Learner Tien meets Nishesh Basavareddy, Alexander Blockx takes on Nicolai Budkov Kjaer in Jeddah SF | ATP Tour
Next Generation ATP Finals
Friends become enemies: Tien meets Basavareddy, Blockx faces Budkov Kjaer in Jeddah SF
Preview the Next Generation ATP Semifinals presented by PIF
December 19, 2025
Colleen Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Student Tian faced Nishesh Basavareddy in the semi-finals of the Next Generation ATP Finals hosted by PIF.
Written by ATP Staff
On Saturday, American rookie Tien takes on compatriot Nishesh Basavareddy and Alexander Blockx takes on Nicolai Budkov Kjaer for a spot in the Next Generation ATP Finals Championship hosted by PIF.
Friends Blockx and Budkov Kjaer will face off in the first semifinal at 7pm local time, followed by a national battle between last year’s finalist Tien and sixth seed Basavareddy just before 9pm
It was an unforgettable stage for players who grew up on the junior circuit and are now reunited in Jeddah, united across the net from each other and just one win away from reaching the final leg of the 20-and-under tournament.
[1] Learner Tien (USA) vs [6] Nishesh Basavareddy (USA) [not before 9 p.m.]
Tian and Basava Reddy are the only players among this year’s participants to compete for a second consecutive time, and they bring more experience to the semi-finals. The southpaw Tian moved into the top 30 of the PIF ATP Rankings following his first tour-level victory in Metz in November.
The 20-year-old has won eight straight matches and will be tested against Basavaredi, whom he defeated 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-2 at this year’s Wimbledon in their only Lexus ATP meeting.
“We played well from a young age,” Thien said of Basava Reddy. “We were very close growing up, both being from the States, so we would see each other at a lot of challenge events. It’s cool for him to keep improving like I did. It’s nice to see a familiar face at these events, so I thought it would be cool to share the court with him.”
The conflict between Tian and Basava Reddy promises to be a tug-of-war for court coverage and a life-size bottom-line chess match. Both players have relatively new voices. Basavareddy this month announced a new partnership with renowned coach Giles Selvara, who recently worked with Daniil Medvedev. Former world No. 2 Zhang Depei served as Tian Tian’s coach after officially joining the southpaw team in August.
[2] Alexander Blokes(Belgium) vs. [5] Nicolai Budkov Kjaer (Norway) [starts at 7 p.m.]
Both players have the ability to break from the first shot, hitting 11 aces in each match this week, according to Infosys ATP Statistics. Control of the baseline will be crucial as Blockx and Budkov Kjaer battle for dominance in their first Lexus ATP Head2Head clash. In the first to fourth format, there is no room for error.
“I thought my serve was great,” Budkov Kjaer said before the match. “This is key for me if I want to beat the best, I have to have this in my toolbox.”
Blockx and Budkov Kjaer are close friends, having both won junior Grand Slam titles before turning professional tennis. Blockx won the 2023 Australian Open men’s singles event, defeating Tien in the final, while Budkov Kjaer claimed the 2024 Wimbledon junior title.
The second-seeded Bullocks entered the semifinals with a perfect 3-0 record in round-robin play. Budkov Kjaer started the week 2-0 before losing to Tien in four sets on Thursday. Budkov Kjaer’s head-to-head win against Rafael Jodar was enough for the 19-year-old to finish second ahead of the Spaniard, who also finished second in the blue group with a 2-1 record. The Oslo native is one of six players to win four ATP Challenger titles this season and is the second Norwegian (Casper Rudd) to compete in the Next Generation ATP Finals hosted by PIF.
