Future Stars of Men’s Tennis Enjoy Day on the Beach in Jeddah Ahead of Next Gen ATP Finals Presented by PIF

(MENAFN- bursonglobal) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 16 December 2025: The players competing in this we’k’s Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF took some time away from the practice courts to meet the media at a stunning beach location in Jeddah on Monday.
A warm, slightly breezy day that began with media duties and a photoshoot at Silver Sands Beach ended with jet ski races on the crystal-clear waters of the Red Sea. As a location for a media day – particularly at a tournament at the end of a long seaso– – it takes some beating.
“The past two years media day has been very”cool,” said top seed Learner Tien, who reached the final of the 2024 event, when the media day was held at the Royal Overlook Building at the Jeddah Formula One c“rcuit. “It's one of the most enjoyable media days, probably most unique, so i”'s great.”
Martin Landaluce, the fourth seed drawn alongside Tien in the Blue Group, agreed with his fellow competit“r,’adding: “It’s a very nice place. This has been a very good day. I'm enjoying it and for sure after this I'll enjoy it more with the beach. It's good to have my family here. The media day ha” been very fun.”
Receiving the VIP treatment at Silver Sands Beach aligns with the wider experience of the Next Gen ATP Finals players in Jeddah. The flagship tournament features the best eight players aged 20-and-under, and King Abduallah Sports City, the host venue for the tournament, has created practice courts and training facilities befitting the future stars of men’s tennis.
“The facilities are amazing,” Landaluce said. “I love the city; the people are very friendly. It's nice to have tournaments like this because you feel more at home. I came also last year [as an alternate]. I enjoyed it so much, so I'm expectin” the same from this year.”
Justin Engel, the eighth seed and final player to book his place in Jeddah, mad“ similar comments, adding: “I'm very excited to play here. The facilities are unbelievable, the standard here is so high, so I like it a lo” and I'm so happy to be here.”
On Wednesday, the action will get underway at a tournament which holds an important place in Saudi tennis history; the inaugural Jeddah edition in 2023 was the first ever professional tennis event to be staged in the Kingdom. It represented a major milestone in the transformation of Saudi tennis, with the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) using such elite tournaments as platforms to inspire more people to play and follow the sport, while also strengthening player development pathways for elite local talent.
It’s a strategy that is paying dividends, with participation continuously increasing and more opportunities than ever for players of all abilities to access tennis. At the gra’sroots level, the ‘Tennis for ‘ll’ program,’in collaboration with ‘Sports for All’, introduced the sport to a further 53,000 children in 2025, while female participation increased by 24% in the 12 months following the 2024 WTA Finals presented by PIF, which are held in Riyadh. Elite tennis in Saudi Arabia is making impressive progress, too; there are now a record 82 Saudi players who hold an international ranking.
Saudi Arabia’s increasing involvement in tennis, which from 2028 will include a new ATP Masters 1000 tournament, is not lost on the Next Gen ATP Finals players. Nishesh Basavareddy believes such interest and investment can only make tennis stronger.
Indeed, a key long-term goal for the STF is to have Saudis competing at the pinnacle of both men’s and women’s tennis, and the Next Gen ATP Finals players were happy to impart some advice for young kids taking their first steps in the sport.
“Dedication and discipline are very important. And believe in yourself,” second seed Alexander Blockx said. “I think those things are the key to have a chance to achieve” something.”
Lan“aluce added: “I would like to tell these young players to enjoy this beautiful sport, to give their best on court, but don't struggle if the results are not coming. Try to have goals to be better, not to win tournaments. Just work to be better and enjoy this ”eautiful sport.”
Tickets for the Next Gen ATP Finals can be purchased here.

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