Features Player
Can young gun Engel thrive in Jeddah?
German, 18, to face Blockx, Prizmic and Basavareddy at Next Gen ATP Finals
December 16, 2025
Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Justin Engel spends time at Silver Sands Beach on Monday in Jeddah.
Written by Sam Jacot
Being the youngest player in the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by the PIF arena in history was a promising sign. Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Joao Fonseca all lifted the trophy as the youngest participants in their tournaments in 2019, 2021 and 2024, and this week, Justin Engel will aim to follow in their footsteps.
The 18-year-old German is the youngest of the eight players, earning his spot in the tournament after a successful season that included an ATP Challenger Tour title in Hamburg. So, does being the youngest reduce any pressure? Not Engel, who, with refreshing confidence, told ATPTour.com on Silver Sands Beach in Jeddah that he felt no pressure.
“I never had any pressure,” Engel said during Monday’s media day. “Yes, I get a little nervous before a game, but that’s normal. If you’re not nervous, you don’t take your game seriously. But pressure? No, I don’t feel that.”
Twelve months ago, Fonseca, then 18, was the lowest-ranked and youngest player in the tournament. Yet he gave his opponents the power to leave Jeddah with the title, setting the stage for his rapid rise. The Brazilian built on that victory by winning two ATP Tour titles in 2025 and rising to a career-high number 24 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
Engel is aware of the potential comparisons if he goes deep in Jeddah, especially as he recently became the second-youngest player behind Rafael Nadal to win a tour-level match at all three venues. However, he remains focused on his own path.
“I don’t really look at what they did. They won the tournament, but I don’t think too much about it,” Engel said. “I’m just trying to play my best tennis and go out on the court and have fun, that’s what I’m focused on.”
Engel’s love for tennis began at the age of three in Nuremberg, where he grew up idolizing Nadal. In 2024, he got his first win in Almaty, marking a milestone in his career. The number 187 player in the PIF ATP Rankings built on this success with a victory on clay in Hamburg and an impressive quarter-final run at the ATP 250 grass court event in Stuttgart, showing his versatility in all areas.
“The fans really made a difference for me in Germany, especially in Stuttgart and Hamburg,” said Engel. “Playing in front of them was amazing. Hamburg was my favorite tournament because it’s ATP 500, and winning against one of my friends, Jan-Lennard Struff, made it even more special. That moment was a real boost for me.”
In Saudi Arabia, Engel will hope to bring his best when he meets Alexander Blockx, Dino Prizmic, and Nishesh Basavareddy in the round robin stage, starting on Wednesday against Blockx.
