ATP Tour

Jodar saves 4 MPs, stuns top seed Tien in Jeddah thriller, Budkov Kjaer wins

Rafael Jodar ensured that there was no shortage of drama on his debut appearance at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in Jeddah on Wednesday evening.

The World No. 168 saved four match points in a courageous 1-4, 4-3(3), 1-4, 4-2, 4-3(4) win over top seed and tournament favourite Learner Tien in front of a vibrant crowd. Jodar, who was in Jeddah last year as a hitting partner, delivered a heavy-hitting display and used his fearless aggression late in the fifth-set to earn a two-hour victory.

That Jodar celebration 🎉 #NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/RiAFMLmyrJ

— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) December 17, 2025

“It was a battle,” said Jodar. “I knew the conditions were good for both, but I handled the good moments very well and I’m super happy to get the first win here in Jeddah. I just tried to keep going and believe in myself. Learner always plays well, so I had to keep believing and I knew that I was going to have a chance.”

Tien, the World No. 28 and only Top 100 player in the field, leaked 23 unforced errors across the second and fourth sets to offer Jodar a route back into their first Lexus ATP Head2Head clash. But the 19-year-old Spaniard will take all the plaudits for the way he fended off the match points — including a drilled backhand down-the-line winner on the fourth.

After moving to 1-0 in Blue Group, the seventh-seeded Jodar can now look ahead to meetings with two fellow debutants — Martin Landaluce and Nicolai Budkov Kjaer — in the round-robin stage.

Fifth seed Budkov Kjaer closed out an intriguing opening night session by notching his first win over Landaluce, hitting a series of stunning winners en route to a 4-1, 3-4(7), 4-2, 4-3(4) victory. The two debutants put on a show for the lively fans as they continued their 2025 rivalry, but Budkov Kjaer’s resilience and consistency proved to be the difference maker.

“Martin is a good friend of mine,” said Budkov Kjaer, who lost all three of their Challenger meetings in 2025. “He’s been lucky enough to beat me three times this year and he’s been on my list of players to beat. To get it here in Jeddah at the end of the season is great, so I’m very happy.”

The 19-year-old Norwegian won 79 per cent (11/14) of all points over nine shots, including a dazzling back-in-behind winner to end a 18-ball exchange in the second set.

On Thursday in Jeddah, Budkov Kjaer will have a shot at revenge when he faces Jodar, who beat him in a third-set tie-break in the US Open boys’ final last year. Both players are arriving at the 20-and-under event in hot form, though Budkov Kjaer has won a Tour-leading four ATP Challenger Tour titles this season.