The future of men’s tennis was on full display in Jeddah as the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF kicked off with a pair of hard-fought, four-set battles. The tournament, showcasing the world’s top under-21 talents, saw American Nishesh Basavareddy and Belgian Alexander Blockx secure crucial opening wins in the round-robin stage, setting the tone for a week of high-stakes competition.
In the day’s opening match, Nishesh Basavareddy survived a rollercoaster encounter against Croatia’s Dino Prizmic, winning 4-2, 4-3(7), 3-4(3), 4-2. Playing with new coach Gilles Cervara, the former mentor to Daniil Medvedev, in his box, the 20-year-old American showed resilience. He saved three set points in a tense second-set tie-break and, after a brief stumble when serving for the match in the third, immediately broke back in the fourth to seal the victory. “I feel great,” Basavareddy said afterward. “Getting the first win in a round-robin is huge.” The win marked his first tour-level victory since September and provided a confidence boost for his campaign in Saudi Arabia.
For Dino Prizmic, the loss was a setback, but his presence in Jeddah is a testament to a resilient comeback year. The 20-year-old Croatian, who famously pushed Novak Djokovic to four sets at the 2024 Australian Open, saw his 2024 season derailed by injuries. He has rebuilt his game impressively in 2025, winning two ATP Challenger Tour titles and qualifying for the US Open. Djokovic’s praise from their Melbourne duel—where the legend said he felt like he was “playing myself in a mirror”—still lingers, but Prizmic treats it as motivation, not pressure. “It’s a really good feeling, but I know that I need to work a lot,” he said in Jeddah. His path now involves a likely must-win match against German Justin Engel to keep his semifinal hopes alive.
The other Group B match featured a powerful display from second seed Alexander Blockx. The Belgian dropped a tight first-set tie-break to 18-year-old Justin Engel but stormed back to win 3-4(7), 4-2, 4-2, 4-2. Blockx unleashed 31 winners, including 17 aces, and dominated behind his first serve, winning 85% of those points. “I knew that I wasn’t playing my best level yet,” Blockx admitted after shaking off the early nerves. “I felt like once I got the break in the second set, I really started playing better and my level kept rising.” His commanding performance announced him as a serious contender for the title.
The opening day underscored the unique pressure and format of the Next Gen Finals, where every break of serve carries immense weight in the fast-paced, first-to-four-games sets. For Basavareddy and Blockx, securing early wins is a major step toward the semifinals. For Prizmic, the challenge is to regroup quickly. As the tournament progresses, these young stars are not just playing for a trophy; they are charting the early courses of their professional journeys, each match a building block toward the elite levels their potential promises.