Student Tien turns a promise into a testimony in Jeddah: ‘I got it out’ | ATP Tour
Match the Reaction
Tien turns promise into evidence in Jeddah: ‘I got it out’
The American, last year’s finalist, wins the Next Gen ATP Finals
December 21, 2025
Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Student Tien celebrates his Next Gen ATP Finals trophy with agent Mats Merkel, coaches Erik Kortland and Michael Chang, and Chang’s son Micah.
Written by Jerome Coombe
Disciple Tien had already started to make his mark on the ATP Tour, but his victory at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by the PIF on Sunday made a very loud statement.
After losing to Joao Fonseca in last year’s Jeddah final, the American carried that disappointment into the 2025 season before returning to the 20-and-under show as the man to beat. But under mounting expectations, Tien showed maturity beyond his years, saving his best tennis for a commanding 59-minute clinic over Alexander Blockx in the final.
“It’s great to add my name to the list of previous winners,” said Tien, who joined the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as champions of the event. “I think that every player who won this tournament continued to do very well, so it means a lot to be there with those names.
“I’ve been waiting for a year to hold this trophy… it feels good, especially after coming so close last year.”
A key pillar in Tien’s rise has been his relationship with former World No. 2 Michael Chang, who started in August. Since then, Chang has helped guide the 20-year-old to his first ATP Tour title in Metz and a career-high ranking of World No.
“Since we started working together, he and his whole family have been very supportive,” said Tien. “Micah has been in a lot of my tournaments… It’s always great to have him around. It adds a fun side – it makes the matches and some of these tight moments a little bit easier.”
Amazing celebration of Student Tien 🍰 😂#NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/ikpd8NZucC
– ATP Finals Next (@nextgenfinals) December 21, 2025
The next wave of men’s tennis arrived in Jeddah fearlessly armed, eager to challenge World No. 28 and one player inside the Top 100. Yet all week, Tien emphasized exactly why he has risen so quickly in 2025, combining versatility, composure and a rock-solid court game to stay on the same ladder.
His path to the title was not straightforward. Tien endured a rough start, squandering four match points when he lost to Rafael Jodar. With his campaign coming to an end, he faced a tough fight against Nicolai Budkov Kjaer to escape the group stage. After dropping the first set, the American flipped the script, reeling off nine sets in a row and carried that momentum all the way to the title – fittingly avenging his final defeat in 2024.
“If I had lost one set in that match, I would have been eliminated,” Tien said of his four-set victory over Budkov Kjaer. “After losing that first set, I won nine sets in a row, so that’s good. I’m really happy that I was able to pull that off.”
Much of the attention in Jeddah focused on Blockx, widely tipped to crack the Top 100 in the near future, but Tien easily finished off the Belgian’s explosive play, bringing the final to one side to close out the week in style.
With the Next Gen title secured and his trajectory firmly pointed upwards, Tien now turns to 2026, when he will arrive at the Australian Open as a seeded player – no longer just a rising talent, but a proven force with his sights set on the biggest stages.
