Alexander Blockx and Rafael Jodar have taken part in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah after winning ATP Challenger Tour titles in Bratislava and Charlottesville respectively.
Blockx defeated former world number 21 Jan-Lennard Struff in his opener and then defeated Titouan Droguet in the final to capture his second Challenger Tour crown of the season. The 20-year-old Belgian is fourth in the Live Race To Jeddah and will make his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in December. Earlier this year, he won a main draw match at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati.
View the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah rankings
1. Jakub Mensik | 2,180 points |
2. Joao Fonseca | 1,635 |
3. Student Ten | 1,310 |
4. Alexander Blockx | 523 |
5. Dino Prizmic | 487 |
6. Martin Landaluce | 455 |
7. Nicolai Budkov Kjaer | 450 |
8. Nishesh Basavareddy | 349 |
9. Rafael Jodar | 349 |
10. Justin Angel | 291 |
Spaniard Jodar has jumped to ninth place after success in Charlottesville. The 19-year-old, who was a sparring partner at the 20 and under event in 2024, has now won two Challengers in the last three weeks.
Last month, Jodar spoke to ATPTour.com to discuss how he combines his tennis with his studies.
“I tried to complete all the assignments and all the tasks on Friday and Saturday so that I could enjoy the day off on Sunday,” Jodar told ATPTour.com in October. “I have my laptop with me. You always have to do some work. It’s good to make sure you don’t think about tennis all day. If I have some free time, I do some work to catch up on the material they do in the weeks I’m away.”
The son of two teachers, Jodar takes pride in leading academics even during his rise to professional tennis.
“They always prioritized studies,” Jodar said of his parents. “And I’m on the same page. I think that studies are very important for your development as a person.”
The Next Gen ATP Finals, presented by PIF, will take place in Jeddah from December 17-21. The closing date for the Live Race is November 10, with the top eight players qualifying for the 20 and under event. Joao Fonseca won the title in 2024, joining a list of former champions that includes Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
Read more from our Next in Line series
Next steps: how Tien, Basavareddy and Engel make the jump
Wimbledon dreams, Nishikori’s run and Vinci’s field lessons: #NextGenATP stars share memories
[NEWSLETTER FORM]
#Blockx #Jodar #win #Challenger #titles #climb #Live #Race #Jeddah