{"id":358354,"date":"2025-12-19T13:29:27","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T13:29:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/358354\/"},"modified":"2025-12-19T13:29:27","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T13:29:27","slug":"next-gen-atp-finals-permutations-best-young-mens-tennis-players-aim-for-semifinals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/358354\/","title":{"rendered":"Next Gen ATP Finals permutations: Best young men\u2019s tennis players aim for semifinals"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Next Gen ATP Finals<\/a> in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia<\/a> started with an upset Wednesday, as Rafael Jodar of Spain beat overwhelming favorite Learner Tien<\/a> of the U.S. in their opening round-robin match.<\/p>\n

The final round-robin matches began with all eight players in the field still in with a chance of qualifying, with just Alexander Blockx of Belgium through after two wins out of two. There were a heady 20 qualification scenarios per group, so for those deeply invested, they are reproduced here, and eliminated after the relevant matches have been played.<\/p>\n

Next Gen ATP Finals 2025 Blue Group qualification scenarios<\/p>\n

1) Regardless of score, if Tien defeats Budkov Kj\u00e6r and Landaluce defeats Jodar, then Tien wins the group and Budkov Kjaer qualifies 2nd.
2) Regardless of score, if Budkov Kj\u00e6r defeats Tien and Jodar defeats Landaluce, then Budkov Kjaer wins the group and Jodar qualifies 2nd.
3) If Tien defeats Budkov Kj\u00e6r in 3 sets and Jodar defeats Landaluce in 3 sets, then Tien wins the group and Jodar qualifies 2nd.
4) If Tien defeats Budkov Kj\u00e6r in 3 sets and Jodar defeats Landaluce in 4 sets, then Tien\u00a0wins the group and Budkov Kj\u00e6r qualifies 2nd.
5) If Tien defeats Budkov Kj\u00e6r in in 3 sets and Jodar defeats Landaluce in 5 sets, then Tien\u00a0wins the group and Budkov Kj\u00e6r qualifies 2nd.
6) If Tien defeats Budkov Kj\u00e6r in 4 sets and Jodar defeats Landaluce in 3 sets, then Tien\u00a0wins the group and Budkov Kj\u00e6r\u00a0qualifies 2nd.
7) If Tien defeats Budkov Kj\u00e6r in 4 sets and Jodar defeats Landaluce in 4 sets, then Tien\u00a0wins the group and Budkov Kj\u00e6r\u00a0qualifies 2nd.
8) If Tien defeats Budkov Kj\u00e6r in 4 sets and Jodar defeats Landaluce in 5 sets, then Tien\u00a0wins the group and Budkov Kj\u00e6r\u00a0qualifies 2nd.
9) If Tien defeats Budkov Kj\u00e6r in 5 sets and Jodar defeats Landaluce in 3 sets, then Budkov Kj\u00e6r wins the group and Jodar qualifies 2nd.
10) If Tien defeats Budkov Kj\u00e6r in 5 sets and Jodar defeats Landaluce in 4 sets, then Budkov Kj\u00e6r wins the group and Tien\u00a0qualifies 2nd.
11) If Tien defeats Budkov Kj\u00e6r in 5 sets and Jodar defeats Landaluce in 5 sets, then Budkov Kj\u00e6r wins the group and Tien\u00a0qualifies 2nd.
12) If Budkov Kj\u00e6r defeats Tien in in 3 sets and Landaluce defeats Jodar in in 3 sets, then Budkov Kj\u00e6r wins the group and Landaluce qualifies 2nd.
13) If Budkov Kj\u00e6r defeats Tien in in 3 sets and Landaluce defeats Jodar in 4 sets, then Budkov Kj\u00e6r wins the group and Tien\u00a0qualifies 2nd.
14) If Budkov Kj\u00e6r defeats Tien in in 3 sets and Landaluce defeats Jodar in 5 sets, then Budkov Kj\u00e6r wins the group and Jodar qualifies 2nd.
15) If Budkov Kj\u00e6r defeats Tien in 4 sets and Landaluce defeats Jodar in 3 sets, then Budkov Kj\u00e6r wins the group and Tien\u00a0qualifies 2nd.
16) If Budkov Kj\u00e6r defeats Tien in 4 sets and Landaluce defeats Jodar in 4 sets, then Budkov Kj\u00e6r wins the group and Tien\u00a0qualifies 2nd.
17) If Budkov Kj\u00e6r defeats Tien in 4 sets and Landaluce defeats Jodar in 5 sets, then Budkov Kj\u00e6r wins the group and Tien\u00a0qualifies 2nd.
18) If Budkov Kj\u00e6r defeats Tien in 5 sets and Landaluce defeats Jodar in 3 sets, then Budkov Kj\u00e6r wins the group and Tien\u00a0qualifies 2nd.
19) If Budkov Kj\u00e6r defeats Tien in 5 sets and Landaluce defeats Jodar in 4 sets, then Budkov Kj\u00e6r wins the group and Tien\u00a0qualifies 2nd.
20) If Budkov Kj\u00e6r defeats Tien in 5 sets and Landaluce defeats Jodar in 5 sets, then Budkov Kj\u00e6r wins the group and Tien\u00a0qualifies 2nd.<\/p>\n

Next Gen ATP Finals 2025 Red Group qualification scenarios<\/p>\n

1) Regardless of score, if Blockx defeats Pri\u017emi\u0107 and Basavareddy defeats Engel, then Blockx wins the group and Basavareddy qualifies 2nd.
2) Regardless of score, if Pri\u017emi\u0107 defeats Blockx and Engel defeats Basavareddy, then Pri\u017emi\u0107 wins the group and Blockx qualifies 2nd.
3) If Blockx defeats Pri\u017emi\u0107 in 3 sets and Engel defeats Basavareddy in 3 sets, then Blockx wins the group and Engel qualifies 2nd.
4) If Blockx defeats Pri\u017emi\u0107 in 3 sets and Engel defeats Basavareddy in 4 sets, then Blockx wins the group and Engel qualifies 2nd.
5) If Blockx defeats Pri\u017emi\u0107 in 3 sets and Engel defeats Basavareddy in 5 sets, then Blockx wins the group and Basavareddy qualifies 2nd.
6) If Blockx defeats Pri\u017emi\u0107 in 4 sets and Engel defeats Basavareddy in 3 sets, then Blockx wins the group and Engel qualifies 2nd.
7) If Blockx defeats Pri\u017emi\u0107 in 4 sets and Engel defeats Basavareddy in 4 sets, then Blockx wins the group and Pri\u017emi\u0107 qualifies 2nd.
8) If Blockx defeats Pri\u017emi\u0107 in 4 sets and Engel defeats Basavareddy in 5 sets, then Blockx wins the group and Basavareddy qualifies 2nd.
9) If Blockx defeats Pri\u017emi\u0107 in 5 sets and Engel defeats Basavareddy in 3 sets, then Blockx wins the group and Pri\u017emi\u0107 qualifies 2nd.
10) If Blockx defeats Pri\u017emi\u0107 in 5 sets and Engel defeats Basavareddy in 4 sets, then Blockx wins the group and Pri\u017emi\u0107 qualifies 2nd.
11) If Blockx defeats Pri\u017emi\u0107 in 5 sets and Engel defeats Basavareddy in 5 sets, then Blockx wins the group and Pri\u017emi\u0107 qualifies 2nd.
12) If Pri\u017emi\u0107 defeats Blockx in 3 sets and Basavareddy defeats Engel in 3 sets, then Pri\u017emi\u0107 wins the group and Blockx qualifies 2nd.
13) If Pri\u017emi\u0107 defeats Blockx in 3 sets and Basavareddy defeats Engel in 4 sets, then Pri\u017emi\u0107 wins the group and Blockx qualifies 2nd.
14) If Pri\u017emi\u0107 defeats Blockx in 3 sets and Basavareddy defeats Engel in 5 sets, then Pri\u017emi\u0107 wins the group and Blockx qualifies 2nd.
15) If Pri\u017emi\u0107 defeats Blockx in 4 sets and Basavareddy defeats Engel in 3 sets, then Blockx wins the group and Basavareddy qualifies 2nd.
16) If Pri\u017emi\u0107 defeats Blockx in 4 sets and Basavareddy defeats Engel in 4 sets, then Blockx wins the group and Pri\u017emi\u0107 qualifies 2nd.
17) If Pri\u017emi\u0107 defeats Blockx in 4 sets and Basavareddy defeats Engel in 5 sets, then Blockx wins the group and Pri\u017emi\u0107 qualifies 2nd.
18) If Pri\u017emi\u0107 defeats Blockx in 5 sets and Basavareddy defeats Engel in 3 sets, then Blockx wins the group and Basavareddy qualifies 2nd.
19) If Pri\u017emi\u0107 defeats Blockx in 5 sets and Basavareddy defeats Engel in 4 sets, then Blockx wins the group and Basavareddy qualifies 2nd.
20) If Pri\u017emi\u0107 defeats Blockx in 5 sets and Basavareddy defeats Engel in 5 sets, then Blockx wins the group and Pri\u017emi\u0107 qualifies 2nd<\/p>\n

Tien, who lost in last year\u2019s final to Jo\u00e3o Fonseca<\/a>, entered as world No. 28 after a successful first full season on the ATP Tour. The other seven players in the field, drawn from the best men\u2019s players aged 20 and under, are clustered between world No. 116 and world No. 187; Jodar is No. 168, and has never played a full ATP Tour match, with the Next Gen ATP Finals played to first-to four games.<\/p>\n

Two of the strongest eligible entrants, Jakub Men\u0161\u00edk of Czechia and Fonseca of Brazil, who like Tien this year became mainstays on the regular tour, withdrew ahead of the event due to injury. Men\u0161\u00edk and Fonseca finished first and second in the \u2018Race to Jeddah,\u2019 which counts ranking points won by season. That meant that Jodar, who finished No. 9 in the race, was eligible to play; No. 10, Rei Sakamoto of Japan, then also withdrew through injury, giving a spot to Justin Engel of Germany, who is the youngest player in the field at 18.<\/p>\n

Jodar finished the year strongly by winning two consecutive ATP Challenger Tour titles, the rung below the main tour. Just below Tien in the race were Alexander Blockx, who made the second round of the Cincinnati Masters this summer, and Martin Landaluce, who won a Challenger Tour title in September by beating rising Belgian Rapha\u00ebl Collignon in the final.<\/p>\n

Dino Pri\u017emi\u0107, the Croatian who memorably went toe-to-toe with Novak Djokovic at the 2024 Australian Open, qualified alongside Nishesh Basavareddy of the U.S., who took a set off Djokovic at this year\u2019s Australian Open and recently added Gilles Cervara, Daniil Medvedev\u2019s former coach, to his team. The final qualifier is Nicolai Budkov Kj\u00e6r of Norway, who won four Challenger Tour titles this season.<\/p>\n

This is how the draw shook out:<\/p>\n

Next Gen ATP Finals Blue Group<\/p>\n

PlayerAgeATP Ranking ‘Race to Jeddah’ Ranking<\/p>\n

Learner Tien<\/p>\n

20<\/p>\n

28<\/p>\n

3<\/p>\n

Martin Landaluce<\/p>\n

19<\/p>\n

134<\/p>\n

6<\/p>\n

Nicolai Budkov Kj\u00e6r<\/p>\n

19<\/p>\n

136<\/p>\n

7<\/p>\n

Rafael Jodar<\/p>\n

19<\/p>\n

168<\/p>\n

9<\/p>\n

Next Gen ATP Finals Red Group<\/p>\n

PlayerAgeATP Ranking ‘Race to Jeddah’ Ranking<\/p>\n

Alexander Blockx<\/p>\n

20<\/p>\n

116<\/p>\n

4<\/p>\n

\tDino Pri\u017emi\u0107<\/p>\n

20<\/p>\n

128<\/p>\n

5<\/p>\n

Nishesh Basavareddy<\/p>\n

20<\/p>\n

167<\/p>\n

8<\/p>\n

Justin Engel<\/p>\n

18<\/p>\n

187<\/p>\n

11<\/p>\n

Before Jodar\u2019s stunning win over Tien in the first round-robin run, Blockx cruised past Engel 3-4(7), 4-2, 4-2, 4-2, while Basavareddy overcame Pri\u017emi\u0107 in a tighter match that went the same distance, 4-2, 4-3(7), 3-4(3), 4-2. Budkov Kj\u00e6r then beat a nervy Landaluce 4-1, 3-4(7), 4-2, 4-3(4).<\/p>\n

In the second round of matches:<\/p>\n

Pri\u017emi\u0107 def. Engel 4-1, 2-4, 4-3(3), 4-1
Blockx\u00a0def.\u00a0Basavareddy\u00a04-3(2), 4-3(10-8), 4-1<\/p>\n

Budkov Kj\u00e6r\u00a0def.\u00a0Jodar 4-1, 4-2, 1-4, 4-2
Tien\u00a0def.\u00a0Landaluce 1-4, 4-1, 4-3(4), 4-3(2)<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s everything to know about the event.<\/p>\n

How does the Next Gen ATP Finals draw work?<\/p>\n

The eight players who qualified were split into four pairs for the draw. The first pair is No. 1 and No. 2, the second is No. 3 and No. 4, and so on.<\/p>\n

These seedings follow the players\u2019 rankings in the \u2018ATP Race to Jeddah,\u2019 the table which only counts ranking points earned in 2025.<\/p>\n

The No. 1 seed (Learner Tien) and No. 2 seed (Alexander Blockx) were drawn into the Blue Group and the Red Group respectively. The remaining three pairs were then allocated a spot at random, pair-by-pair.<\/p>\n

What is the format for the Next Gen ATP Finals?<\/p>\n

The ATP Next Gen Finals begins Wednesday December 17, with four matches per day in the group stages: two in the Jeddah afternoon from 11 a.m. GMT \/ 6 a.m. ET and two in the Jeddah evening from 4 p.m. GMT \/ 11 a.m. ET.<\/p>\n

The final is Sunday, December 21 and the two semifinals will be played Saturday, December 20.<\/p>\n

Each player plays three round-robin matches, before the top two in each group contest the semifinals, with 1st in the Blue Group playing 2nd in the Red Group and visa versa.<\/p>\n

Each match is best of five sets, but the first player to win four games wins the set, rather than the usual six, and a tiebreak is played at 3-3 instead of 6-6. The tiebreaks are first to seven points with a two-point winning margin \u2014 7-4, 7-5, 8-6, 9-7, etc.<\/p>\n

The event also uses \u2018No-Ad\u2019 scoring. At 40-40, the server chooses to serve to the deuce court or the ad court and the two players play a deciding point. There were previously no lets, a feature of American college tennis in which a serve that hits the net but lands in the correct service box counts as a live ball, but that has been removed for 2025.<\/p>\n

The shot clock between points, which has been a contentious issue on the ATP Tour, is also different to the main tour. If a point is fewer than three shots, the usual 25-second time between points is reduced to 15 seconds, with eight seconds allowed between the first and second serve at all times.<\/p>\n

Who won last year\u2019s tournament?<\/p>\n

Fonseca defeated Tien 2-4, 4-3, 4-0, 4-2 to win the 2024 event. It was the first edition for which only players 20-and-under were eligible, with the \u2018Next Gen\u2019 having included players aged 21 and under prior to that.<\/p>\n

How much prize money is there?<\/p>\n

Each of the eight players gets $154,000 (\u00a3114,740) just for participating. A round-robin match win is worth $37,500 (\u00a327,940); a semifinal win earns $113,500 (\u00a386,425) and victory in the final is worth $157,250 (\u00a3117,155). If the eventual champion goes undefeated, they will take home $539,750 (\u00a3402,130).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia started with an upset Wednesday, as Rafael Jodar of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":358355,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[565],"tags":[64,63,85,747],"class_list":["post-358354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tennis","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-sports","tag-tennis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358354","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=358354"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358354\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/358355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=358354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=358354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=358354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}