Grand Slam kids, big time dreams: Alexander Blockx, Martin Landaluce & co co. ATP Tour
ATP Tour
Grand Slam kids, big-time dreams: Blockx, Landaluce & co rise in Jeddah
The five debutants of the Next Gen ATP Finals prove that there is no single path to the top
December 17, 2025
Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Alexander Blockx is one of five Jeddah players to have won a junior Grand Slam title.
Written by Jerome Coombe
If junior Grand Slam titles were entry tickets, the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF would have a very selective door policy.
Five of this year’s six debutants arrive in Jeddah as former boys’ majors, with the exception of two returnees, American Learner Tien and Nishesh Basavareddy, proving there is more than one route to the top.
Different approaches, same environment, and a roster that underscores just how deep — and stacked — the next wave of men’s tennis is. For 6’4” Belgian Alexander Blockx, that journey began in Melbourne, where he won the 2023 Australian Open boys title.
“It gave me a lot of confidence on the court which showed me that I can really keep up with the guys and play in those big moments,” Blockx told ATPTour.com, reflecting on his title run in Melbourne. “It definitely helped me in my career, and now I feel that every year I improve little by little. I hope it will continue like that.”
Alexander Blockx wins 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”.jp.Alexander Blockx wins the 2023 Australian Open boys title. Photo: Manan Vatsyayana/AFP via Getty Images.
The two players Blockx has not beaten on his way to the title – last year’s Jeddah winners Joao Fonseca and Tien – have since climbed into the world Top 30 in 2025, reinforcing the idea that his success is coming quickly.
The future, however, is not just a knock, it has silver linings. For Martin Landaluce, the pressure came early. The Spaniard won the 2022 US Open men’s title at just 16 years old, making his career clear before it really began.
“It was a great time. I think I’m happy to live this because I’ve had to manage the pressure since I was 16 years old,” said Landaluce. “It was difficult at the time, but now I feel more confident, and it’s not the first time I’ve had people looking at me and people saying I’ll be near the top…
“It’s great that I was preparing myself for this kind of pressure, and now I can live a good life.”
Next Gen ATP 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 Landaluce takes a selfie in Jeddah Stadium on Media Day. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.
Now 19, calm and armed with the tools he developed at the Rafa Nadal Academy – including a strong focus on breathing and mental work – Landaluce feels better equipped for the attention that follows him. This week in Jeddah, he shares that attention with fellow countryman and close friend Rafael Jodar, who wrote his name on the same US Open medal two years later in 2024.
Jodar has backed up that title with a rapid rise, rising more than 700 places in the PIF ATP Rankings to world number 168 in 2025 and winning three ATP Challenger Tour titles in the final three months of the season to secure his Next Gen spot. Yet he is careful not to blur the lines between small achievements and professional progress.
“I would say it was one of the best weeks, but I wouldn’t say that’s why I did these things this year,” Jodar said about his US Open last year. “I think it’s two worlds. When you play in the juniors, you have to face the best juniors, but when you play on the Challenger Tour, you play with other players who are older than you and have more experience.”
That jump proved a real check and a learning curve, but one that Jodar handled well. The only player in Jeddah with multiple Challenger titles in 2025, however, is Nicolai Budkov Kjaer.
Justin Engel, Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, Dino Prizmic, Martin Landaluce, Learner Tien, Alexander Blockx, Rafael Jodar and Nishesh Basavareddy pose for the official team photo of the Next Gen ATP Finals 2025 presented 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”>Next Gen ATP Finals 2025 presented by PIF field. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.
The 19-year-old Norwegian won the 2024 Wimbledon boys’ singles title and followed it up with a best-ever 2025 season, claiming a Tour-leading four Challenger titles to earn a spot in the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF for the first time.
“Winning a junior title is a big milestone as a player,” said Budkov Kjaer when asked about his run at the All England Club. “It’s a week I’ll remember forever, and it’s nice to have it on the trophy case.”
Still, he knows that trophies alone don’t guarantee anything on the Tour: “I think all the juniors are playing senior tennis right now. I think the level is higher than before, but you need to adjust your acceptance… Accepting that everyone can play very good tennis and that you can hit and be beaten by everyone.”
Dino Prizmic made his young career the way he wanted it to be, winning the 2023 Roland Garros men’s title before entering the professional ranks full time.
“It was a big moment for me because I wanted to finish the juniors with one title, especially the Grand Slam and I did it, so I’m very proud of that,” said Prizmic.
What followed was a quick introduction to the realities of the ATP Tour, including taking a set from Novak Djokovic at the 2024 Australian Open and battling some injuries along the way. In 2025, the Croatian stepped up again, claiming two ATP Challenger Tour titles and reaching the quarterfinals in Umag to secure his place in Jeddah.
Five minor Grand Slam champions, five different tours, but none of them match the routes taken by Tien or Basavareddy. In Jeddah, the message is clear: Junior titles can open doors, but it’s what comes after that that earns you a seat at the table.
