Rafael Jodar was the star of the show for much of the Mutua Madrid Open, but it is a different player who is the last man standing among the 2025 NextGen ATP Finals contingent.
Alexander Blockx’s breakout tournament will see him go up against Alexander Zverev in the Madrid semifinals on Friday night. Blockx earned his spot in this matchup by beating Cristian Garin, Brandon Nakashima, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Francisco Cerundolo, and Casper Ruud. The 21-year-old Belgian came back from a set down against both Garin and Nakashima before winning his next three matches in straight sets.
It has not come entirely out of nowhere. Blockx was the NextGen runner-up in 2025 and he had already climbed to 69th in the rankings even before arriving in Madrid, partly thanks to a recent third-round performance in Monte-Carlo as a qualifier.
For Zverev, of course, an appearance in the Madrid semis is nothing other than the norm. This has always been one of the third-ranked German’s favorite events. He is 29-6 lifetime at the Caja Magica with two titles (2018, 2021) and one runner-up showing (2022). Zverev is back in the last four following victories over Mariano Navone, Terence Atmane, Jakub Mensik, and Flavio Cobolli.
Zverev’s experience should give him the upper hand in the pressure-packed moments, but at least one tiebreaker can be expected for what will likely be a competitive and high-quality contest from start to finish.
Pick: Zverev in 2