'Just too good': US ace wins Next Gen tennis crown

Tien, who began his 2025 season with a striking display at the Australian Open when he knocked out Daniil Medvedev in an epic five-setter en route to the fourth round, ended it in Saudi Arabia on Sunday with a 4-3 (7-4) 4-2 4-1 win in the tournament that's previously been won by both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

"What a year you've had," Blockx told Tien at the trophy presentation ceremony. "There are not a lot of days I feel helpless on court but today ‍was one of them. You're just too good."

The 20-year-old Tien, who won his first trophy on the tour at the Moselle Open last month, held his nerve and made only 12 unforced errors, while Blockx had 23, with the Californian taking the title in just under ‌an hour.

"I'm really ​happy. I knew it was going to be a tough match. I don't ‍think he missed a serve for the first set-and-a-half," Tien said of Blockx. 

Tien lost last year's final to Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca -- and he didn't get things all his own way against Blockx either.

The Belgian, who served seven aces while his opponent had only one, made his intentions clear from the start, attacking the left-handed Tien's backhand ​with a fast serve and applying pressure at the net. 

Tien, now up to 28th in the world, pushed Blockx back with a well-placed lob before winning ​the point with a drive volley and although the 116th-ranked Belgian saved a break point ‍and pushed the first set into a tiebreaker, top seed Tien then outplayed his fellow 20-year-old.

The American, ​who has clinched five victories over top-10 ranked players this year including a straight-sets win over world No.2 Alexander Zverev in February, got another break in the third set to go 3-1 up, leaving Blockx with little chance of fighting back.

Australian Associated Press