Despite playing his first tournament in 20 months, Kei Nishikori produced a high level this week to lift the trophy at the ATP Challenger Tour 75 event in Palmas del Mar, Puerto Rico.

On Sunday, the former World No. 4 defeated American teenager Michael Zheng 6-2, 7-5 in the Caribbean Open final. Nishikori dropped just one set all week en route to the title.

The 12-time tour-level titlist was in vintage form throughout the hard-court event, displaying all-court coverage and clean ball-striking to capture his first trophy at any level since 2018, when he won the ATP 250 event in Brisbane.

Despite serving for the Palmas del Mar title at 5-2, Nishikori dropped serve twice before later closing the match after one hour, 41 minutes. After hitting a volley winner to seal his perfect return to competition, the Japanese star lifted his hands in the air in celebration.

The 33-year-old, who underwent arthroscopic left hip surgery last year, was playing in his first tournament since the BNP Paribas Open in October 2021. Following his dream run in Puerto Rico, Nishikori moves to No. 492 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

Tallon Griekspoor fed off strong home support to complete a stirring championship-match comeback Sunday at the Libema Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

The sixth seed clawed past Jordan Thompson 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-3 for an emotional victory at the grass-court ATP 250 in the Netherlands. Griekspoor held his nerve in the second-set tie-break before claiming the only break of serve in the decider in the sixth game to wrap a two-hour, 35-minute victory and claim his second ATP Tour title.

“[I want to] thank the crowd for getting me through today,” said Griekspoor. “In finals it’s so tough to play your best tennis. I had so many nerves today, I felt so tight today. I wanted it so badly. He was playing great. I had to try and focus on my own game and try and hang in there.

“Somehow I won the second-set tie-break and got it my way in the third, so [I have] no words for this one.”

Griekspoor is the second consecutive home champion in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, after Tim van Rijthoven lifted the trophy in 2022. He is the eighth Dutch player in the Open Era to win multiple tour-level titles, having also triumphed in Pune in January.

With his run in his homeland, Griekspoor has risen nine spots to No. 29 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, with the Dutchman set to rise to a new career-high when the latest Pepperstone ATP Rankings are published on Monday.

It is the second time Thompson has fallen just short of the title in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, having also reached the final in 2019. Despite his championship-match disappointment, the 29-year-old Australian has risen 27 spots to No. 76 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings after reaching his second tour-level final.

Frances Tiafoe overcame Jan-Lennard Struff in a thrilling final at the BOSS OPEN on Sunday to lift his third tour-level title. The American saved one championship point to defeat the 33-year-old German 4-6, 7-6(1), 7-6(8).

In a heavy-hitting encounter at the ATP 250 event, Tiafoe and Struff exchanged blows for two hours and 12 minutes. Struff struck 56 winners to 36 from Tiafoe and saved all three break points he faced. However he fell agonisingly short of a maiden tour-level crown, with Tiafoe sealing victory in a dramatic third-set tie-break with a stretched volley winner.

The third seed, who saved the championship point at 6/7 in the third-set tie-break, will break into the Top 10 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time on Monday following his 27th win of the season.

With countryman Taylor Fritz No. 8, it will be the first time two Americans have been in the Top 10 since May 2012, when Mardy Fish and John Isner were No. 9 and No. 10, respectively.

The 25-year-old Tiafoe has now earned three tour-level trophies, having also triumphed in Houston earlier this year. It is the first time he has won a title on grass.

Struff, up three spots to No. 21 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, now holds a 0-3 record in tour-level finals. The 33-year-old advanced to the championship match in Munich in 2021 and Madrid in May.

Refreshed after his Roland Garros semi-final defeat against Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz is excited to compete on grass this week at the Cinch Championships, where he will make his debut.

The Spaniard arrived in London on Saturday and quickly took to court in an attempt to adjust from the Parisian clay to the lawns of west London.

“I arrived in London Saturday morning and I had my first practice on grass yesterday,” Alcaraz said during his pre-tournament press conference on Sunday. “I was not able to practise too much at home as we have no grass courts. I need to adapt my movement and shots on the grass, but I am really happy with the practice I have had here.”

Alcaraz is making just his third tour-level appearance at a grass-court event this week at the ATP 500, having advanced to the fourth round at Wimbledon last year. The top seed, who revealed he rested for four days following his defeat in Paris, has lifted 10 tour-level titles in his career, with seven coming on clay and three on hard courts.

Determined to make his mark on grass, Alcaraz shared his thoughts on the surface.

“The most difficult part is to move well on grass. You need to be more careful than other surfaces, so for me to move on grass is the most difficult,” Alcaraz said. “The most comfortable is going to the net and playing aggressively all the time. For me it is similar to other surfaces with my style. Playing that style is comfortable and I like it.

“There are a lot of players who slice on grass. I am not one of them, so I have to think about the movement. I have to be focused on every movement and shot. For me it is more tiring when you are moving on grass. It is totally different, so you have to be really specific.”

World No. 2 Alcaraz will begin the quest for his fifth tour-level title of the season against French qualifier Arthur Fils. The 20-year-old will be working alongside Samuel Lopez in London, with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero taking the week off to spend time with his family. The Spaniard will return to Alcaraz’s team next week ahead of Wimbledon.