JEDDAH, December 20, 2025 (Media Release)
As the ATP Tour’s brightest young talents delivered drama in the final round of group-stage matches at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, one of tennis’ greatest ever players arrived in Jeddah to play his part in the sport’s transformation in Saudi Arabia.
Rafael Nadal began his three-day visit to Jeddah on Friday, starting with an afternoon at The Professional Tennis Academy – Vamos. The Saudi Tennis Federation Ambassador held an extensive Q&A with more than 20 elite Saudi youth players before overseeing a training session, led by coaches from Saudi and Spain.
Nadal then took to the court himself to hit some balls with five-year-old prodigy Ali Alghafli, who impressed both the 22-time major champion and the many players, coaches, and onlookers courtside.
Amjad Bukhari, a 19-year-old player from Jeddah who is training to join the ITF Futures Tour, said it was an opportunity of a lifetime to learn from, and play in front of, one of the sport’s all-time greats.
Bukhari said: “It’s been an unbelievable experience. These are my home courts where I usually train with my siblings, just five minutes from my house. It’s not every day that one of the greatest players in the world gets to watch you play and hit a few strokes with you. It’s an experience I’ll never forget.”
Bukhari’s sister, Lara Bukhari, herself an elite Saudi talent, was similarly delighted to have the chance to interact with Nadal in Jeddah.
The 20-year-old said: “Being able to ask questions and get insight into how he thinks was incredible. It was also a great way to connect with other Saudi players, especially those who are coming through now. It was a really fun and special experience.”
The Spanish superstar then made his way to King Abdullah Sports City to attend the Next Gen ATP Finals, where he witnessed a dramatic round of matches, hosted a meet-and-greet with fans and posed for photos.
Second seed Alexander Blockx, who defeated third seed Dino Prižmić 4-3 (7-4), 2-4, 4-2, 4-0 to secure top spot in the Red Group, is looking forward to playing his semi-final Saturday against Nicolai Budkov Kjaer in front of Nadal.
Blockx said: “It’s nice to have him here. It makes us feel a bit special, someone like that is watching our matches. He’s always been an inspiration to me. I respect him with everything I have. Everything he did for the sport is unbelievable. He’s a true champion.”
Blockx also got the chance to experience young Ali’s talent up close having played a few rallies with the five-year-old on centre court following his match Prižmić. And just like Nadal, the Belgian was blown away by Ali’s talent.
Blockx said: “It was fun. I was very, very impressed. Five years old, hitting the ball so clean, having so much ball coordination already. I was really impressed. If he continues to work hard, maybe he will play the Next Gen ATP Finals one day too! He was hitting the ball really, really well.”
Fittingly, it was an all-Spanish showdown in the first evening match as seventh seed Rafael Jodar delivered a clinical performance to defeat fourth seed Martin Landaluce 4-3 (9-7), 4-1, 4-3 (7-2). However, it was not enough to advance to the semi-finals as top seed Learner Tien did what he needed by beating fifth seed Nicolai Budkov Kjaer 3-4 (4-7), 4-1, 4-2, 4-2 to secure his spot.
It sets up an enticing semi-final line-up on Saturday, starting at 7 p.m. with a clash between two exciting big-hitters, Blockx and Budkov Kjaer, followed by an all-American battle between last year’s finalist Tien and Basavareddy.
Before the matches get underway, Nadal will continue his work in the community with coaching clinics in the morning with athletes from Saudi Arabia’s Special Olympics team and youth kids from Jeddah. The superstar’s presence in Saudi Arabia supports the STF’s broader strategy to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s tennis ecosystem, which includes increasing mass participation and nurturing elite Saudi talent.
Since Nadal’s appointment as STF Ambassador in January 2024, tennis in the Kingdom has grown from strength to strength. Grassroots participation continues to grow, thanks to programs such as ‘Tennis for All’, in collaboration with ‘Sports for All’, which introduced the sport to more than 53,000 children in 2025. Meanwhile, female participation increased by 24 percent in just the 12 months following the 2024 WTA Finals.
At elite level, Saudi Arabia now has a record 82 players who hold an international ranking – some of whom attended Nadal’s coaching session in Jeddah on Friday.
Tickets for the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals can be purchased here.
