Budding Rivalries Fuel Next Gen Breakthroughs
Young talents heading to the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah carry the weight of junior battles and pro climbs, where friendships sharpen into competitive edges that promise to define their careers.
The transition from junior circuits to professional grind tests more than strokes; it forges rivalries that blend camaraderie with the sharp edge of ambition. For the eight under-21 qualifiers converging on King Abdullah Sports City, these bonds—rooted in shared practices and tense finals—now propel them toward the fast indoor hard courts of the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. Each match in Jeddah will echo past encounters, demanding tactical adjustments amid the pressure of a global stage.
Junior roots shape early tensions
Nicolai Budkov Kjaer arrives in Jeddah finely tuned after a late-season push through ATP events in Stockholm, Vienna—his ATP 500 debut—and Metz. The 19-year-old Norwegian reflects on his competitive origins with Joel Schwaerzler, tracing back to their first ITF junior year at a J500 in Osaka, where shared practices gave way to a tight final loss of 7-6, 7-5. That shift from training partners to rivals deepened the next year with a doubles title at Roland Garros, merging friendship and feud into a dynamic that still influences their paths.
Budkov Kjaer lagged behind peers until age 15, then accelerated from 16 to join their tournament circuit, building resilience through catch-up battles. His current overlaps with Alexander Blockx in Challengers foster fun yet fierce exchanges, preparing him for Jeddah’s demands where unfamiliar opponents will test his full range. He anticipates crosscourt rallies that reveal unique skills, from baseline consistency to opportunistic net play, all under the event’s intense atmosphere.
“Joel Schwaerzler and I travelled to a J500 in Osaka our first ITF junior year,” recalled Budkov Kjaer. “We practised a lot together that week and I won the training sets, I remember, but then he beat me 7-6, 7-5 in the final. The year after we won the doubles at Roland Garros together and I feel we both have had a rivalry and friendship in one.
“These days I have a lot of fun with Alexander Blockx, we go to many of the same Challengers. But I was quite far behind all the other Next Gen’s when I was young. Only from the age of 15 did I improve fast and from 16 I started to play the same tournaments as all these other players.”
“I think they are all really talented, everyone with their own extraordinary skill set,” said the Norwegian, when asked about the other Jeddah contenders. “History has shown that the Next Gen finals participants can impact tennis the next decade. Some of the players I already know a bit, the others I look forward to meeting for the first time and get to know better - on and off court.”
Friendly bonds push ranking surges
Gilles Arnaud Bailly, the 20-year-old Belgian who reached a career-high No. 201 in the PIF ATP Rankings on 10 November, shares a close rapport with Blockx that spans years of talks and mutual motivation. Their connection extends to phone games, infusing a competitive spark that drives both on the circuit. Bailly hopes their climbs lead to more shared events, where one–two patterns from baseline to net could decide key points.
His breakthrough came in October on home soil, upsetting World No. 51 Daniel Altmaier in Brussels after entering qualifying via a Next Gen spot at the indoor ATP 250. That win highlighted his growing ability to vary depths and force errors with inside-out forehands against power hitters. The Next Gen Accelerator pathway, offering 20-and-under Top 250 players one main draw entry and two qualifying bids per season, eases the path, allowing focus on development amid rising peers.
Bailly draws inspiration from Blockx, Martin Landaluce, and Budkov Kjaer thriving on ATP and Challenger tours, their successes fueling his own drive. This network counters the solitude of lower-level schedules, turning individual pressures into collective momentum. As Jeddah approaches, he eyes deeper relationships that blend off-court ease with on-court intensity.
Watch Highlights Of Bailly’s Breakthrough ATP Tour Win:
“I have a really good relationship with Blockx. We talk a lot and we get on so well,” said Bailly. “Because I am climbing now, I hope we can play more tournaments together. We have a lot of contact together and we play some games on the phone together, so there is a competitive edge there.
“I get on really well with him and I hope to see him and the others more often on Tour and the relationships will develop. I have known Blockx for many years and we keep pushing each other and it is healthy to have that relationship.”
“I think the Next Gen entry spots we get given are great,” said Bailly, referring to the Next Gen Accelerator pathway. “The other Next Gen guys are doing so well. Blockx, Landaluce, Budkov Kjaer are all doing really well on the ATP Tour and Challenger Tour. It is great from the ATP to give us chances, otherwise it would be tough to play some events, so that support is helpful. I like seeing the other young players do well, it gives you further drive.”
Rematches revive junior rivalries
Nishesh Basavareddy brings a history of early clashes into his pro journey, first meeting Learner Tien at age six during Little Mo Regionals in San Diego, where those matches turned into grueling tests of will. He also encountered Alex Michelsen at seven, their junior tournaments weaving competition with growing friendship over the years. These ties resurfaced at the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals, though they skipped a matchup there—Tien reaching the championship match—before colliding in Wimbledon’s first round in July, with Tien prevailing in straight sets through steady baseline work.
Both return to Jeddah qualified, heightening Basavareddy’s quest for revenge in a style matchup of non-dominant serves leading to prolonged rallies. Their 2024 Challenger encounters, including a drawn-out final, showcased Tien’s counterpunching intelligence, redirecting pace and extending points to wear down opponents. Basavareddy plans adjustments like underspin slices to disrupt rhythms on the indoor hard, forcing Tien into uncomfortable transitions.
This dynamic, from childhood battles to pro stages, amplifies the stakes in Jeddah, where mental sharpness in long exchanges could shift trajectories. Basavareddy respects the balance, knowing Tien’s smarts make every ball a tactical decision. As the field assembles, these personal arcs promise rallies rich with strategy and history, setting the stage for breakthroughs that echo into the decade ahead.
“The first time I met Learner was when I was six,” Basavareddy told ATPTour.com. “We played at the Little Mo Regionals in San Diego, and I remember those matches being real battles. I also played Alex [Michelsen] when I was seven and he was already a year older than me. We crossed paths at junior tournaments all the time, and over the years, we’ve not only competed but become close friends.”
“I think our games match up pretty well,” Basavareddy said ahead of their Wimbledon clash. “We are both not the biggest servers, but we have a lot of baseline rallies. The [two Challenger] matches [we played in 2024] were quite long, especially the first one in a final. He’s a counterpuncher, he makes a lot of balls, and he’s really smart out there, so he makes it tough on you.”
This is the sixth feature of our Next Gen ATP series Next in Line. Read our other stories here: Wimbledon dreams, Nishikori’s run & Vinci’s courtside lessons: Next Gen stars share memories, Next Steps: How Tien, Basavareddy & Engel are making the leap, Fuel for the future: Inside the mindset of the best youngsters, The voices driving Landaluce & Cina to the top.
