Scouting report
Scouting report: Tien, Landaluce, Blockx eye success in Jeddah
A recap of what every fan needs to know in the week ahead
December 16, 2025
Student Ten reached the final last year while Martin Landaluce and Alexander Blockx are making their debut.
By ATP staff
After a year of exciting competition, the 2025 ATP Tour season concludes this week at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Eight of the best players aged 20 and under will compete for the title, with the action starting on Wednesday at King Abdullah Sports City.
Last year’s finalist Learner Tien is the headliner after a breakthrough season. He is set to make his second successive appearance and will look to go one step further this year after losing to Joao Fonseca in the 2024 final.
Alexander Blockx, Dino Prizmic, Martin Landaluce, Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, Rafael Jodar and Justin Engel make their Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF debut, while American Nishesh Basavareddy joins Tien as the only two returners.
Ahead of the innovative event, ATPTour.com looks at the key storylines to watch in Jeddah.
1) Ten out for redemption: Tien returns to Jeddah, this time as the top seed and leading contender, aiming to avenge his loss in last year’s final against Fonseca. The 20-year-old American has enjoyed a breakout season in 2025, highlighted by his first tour-level title in Metz, a run to the final at the ATP 500 event in Beijing and five wins over Top 10 opponents. Now sitting at No. 28 in the PIF ATP Rankings, he plans to cap his memorable season by capturing the title.
2) Landaluce & Jodar represent Spain: Close friends and compatriots Landaluce and Jodar are set to make their debut in Jeddah, a leap forward from their supporting roles last year as substitute and batting partner respectively. In 2025, Landaluce lifted the trophy at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Orleans, France and advanced to the second round at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati. Jodar, who currently plays for the University of Virginia, qualified for Jeddah after winning three Challenger titles in the final three months of the season. They have both been placed in the Blue Group alongside Tien and Budkov Kjaer.
3) Basavareddy returns, supported by Cervara: Basavareddy is back for his second year in a row in Jeddah. He returns with a solid foundation, having recorded tour-level match victories in Cincinnati, Winston-Salem and Hangzhou, and reaching the semi-finals in Auckland at the start of the season. He is now aiming for bigger results under new coach Gilles Cervara, who led Daniil Medvedev to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
4) Engel, youngest player, chases glory: The 18-year-old Engel is the youngest player in the field and the first German ever to qualify. This season he became the first player born in 2007 to win a Challenger title (Hamburg), and the second-youngest player (after Rafael Nadal) to achieve tour-level victory on all three surfaces. Engel now hopes to join Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Fonseca as the only 18-year-old winners of the event.
5) Budkov Kjaer manages five former junior Grand Slam champions: Norwegian Budkov Kjaer had a breakthrough season, winning four Tour-leading ATP Challenger Tour titles. The 2024 Wimbledon boys champion is one of five players in the field to have captured a junior Grand Slam title, joining fellow titlists Landaluce (2022 US Open), Blockx (2023 Australian Open), Prizmic (2023 Roland Garros) and Jodar (2024 US Open).
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