ATP Next Gen Finals: Top Seed Lerner Qian Blows Four Match Points and Suffers Upset

On December 17, 2025, the ATP Next Gen Finals kicked off. The opening day saw a major upset as the 7th seed Hodar staged a thrilling comeback. The Spanish player ranked 168th in the world saved four match points in the deciding set and ultimately defeated the top seed and tournament favorite Lerner Qian with a scoreline of 1-4/4-3(3)/1-4/4-2/4-3(4).

Top Seed Lerner Qian Falls to Shock Defeat in Opening Match

"It was definitely a tough battle," Hodar admitted after the match. "Although the conditions favored both of us, I managed to seize the crucial points well, and securing my first win in Jeddah makes me very happy. I kept telling myself to stay persistent and maintain belief. Lerner Qian played consistently, so I had to trust that my chance would come."

As the only top 100 player in the tournament, world No. 28 Lerner Qian committed 23 unforced errors in the second and fourth sets, which was the main factor behind his defeat.

In another Blue Group match, 5th seed Budkov Shel overcame Landarus with a 4-1/3-4(7)/4-2/4-3(4) victory. The two winners from the Blue Group will face off in a highly anticipated match on Thursday local time — Budkov Shel and Hodar previously met in last year’s US Open Junior Boys’ Final, where Hodar emerged victorious.

In the Red Group clashes, American Basavareddy, competing in this event for the second consecutive year, narrowly defeated 3rd seed Prizmic in four sets 4-2/4-3(7)/3-4(3)/4-2, marking his first tour-level win since the Hangzhou event in mid-September. This match also marked his debut alongside new coach Sevara, who ended his partnership with former world No. 1 Medvedev after the US Open this year.

Speaking about his new collaboration with Sevara, Basavareddy said, "We’ve done a lot of work on fitness, and the new fitness coach is a longtime associate of Sevara. We’ve also put considerable effort into my serve. Knowing that he helped a young Daniel (Medvedev) reach world No. 1 and win Grand Slams definitely boosts my confidence, though every player is unique."

2nd seed Brox started his campaign with a win, coming from behind to beat the youngest player in the field, 18-year-old 8th seed Engel, 3-4(7)/4-2/4-2/4-2.

ATP Next Gen Finals Day One Results

Red Group

Basavareddy [6] 4-2/4-3(7)/3-4(3)/4-2 Prizmic [3]

Brox [2] 3-4(7)/4-2/4-2/4-2 Engel [8]

Blue Group

Hodar [7] 1-4/4-3(3)/1-4/4-2/4-3(4) Lerner Qian [1]

Budkov Shel [5] 4-1/3-4(7)/4-2/4-3(4) Landarus [4]

(Text and editing by Wang Fei, images courtesy of Visual China)