Young Guns Gear Up for Jeddah Showdown

The desert winds whip through Jeddah as the 2025 ATP Tour draws to a close with the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. Eight players under 21 assemble at King Abdullah Sports City starting Wednesday, their games sharpened by a season of breakthroughs and close calls. This innovative event, blending rapid formats with high pressure, sets the stage for tactical battles that could redefine young careers.

Tien seeks redemption on familiar ground

Learner Tien steps back into the fray as the top seed, his 2025 marked by a maiden tour-level title in Metz and a final at the ATP 500 in Beijing. Five victories over Top 10 opponents have lifted him to a career-high No. 28 in the PIF ATP Rankings, but the memory of last year’s final loss to Joao Fonseca fuels his drive. In the Blue Group alongside Martin Landaluce, Rafael Jodar, and Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, Tien plans to unleash heavy topspin forehands inside-out, varying angles to disrupt aggressive returns early.

His serve, a reliable down-the-T weapon, has grown into a mental bulwark during tense moments, much like the tiebreak that sealed his Metz win. Yet as the hunted in a field heavy with debutants, he must guard against fatigue creeping into his crosscourt backhands, especially after Beijing’s grueling push. These adjustments could turn group-stage momentum his way, paving a path to the title that erases past doubts.

Debutants bring fresh fire to groups

Martin Landaluce and Rafael Jodar represent Spain’s next wave, close friends making their full debuts after peripheral roles last year as an alternate and hitting partner. Landaluce claimed a Challenger trophy in Orleans, France, relying on slice backhands to break rhythms in extended rallies, while Jodar balanced University of Virginia duties with three Challenger titles in the season’s final months. Placed in the Blue Group, they eye upsets against Tien by flattening strokes for inside-in forehands that pin opponents deep on Jeddah’s speedy hard courts.

Nishesh Basavareddy returns as one of two veterans, his year featuring tour-level wins in Cincinnati, Winston-Salem, and Hangzhou, plus a semifinal in Auckland. Guided by new coach Gilles Cervara, who once steered Daniil Medvedev to No. 1, Basavareddy hones down-the-line passing shots to counter big serves in the Red Group with Alexander Blockx, Dino Prizmic, and Justin Engel. His low slices on second serves aim to extend points, building on indoor affinity to chase deeper runs without the inconsistencies of his debut.

Justin Engel, the youngest at 18 and Germany’s first qualifier, arrives after becoming the initial 2007-born Challenger winner in Hamburg. His tour-level successes across all surfaces rank him second only to Rafael Nadal in precocity, showcasing adaptability from clay underspin to hard-court flats. In the Red Group, Engel deploys one–two combinations—aggressive serves followed by inside-in forehands—to force errors, aspiring to join Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Fonseca as an 18-year-old champion.

Junior slams fuel pro ambitions

Nicolai Budkov Kjaer headlines a quintet of former junior Grand Slam champions, his breakout including a tour-leading four ATP Challenger titles after the 2024 Wimbledon boys’ crown. He shares the Blue Group spotlight with Landaluce, the US Open 2022 junior winner whose all-court game thrives on tactical shifts; Blockx, Australian Open 2023 boys’ titlist with strong net approaches; Prizmic, Roland Garros 2023 champion known for looping topspin; and Jodar, fresh off the US Open 2024 junior victory. These pedigrees translate to pro pressure through composed five-setters, now tested in Jeddah’s fast-paced rallies.

Budkov Kjaer’s big serve gains extra bite here, stretching opponents with down-the-line backhands, while Blockx refines volleys against deeper returns. Prizmic loops higher topspin to counter flat hitters like Engel, whose youth demands energy conservation in group play. As these narratives collide, the event’s innovative rules amplify every 1–2 pattern and psychological edge, promising a week where resilience crowns the next big name.