Measured, thoughtful and quietly driven, Martin Landaluce carries the aura of a young player shaped not only by talent, but also by the powerful influences around him. The 19-year-old grew up in Madrid before moving to Mallorca as a teenager and settled into life at the famous Rafa Nadal Academy, the setting for Episode 2 of the new Journey to Jeddah series. It is here, in these pristine courts, that much of its growth has taken place.
Landaluce, a former US Open boys’ singles champion and now a two-time ATP Challenger Tour winner, credits some of his progress to a unique internship that few players his age have experienced: training with Rafael Nadal himself.
“I practiced on this first job [Nadal] several times,” Landaluce said, looking over the courts in Mallorca. ‘He destroyed me. He hits very hard in practice, very hard. But I had a great time.”
The mentorship did not end at the baseline. His conversations with Toni Nadal, Rafa’s uncle and longtime coach, often went far beyond just forehands and footwork.
“We talk about things that no one normally asks you,” Landaluce said. “But he has no filter, so if he wants to ask you he will and I like that about him and I admire him. It’s good to do that reflection.”
Family has also played a defining role in Landaluce’s journey. His father, Alejandro, still competes on the ITF Seniors Tour, while his siblings share the same competitive fire. Their unity was once captured in a story that was almost too improbable to believe.
“There is a funny story that my father, my sister, my brother and I won the same tournament in the same week in different categories,” he recalls. “I think that is very, very difficult and rare in the history of tennis.”
Landaluce’s path has been shaped by family and mentorship, but Alexander Blockx’s story begins with sibling rivalry and the moment a young boy realized he wanted to be on the field and not just watch from the side.
“I used to sit on the couch and watch what my brother did,” says the twenty-year-old Belgian. “I love competing because I always tried to do better than him. My coach asked me if I wanted to try it and at first I was a little shy, and then eventually I started hitting and it was so much fun and I got the feeling right away.”
That early spark has evolved into a dynamic, forward-looking style that has propelled Blockx to two ATP Challenger Tour titles this season and a place at the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.
“I’m pretty fast for my height,” said Blockx, number 116 in the world. “I can attack very well from my forehand. My serve has become a lot better and I can now attack my backhand with it. I think the key is to be as aggressive as possible, otherwise you have no chance of beating the best players.”
At the heart of Blockx’s rise is one of the most enduring partnerships in sports. Philippe Cassiers, his coach since childhood, has guided him for 16 years, a rarity in the modern game.
“We have known each other for sixteen years now. It is rare to have such a long relationship, both in sports and in general,” said Blockx. “It’s starting to look more and more like a family.”
Cassiers agreed: “It’s a long, trusting relationship. We don’t need too many words or signs to understand where we’re going. We enjoy the process.”
Watch episode 2 of Journey to Jeddah now and follow both Landaluce and Blockx as they focus on the title at the Next Gen ATP Finals 2025, presented by PIF, held in Jeddah from December 17 to 21.
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