Student Tien meets Nishesh Basavareddy, Alexander Blockx faces Nicolai Budkov Kjaer at SFs in Jeddah | ATP Tour
Next Gen ATP Finals
Friends Turn Foes: Tien meets Basavareddy, Blockx faces Budkov Kjaer in Jeddah SFs
Preview the Next Gen ATP presented by the PIF semi-finals
December 19, 2025
Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Student Tien faced Nishesh Basavareddy in the semi-finals of the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.
By ATP staff
Friends collide on Saturday as American Tien takes on countryman Nishesh Basavareddy and Alexander Blockx meets Nicolai Budkov Kjaer for a spot in the championship match at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.
Close friends Blockx and Budkov Kjaer advanced in the first semifinal at 7 pm local time, followed by an all-American battle between last year’s finalist Tien and sixth seed Basavareddy, not before 9 pm.
It’s a memorable stage for players who grew up crossing paths on the junior circuit, and now reunited in Jeddah, standing across the net from each other and within one win of the final court in the 20-and-under event.
[1] Student Tien (USA) vs [6] Nishesh Basavareddy (USA) [not before 9 p.m.]
Seasoned players playing for the second time in a row, Tien and Basavareddy bring more experience to the semi-finals. The left-handed Tien broke the Top 30 of the PIF ATP Rankings in November following his first tour-level victory in Metz.
The 20-year-old is on an eight-match winning streak and will put him to the test against Basavareddy, who he defeated 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-2 at Wimbledon this year, their only Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.
“We have played well since we were very young,” said Tien about Basavareddy. “We grew up very close, we’re both from the States, so we’ve seen each other at a lot of Challengers. It’s good for him to step up as I’ve been doing. It’s nice to see familiar faces at these tournaments, so I think it’ll be good to share the stage with him.”
The clash between Tien and Basavareddy promises to be a court battle and a life-size chess match from the start. Both players have new voices in their corner. Basavareddy this month announced his new partnership with Gilles Cervara, the famous coach who recently worked with Daniil Medvedev. Former World No. 2 Michael Chang trains Tien, after officially joining the lefty’s team in August.
[2] Alexander Blockx (BEL) vs [5] Nicolai Budkov Kjaer (NOR) [starts at 7 p.m.]
Both players have the ability to rip the ball soundly from the first hit, each averaging 11 aces per match this week, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Base control will be at the fore as Blockx and Budkov Kjaer battle to call rallies in their Lexus ATP Head2Head clash. In the 1st to 4th format, there is no margin for error.
“I think I have a big job,” Budkov Kjaer said before the tournament. “That’s an important thing for me if I want to beat the best guys, I have to put it in the toolbox.”
Blockx and Budkov Kjaer are close friends who both won junior Slam titles before moving on to professional tennis. Blockx won the 2023 Australian Open boys’ singles event – beating Tien in the final – while Budkov Kjaer took the 2024 Wimbledon junior crown.
Second seed Blockx advanced to the semifinals after posting a perfect 3-0 record in round-robin action. Budkov Kjaer started the week 2-0 before losing in four sets to Tien on Thursday. Budkov Kjaer’s header against Rafael Jodar was enough for the 19-year-old to secure second place ahead of the Spaniard, who also finished 2-1 in the Blue Group. The Oslo native, one of six players to win a season-best four ATP Challenger titles this season, is the second Norwegian (Casper Ruud) to compete in the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.
