Round-robin action at the NextGen ATP Finals continues on Friday, with Student Tien taking on Nicolai Budkov Kjaer. Martin Landaluce and Rafael Jodar are scheduled for the Spanish tournament.
(1) Student Tien vs. (5) Nicolai Budkov Kjaer
It’s all still to be played in the Blue Group at the NextGen ATP Finals. Tien enters the final day of the round robin tournament in Jeddah with a 1-1 record, while Budkov Kjaer is 2-0 overall. It is correct to say Tien it should He is unbeatable, as he missed four points before losing to Rafael Jodar 1-4, 4-3 (3), 1-4, 4-2, 4-3 (4) on Wednesday. Budkov Kjaer defeated both Jodar and Martin Landaluce.
While Budkov Kjaer has a lot of talent and is playing well, there is a lot to like about Tien’s chances. The American lefty has already reached No. 28 in the world, was the runner-up for NextGen in 2024 (lost to Joao Fonseca), and closed the 2025 regular season with an ATP 250 title in Metz. That kind of experience should see him overtake the 136th-ranked Norwegian.
Select: Merge to 4
(4) Martin Landaluce vs. (7) Rafael Jodar
Landaluce is 0-2, but has not been statistically eliminated from the semifinals. If he beats Jodar and Budkov Kjaer beats Tien, Budkov Kjaer will win the Blue Group 3-0 and everyone else will be 1-2 – where second place will come down to percentage of sets won or percentage of games won.
After losing to Budkov Kjaer 4-1, 3-4(7), 4-2, 4-3(4), Landaluce lost to Tien 1-4, 4-1, 4-3(3), 4-3(2) on Thursday. Jodar followed up his exciting upset of Tien with a 4-1, 4-2, 1-4, 4-2 against Budkov Kjaer. This should be a competitive contest between two Spaniards who know each other very well. A slight edge would go to Landaluce, who is a bit rested and really wants to get one more win before leaving Jeddah.
Select: Landaluce to 5
