Next Gen ATP Finals Groups Featuring Learner Tien Announced as Jakub Menšík Missing

Learner Tien to lead Next Gen ATP Finals groups; Jakub Menšík not included.

The Next Gen ATP Finals is set to take place from Dec. 17 to Dec. 21 at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. The event has lost some luster with the withdrawal of defending champion João Fonseca and another top contender, Jakub Menšík, both due to injury concerns. However, the remaining lineup of the top-ranked eight players under the age of 20 has been divided into two groups.

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Groups for Next Gen ATP Finals Released

The Blue Group at the Next Gen ATP Finals features the top seed and last year’s runner-up Learner Tien. Tien has primarily played on the main tour this season, finishing with a 32-23 record. The American reached two tour-level finals in Beijing and Metz, winning his maiden ATP title in Metz with a victory over Cameron Norrie. He also claimed wins over top-ranked players, including Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev.

More: ATP Receives ‘Ranking Cutoff’ Demand As Fans Make Reservations Clear on Learner Tien, Jakub Menšík’s Next Gen Finals Stint

The Blue Group also features fourth seed Martin Landaluce, who played only six matches on the main tour in 2025, winning just one. He fared better on the Challenger Tour, winning the Orleans Challenger and reaching the semifinals in Canberra, Prague, Nottingham, and Olbia.

Fifth-seeded Nicolai Budkov Kjaer of Norway has a modest 3-5 record on the tour this year but excelled on the Challenger Tour, winning titles in Glasgow, Tampere, Astana, and Le, along with a runner-up finish at an ITF event in Alzette.

The final player in the Blue Group is Spaniard Rafael Jódar. Jódar did not play on the main tour in 2025 but had a strong Challenger season, winning three titles in Hersonissos, Lincoln, and Charlottesville.

Red Group Featuring Alexander Blockx

The Red Group will be headlined by second seed Alexander Blockx of Belgium. He went 2-6 on the main tour but found success on the Challenger Tour, winning titles in Oeiras and Bratislava and finishing runner-up in Winnipeg.

Third-seeded Dino Prižmić is the second player in the Red Group. The Croatian teenager played a handful of main-tour events in 2025, reaching the quarterfinals in Umag. On the Challenger Tour, he won titles in Zagreb and Bratislava and was runner-up in Milan, San Marino, and Grodzisk Mazowiecki.

Sixth-seeded Nishesh Basavareddy played 20 tour-level matches in 2025, winning seven, with a semifinal finish in Auckland as his best result. His most high-profile match came against Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, where the American teenager won a set against the 24-time major champion. On the Challenger Tour, Basavareddy reached three quarterfinals.

Justin Engel rounds out the Red Group. He played nine main-tour matches this year, with a quarterfinal finish in Stuttgart as his best result, and won a Challenger title in Hamburg and an ITF title in Cadolzburg.

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