ATP Challenger Checked: Road to Jeddah for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF Stadium | ATP Tour

Next Gen ATP

Challenger Tested: Road to Jeddah for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF

Budkov Kjaer was the youngest player to win four Challenger titles in 2025

December 17, 2025

Fans eager to stay ahead of the curve and identify the next wave of #NextGenATP talent should take a close look at the ATP Challenger results. The eight players competing in this year’s Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF all tasted ATP Challenger success to get to where they are today.

ATPTour.com highlights each Jeddah competitor and Challenger milestone they have achieved in their young careers.

Nicolai Budkov Kjaer
Of the six players who have shared the top four titles in a season, the Norwegian is the youngest to achieve the feat. The 19-year-old won his first Challenger title in Glasgow in February and returned to the winner’s circle in July with back-to-back victories in Tampere and Astana, becoming the youngest Norwegian to claim multiple Challenger titles. The 2024 Wimbledon boys’ singles champion won the Mouilleron le Captif Challenger in October for his fourth victory of the year.

After winning his first Challenger title in February, Budkov Kjaer said: “In a way, yes, [I am surprised] that it came. Because everyone at Challenger is freaking awesome. But in a way, no, because I always believed that I was a good player. You always want to believe that you have the ability to beat the top guys and I always believed that I was a very dangerous opponent.”

Justin Engel
The German became the 2025 Challenger junior champion with a memorable victory on home soil. Facing fellow 18-year-old Federico Cina in the final in Hamburg, it marked the youngest Challenger tournament match at that level since 2003, when Mario Ancic beat Rafael Nadal, coincidentally, also in Hamburg. At 18 years and 25 days, Engel became the fifth youngest German winner in Challenger history and the first player born in 2007 to win the title at that level.

“Every title is great, especially my first Challenger,” Engel said after winning in Hamburg. “This win makes it even better and I’m very happy.”

Rafael Jodar
Almost a year removed from his US Open junior victory, where he beat Budkov Kjaer with a 10-point break at 6-6 in the third set, the youngster captured his first ATP Challenger title in Hersonissos, Greece in September. Jodar entered this week as World No. 540 in the PIF ATP Rankings and was in prime position to pull one off, however in his ninth Challenger appearance, he went all the way. Jodari did not stop there.

Jodar won the Lincoln and Charlottesville Challengers in a three-week span in October, the second of which took place at the University of Virginia, where the 19-year-old is a sophomore. The native of Madrid received ITA All-American honors in his first season at the University of Virginia and qualified for the ATP Next Gen Accelerator, a program that aims to increase the development path of top players in the American collegiate system to gain direct entry to selected Challenger events.

Dino Prizmic
Prizmic proudly raises the flag as Croatia’s next promising talent. Having started his tennis journey at Tennis Klub Split, the same club that produced Goran Ivanisevic and Mario Ancic, Prizmic aims to follow in their great footsteps. With his victory at the Bratislava Challenger in June, Prizmic, who was 19 at the time, became the second Croatian player – alongside Ancic – to win three Challenger titles at a young age.

The #NextGenATP star finished the Challenger season with a 27-9 season record, highlighted by two title runs and three more finals appearances. “It’s a good feeling, but I think it’s something I have to go through in the beginning to be a good player,” Prizmic said in July. “It’s a good start to try to be the best player and try to play with the best players.”

Martin Landaluce
The Spaniard underwent surgery at the end of the season to boost his chances in Jeddah. Landaluce won the Orleans Challenger in September, earning 125 points in the PIF ATP Ranking and later built on that with a run to the semi-finals in Olbia, where last year he won the title.

When Landaluce won against Olbia last season, he became the fifth Spanish player since 2000 to win the Challenger title at the age of 18 or under. Jodar has added his name to that list. The first four players all climbed into the Top 10 of the PIF ATP Rankings: Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Tommy Robredo and Nicolas Almagro.

The champion and his trophy 🏆 #ATPChallenger | @RFETenis pic.twitter.com/D5WSmhZ1sf

– ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) September 28, 2025

Alexander Blockx
The Belgian bookended his ATP Challenger season with titles, winning his first event of the year (Oeiras) and triumphing in his final Challenger outing (Bratislava). The same week Jodar won in Charlottesville, Blockx won the Slovak Open. Now, the 20-year-old will look to close the year by building on that victory and claim his biggest title in Jeddah, where he finished second.

When Blockx won the hard-court Oeiras Challenger, he became the youngest Belgian to win multiple trophies at that level.

Nishesh Basavareddy
Back in Jeddah for the second consecutive year, Basavareddy competed in just seven Challenger events this year, including three quarter-final appearances. He had paid more than his Challenger in the 2024 season, where he reached six finals (two titles) and posted a 41-13 record.

The American advanced to the ATP Tour and achieved his best result at the ATP 250 in Auckland, where he reached the semi-finals.

Student Tien
When Tien competed in Jeddah last year, he was number 122 in the PIF ATP Rankings, a huge difference from where he is today as World No.

But Tien’s success on the ATP Challenger circuit served as a foundation for him to compete at the sport’s biggest stages. Last season, Tien boasted a 35-9 record, including three title runs.