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Tien faces unbeaten Blockx in Next Gen ATP Finals redemption bid

Who will be crowned tennis’ newest rising star at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in Jeddah?

Top seeds Learner Tien and Alexander Blockx will square off in Sunday’s title match, scheduled for not before 8 p.m. AST (6 p.m. CET), after both players made compelling statements throughout the week. Armed with heavy groundstrokes from both wings, 6’4” debutant Blockx stormed into the final with a flawless 4-0 record, while Tien is finding his rhythm after a shaky start as he looks to make amends for his championship-match defeat to Joao Fonseca in 2024.

There is also a subtle but meaningful subplot to the final. Blockx defeated Tien in the 2023 Australian Open boys’ final, edging a dramatic third-set tie-break 11-9. It was a gripping encounter — perhaps a glimpse of what awaits in Jeddah — and one that remains etched in the American’s memory.

“The only thing I remember is that it was the most heartbreaking loss of my life up to that point,” Tien said with a laugh. “We’ve obviously both improved a lot since then. I’ll have to rest up and form a new game plan. Hopefully I can come out well tomorrow. I think it will be a really tough match.”

While the pair crossed paths in juniors, Sunday’s clash marks their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. It also represents the first final between the tournament’s top two seeds since 2021, when Carlos Alcaraz defeated Sebastian Korda in Milan.

Tien, the World No. 28, won his first ATP Tour title in Metz last month and has earned five wins over Top 10 players in 2025. The 20-year-old is also the only Top 100 player in the Jeddah field, but Blockx will be up for the fight.

“Against Learner, it would be a really epic one after Australia two years ago,” Blockx said before the outcome of Tien’s semi-final. “I like to play against lefties, but to be honest, I don’t care who I’m playing tomorrow, it’s going to be fun.”

Blockx and Tien meet again 🏆

2023 ➡️ Australian Open Juniors Final
2025 ➡️ Next Gen ATP Final#NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/kN085WXezq

— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) December 20, 2025

Tien has dropped his serve 10 times en route to the final, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Against the fearless-serving Blockx, who has been broken just five times this week, the American will need to tighten those numbers in Sunday’s decider.

Belgium’s Blockx, who has struck 107 winners across his four victories, has looked right at home in his debut appearance at the 20-and-under event. In contrast, Tien — one of only returners — has recovered from a slow start before finding some of his best tennis when it mattered most.

“I didn’t feel super settled in when I got here,” said Tien, who let slip four match points to Rafael Jodar in his opener. “It’s not like everyone’s super match fit, especially with the different format. It throws you off. I think it helped a little bit [reaching the final last year] but I wouldn’t say it’s made a huge difference.”

Off the court, Blockx has made the most of his time in Jeddah, using the event as an opportunity to build friendships with his fellow competitors — an aspect he values highly.

“It would definitely mean a lot,” Blockx said about the possibility of winning the title. “But what means the most is that I had so much fun this week. I’ve enjoyed every second of it. I also got closer to the guys, who are all very nice. Relationships off the court are very important. I feel like my week couldn’t have gone any better, so I am just happy with all the matches I’ve had.”

Having won two ATP Challenger Tour titles and risen to a career-high No. 101 in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2025, Blockx appears poised for a Top 100 breakthrough. Yet one more victory in Jeddah could reshape the course of his young career.

An undefeated title run could earn the 20-year-old $539,750, a sum exceeding his previous career prize money by more than $30,000. Standing in his way is Tien, who arrives with unfinished business of his own, determined to go one step further than last season and crown his 2025 breakthrough by lifting the trophy that slipped from his grasp in 2024.

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Tien returns to Next Gen ATP Finals title match, faces Blockx

Learner Tien returned to the title match at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF on Saturday in Jeddah, where he moved past friend Nishesh Basavareddy 4-2, 4-1, 4-3(3).

The American lost to Brazilian star Joao Fonseca in the final 12 months ago but will aim to go one step further on Sunday when he meets 20-year-old Belgian Alexander Blockx. Returning to Jeddah as the top seed this year, Tien is the second man in tournament history to reach multiple finals at the event, joining World No. 7 Alex de Minaur (2018-19).

“I won the first and had chances in the second before he just ran away with it,” Tien said of his final defeat to Fonseca last year. “I will try not to let that happen tomorrow… I know Alex has been playing great this week, so I’m really excited.”

World No. 28 Tien arrived at the 20-and-under tournament as the strong favourite after a standout year, highlighted by his first tour-level title at the 250 event in Metz. However, he suffered a stuttering start to his campaign when he lost to Rafael Jodar in five sets in his round-robin opener.

With the pressure on, the lefty responded with wins against Martin Landaluce and Nicolai Budkov Kjaer and was in control throughout the 75-minute semi-final encounter with Basavareddy, who received two medical timeouts for a deep cut on his finger.

In a controlled performance, Tien displayed the level that earned him five Top 10 wins in 2025, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. He recovered from dropping serve in the opening game of the first two sets, dictating the tempo with clean baseline ball-striking. The 20-year-old committed six fewer unforced errors than Basavareddy (19-25) and struck at the right moments to prevail. Tien will play Blockx on Sunday at 8pm local time.

The 20-year-old Basavareddy, who went 2-1 in the round-robin stage, was joined by coach Gilles Cervara at a tournament for the first time since the pair joined forces at the start of December. Basavareddy’s best result in 2025 came at the ATP 250 event in Auckland, where he reached the semi-finals.

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Big-time Blockx fires past 'best friend' Budkov Kjaer into Jeddah final

Alexander Blockx moved to within one win of a debut title at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, thanks to another big-time performance on Saturday evening.

As well as deploying the explosive game that has defined his run in Jeddah, the 20-year-old Belgian showcased supreme physicality to fend off close friend Nicolai Budkov Kjaer 4-3(4), 4-3(8), 4-2. Blockx, who attended the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in 2017 as a fan, now awaits top seed Learner Tien or Nishesh Basavareddy in Sunday’s final.

The first Belgian in history to play for the title 🇧🇪#NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/cy3UL1yReX

— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) December 20, 2025

“I think it may have been straight sets but it was my most difficult match this week by far,” Blockx said. “I think the level we both played was really high. The second set, again it is just here that the luck fell on my side a bit. We had some very long rallies and I am very happy I could share this moment with him.

“We have been speaking about the Next Gen for a long time. In September we were talking: ‘Imagine if we made it to Jeddah and played each other there’, so it is amazing to have been able to share this match with him. He is one of my best friends on Tour so it was a really nice Saturday for me.”

In a first Lexus ATP Head2Head contest between the two big hitters, Blockx was dragged into a physical battle after winning the opening set. Budkov Kjaer extended the rallies and displayed shot tolerance of his own to signal there was still life left in the 19-year-old Norwegian.

The power of Blockx, however, proved too much. A blistering forehand pass on the run in the final game was one of 27 winners the Belgian hit during the semi-final, adding to the 76 he fired en route to a 3-0 sweep of the Red Group.

“It sounds exciting,” Blockx said on Sunday’s final. “I am going to prepare the best I can. I think physically I am feeling good, even though these are tough matches and you have shorter time between the points. The rallies go longer and with the no Ads you don’t have too much time to think, so I think the most important time here is to stay calm in the head and that is what I am doing.”

In 2025, Blockx captured two ATP Challenger Tour titles and claimed his first tour-level win in Cincinnati to earn his place at the 20-and-under event. The 2023 Australian Open boys’ champion also reached a career-high No. 101 in the PIF ATP Rankings and will be sure to target a Top 100 debut in 2026.

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Tien & Blockx reveal how the Next Gen ATP Finals format is testing their campaigns

There is no easing your way into a match at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.

Sets fly to four, points come thick and fast, and before players can even towel off, momentum has already shifted. It’s tennis stripped of its safety nets, and as we have seen so far, this format rewards sharp starts, brave decisions and an unwavering focus from first ball to last.

Top seed Learner Tien, who let slip four match points in a bitter opening defeat to Rafael Jodar, has felt just how quickly control can slip away.

“I’m not sure if it’s the format and it might just be me, but I feel like this week I’ve been struggling to focus in some of these matches,” Tien told ATPTour.com after notching his first win over Martin Landaluce. “My mind just kind of goes in and out, especially when I get up in the score, and with this format, momentum can change really quick.

“I get up and then I take a few points off and suddenly we’re in a no-Ad point and momentum just shifts so quickly that suddenly you can lose a set off of one game.”

<img alt=”Learner Tien, Nicolai Budkov Kjaer” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/20/13/20/in-arena-stats-jeddah-2025.jpg?w=100%25″ />_{^{Live in-arena statistics are available to players, coaches and fans. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour}}

That razor-thin margin is magnified by sudden-death Deuce. For Belgium’s Alexander Blockx, those moments have been opportunities rather than obstacles. The 20-year-old has thrived when matches tighten, a big reason why he completed a perfect 3-0 sweep of his group.

“Knowing a loss of serve could be costly for a set or having more break opportunities with the sudden-death Deuce comes into my head, but this week I feel I have played those big points well,” said Blockx, who saved 86 per cent (19/22) of break points across the group stage, according to Infosys ATP Stats. “I focus more when it’s a deciding point.

“I don’t think too much about the pressure of those points, I just play full out and I think how I have handled the big moments has been important to why I made a good start here and qualified for the semi-finals.”

<img alt=”Alexander Blockx” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/12/20/13/17/blockx-forehand-format-feature-jeddah-2025.jpg” />_{^{Alexander Blockx won all three of his group-stage matches. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour}}

By crushing 76 winners across his first three group matches, Blockx offers a perfect example of how to expertly utilise aggression in this fast-paced format. That attacking mindset is reinforced in real time, with in-arena analytics giving players, coaches and fans insights into who is dictating points, how shots are performing across every stroke, and which player is winning the battle when on the front foot — or scrambling in defence.

Read the rules and innovations here

Fast starts have been another recurring theme throughout the week. With sets to four, falling behind early can be costly. Croatia’s Dino Prizmic experienced that the hard way in his opening defeat to Nishesh Basavareddy, but struck back with a sharp opening against Justin Engel.

“For the first set, it is very important to have a fast start but matches are long, needing to win three sets,” Prizmic said after his four-set win over Engel. “A fast start is important and you have to adapt quickly, but if you can make a fast start you can take a lot of control quickly.”

The physical rhythm of the match is also altered by the lack of a changeover after the first game of a set For Prizmic, there is no room to hide and settle in easily. Instead, you have to be locked in and ready for battle from the get-go.

“For me it is better not to change every first game. Sometimes I sit down in matches after one game and I am a little bit cold, and then I need to find some rhythm and get warm again,” explained the 20-year-old. “Here it’s good because we can play three games in a row to start and you get warm straight away.”

Layered on top of the on-court intensity is a round-robin format that offers both pressure and opportunity. Every match matters, but one loss doesn’t spell the end, a dynamic that mirrors the challenge of life on Tour.

Tien, for example, rebounded from his opening heartbreak to top his group, while Jodar was eliminated despite also finishing with a positive 2-1 record.

“It is a very tough but good experience,” Prizmic said of the format. “Every win is very important and you have to stay balanced after a group defeat as you can come back. Everyone is also inside the Top 200, so you are straight into it.”

That, ultimately, is the magic of the Next Gen ATP Finals. It rewards boldness, punishes hesitation and accelerates development. A high-octane proving ground where the future of men’s tennis learns to live on the edge.

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Friends Turn Foes: Tien meets Basavareddy, Blockx faces Budkov Kjaer in Jeddah SFs

Friends collide on Saturday as American Learner Tien faces countryman Nishesh Basavareddy and Alexander Blockx meets Nicolai Budkov Kjaer for a place in the championship match at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.

Close friends Blockx and Budkov Kjaer square off in the first semi-final at 7 p.m local time, followed by the all-American battle between last year’s finalist Tien and sixth seed Basavareddy, not before 9 p.m.

It is a memorable stage for players who grew up crossing paths on the junior circuit, and are now reunited in Jeddah, standing across the net from each other and within one win of a final berth at the 20-and-under event.

[1] Learner Tien (USA) vs [6] Nishesh Basavareddy (USA) [not before 9 p.m.]
The only players in this year’s field who are making their second consecutive appearance, Tien and Basavareddy bring added experience to the semi-finals. The lefty Tien cracked the Top 30 of the PIF ATP Rankings in November following his maiden tour-level triumph in Metz.

The 20-year-old has built his winning streak to eight consecutive matches and will put that to the test against Basavareddy, who he defeated 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-2 at this year’s Wimbledon, their lone Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

“We’ve played a decent bit since we were very young,” Tien said of Basavareddy. “We grew up pretty close to each other, both from the States, so we’d see each other at a lot of Challengers. It’s been cool for him to make his way up as I’ve been making my way up. It’s great to see a familiar face at these tournaments, so I think It’ll be cool to share the court with him.”

The clash between Tien and Basavareddy promises to be a tug of war in court coverage and a life-size chess match from the baseline. Both players have relatively new voices in their corner. Basavareddy this month announced his new partnership with Gilles Cervara, a renowned coach who most recently worked with Daniil Medvedev. Former World No. 2 Michael Chang coaches Tien, after officially joining the lefty’s team in August.

[2] Alexander Blockx (BEL) vs [5] Nicolai Budkov Kjaer (NOR) [starts at 7 p.m.]
Both players possess the ability to rip the felt off the ball from the first strike, each averaging 11 aces per match this week, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Control of the baseline will be paramount as Blockx and Budkov Kjaer fight to dictate rallies in their maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash. In the first-to-4 format, there is no margin for error.

“I think I have a big serve,” Budkov Kjaer said before the tournament. “That is the key thing for me if I want to beat the best guys, I have to have that in the toolbox.”

Blockx and Budkov Kjaer are close friends who both claimed junior Slam titles before transitioning to professional tennis. Blockx won the 2023 Australian Open boys’ singles event — defeating Tien in the final — while Budkov Kjaer captured the 2024 Wimbledon junior crown.

The second seed Blockx is into the semi-finals after posting a perfect 3-0 record in round-robin action. Budkov Kjaer began the week 2-0 before suffering a four-set loss to Tien on Thursday. Budkov Kjaer’s head-to-head win against Rafael Jodar was enough for the 19-year-old to secure second place over the Spaniard, who also finished 2-1 in Blue Group. The Oslo native, one of six players to win a season-leading four ATP Challenger titles this season, is the second Norwegian (Casper Ruud) to compete at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.

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