![\"Federico](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/what-fuels-me-next-in-line-2025.jpg\")
<\/p>\n Next Gen
\n Fuel for the Future: Inside the mindset driving #NextGenATP stars <\/p>\n
Landaluce, Engel, and Cina reveal what is powering their rise<\/p>\n
November 17, 2025<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Getty Images<\/p>\n
Federico Cina\/Justin Engel and Martin Landaluce open up on what fuels them.
\n By Jerome Coombe<\/p>\n
\u201cNerves are opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the lesson Martin Landaluce<\/a> carries into every match, and it\u2019s a mindset that perfectly captures the spirit of the new generation.<\/p>\n As the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF<\/a> approach, Landaluce, Justin Engel<\/a> and Federico Cina<\/a> are proving that what fuels tomorrow\u2019s stars isn\u2019t luck or raw talent, but the inner tools they\u2019ve built: discipline, joy, connection and the belief that pressure can push you forward.<\/p>\n Landaluce claimed his second ATP Masters 1000 main-draw win in Cincinnati in August and added a second ATP Challenger Tour title to his resume one month later in Orleans, France. The results lifted him into strong contention to reach Jeddah and showed a maturity well beyond his 19 years. It\u2019s a maturity that begins off the court.<\/p>\n \u201cI like doing a lot of things outside of tennis that help me mentally. Reading, breathing exercises, meditation,\u201d Landaluce recently told ATPTour.com. \u201cThose things help me stay focused on court. I try to rely on discipline more than motivation. A lot of people think motivation comes first, but for me, discipline comes first and that brings motivation.<\/p>\n \u201cYou start doing something, and as you get better, you start enjoying it more. That\u2019s where the motivation comes from.\u201d<\/p>\n You May Also Like: Learning from legends: Nadal, Cilic, Ram inspiring #NextGenATP stars<\/a><\/p>\n The Spaniard began training at the Rafa Nadal Academy when he was 14 and has been able to gain valuable insight from the 22-time major champion and former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. At the same time, he also began working with a psychologist, a combination that helped shape his understanding of pressure and helped him view nerves as a sign of growth rather than fear.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s helped me mature a lot, not just as a tennis player, but as a person,\u201d Landaluce said when asked about working with his psychologist. \u201cOne big thing is learning that nerves are actually good. They mean you care. Nerves are opportunities.<\/p>\n \u201cYou also have to learn to manage pressure, whether it\u2019s from winning a big tournament, from your country, your club, or expectations others put on you. That\u2019s a lot for someone who\u2019s 16, 17, or 18 years old. Psychology has helped me stay calm, block out the noise and not get caught up in the negative side of things like social media or criticism. It\u2019s helped me focus on what really matters.\u201d<\/p>\n Landaluce\u2019s commitment to discipline is a thread that also runs through the rise of Germany\u2019s Engel, another standout in this year\u2019s PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah.<\/p>\n Engel\u2019s 2025 season has been defined by breakthrough progress, most notably his inspired run on home soil in Stuttgart. The then-17-year-old became the second-youngest player since 1990 to win a tour-level match on all three surfaces after Nadal. In October, Engel overcame fellow Next Gen contender Cina in a tight final to capture his first ATP Challenger Tour title.<\/p>\n Watch Engel reach his first ATP Tour quarter-final in Stuttgart:<\/p>\n Despite the milestones, Engel remains grounded, built around simple rituals and a deep sense of dedication.<\/p>\n On the road, he finds balance through connection.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I have to do nothing, I call my friends and we talk for almost two to three hours,\u201d Engel said, and on match days, he sticks to the same familiar routine: \u201cI always eat the same thing in the morning\u2026 six eggs.\u201d<\/p>\n But like Landaluce, the foundation of Engel\u2019s rise is discipline.<\/p>\n \u201cI always say it’s not about motivation, just about discipline,\u201d the 18-year-old added. \u201cI try to give my best. Of course, sometimes it’s good to have motivation, but it’s not important. You just need to be dedicated, to be professional and just do your thing.\u201d<\/p>\n As Engel continues his rise, Cina has carved out his own impressive path in 2025, building steadily on his early-season breakthrough. The Italian earned his first tour-level win at the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami and has also reached three ATP Challenger Tour finals this year.<\/p>\n For Cina, staying level-headed is just as important as pushing forward. Away from the court, he finds his balance in the familiar comforts that keep him connected to home.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m usually quite relaxed, even before big matches,\u201d said Cina, who reached the US Open<\/a> semi-finals as a junior in 2023. \u201cI like to chat with my friends, maybe video call them because I don\u2019t see them much. I like traveling and flying, but I also miss home. Still, it\u2019s my job and I love it, so I have to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n The long season has brought its challenges, but the 18-year-old approaches it all with a calm perspective, aided by the support of his father and former professional, Francesco Cina<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cRecently I was a bit sick at a tournament, and this hasn\u2019t been a great period,\u201d Cina admitted. \u201cI\u2019m also a bit tired after the season, but my coach and my dad remind me to keep enjoying practice. Keeping that spirit is very important, and the results will come. We talk about sport. I love my football so that helps me switch off from tennis.\u201d<\/p>\n Cina\u2019s calm contrasts with one of the most defining ideas Landaluce carries with him, a mantra passed down from his father and one he returns to when the pressure spikes.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s one mantra my dad always told me on court: \u2018You\u2019re alone. Help yourself win\u2019,\u201d Landaluce said. \u201cIt\u2019s simple, but powerful. In tennis, you\u2019re out there alone. There\u2019s no team like in football, it\u2019s just you. You have to manage your emotions, your decisions, your pressure, everything, by yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a reminder that while each player on the road to Jeddah has their own rituals, rhythms and sources of energy, the heart of their journeys is the same. Whether through discipline, friendship or joy, they\u2019re learning to rely on themselves and to use every moment, even pressure, as fuel for what comes next.<\/p>\n This is the fourth feature of our Next Gen ATP series Next in Line. Read our other stories here: \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Next Gen Fuel for the Future: Inside the mindset driving #NextGenATP stars Landaluce, Engel, and Cina reveal what…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":299579,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[72],"tags":[99,428],"class_list":["post-299578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tennis","tag-sports","tag-tennis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=299578"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299578\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/299579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=299578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=299578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=299578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Federico Cina” style=”width:100%;” src=”https:\/\/www.atptour.com\/-\/media\/images\/news\/2025\/11\/17\/15\/08\/cina-miami-2025-next-gen.jpg”>Federico Cina<\/a> maid his tour-level main-draw debut in Miami. Photo: Peter Staples\/ATP Tour.<\/p>\n
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L<\/a>earning from Legends: Nadal, Cilic & Ram inspiring #NextGenATP stars<\/a><\/p>\n