The stars competing at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF may have had a fun time taking in a spot of jet skiing at Silver Sands Beach in Jeddah on Monday afternoon, but that hasn’t stopped them from getting straight down to business and eyeing their group-stage opponents.
Behind the smiles and wisecracks, the message is clear: Friendships pause the moment the first ball is struck.
Debutant Nicolai Budkov Kjaer arrives in Jeddah having claimed a Tour-leading four ATP Challenger Tour titles in 2025, yet his opening match on Wednesday brings a familiar obstacle: Martin Landaluce, who has beaten the Norwegian in all three of their meetings this season. Add to that the lingering memory of last year’s US Open boys’ final — where Budkov Kjaer fell to Rafael Jodar, who is also in the Blue Group.
“Especially Martin and Rafa here,” 19-year-old Budkov Kjaer said of his biggest rivals in Jeddah. “We’re the same age and they’ve always had the edge and I’ve never had the chance to beat them. It’s always been tight, but they have had the edge…
“Maybe because the Spanish develop faster than us up in the north [of Europe]. They were some of my rivals when I was young, so it’s fun to see them here.”
<img alt=”Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/15/19/58/jeddah-2025-media-day-selfie.jpg” />Media Day at Silver Sands Beach in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.
Landaluce, for his part, sees opportunity rather than comfort in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series. With pre-season changes made and the Next Gen ATP Finals spotlight shining brighter, the Spaniard knows past results offer no guarantees.
“I’ve beaten him three times this year, but I think in our match he will change some things,” Landaluce said. “After the pre-season, he has changed many things, so we’ll see what happens.”
Landaluce’s task doesn’t stop there. He is chasing top seed and last year’s finalist Learner Tien, who is the final member of the Blue Group.
“Learner is the first one [on my mind], but everyone is a good player,” Landaluce said with a smile. “I’ve played with some of them and they were very tough matches. So hopefully I’ll play many matches here and see which one is the toughest.”
In the Red Group, history also runs deep. Alexander Blockx and Dino Prizmic have been crossing paths since they were 11, a rivalry forged in juniors and sharpened by Grand Slam glory in 2023 — Blockx lifting the Australian Open boys’ trophy, Prizmic following with the title at Roland Garros.
Now, they make their Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF debuts together in Jeddah.
“I would say my biggest rival is Dino,” Blockx said. “We’ve played each other six times, and I think he’s won four. Every year we’ve been close to each other. He has been injured a lot in the past couple of years, but even with those injuries, he’s playing at an unbelievable level.
“I would say he’s one of the most consistent guys on the Tour, so I think I would see him as my biggest rival.”
<img alt=”Alexander Blockx, Nishesh Basavareddy” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/15/19/46/blockx-basavareddy-jeddah-2025-media-day.jpg” />Alexander Blockx will make his Jeddah debut while Nishesh Basavareddy returns. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.
Prizmic responds with respect — and realism. In a field this deep, he believes every match carries equal danger, even if Blockx’s words linger.
“I think every player is my biggest rival here,” said Prizmic, who won two ATP Challenger Tour titles in 2025. “But if Alex said me, maybe I will say [him] because we are in the same group. He has very good movement on the court, a very good forehand and very good serve. He’s also so close to the baseline and it’s very hard to play against him.”
With shorter sets to four games, no-Ad scoring and slim margins for error, the innovative Next Gen ATP Finals format could punish slow starts. Tien, one of only two returning players in the field, knows this all too well.
“No one really has that much experience playing this format, so it can be a toss up,” Tien said. “I think it makes it a little bit more exciting because slow starts can kind of take you out of matches pretty quick, so I think it’s exciting. I think it’s fun to watch and it’s fun to play and I’m looking forward to it.”
<img alt=”Learner Tien” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/15/19/48/tien-jeddah-2025-media-day.jpg” />Learner Tien is the top seed and defending finalist. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.
While some arrive with specific names circled, Jodar takes a broader view. With eight players capable of winning on any given day, the 19-year-old’s focus is less on rivals and more on readiness.
“I don’t have any big rivals… I just know that we are eight good players, and we all have a very high level, so it will be a fun tournament to follow,” said Jodar, who rose over 700 spots in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2025. “I wish all the players the best luck because it’s a great tournament against those top guys.
“At the end of the day, everyone is good, so you have to step on the court and try to do the things that you know — that’s what I’m trying to do.”
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