Next Gen Round-Up: Learner Tien falls, Blockx and Basavareddy strike early on dramatic Day One

Action at the Next Gen ATP Finals kicked off with Day One of the Round Robin stage, where Alexander Blockx and Nishesh Basavareddy secured their first victories to start their tournament campaigns on the right foot.

However, the headline of the day was the stunning upset of the top seed. Learner Tien—the current World No. 28—was ambushed by the Spanish 7th seed Rafael Jodar, who rallied from a set down and saved multiple match points to claim victory in a fifth-set tie-break. The tournament features a unique format with sets played to 4 games and a tie-break at 3-all.

The opening duel featured young Croatian Dino Prizmic (No. 128) facing off against American Nishesh Basavareddy (No. 167), who has recently partnered with Daniil Medvedev's former coach, Gilles Cervara. The American was the first to take the advantage in the opening set after a tight start where a single break made the difference.

Prizmic pushed the second set to a tie-break and took a rapid lead with two mini-breaks. However, it wasn't enough; the Croatian squandered three set points along the way before Basavareddy reeled off 5 of the last 6 points to go up two sets to love. Prizmic managed to reduce the deficit by taking the third-set tie-break, but Basavareddy refused to allow a full comeback. He played a solid fourth set, securing an early break that ultimately handed him the victory in four sets.

The second match marked the debut of the second seed Alexander Blockx, a former Junior No. 1 and member of the Belgian Davis Cup team, who has already notched several ATP-level wins this season, including a second-round appearance at the Cincinnati Open. He faced Justin Engel, the last player to qualify for the Finals just a week ago—following the withdrawal of top prospect Jakub Mensik (No. 19)—and the youngest player in the draw as the only competitor born in 2007.

The German teenager took the lead in the first set, saving a set point against him to steal the tie-break 4-3(9-7). However, Blockx gradually took control of the match. Firing a total of 17 aces and winning 85% of his first-serve points, the Belgian swept the following sets without trouble, securing a crucial break in each to close out the win.

The Blue Group action began with the debut of World No. 28 Learner Tien, the tournament's top seed and a finalist at the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals. The American started by imposing his status, taking the first set in just 18 minutes by a score of 4-1. However, Jodar (No. 168) managed to stay in the fight during a tight second set—marked by two breaks on each side—and leveled the match in the tie-break amidst errors from the left-handed Tien.

The American responded by taking two consecutive breaks in the third set to close it out easily at 4-1, appearing to regain control. Surprisingly, the Spaniard responded in the fourth set, capitalizing on a dip in his rival's first-serve percentage (just 59%) to send the match to a decider.

It was the first duel of the day to go the distance. In the fifth set, drama peaked as Tien held a match point at 3-1 on his serve, and then three more on the return at 3-2. However, Jodar showed immense resilience to stay in the contest until the very end. In the deciding tie-break, he rallied from a mini-break down, winning 6 of the last 7 points played to secure the biggest upset of the tournament so far.

In the closing match of the day, 4th seed Martin Landaluce (No. 134) faced off against 5th seed Nicolai Budkov Kjaer (No. 136). The Norwegian was the first to take the advantage, securing two breaks thanks to the Spaniard's serving struggles. A double fault gifted the first set to Budkov Kjaer after just 17 minutes, as he appeared to be in a much better rhythm than his rival.

The Spaniard squandered a 3-1 lead in the second set and watched as Budkov sent everything to a tie-break. Nevertheless, Landaluce managed to clinch the tie-break, even saving a set point against him. The Norwegian took the third set with a single break, while in the fourth, he recovered from a break down to force a tie-break, where he rattled off 6 consecutive points to close out the victory.