The 2026 tennis season is only three weeks away, so the NextGen ATP Finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is more of a preseason tuneup rather than a year-end tournament. It will take place Wednesday through Sunday, December 17-21. Jeddah is the host site for the third time following five years in Milan, Italy. The eight-man field at this 20-and-under event features Learner Tien, Alexander Blockx, Dino Prizmic, Martin Landaluce, Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, Nishesh Basavareddy, Rafael Jodar, and Justin Engel.
Here are my three favorite picks to win the NextGen ATP Finals.
Learner Tien
With Jakub Mensik and Joao Fonseca having withdrawn from the event, Tien is without question the cream of the crop. He is also one of just two returning competitors along with Basavareddy. Tien finished runner-up to Fonseca 12 months ago, so the 20-year-old American will take fond memories into a repeat Jeddah appearance. He comes in at No. 28 in the world — almost certain to be seeded at the 2026 Australian Open.
Nishesh Basavareddy
Basavareddy is the only other participant who has NextGen ATP Finals experience. The 20-year-old American also has Gilles Cervara in his corner after Cervara wrapped up an almost decade-long partnership with Daniil Medvedev this summer. Basavareddy slumped a bit to 167th in the world after briefly peaking inside the top 100 at No. 99 earlier in 2025, but he knows how to handle the big stage better than most of his peers.
Justin Engel
Outside of Tien, it’s probably worth taking a look at longshots — such as Basavareddy and Engel — in what is a relatively wide-open field two through eight. Basavareddy and Engel also have the benefit of being in a considerably weaker Red Group, which gives them every opportunity to at least reach the semifinals. From there, anything can happen. Engel, 18, is a big-hitting German who is already showing promise on faster surfaces like grass and indoor hard courts.