Jodar Saves Four Match Points, Stuns Tien In Next Gen ATP Finals Opener

Rafael Jodar, Next Gen ATP Finals
Rafael Jodar (photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour

JEDDAH/WASHINGTON, December 18, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

With all eight competitors at this year’s Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in action on opening day Wednesday, there was plenty of exciting action to whet everyone’s appetite as group play got underway at the ATP Tour’s 20-and-under showcase event at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.

Last year’s finalist, World No. 28 Learner Tien of the United States, headlined the evening session in the Blue Group. However, little did anyone know that 168th-ranked Spaniard Rafael Jodar would steal the American’s thunder with a thrilling 1-4, 4-3 (3), 1-4, 4-2, 4-3 (4) upset of the top seed that stretched across two hours and one minute in their first meeting. It was Jodar’s first career win over a Top-100 opponent.

Jodar saved four match points to set up a Thursday meeting against Norway’s Nicolai Budkov Kjaer of Norway, who beat Martin Landaluce of Spain, 4-1, 3-4 (7), 4-2, 4-3 (4), for his first career win over the 134th-ranked Spaniard that lasted an hour and 42 minutes.

The 19-year-old Jodar from Madrid, who was a hitting partner in Jeddah a year ago, gave a heavy-hitting display that included 24 winners to 50 unforced errors and showed a sense of fearlessness against Tien – especially during the deciding fifth set. Looking back, he overcame eight breaks of his serve – saving eight of 16 break points – and converted five of nine break-point opportunities. Although Tien hit 20 winners, he also committed 34 unforced errors.

Despite being outpointed by Tien, 94-81, Jodar escaped a certain defeat with his fifth-set heroics. He saved the first match point on a deciding point on Tien’s serve in the fifth game, with the American leading 3-1. Then, he saved three more match points on his serve in the sixth game, including the fourth in which he struck a backhand down-the-line winner.

“It was a battle,” Jodar told the ATP Tour website. “I knew the conditions were good for both, but I handled the good moments very well and I’m super happy to get the first win here in Jeddah. I just tried to keep going and believe in myself.

“Learner always plays well, so I had to keep believing and I knew that I was going to have a chance.”

Meanwhile, the 19-year-old Norwegian, Budkov Kjaer, closed out the night session with his first win over his good friend, Landaluce, a rivalry that has stretched across four meetings in 2025, the first three on the ATP Challenger Tour. He did it by hitting 20 winners to 23 unforced errors, compared to 15 winners and 38 unforced errors by Landaluce.

“Martin is a good friend of mine,” the 136th-ranked Budkov Kjaer told the ATP Tour website. “He’s been lucky enough to beat me three times this year and he’s been on my list of players to beat. To get it here in Jeddah at the end of the season is great, so I’m very happy.”

The winner of four ATP Challenger Tour titles this season, Budkov Kjaer struck nine aces, won 76 percent of his first-serve points and broke Landaluce’s serve five times in nine opportunities. He outpointed his opponent 83-69.

Blockx, Basavareddy first-day winners in Red Group

Meanwhile, Red Group top seed Alexander Blockx of Belgium, ranked 116th, began his week with a four-set victory over Germany’s Justin Engel, who is the youngest competitor at age 18, during the day session.

The day began with American Nishesh Basavareddy‘s 4-2, 4-3 (7), 3-4 (3), 4-2 victory over No. 128 Dino Prizmic of Croatia in an hour and 54 minutes and continued with Blockx’s comeback win over Engel, 3-4 (7), 4-2, 4-2, 4-2, in one hour and 21 minutes.

Although the 167th-ranked Basavareddy saved three set points to win the second set, which gave him a two-sets-to-none lead against the third-seeded Prizmic, he failed to serve out the match late in the third set, when he was broken for the only time during the match. However, the No. 6-seed from the United States gained an immediate break in the fourth set and pulled away with his first win in group play.

Basavareddy, who is competing in his second Next Gen ATP Finals, finished with 19 winners to 19 unforced errors, compared to 40 winners and 37 unforced errors by Prizmic. He overcame 14 aces from Prizmic and outpointed his opponent 80-73.

“It’s great to get a win in the first match of the round robin,” said Basavareddy during his on-court interview. “It’s a much better atmosphere here than last year, for sure. I haven’t had many matches recently, so I was really happy with how aggressive I was. Even on the bigger points, I kept going after it. I served well, so I’m super pleased with my performance today.”

It was also Basavareddy’s eighth tour-level win of the season and his first match under the guidance of new coach Gilles Cervara, former longtime coach of former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev. 

“We’ve only been together for two weeks now, but I feel like I’ve already learned a lot,” Basavareddy said. “We’ve put in a lot of good work and I’m super happy with my first win with him. Hopefully we can keep improving.”

In the other Red Group match, the No. 2-seeded Blockx, the first Belgian to compete in the Next Gen ATP Finals, came on strong to defeated No. 8 seed Engel, highlighted by 17 service aces. He struck 31 winners to 21 unforced errors, saved all three break points he faced and took advantage of 29 unforced errors by the 187th-ranked Engel. Blockx converted three of 10 break points and outpointed his opponent 83-60.

“It was not an easy match. I think we both started really well with our serves,” Blockx said during his on-court interview. “We didn’t really have too many exchanges in the rallies. I had some chances in the first set, so did [Justin] and he took advantage of it. But I knew I wasn’t playing at my best level yet – I had to get some more rhythm. 

“I felt like once I got the break in the second set I really started playing better. My level kept rising. I think I served one of my best matches. … Well done to him. I’m happy to get the win.”

Around the Next Gen ATP Finals

In the second day of group play Thursday, in the Blue Group, Nicolai Budkov Kjaer will face Rafael Jodar in a rematch of the 2024 US Open junior boys’ final, which the Spaniard won, while Learner Tien and Martin Landaluce will try to avoid being eliminated in a match-up of first-day losers.

In the Red Group, first-day winners Nishesh Basavareddy and Alexander Blockx will face each other, while Dino Prizmic and Justin Engel play in the other group match.

The Budkov Kjaer-Jodar and Basavareddy-Blockx winners will both improve to 2-0 with an inside track at securing a semifinal berth. Both 19, Budkov Kjaer and Jodar have combined to win seven ATP Challenger Tour titles this season, while Basavareddy and Blockx, both 20, with match the big serve of the Belgian against the American’s keen returning skills.

Wednesday’s Next Gen ATP Finals results 

Thursday’s Next Gen ATP Finals order of play

By the numbers

After the first day of group play, Alexander Blockx of Belgium leads the field with 17 aces, followed by Dino Prizmic of Croatia with 14 and Nicolai Budkov Kjaer of Norway with nine.

“Quotable …”

“A lot of practice, a lot of repetition. Throughout the year, I struggled with finding my rhythm. By the end of the season, I really found my serve. The matches just go easier and you save so much energy on your games. I think confidence is also a big part, confidence in my serve.”

– No. 2 seed Alexander Blockx of Belgium, during his on-court interview, after hitting 17 aces during his opening-match win in group play over Justin Engel of Germany.

 

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