“The most important time here is to stay calm in the head”: Alexander Blockx one step away from Next Gen crown

Alexander Blockx is just one step away from the Next Gen ATP Finals title after overcoming a difficult challenge against Norway's Nicolai Budkov Kjaer in the semifinals. The 20-year-old Belgian secured a straight-sets victory, 4-3(4), 4-3(8), 4-2, remaining the only player in the tournament to finish the Round Robin undefeated and booking his spot in his first final.

The Antwerp native has been the most consistent player in this edition of the Next Gen event, dropping just two sets across his four matches played. The World No. 116, who already claimed two Challenger trophies this year in Bratislava 2 and Oeiras 3, will look to cap off his year in the best possible way while he awaits his opponent—the winner between Nishesh Basavareddy and Learner Tien.

On Saturday, he defeated Budkov Kjaer and is now just one match away from becoming the champion of the tournament's 8th edition, potentially succeeding Brazil's Joao Fonseca. "I think it may have been straight sets but it was my most difficult match this week by far," Blockx told the ATP after the match. "I think the level we both played was really high. The second set, again it is just here that the luck fell on my side a bit. We had some very long rallies and I am very happy I could share this moment with him.”

It was a highly anticipated duel between two former Junior No. 1s and Grand Slam champions. As the Belgian noted, months ago he joked with Budkov about the possibility of facing each other at the Next Gen tournament at the end of the year.

"We have been speaking about the Next Gen for a long time. In September we were talking: ‘Imagine if we made it to Jeddah and played each other there’, so it is amazing to have been able to share this match with him. He is one of my best friends on Tour so it was a really nice Saturday for me."

Blockx became the first Belgian tennis player to reach a Next Gen Finals championship match and could be the first to take home the title. "It sounds exciting," Blockx said about Sunday's final. "I am going to prepare the best I can. I think physically I am feeling good, even though these are tough matches and you have shorter time between the points. The rallies go longer and with the no Ads you don't have too much time to think, so I think the most important time here is to stay calm in the head and that is what I am doing."

Budkov Kjaer, for his part, bid farewell to the tournament, though with positive feelings regarding the level he displayed. The 1.90m player finished his run in Jeddah satisfied with his performance and the new opportunity to gain experience at the highest level. “I've always been a guy that likes to compete and play matches — I get motivated by that,” Budkov Kjaer said to the ATP Tour. “I really like playing a lot of matches each year because you have all the pressure, all the emotions.”

“You can never train like it is in a match. I think it's a good thing and something I will keep doing, of course,” the 20-year-old player added. “I'm still super young, so I have a big career in front of me. I hope I'm not at my peak yet… I hope I play better in every tournament I come to and I think I am getting better and playing some of my best tennis right now.”