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The Next Gen ATP Finals 2025 will bring an end to the lengthy ATP season this week. The tournament for the tour's best eight players aged 20 years or below will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from December 17-21.
World No. 28 Learner Tien leads the field this year. He is joined by Dino Prizmic, Alexander Blockx, Rafael Jodar, Martin Landaluce, Justin Engel, Nishesh Basavareddy, and Nikolai Budkov Kjaer.
The draw for this year's edition was revealed on Monday, December 15. On that note, here's a quick breakdown of the Next Gen ATP Finals 2025 draw:
Next Gen ATP Finals 2025: Format
Players are split into two groups of four each. The round-robin format ends with the top two players from each group qualifying for the semifinals, and then it's a fight to reach the final.
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Matches are contested in a best-of-five sets format. The first player to claim four games takes the set. A tie-break comes into play at 3-3, and follows the traditional scoring system in it.
Lond deuce games are not a thing as there's no-ad scoring. Reduced time between serves, as well as during changeovers, are among other changes introduced to speed up the game.
Next Gen ATP Finals 2025: Group Breakdown and Top 4 picks
Learner Tien, Martin Landaluce, Nikolai Budkov Kjaer, and Rafael Jodar are drawn in the Blue Group. Tien is the only top 100 player in the field and the most accomplished as well. He won his maiden ATP title at the Moselle Open, was the runner-up at the China Open, and made the fourth round of the Australian Open this year. He was also the runner-up at last year's Next Gen ATP Finals.
Tien will be the top pick to qualify for the semifinals from his group based on his accomplishments this year, leaving the other three to fight for the remaining spot. Budkov Kjaer and Jodar won four and three titles respectively on the Challenger circuit this year, while Landaluce captured just one.
Budkov Kjaer and Jodar are likely to battle for the second semifinal spot given their results. The two met in the boys' singles final at the US Open 2024, and the Spaniard rallied from a set down to claim the title. However, things could unfold differently this time. Landaluce could also play the spoilsport here. He has beaten Budkov Kjaer thrice this year, and could give Jodar a run for his money as well.
Alexander Blockx, Dino Prizmic, Nishesh Basavareddy, and Justin Engel are in the Red Group. Blockx and Prizmic will renew their rivalry, having faced each other six times over the years. The latter leads their head-to-head 4-2. Both won two titles each at the Challenger level this year.
Engel bagged his maiden Challenger title a couple of months ago. He also reached a quarterfinal on the ATP Tour at the Boss Open in Stuttgart. Basavareddy is the only player to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals without a title to his name, or even a final. He will be the underdog in this group.
Prizmic's winning head-to-head against Blockx and Engel gives him an edge to make the last four. He hasn't played against Basavareddy yet, though given their respective form, the Croat will be favored to win. Blockx has three indoor hardcourt titles to his name, and given his proficiency in these conditions, he will be favored to make it out of the group stage.
Top four picks: Learner Tien, Dino Prizmic, Alexander Blockx, and Nikolai Budkov Kjaer
