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.
[ATP APP]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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