From a restless flight after a junior final loss to a calm, controlled assault on the Next Gen stage, Nicolai Budkov Kjaer has rewritten his Jeddah script with a smile and a fast serve.
At 19, Budkov Kjaer arrives in the semi-finals not as a shocking story but as a tidy, hard-hitting one: smart indoors, physically resilient and quick to turn friendly rivalries into satisfying wins.
How a bitter loss became Jeddah fuel
Budkov Kjaer’s Jeddah week began with a milestone victory, his first in four attempts over Martin Landaluce, and continued with a composed win over Rafael Jodar, the player who beat him in last year’s US Open boys’ final.
The Oslo native has used last year’s tough loss as a blueprint rather than a burden, converting junior disappointment into professional momentum after scooping four ATP Challenger Tour titles in 2025 and climbing to World No. 132.
I still remember the airplane ride, I was struggling to sleep.
Nicolai Budkov Kjaer
If that sleepless night sounds dramatic, the response has been clinical: Budkov Kjaer told reporters he was pleased with his physicality and his ability to extend rallies, and his movement has been an underrated centerpiece of his week.
Infosys ATP Stats underlined that patience, showing the Norwegian won 11/14 rallies that went nine shots or longer against Landaluce, evidence that his conditioning and point construction have matured quickly this season.
Weapons, family and a friendly rivalry
Standing 6’3″, Budkov Kjaer pairs a lively serve with clean groundstrokes, but it is his comfort in longer exchanges that has turned heads; he says the longer the point, the more his game comes into its own indoors.
There is a close-knit feel to his camp, with his sister often courtside and his father Alexander serving as coach, while countryman Casper Ruud is cited by the youngster as a practice mentor whose high-spin approach influenced his own margins and tactics.
There is also a lighter side to the story. Budkov Kjaer has spoken about how beating friends like Landaluce and Jodar feels sweeter because of the camaraderie off court, turning victory laps into locker-room jokes rather than cold formality.
Semifinal showdown: Blockx, Tien and the Jeddah order
On Saturday the draw delivers close friends and stiff tests: Budkov Kjaer meets Alexander Blockx in the first semi at 7 p.m. local time, then Learner Tien faces Nishesh Basavareddy in an all-American match not before 9 p.m.
Blockx and Budkov Kjaer bring big serves and baseline power; the preview notes both players averaged 11 aces per match this week, meaning quick points will be as important as extended rallies in the first-to-4 format.
Budkov Kjaer has admitted his serve is a key weapon if he wants to beat the best, and Blockx will test that with heavy hitting and the momentum of a perfect 3-0 round-robin record at the event.
Across the court later, Tien and Basavareddy bring history and familiarity, having crossed paths often on the junior and Challenger circuits, and Tien summed up that shared journey with a dry, accurate observation about growing up in the same U.S. tennis circles.
“We’ve played a decent bit since we were very young,” Tien said, noting how the pair frequently met at Challengers and junior events, a backdrop that adds extra texture to their semi-final encounter this weekend.
There is plenty of history on display beyond friendships: Blockx won the 2023 Australian Open boys’ title, Budkov Kjaer lifted the 2024 Wimbledon junior crown, and several event alumni have gone on to big tour success, including Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
Budkov Kjaer’s week ended with a tight loss to top seed Learner Tien in the group stage, but his result against Jodar secured second place in Blue Group and a shot at the final, proof that one slip in round-robin play is not fatal in this format.
As for the personal stakes, Budkov Kjaer admitted revenge adds flavor: “To get revenge is always fun and to do it against good friends is also fun because you joke and tease each other about it,” he said, underlining the collegial tone of the Next Gen field.
Looking beyond Saturday, Budkov Kjaer is careful not to rush expectations; he has emphasized competitive volume this year, saying he wants to keep playing lots of matches to grow under pressure and emotion more than any single headline result.
Whether he reaches the final or not, his Jeddah week has already marked a step forward: the first Norwegian semi-finalist at the event, a display of endurance and a clearer professional identity after a turbulent junior finale.
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Christoph Friedrich is a German tennis player and coach currently residing in Oakland, California. He began his tennis journey at the age of eight and has since dedicated his life to the sport. After working as a tennis coach and hitting partner in New York City for eight years, Christoph decided to share his knowledge and experience with tennis players around the world by creating the My Tennis Expert blog. His goal is to make tennis education accessible to everyone and help players select the best equipment for their game, from racquets and strings to shoes and overgrips. Christoph's extensive research and expertise in tennis technology make him a valuable resource for players of all levels.
