Tian returns to Next Generation ATP Finals Championship to face Alexander Blockx ATP Tour
match report
Tien returns to the Next Generation ATP Finals Championship to face Blockx
The U.S. beat Basavaredi 4-2, 4-1, 4-3(3) in Saturday’s semifinals
December 20, 2025
Colleen Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Cadet Tian will return to the finals in Jeddah on Saturday.
Sam Jacott
Rookie Tian En returned to the championship match and defeated his friend Nishesh Basavareddy 4-2, 4-1, 4-3(3) at the Next Generation ATP Finals hosted by PIF in Jeddah on Saturday.
The American lost the final to Brazilian star Joao Fonseca 12 months ago but will aim to go one step further when he takes on 20-year-old Belgian Alexander Broux on Sunday. This year, Thien returns to Jeddah as the top seed and becomes just the second player in tournament history to reach multiple tournament finals, joining world number seven Alex De Minaur (2018-19).
“I won the first game and I had a chance in the second game but he ran away,” Tian said of last year’s final loss to Fonseca. “I’m going to try not to let that happen tomorrow…I know Alex has played well this week, so I’m really excited.”
Tien, ranked 28th in the world, comes into the 20-and-under event as a favorite after an outstanding year, notably his first Tour-level win in the 250-and-under event in Metz. However, his season got off to a rocky start when he lost in five sets to Rafael Hodal in the round-robin opener.
Under pressure, the left-hander responded with wins over Martin Landalus and Nikolai Budkov Kjaer and took control in the 75-minute semi-final against Basavaredi, who had two medical timeouts due to a serious cut on his finger.
In a controllable performance, Tien showed he is at the level that will lead him to five top-10 wins in 2025, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. He recovered from a dropped serve in the first of the first two sets and controlled the tempo with clean baseline shots. The 20-year-old made six fewer unforced errors than Basava Reddy (19-25) and struck at the right moment to win. Tien will play Blockx on Sunday at 8pm local time.
The 20-year-old Basavareddy, who has a 2-1 record in the round-robin stage, is competing in the tournament with coach Gilles Cervala for the first time since the two teamed up in early December. Basavareddy’s best result in 2025 was at the ATP 250 event in Auckland, where he reached the semi-finals.
