slices.
“It was a great moment. I think I’m glad to have lived this because I have had to manage pressure since I was 16 years old,” Landaluce said. “It was tough at that moment, but now I’m feeling much more confident, and it’s not the first time I’m having people watching me and people saying that I’m going to be near the top… it’s nice to have been preparing myself for this kind of pressure, and now I’m able to live it in a good way.”
Jodar surged over 700 spots to World No. 168 in 2025, clinching three ATP Challenger titles in the season’s close with down-the-line passing shots that countered net approaches on European hard and clay. He views juniors and pros as separate worlds, facing older experience that sharpens his rally construction. In round-robin clashes, his quick adjustments—varying underspin to draw errors—position him as a Challenger force, bridging youth to the Tour’s demands.
“I could say that it was probably one of the best weeks, but I couldn’t say that it’s why I’ve done these things this year,” Jodar said of his US Open run. “I think they are two worlds. When you play in juniors, you have to face the best juniors, but when you play on the Challenger Tour, you play against other players that are older than you and who have more experience.”
Budkov Kjaer and Prizmic adapt title legacies
Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, the 19-year-old Norwegian, lifted the 2024 Wimbledon boys’ singles trophy with low-skidding slices that hugged the grass, followed by a 2025 season of four Challenger wins—the Tour’s top tally—blending serve-volley rushes with baseline depth. On Jeddah hard, he deepens crosscourt forehands to set inside-in winners, accepting the field’s parity where every point swings on disruption. His rapid rise teaches embracing volatility, from qualifiers to late titles, refining spins against all-court foes like Tien.
“Winning a junior title is a big milestone as a player,” Budkov Kjaer said of his All England Club run. “It’s a week I will remember forever, and it’s nice to have it in the baggage of trophies.”
“I think all the juniors play quite grown-up tennis right now. I think it’s a higher level than ever, but you need to adjust your acceptance… To accept that everybody can play very good tennis and that you can beat and get beaten by everybody.”
Dino Prizmic capped juniors with the 2023 Roland Garros boys’ title, grinding clay baselines with topspin loops and underspin counters that absorbed pace. A set off Novak Djokovic at the 2024 Australian Open marked his pro entry, injuries tested resolve, but 2025 delivered two Challenger crowns and a Umag quarterfinal, quickening footwork for shorter hard-court points. Targeting deuce-side returns against big servers, his defense evolves into offense, embodying pride that fuels comebacks.
“It was a big moment for me because I wanted to finish juniors with one title, especially a Grand Slam title, and I did it, so I’m very proud of that,” Prizmic said.
These five champions, alongside Tien and Basavareddy, converge in Jeddah where junior doors swing open but pro endurance locks them. Tactical shifts—from grass slices to clay grinds—meet psychological arcs of pressure and reset, promising a week of breakthroughs that propel them toward 2026’s Tour depths. As the round-robin unfolds, their games will dictate who turns legacy into lasting impact.
