American Learner Tien defeats Belgian Alexander Blockx to win Next Gen ATP Finals title
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Learner Tien of the United States preparing to hit a return against Belgium's Alexander Blockx during the final of the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah on Dec 21., when the American clinched the title with a 4-3 (7-4), 4-2, 4-1 victory over the Belgian.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- American Learner Tien defeated Alexander Blockx 4-3(4) 4-2 4-1 to win the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah.
- Tien, ranked 28th, limited unforced errors and capitalised on Blockx's errors to win in under an hour.
- Blockx acknowledged Tien's dominance, stating, "There are not a lot of days I feel helpless on court but today was one of them." (Reuters)
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JEDDAH – American Learner Tien said that he “checked a lot of boxes” as he overpowered his Belgian opponent Alexander Blockx 4-3 (7-4), 4-2, 4-1 to win the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah on Dec 21.
The year-end exhibition tournament featuring the eight highest-ranked players on the ATP Tour aged 20 and under uses a modified format, where a player needs to win four games to clinch a set and winning one point at deuce is enough to take a game.
Tien, who won his first ATP Tour title at the Moselle Open in November, held his nerve and made only 12 unforced errors while Blockx had 23 as the American won the match in just under an hour.
“I was able to check a lot of boxes that I wanted to this year,” said Tien, who lost the 2024 final to Brazil’s Joao Fonseca. “I had a pretty long list of goals I wanted to hit, and I was able to get most of them.
“I’m really happy. I knew it was going to be a tough match. I don’t think (Blockx) missed a serve for the first set and a half. He’s been playing great in these conditions all week.”
Blockx, who hit seven aces while Tien had only one, made his intentions clear from the start, attacking his left-handed rival’s backhand with a fast serve and running up to the net to apply pressure.
But world No. 28 Tien pushed Blockx back with a well-placed lob and won the point with a drive volley.
Although the 116th-ranked Blockx saved a break point and pushed the first set into a tiebreak, Tien outplayed his fellow 20-year-old, before winning the second set with a decisive break.
The American, who has clinched five victories over top-10 ranked players this year, including a straight-set win over then world No. 2 Alexander Zverev in February, got another break in the third set to go 3-1 up, leaving Blockx with little chance of fighting back.
“What a year you’ve had,” Blockx told Tien at the trophy presentation ceremony. “There are not a lot of days I feel helpless on court but today was one of them. You’re just too good.”
It was the first meeting between Tien and Blockx on the senior tour but the pair have history in the juniors’ circuit, with the Belgian notably beating the American in the Australian Open boys’ final two years ago.
Tien now joins an illustrious list of Next Gen champions, which includes world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, four-time Grand Slam winner Jannik Sinner and highest-ranked Greek player Stefanos Tsitsipas.
“It’s very cool to be adding my name to the list of previous winners,” he added. “I think every player who has won this tournament has gone on to do very well, so it means a lot to be up there with those names.”
Looking ahead, Tien will seek to build on the momentum for the 2026 season, beginning at the Australian Open in January.
He made headlines at Melbourne Park in 2025 when he became the youngest player to reach the fourth round since Rafael Nadal did so in 2005.
The American had Michael Chang as his coach this week and will also have his compatriot with him when he makes the trip to Australia.
“I don’t feel like he’s a coach that says a lot during matches,” Tien said of Chang, as quoted by the ATP website.
“But when he feels like I need to hear something, he’s never shying away from telling me, and I think that helps me a lot.” REUTERS, AFP
