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Challenger Tested: The road to Jeddah for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF field

Fans eager to stay ahead of the curve and identify the next wave of #NextGenATP talents should keep a close eye on ATP Challenger results. The eight players competing at this year’s Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF have all tasted ATP Challenger success to get where they are today.

ATPTour.com highlights each Jeddah competitor and the Challenger milestones they’ve achieved in their young careers.

Nicolai Budkov Kjaer
Of the six players who shared a season-leading four titles, the Norwegian was the youngest to achieve that feat. The 19-year-old won his maiden Challenger title in Glasgow in February and returned to the winner’s circle in July with back-to-back triumphs in Tampere and Astana, becoming the youngest Norwegian to claim multiple Challenger titles. The 2024 Wimbledon boys’ singles champion won the Mouilleron le Captif Challenger in October for his fourth triumph of the year.

After winning his first Challenger title in February, Budkov Kjaer said: “In a way, yes, [I am surprised] that it came. Because everybody at Challengers is so ridiculously good. But in a way, no, because I’ve always had the belief that I’m a good player. You always want to believe you have the level to beat the guys at the top and I always had the belief that I’m a very dangerous opponent.”

Justin Engel
The German became the youngest Challenger champion of 2025 with a memorable victory on home soil. Facing fellow 18-year-old Federico Cina in the Hamburg final, it marked the youngest Challenger championship match at that level since 2003, when Mario Ancic beat Rafael Nadal, coincidentally, also in Hamburg. At 18 years and 25 days, Engel became the fifth-youngest German winner in Challenger history and the first player born in 2007 to win a title at that level.

“Every title is a big one, especially my first Challenger,” Engel said after winning in Hamburg. “This win makes it even better and I’m really happy.”

Rafael Jodar
Nearly a year removed from his US Open junior triumph, where he edged Budkov Kjaer in a 10-point tie-break at 6-6 in the third set, the teenager captured his maiden ATP Challenger crown in Hersonissos, Greece in September. Jodar entered the week as World No. 540 in the PIF ATP Rankings and was in the main draw as an alternate, yet in just his ninth Challenger appearance, he went all the way. Jodar did not stop there.

Jodar won the Lincoln and Charlottesville Challengers across a three-week span in October, the latter taking place at the University of Virginia, where the 19-year-old is a sophomore. The Madrid native earned ITA All-American honours during his first season at the University of Virginia and qualified for the ATP Next Gen Accelerator, a programme that aims to increase the development pathway for top players in the American collegiate system to earn direct entry into select Challenger events.

Dino Prizmic
Prizmic is proudly waving the flag as Croatia’s next promising talent. Having started his tennis journey at Tenis Klub Split, the same club that produced Goran Ivanisevic and Mario Ancic, Prizmic is aiming to follow in their lofty footsteps. With his triumph at the Bratislava Challenger in June, Prizmic, then 19 years old, became the second Croatian — alongside Ancic — to win three Challenger titles as a teenager.

The #NextGenATP star finished the Challenger season with a 27-9 season record, highlighted by two title runs and three additional final appearances. “It’s a good feeling, but I think it’s something that in the beginning it’s what I have to pass to be a good player,” Prizmic said in July. “It’s a good start to try and become a top player and also to try to play against very good players.”

Martin Landaluce
The Spaniard made a late-season surge to boost his Jeddah chances. Landaluce won the Orleans Challenger in September, claiming 125 PIF ATP Ranking points and later building on that with a semi-final run in Olbia, where last year he won the title.

When Landaluce won Olbia last season, he became the fifth Spaniard since 2000 to win a Challenger title at age 18 or younger. Jodar has since added his name to that list. The first four players all ascended to the Top 10 of the PIF ATP Rankings: Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Tommy Robredo and Nicolas Almagro.

A champ and his trophy 🏆 #ATPChallenger | @RFETenis pic.twitter.com/D5WSmhZ1sf

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) September 28, 2025

Alexander Blockx
The Belgian bookended his ATP Challenger season with titles, winning his first event of the year (Oeiras) and triumphing again in his final Challenger outing (Bratislava). The same week that Jodar won in Charlottesville, Blockx won the Slovak Open. Now, the 20-year-old will look to close out the year by building on that triumph and claim his biggest career title in Jeddah, where he is seeded second.

When Blockx won the hard-court Oeiras Challenger, he became the youngest Belgian to earn multiple trophies at that level.

Nishesh Basavareddy
Back in Jeddah for a second consecutive year, Basavareddy competed in just seven Challenger tournaments this year, including three quarter-final appearances. He had more than paid his Challenger dues in the 2024 season, during which he reached six finals (two titles) and posted a 41-13 match record.

The American transitioned to the ATP Tour and scored his best result at the ATP 250 in Auckland, where he reached the semi-finals.

Learner Tien
When Tien competed in Jeddah last year, he was No. 122 in the PIF ATP Rankings, a stark contrast from where he is today as World No. 28. Now seeking to go one step further than last year’s runner-up finish to Joao Fonseca, the lefty mostly competed on the ATP Tour this season, with just one Challenger appearance.

But Tien’s success on the ATP Challenger circuit served as a springboard for him to compete on the sport’s biggest stages. Last season, Tien boasted a 35-9 Challenger-match record, including three title runs.

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Tien, Fonseca among talents who rose from Challengers to Slam breakthroughs in 2025

One exciting part of every season is discovering which emerging talents step into the spotlight on the sport’s biggest stages. ATP Challenger events have long been a launching pad for such emerging talents before they rise to stardom, and in 2025, several competitors translated their Challenger success into breakthroughs at the season’s four majors. ATPTour.com highlights five players who embodied that rise.

Learner Tien
After a standout Challenger campaign in 2024, when the American posted a 35-9 record at that level with three titles, Tien quickly transitioned to the highest level of pro tennis. He made a splash at the Australian Open where as a qualifier ranked No. 121 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Tien reached the fourth round. One of his Melbourne highlights came in the second-round when he stunned three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev in a five-set thriller.

Tien, then 19 years old, became the youngest player to reach the fourth round in Melbourne since Rafael Nadal in 2005. He also became the second-youngest American man to advance to the last 16 at the season’s first major, behind Pete Sampras, who reached the same stage aged 18.

“This exceeded my expectations from what I was hoping for coming into this week,” Tien said in Melbourne. “You go into every match believing you can win but being in the second week is amazing.

Joao Fonseca
Fonseca has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the Top 25 of the PIF ATP Rankings. His first tournament of the 2025 season was the Canberra Challenger, an event that he dominated by not dropping a set en route to the title. He became the second player, alongside Jannik Sinner, to win his ensuing event following a triumph at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.

The Brazilian, who also won the Challenger 175 event in Phoenix in March, reached at least the second round of all four majors this year. His best Slam run was a third-round appearance at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. In Melbourne, Fonseca shocked ninth seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets, which marked the teenager’s first major main-draw win. After beginning this past season at No. 145 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Fonseca enters 2026 as World No. 24.

August Holmgren
It was a July to remember for the Dane, whose Grand Slam breakthrough intriguingly came before his ATP Challenger success this season. In the first half of the year, Holmgren tallied a 3-10 Challenger-match record, but he flipped his season on its head with a Cinderella-esque third-round run at Wimbledon.

Holmgren, then No. 192 in the PIF ATP Rankings, saved three match points in his third-round qualifying clash against Yosuke Watanuki and again saved three match points en route to upsetting 21st seed Tomas Machac in the second round of main draw. Two weeks after Wimbledon, Holmgren lifted the trophy at the hard-court Granby Challenger.

“The key was to keep my momentum from Wimbledon going,” Holmgren said. “I had a very strong concept of who I wanted to be as a tennis player and the challenge was to continue with that on another surface.”

<img alt=”August Holmgren” style=”width:100%” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/07/03/18/38/holmgren-wimbledon-2025-thursday.jpg” />
^{August Holmgren celebrates his upset victory over Tomas Machac at Wimbledon. Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images}

Coleman Wong
The 21-year-old made history at the US Open, where he became the first ever player from Hong Kong to win a major main-draw match. Then World No. 173 and a qualifier in New York, Wong lived out a dream by reaching the third round. Wong, who is still seeking his first Challenger crown, forced 15th seed Andrey Rublev into a deciding set before bowing out of his first major main-draw appearance, one that he will forever remember.

“It’s a big moment for me, and also for my family and for Hong Kong people,” Wong said in a feature published on usopen.org and ATPTour.com.

Jacob Fearnley
The Briton made the third round at both the Australian Open and Roland Garros — hardly a surprise for those who followed Fearnley’s ATP Challenger results in 2024. Last season, Fearnley held a 27-3 season record on the Challenger circuit, including four titles. He became just the third player to finish a season with a win percentage of 90 per cent or greater (min. 25 matches played).

Fearnley ousted some big names en route to his third-round runs in Melbourne and Paris. In Australia, Fearnley downed home favourite Nick Kyrgios in the opening round — the same round in which the Briton defeated 2015 Roland Garros champion Stan Wawrinka in Paris. Then, Fearnley spoiled the French hopes of Ugo Humbert in the second round of the clay-court major.

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Tien returns, Jodar debuts as Day 1 in Jeddah begins

It is time to see which young star solidifies their place among the elite list of champions at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, where Day 1 of round-robin action begins Wednesday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

All eight competitors will play on opening day, including last year’s finalist Learner Tien, who faces Spaniard Rafael Jodar in an evening showdown. Tien headlines Blue Group while the top seed in Red Group Alexander Blockx begins his campaign against 18-year-old German Justin Engel.

[1] Learner Tien (USA) vs [7] Rafael Jodar (ESP) [not before 7 p.m.]
Tien competed last year in Jeddah as No. 122 in the PIF ATP Rankings, and after a breakthrough season, the 20-year-old arrives for his return trip as a Top 30 player. In his final ATP Tour event of the 2025 season, Tien was crowned champion in Metz, his first tour-level trophy.

The intrigue lies in the clash of styles between the lefty Tien and Jodar. While the American’s game is built on crafty court coverage and brickwall consistency, Jodar, the 19-year-old debutant, will look to take the initiative and dictate from the baseline.

Last season, Jodar was a sparring partner at this very event and now he is one of the eight competitors at the 20-and-under event. Jodar enjoyed a standout ATP Challenger season, during which he became the third Spanish teenager to win at least three titles at that level, joining World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and former No. 9 Nicolas Almagro. The Madrid native triumphed in Hersonissos, Lincoln and Charlottesville at the University of Virginia, where he is a sophomore.

<img alt=”Learner Tien at the Silver Sands Beach ahead of the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/16/15/30/next-gen-atp-finals-2025-media-day-tien.jpg?w=100%25″ />
^{Learner Tien at the Silver Sands Beach ahead of the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals. Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour}

[4] Martin Landaluce (ESP) vs [5] Nicolai Budkov Kjaer (NOR) [Following Tien-Jodar]
For the first time in the eight-year history of the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, there are two Spaniards in the field. Alongside Jodar in Blue Group is his close friend Landaluce, both of whom grew up training at Club de Tenis Chamartin in Madrid.

Landaluce and Budkov Kjaer met three times on the ATP Challenger circuit this year, with the Spaniard victorious on each occasion. Budkov Kjaer, 19, was one of six players to win four ATP Challenger titles this season.

[3] Dino Prizmic (CRO) vs [6] Nishesh Basavareddy (USA) [2 p.m.]
Prizmic and Basavareddy will kickstart this year’s edition with their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. Basavareddy, who recently welcomed coach Gilles Cervara to his team, is competing in Jeddah for the second consecutive year.

Among Prizmic’s season highlights was a second tour-level quarter-final appearance on home soil in Umag, where he also reached the last eight in 2023. The Croatian won two ATP Challenger titles this year and reached three additional finals.

<img alt=”Dino Prizmic ahead of the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/16/16/06/prizmic-next-gen-atp-finals-2025-media-day.jpg” />
^{Dino Prizmic in Jeddah. Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour}

[2] Alexander Blockx (BEL) vs [8] Justin Engel (GER) [not before 3 p.m.]
The 18-year-old Engel is the youngest competitor in the field, which historically has been a promising sign. Jannik Sinner (2019), Carlos Alcaraz (2021), and Joao Fonseca (2024) all lifted the trophy as the youngest participants in their respective draws.

Engel was the youngest ATP Challenger champion of 2025 with his triumph in Hamburg. He also reached the Stuttgart ATP 250 quarter-finals as a wild card, then ranked No. 281 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Blockx, who won two ATP Challenger titles this year, secured his maiden tour-level match win at the ATP Masters 1000 in Cincinnati. He then added to that count in Metz, where he was competing in the main draw via the Next Gen Accelerator pathway.

ORDER OF PLAY – WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2025
CENTRE COURT start 2:00 pm
[3] Dino Prizmic (CRO) vs [6] Nishesh Basavareddy (USA)

Not Before 3:00 pm
[2] Alexander Blockx (BEL) vs [8] Justin Engel (GER)

Not Before 7:00 pm
[1] Learner Tien (USA) vs [7] Rafael Jodar (ESP)
[4] Martin Landaluce (ESP) vs [5] Nicolai Budkov Kjaer (NOR)

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View photos from Jeddah media day

The eight players in Jeddah for the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF are enjoying off-court festivities ahead of the tournament. Among the media day events, they posed for the official group photo and enjoyed water activities, including jet skiing.

Justin Engel, Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, Dino Prizmic, Martin Landaluce, Learner Tien, Alexander Blockx, Rafael Jodar and Nishesh Basavareddy comprise the 20-and-under field. Group play begins Wednesday, with the final on Sunday.

View photos from the off-court activities in Jeddah. All photo credits belong to Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.

<img alt=”Learner Tien at the Silver Sands Beach ahead of the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/16/15/30/next-gen-atp-finals-2025-media-day-tien.jpg?w=100%25″ />
^{Learner Tien.}

<img alt=”Nishesh Basavareddy ahead of the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/16/15/50/basavareddy-next-gen-atp-finals-2025-media-day.jpg” />
^{Nishesh Basavareddy.}

<img alt=”Alexander Blockx ahead of the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/16/16/02/blockx-next-gen-atp-finals-2025-media-day.jpg” />
^{Alexander Blockx.}

<img alt=”Dino Prizmic ahead of the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/16/16/06/prizmic-next-gen-atp-finals-2025-media-day.jpg” />
^{Dino Prizmic.}

<img alt=”Justin Engel ahead of the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/16/16/09/engel-next-gen-atp-finals-2025-media-day.jpg” />
^{Justin Engel.}

<img alt=”Martin Landaluce ahead of the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/16/16/13/landaluce-next-gen-atp-finals-2025-media-day.jpg” />^{Martin Landaluce.}

<img alt=”Rafael Jodar ahead of the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/16/16/17/jodar-next-gen-atp-finals-2025-media-day.jpg” />^{Rafael Jodar.}

<img alt=”Nicolai Budkov Kjaer ahead of the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/16/16/28/budkov-kjaer-next-gen-atp-finals-2025-media-day.jpg” />^{Nicolai Budkov Kjaer.}

<img alt=”Justin Engel enjoys jet ski ahead of the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in Jeddah.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/16/16/34/engel-next-gen-atp-finals-2025-media-day-2.jpg” />^{Justin Engel.}

<img alt=”Nicolai Budkov Kjaer.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/16/16/40/budkov-kjaer-next-gen-atp-finals-2025-media-day-3.jpg” />^{Nicolai Budkov Kjaer.}

<img alt=”Justin Engel in Jeddah ahead of the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/16/16/45/engel-jeddah-2025-media-day.jpg” />^{Justin Engel.}

<img alt=”Nishesh Basavareddy on a jet ski ahead of the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. ” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/16/16/53/basavareddy-jeddah-2025-media-day.jpg” />^{Nishesh Basavareddy.}

<img alt=”Dino Prizmic in Jeddah ahead of the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/16/16/59/prizmic-jeddah-2025-media-day.jpg” />^{Dino Prizmic.}

<img alt=”Martin Landaluce in Jeddah ahead of the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/16/17/02/landaluce-jeddah-2025-media-day.jpg” />^{Martin Landaluce.}

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Alcaraz's daring comeback vs. Fils in Monte-Carlo voted ATP Tour's Match of the Year

A furious blur of shotmaking and nerve, Carlos Alcaraz’s quarter-final victory over Arthur Fils at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters has been voted by fans as the ATP Tour’s Match of the Year for 2025.

The two young stars produced a blistering spectacle in their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting, one that felt like the birth of a long-term rivalry. Fils unloaded explosive, heavy groundstrokes from the baseline to grab the opening set before Alcaraz mounted the kind of miraculous escape that would become a theme of his title run, prevailing 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 after two hours, 23 minutes.

In the fan vote, the Alcaraz-Fils thriller fended off strong competition, including Jannik Sinner’s marquee championship-match triumph in Vienna over Alexander Zverev and a gruelling, three-hour Athens final between Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Musetti.

It was, however, Alcaraz’s mix of quality, courage and chaos in Monte-Carlo that made his triumph the match that supporters deemed the year’s unforgettable standout.

Watch Alcaraz vs. Fils Highlights:

Saving three break points at 5-5, 0/40 in the second set and later overturning a 1-3 deficit in the third, Alcaraz repeatedly absorbed Fils’ pace and power before counterpunching with trademark flair. The Spaniard’s nerve under pressure not only cracked Fils’ resistance but also marked one of three victories from a set down on his way to a maiden triumph in the Principality.

“I think his level is high right now and he puts a lot of pressure on his opponents,” Alcaraz said of Fils. “Today I could feel it but in some moments he just made a few mistakes. I tried to make the most of those points and wait for my chances.”

It marked one of eight tour-level trophies across the season for Alcaraz, who also clinched Roland Garros and US Open crowns en route to reclaiming ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours for the first time since 2022. The Spaniard also produced a clay-court thriller in the Roland Garros final, delivering an epic comeback to stun rival Sinner for the crown. That match topped the list of Best Grand Slam matches from 2025. 

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Federer returns to Australian Open, to play exhibition during Opening Ceremony

Roger Federer will return to the Australian Open in January, taking the court in an exhibition match featuring three other ATP No. 1 Club members: Andre Agassi, Patrick Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt.

The season’s first major will launch a new tradition of having an Opening Ceremony the night before main-draw action begins. The Opening Ceremony will take place on Saturday, January 17 at Rod Laver Arena.

“It feels like a lifetime ago that I coined the phrase the ‘Happy Slam’ for the Australian Open, and it still makes me smile when I think about all the moments I’ve had here,” said Federer, a six-time Australian Open champion, in a press release.

“I’ve experienced so many emotions on Rod Laver Arena… The joy of lifting ‘Norman’ [the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup] six times, the honour of playing in front of Rod Laver himself, the challenge of competing against my biggest rivals, and always the overwhelming love and support of the Australian fans.

“Coming back to win the AO in 2017 is one of my most treasured Grand Slam memories and backing it up to win in 2018 was another dream come true in Melbourne. I can’t wait to come down under again to the AO and create more fantastic moments with all the Aussie fans.”

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Tournament director Craig Tiley added: “I’m thrilled we’re introducing this very special AO Opening Ceremony. While the AO has a reputation for innovation and is renowned for pushing the boundaries, we are also the custodians of a proud 120-year history filled with some of the sport’s greatest champions.

“This inaugural Opening Ceremony will mark the start of a new tennis season in spectacular fashion. I can’t wait to see Roger back on Rod Laver Arena, along with other greats of the game, Andre, Pat and Lleyton. And I know fans across Australia will be just as excited to share this moment with him.”

The 2026 Australian Open runs from 18 January-1 February. Italian Jannik Sinner is the two-time defending champion while Carlos Alcaraz, World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, will be seeking his maiden Melbourne title in pursuit of completing the Career Grand Slam.

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Can young gun Engel come of age in Jeddah?

Being the youngest player in the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF field has historically been a promising sign. Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Joao Fonseca all lifted the trophy as the youngest participants in their respective draws at the event in 2019, 2021 and 2024, and this week, Justin Engel will aim to follow in their footsteps.

The 18-year-old German is the youngest competitor in the eight-man draw, having secured his spot in the tournament after a successful season that included an ATP Challenger Tour title in Hamburg. So, does being the youngest alleviate any pressure? Not for Engel, who, with refreshing confidence, told ATPTour.com on Silver Sands Beach in Jeddah that he doesn’t feel pressure.

“I never have pressure,” Engel said during Monday’s media day. “Of course, I get a little nervous before matches, but that’s normal. If you’re not nervous, you’re not taking your sport seriously. But pressure? No, I don’t feel that.”

Twelve months ago, Fonseca, then 18, was both the lowest-ranked and youngest player in the draw. Yet he powered through his opponents to leave Jeddah with the title, setting the stage for his rapid rise. The Brazilian built on that breakthrough triumph by winning two ATP Tour titles in 2025 and climbing to a career-high No. 24 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Engel is aware of potential comparisons if he were to go deep in Jeddah, especially since he recently became the second-youngest player after Rafael Nadal to win a tour-level match on all three surfaces. However, he remains firmly focused on his own path.

“I don’t really look at what they have done. They won this tournament, but I don’t really think much about it,” Engel said. “I just try to play my best tennis and go on court and have fun, that’s the focus.”

Engel’s love for tennis began at the age of three in Nuremberg, where he grew up idolising Nadal. In 2024, he secured his maiden tour-level win in Almaty, marking a significant milestone in his career. The No. 187 player in the PIF ATP Rankings built on this success with a victory on clay in Hamburg and an impressive quarter-final run at the ATP 250 grass-court event in Stuttgart, showcasing his versatility across surfaces.

“The fans really made a difference for me in Germany, especially in Stuttgart and Hamburg,” Engel said. “Playing in front of them was incredible. Hamburg was my favourite tournament because it’s an ATP 500, and winning against one of my friends, Jan-Lennard Struff, made it even more special. That period was a real boost for me.”

In Saudi Arabia, Engel will hope to bring his best when he meets Alexander Blockx, Dino Prizmic, and Nishesh Basavareddy in the round-robin stage, starting on Wednesday against Blockx.

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Best in class go back to school in Jeddah

It was back to school – albeit briefly – for players in Jeddah Tuesday.

One day ahead of the start of the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, the eight competitors gathered for a briefing detailing the innovations, rule changes, history and purpose of the tournament, which annually showcases the sport’s best 20-and-under players.

“It’s nice to be here and to know every rule and also all the things that the staff and everyone behind this big tournament have done for us over the whole year,” said Spain’s Martin Landaluce, who will make his Jeddah debut after serving as last year’s alternate. “It’s nice to be here and to meet the people who are working to make our life better.”

The innovative tournament, first staged in Milan in 2017, features five sets of first-to-four games, reduced time between points, expanded free fan movement, video review and a reduced three-minute warm-up.

A shot clock will keep matches flowing, with no more than eight seconds allowed between first and second serves and a limit of 15 seconds between points that end in fewer than three shots.

“I like the rules,” Landaluce said. “I like to play to four games; it makes the game dynamic and makes players try to start better and be more energetic.”

Players and coaches will have comprehensive data insights available to fine-tune tactics. Live access to ATP Tennis IQ Powered by PIF data that tracks player performance will be available on tablets provided in courtside team boxes, allowing coaches to communicate takeaways to players during matches as part of the normal on-court coaching protocol.

Players and coaches will receive video footage tagged with match data post-match. A dedicated tennis analyst is on site for individual education sessions with teams.

More in-arena match statistics and data analytics will be available to fans.

“Sport is increasingly data driven, so providing these stats and analytics to players, teams and fans represents the future direction of the game,” said Tournament Director Adam Hogg.

The eight players compete in two groups Wednesday through Friday, with the semi-finals on Saturday and final Sunday.

Top seed and last year’s finalist Learner Tien leads Blue Group, which features both Spanish players in the eight-man field – Landaluce and Rafael Jodar – plus Norway’s Nicolai Budkov Kjaer.

Belgian Alexander Blockx heads Red Group, which also features Croatian Dino Prizmic, returning American Nishesh Basavareddy and 18-year-old German Justin Engel, the youngest player in the field.

See Day 1 schedule

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ATP & Rolex renew global partnership, strengthening an iconic shared tennis legacy

The ATP has today announced the renewal of its long-standing partnership with Rolex. The Swiss watchmaker continues as the Official Timekeeper and Gold Partner of the ATP.

Rolex’s relationship with tennis dates back to 1978, and the brand has since gone on to support many of the most prestigious events on the ATP Tour. Through the renewal, Rolex will remain the Official Timekeeper of the ATP Tour, an Official Partner of the Nitto ATP Finals, the ATP’s flagship season finale, and the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF for the world’s top 20-and-under players, reinforcing its commitment to young talent and the future of the game.

Rolex will maintain year-round brand visibility across the ATP’s social and digital platforms, with content providing match start times and game durations, reaching a global fanbase of over one billion.

Daniele Sano, ATP Chief Business Officer, said: “It’s difficult to understate the commitment Rolex has shown towards our sport and the ATP Tour. For almost 50 years, it has championed the qualities that define tennis – elegance, prestige, and precision. As a valued partner of the ATP since 2005, we’re proud to reinforce such an iconic legacy.”

Arnaud Boetsch, Rolex Director of Communication and Image, said: “Rolex is proud to reaffirm its long-standing commitment to tennis. While celebrating the dedication and remarkable performances at the highest levels of the game, Rolex supports the leading tournaments, governing bodies and players, as they continue to shape the future of the sport.”

Rolex is also an Official Partner of all ATP Masters 1000 events, as well as the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, The Championships, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Beyond tennis, the brand holds a significant presence across global sport, including golf, motorsport, yachting and equestrianism.

Rolex counts several leading ATP athletes among its family of Testimonees, including current World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and World No. 2 Jannik Sinner, alongside Ben Shelton, João Fonseca and tennis legends Roger Federer and Björn Borg.

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ATP announces new rules over playing in extreme heat

The ATP introduces a new extreme heat rule from 2026 which will allow players on the men’s tour to take a 10-minute cooling break during best-of-three sets singles matches.

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