Next Gen Stars Forge Paths in Jeddah Heat
Under Jeddah’s arena lights, Learner Tien and Alexander Blockx turned round-robin pressure into semifinal tickets at the Next Gen ATP Finals, their tactical poise hinting at tennis’s bold future.
In the crisp evening of December 19, 2025, the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF wrapped its round-robin stage at King Abdullah Sports City. Eight players under 20 had battled over three days on quick indoor hard courts, where low bounces and fast pace demanded instant adaptations. The format turned every rally into a high-wire act, blending raw talent with the mental grit forged across a punishing year.
Learner Tien clinched first in the Blue Group with a 2-1 record, outlasting Nicolai Budkov Kjaer in a decider that tested his inside-out forehand against flat baseline fire. He dialed up heavy topspin to shove Kjaer back, opening lanes for down-the-line backhands that sealed the shift. Across the draw, Alexander Blockx stayed perfect at 3-0 in the Red Group, his serve-volley rushes thriving on the surface’s speed to cut rallies short.
“The courts here reward bold adjustments—if you stay flat, you’re toast,” Blockx said post-match.
Tien summons focus in group decider
Tien’s victory demanded he block the crowd’s swell, channeling a season of breakthroughs into steady returns that neutralized Kjaer’s power. His one–two patterns—slice serve wide followed by crosscourt approach—disrupted rhythms, turning potential marathons into controlled points. That resolve not only advanced him but eased the weight of year-end rankings, where every win nudged him toward elite status.
Blockx advanced with Budkov Kjaer and Nishesh Basavareddy, the latter using underspin passes to skim lines in tight exchanges. Basavareddy’s low slices forced high errors, a tweak honed through months of surface hops from clay to hard. Their paths to semis carried the quiet thrill of under-20 futures hanging in the balance.
Underdogs fuel arena’s electric pulse
Justin Engel fed off fans’ chants in the stands, his gritty defenses stretching rallies until opponents cracked under the pressure. Those supporters’ energy mirrored his own rebound from mid-season dips, backhand winners slicing down-the-line to keep sets alive. The arena’s hum amplified it all, a backdrop to ambitions clashing in the desert night.
Martin Landaluce and Rafael Jodar traded fiery baselines, Landaluce’s topspin lobs buying resets after long points while Jodar fired inside-in forehands to wrong-foot foes. Their 1–2 setups exposed the agility needed to navigate group scrambles, even if semis eluded them. Dino Prizmic rounded the field with sharp angles, his crosscourt backhands adapting to the indoor zip that favored quick thinkers.
Semifinals promise tactical evolution
Photos from the action capture Tien mid-forehand, Blockx at net, and the stadium’s vibrant roar—credits to Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour. As these young guns prep for semis, the quick courts preview a shift: precision over brute force, with knees bent low to strike rising balls. Their breakthroughs in Jeddah signal tennis’s next wave, unbreakable and ever-adapting.
“These matches feel like the whole year compressed into hours—every decision counts double.”
