Grand Slam kids, dream big: Alexander Bloks, Martin Landalus and more forge ahead at Next Generation ATP Finals presented by PIF | ATP Tour

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Big Slam Kids, Big Dreams: Blockx, Landaluce and more step up in Jeddah

Five Next Gen ATP Finals debutants prove there’s no single path to the top

December 17, 2025

If a junior Grand Slam title is the ticket, then the Next Generation ATP Finals hosted by the PIF will have a very strict admission policy.

Five of the six first-timers in this year’s field arrive in Jeddah as former men’s Grand Slam champions, a stark contrast to the two returners, Americans Tian and Nishish Basavareddy, who have proven there is more than one path to the top.

Different paths, same destination, and a lineup that highlights the depth and depth of the next wave of men’s tennis. For 6-foot-4 Belgian Alexander Blockx, the journey began in Melbourne, where he won the 2023 Australian Open men’s title.

“It gives me a lot of confidence on the court and it lets me know that I can really keep up with my teammates and make plays in those big moments,” Brooks told ATPTour.com of his title run in Melbourne. “It’s really helped my career and I feel like I’m getting better every year now. I hope it keeps like this.”

Alexander Blockx wins the 2023 Australian Open junior title. ” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2024/09/18/22/19/blockx-australian-open-2023-junior-champion.jpg”>_{^{Alexander Blockx wins the 2023 Australian Open men’s title. Photo: Manan Vatsyayana/AFP via Getty Images.}}

Two players Blockx defeated in the race for the title – last year’s Jeddah finalists Joao Fonseca and Tien – have since moved into the world’s top 30 by 2025, reinforcing the sense that his own breakthrough is imminent.

However, the future isn’t just knocking on the door, it already holds the trophy. For Martin Landalus, the pressure came early. The Spaniard won the 2022 US Open men’s title at just 16 years old, instantly thrust into the spotlight before his career had really begun.

“It was a great moment. I think I’m happy to be living this life because I’ve had to deal with pressure since I was 16,” Landalus said. “It was a tough moment but now I feel more confident and it’s not the first time I’ve had people paying attention and people saying I’m close to the top…

“It’s nice to have prepared myself for this kind of pressure and now I’m able to live my life in a good way.”

Next Generation ATP Finals presented by PIF” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2025/12/15/19/58/jeddah-2025-media-day-selfie.jpg”>_{^{Martin Landalus takes a selfie at Jeddah Stadium during media day. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.}}

Now 19, Landalus is calmer and equipped with the tools he developed at Rafa Nadal’s academy, including a heightened focus on breathing and mental work, and he feels better equipped to handle the attention that follows him. This week in Jeddah, he shares that attention with compatriot and friend Rafael Jodar, who will have his name engraved on the same US Open trophy two years later in 2024.

Jordahl backed up that title with a meteoric rise that saw him soar more than 700 places in the PIF ATP Rankings to reach world No. 168 by 2025 and win three ATP Challenger titles in the final three months of the season to secure his place in the next generation. But he’s careful not to blur the line between junior success and professional advancement.

“I can say it was probably one of the best weeks, but I can’t say that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing this year,” Jordahl said of his U.S. Open run last year. “I think it’s two worlds. When you play juniors you have to play against the best junior players, but when you play Challenger Tour you play against other players who are older and more experienced than you.”

The jump proved to be both a reality check and a learning curve, but one that Jordahl handled smoothly. However, Nicolai Budkov Kjaer is the only Jeddah player to win more Challenge titles in 2025.

Justin Engel, Nikolai Budkov Kjaer, Dino Prizmich, Martin Landalus, Lerner Tian, ​​Alexander Blox, Rafael Jordahl and Nishish Basavareddy pose for the official photo of the 2025 Next Generation ATP Finals hosted by PIF. ” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2025/12/15/19/57/next-gen-atp-finals-2025-official-photo.jpg”>_{^{The 2025 Next Generation ATP Finals is hosted by PIF field. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.}}

The 19-year-old Norwegian won the Wimbledon men’s singles title in 2024 and then had the best season of his career in 2025, winning a tour-leading four Challenger trophies and earning a spot at the Next Generation ATP Finals hosted by PIF for the first time.

“Winning the junior championship is a big milestone as a player,” Budkov Kjaer said when asked about his time at the All England Club. “This is a week I will always remember and I’m happy to have it in my trophy baggage.”

Still, he knows trophies alone don’t guarantee anything on tour: “I think all the junior players now are playing pretty mature tennis. I think it’s at a higher level than ever before, but you need to adjust your acceptance…to accept that everyone can play good tennis and that you can beat everyone and be beaten by everyone.”

Dino Prizmic finished his junior career exactly as he wanted, winning the 2023 Roland Garros men’s championship before officially entering the professional ranks.

“This was a big moment for me because I wanted to win a championship in the juniors, especially a Grand Slam, and I did it, so I’m very proud of that,” Przymic said.

What follows is a quick introduction to the realities of the ATP Tour, including taking a set from Novak Djokovic at the 2024 Australian Open and battling a few injuries along the way. In 2025, the Croatian rose again, winning two ATP Challenger titles and reaching the Tour quarter-finals for the first time in Umag, securing a spot in Jeddah.

Five junior Grand Slam champions, five different journeys, but none the same as those taken by Thien or Basava Reddy. In Jeddah, the message is clear: a junior title can open doors, but only after that can a place be earned.