The future of tennis lands in Jeddah for the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals
Jeddah becomes the spotlight for tennis’ brightest young talents
Jeddah is in match mode. The Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF are now underway, bringing rising tennis stars to King Abdullah Sports City.
The five-day tournament brings together eight of the best players aged 20 and under on the ATP Tour, based on the season-long PIF ATP Race to Jeddah standings.
The action begins with a group stage, similar to the ATP Finals for men, in which eight players are split into two groups of four.
The top seed is placed in Group A, and the second seed in Group B. Each player faces the other three in their group. The winner of each group meets the runner-up from the other group in the semi-finals.
The group standings are determined in the following order: number of wins, number of matches played, head-to-head result (if two players are tied), highest percentage of sets won (then: highest percentage of games won/best position in the PIF ATP Ranking) if three or four players are tied.
This year’s field is headlined by rising American star Learner Tien, who is the highest-ranked player in the draw following a breakthrough season that saw him claim his first ATP Tour title and climb to a career-high No. 28 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The 20-year-old returns to Jeddah having reached last year’s final and aims to go one step further this time.
Blue team:
- Learner Tien (#28)
- Martin Landaluce (#135)
- Nicolai Budkov Kjaer (#133)
- Rafael Jodar (#167)
Red team:
- Alexander Blockx (#115)
- Dino Prizmic (#127)
- Nishesh Basavareddy (#166)
- Justin Engel (#182)
In each group, the two players with the most wins will advance to the semifinals on Saturday December 20 to compete for a spot in Sunday’s final on December 21.
Ready to witness the next generation of tennis stars as they compete in a fast-paced and innovative format that includes four-game sets and the introduction of new technologies to bring viewers closer to the action?
Day 1 (Wednesday December 17) at the Next Gen ATP Finals marked the beginning of a festival of tennis in Jeddah this week, which also includes an Asian Tennis Federation Under-14 tournament.
The excitement continues on Thursday December 18 with another day of world-class match-ups. Day 2 begins with the Red Group, starting with a crucial showdown between Dino Prižmić and Justin Engel at 2pm, followed by a top-of-the-group clash featuring Alexander Blockx and Nishesh Basavareddy.
From 7pm, the Blue Group evening session will see Nicolai Budkov Kjær and Rafael Jodar put their unbeaten starts on the line, before Tien and Martin Landaluce face each other aiming to get their campaigns up and running.
Adding to the buzz, tennis fans can also look forward to a special three-day visit from tennis icon and Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) Ambassador Rafael Nadal.
Still haven’t grabbed your tickets? There’s still time to get yours on WeBook.
Since the Next Gen ATP Finals made history in 2023 as the first professional tennis tournament to be held in Saudi Arabia, the sport’s development in the Kingdom has been unmistakable. Initiatives like ‘Tennis for All’, in collaboration with ‘Sports for All’, have expanded tennis nationwide and, in 2025, introduced the sport to over 53,000 children.
Meanwhile, female participation increased by 24 per cent within just 12 months between the 2024 and 2025 WTA Finals presented by PIF, which have been relocated to Riyadh until 2026. The impact is also evident at the top level; there are now a record 82 Saudi players with an international ranking.
Location: 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals, King Abdullah Sports City, Indoor Hall, Jeddah
Timings: Dec 17 to 21, from 12.30pm
Cost: Tickets start at SAR10 and can be purchased here.
Images: Supplied
