Next Gen King: Learner Tien overpowers Blockx to lift Next Gen ATP Finals trophy

Learner Tien became the new champion of the Next Gen ATP Finals after defeating former junior world No. 1 Alexander Blockx (No. 116) in straight sets. The American overcame the Belgian tennis player 4-3(4), 4-2, 4-2, becoming the 8th player to claim the Next Gen title—and the second American, following Brandon Nakashima in 2022.

Tien—currently world No. 28—arrived at the tournament as the favorite, being the most experienced player in the draw at the top level and the only player inside the top 100 in the competition. Tien had already secured several wins against top-10 players and had secured his first ATP title in Metz two months ago—defeating Cameron Norrie in the final.

The 20-year-old American made several interesting appearances at Tour level during 2025, showing his rapid adaptation to the professional tour: he reached the fourth round at the Australian Open, Canadian Open, and Shanghai Masters. He boasts a 5-4 record against top-10 players (including a win against No. 2 Alexander Zverev back in March), in addition to a rise from No. 121 at the start of the season to No. 29 to close the year.

It was a duel between two different styles in Jeddah: between Blockx, standing at 1.90m, who usually dominates with his serve, against Tien, who bases his game on baseline consistency and good point construction—something in which the guidance of former world No. 2 Michael Chang has been essential.

The first set saw Tien quickly earning his first break opportunity in the third game, but he couldn't convert it. Both maintained parity with their serves during the initial set without major differences, taking everything to the tie-break, where Tien took two consecutive mini-breaks and grabbed an important lead [5-1] at the defining moment. The American held onto his serve and finished closing an entertaining first set 4-3(7-4) after 24 minutes.

In the first set, it had been key for Blockx to play with his first serve—a total of 100% first serves in, winning 71% of them—although he failed to win any points with his second serve. During the second set, his first serve percentage dropped sharply to just 56%, something that complicated matters greatly against Tien, who stands as one of the best returners on the tour.

The American maintained consistency with his serve and was effective when chances appeared. At the start, he wasted a break point in his favor, but in the final part, a moment of hesitation from Blockx was enough for Tien to take the break and the second set 4-2.

The two-set advantage for Tien put him in an unbeatable position to go out and seek the victory. In any case, the left-hander did not lose concentration and maintained efficiency with his serve. In the 4th game, his first break opportunity arrived, and he took the lead, going up 3-1 and serving for the win.

Although Tien had small doubts—conceding two break points to his rival—Blockx failed to capitalize on the pair of opportunities he had obtained. Tien, on his first match point, ended up securing a smooth victory by 4-3(7-4), 4-2, 4-2 in just one hour and one minute.

With this, Tien becomes the 8th player to claim the Next Gen ATP Finals title—emulating names like Jannik Sinner (2019), Carlos Alcaraz (2021), and Joao Fonseca (2024). Tien becomes the second American to lift the trophy—after Nakashima in 2022—and finishes a dream season in an ideal way, which will see him as one of the seeds at the upcoming Australian Open.