Nicolai Budkov Kjaer ready to unleash ‘The Hammer’ in Vienna | ATP Tour

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Sinner’s practice partner Budkov Kjaer ready to unleash ‘Hammer’ in Vienna

#NextGenATP The Norwegian will face Etcheverry in his ATP 500 debut in Austria on Tuesday

October 20, 2025

He may only be 19 years old and have only won one ATP Tour match, but Nicolai Budkov Kjaer is already a familiar face to many of tennis’s elite.

#NextGenATP The Norwegian will compete in the Bank One Open in Vienna this week, where he will make his ATP 500 debut as a wildcard in a draw headed by Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev. Speaking to ATPTour.com as part of his media day duties in the Austrian capital, Budkov Kjaer was warmly greeted by Sinner coach Darren Cahill, a reminder of the links already established between the Norwegian teenager and some of the sport’s biggest names.

“Sinner and I have practiced a lot together over the past year, so we have gotten to know each other a little bit. I think we are very close to being number one in the world,” joked the Norwegian, who was the former world number one in the junior category and was Nitto’s hitting partner at the ATP Finals last November. “Darren said to me I was playing well and had a lot of potential.

“My forehand swing is really powerful, so he said, ‘Try to get ready early and your forehand will be a hammer blow’. [I found that] It’s actually pretty funny. ”

It’s one thing to receive praise from top coaches in practice, but Budkov Kjaer knows he still has a lot to learn when going head-to-head against the best players on the ATP Tour.

“I’ve been a batting partner in a lot of tournaments before, so I’m kind of used to training with players rather than playing against them,” said the Norwegian, who is coached by his father Alexander Kjaer. “I’m not used to it yet, but hopefully one day I will.”

Budkov Kjaer has had a whirlwind few days in Vienna, even without even setting foot on the pitch. On Friday, he earned a qualifying wild card in the indoor hard-court event. By Saturday morning, this had been upgraded to a main draw wild card after Matteo Berrettini stepped straight into the field.

“I woke up in the morning as usual, preparing for the qualifying round, and suddenly my dad told me that Berrettini might play in the main draw and that I could get a wild card for the main draw,” Budkov Kjaer recalled. “Then I got the call.

“I’m really excited. I’ve never played in the 500 level, so obviously I’m very excited and very happy. I just jumped a little bit and was just filled with happiness.”

Budkov Kjaer won four ATP Challenger titles in 2025 and won his first ATP Tour match against Thiago Monteiro in Bastad in July. The in-form teenager may be a newcomer to the biggest tournament on tour, but in Saturday’s draw in Vienna he comes up against a familiar opponent: Argentinian Tomas Martin Echeverry, whom he beat in the final set tie-break of the Davis Cup qualifying tournament in February.

“We have played each other once, so we know each other’s playing styles,” Budkov Kjaer, who holds a 5-6 tour-level record according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, said when asked about Echeverri. “We played a Davis Cup match in February. I lost the third one 7-6, so I guess it was a bad defeat. I’m going to be close [this match] With excitement. ”

Budkov Kjaer has a 34-16 record in Challenger play this year, placing sixth at the PIF ATP Live event in Jeddah and looking to earn a spot at the PIF-hosted Next Generation ATP Finals in December. That would be a significant achievement for a player who didn’t start the season thinking about playing in the 20-and-under finals.

“I was ranked very low at the beginning of the year, so I didn’t expect that at the beginning of the year,” the Norwegian said. “Because I won the Challenger earlier in the year, I kind of thought maybe I could qualify. Then there were some results here and there and all of a sudden I was competing. Now, it would be really disappointing not to compete there. I have a good opportunity now.”

Budkov Kjaer started the year at No. 518 in the world rankings, but his stellar performance at the Challenger helped him rise nearly 400 spots, reaching a career-high No. 136 on October 13. An improvement in the rankings gave him access to a Next Gen Accelerator seat at the BNP Paribas Nordic Open main draw in Stockholm last week, and now he has another chance at the main draw this week in Vienna, where he’s ready to try and make his mark.

“I just want to take advantage of every opportunity,” Budkov Kjaer said. “It’s been a great year, but I just try to take it game by game, little by little. I try not to think about how much I’ve won or how much I’ve won. I just try to take advantage of every opportunity I get. I can’t control what’s happened or what’s going to happen. I’m just trying to live in the moment.”