Noah Rubin will make his debut Down Under at the first Grand Slam of the 2016 season after winning the USTA’s Australian Open Wild Card Challenge.

The New York native, who made his major debut at last year’s US Open (l. to Delbonis), amassed the most points in two of three events on the ATP Challenger Tour’s U.S. indoor hard court swing. Rubin won his maiden Challenger crown in Charlottesville three weeks ago, and clinched the wild card after fellow American teen Taylor Fritz fell in Saturday’s Champaign final.

“It’s probably the first time I had to rely on somebody else to lose for me to win, in a match I had nothing to do with,” Rubin told ATPWorldTour.com. “I didn’t expect that outcome, but I’m excited to see what’s going to come in the future. I’ve never been to the Australian Open before, even for juniors. I’m going to have to get acclimated to the temperature for sure, but I’m just excited about going there.

“The goal is to have no goals. Anything can happen so quickly. It’s just about having the mindset of being open and ready for anything. I was ranked No. 1,000 going out of school and now I’m around No. 350. In a couple tournaments I could be No. 250. It could happen so quickly. Just be ready for anything.”

2015 is over and now Australian Open is near. It is an incredible honor and I will do everything possible to prepare for 2016 and rep the US

— Noah Rubin (@Noahrubin33) November 22, 2015

The 19 year old became the 13th teenager to lift a Challenger trophy in 2015. He is the oldest of the group, which includes Fritz, Borna Coric, Alexander Zverev, Hyeon Chung, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Jared Donaldson, Elias Ymer and Karen Khachanov. At World No. 339, Rubin is part of a surging crop of American teenagers and he will conclude the season as one of five in the Top 350 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, with Donaldson, Fritz, Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul.

Watch Rubin Interview

“These guys are unbelievable tennis players day in and day out, but they aren’t that much better than the guys I’m playing and they’re not that much better than me,” Rubin added, referring to his experience of facing a Top 100 player in Delbonis at the US Open. “Of course Djokovic and Federer are on a totally different stratosphere, but I believe I can play against anybody.”

The junior champion at Wimbledon last year, Rubin spent a year at Wake Forest University before deciding to pursue his professional career.

“Tennis is a sport of longevity now and you have these 27 year olds at their peak. I want to be mentally and physically prepared to play that long. I can’t be playing professionally and not be mentally prepared for what’s in store. The year (at Wake Forest) was necessary to get into that mental stage.

“I’m very fortunate with the people who are helping me and backing me up. It hasn’t been too much of a change. That being said, I’m still traveling with just one coach. I don’t have an entourage like Djokovic yet. My coach is making sure I’m doing what I have to do and keeping the professional sense in my head. Anything can happen, but with persistence and my feeling on the court and confidence level, I can escalate my game to play against the top pros.”

A breeding ground for ATP stardom, the rising stars of men’s tennis lay the foundation for their budding careers on the ATP Challenger Tour.

The circuit provides a platform for players to develop their talents, but not all careers are created equal. Some rise to the top faster and slower than others and while there is no blueprint to success, Daniel Munoz-de la Nava is doing his best to defy the odds at the ripe age of 33.

In 2014, the Challenger circuit was set ablaze by a 33-year-old Victor Estrella Burgos, who capped his memorable breakthrough season with a trip to the ATP Challenger Tour Finals, before sending shockwaves through the ATP World Tour as the oldest first-time champion in Quito, earlier this year. Munoz-de la Nava is looking to follow a similar path.

Inspired by his thriving group of countrymen over the age of 30, including David Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez and Tommy Robredo, the Spaniard torched the competition in 2015, compiling 44 wins in 60 matches. His three titles from six finals, on the clay of Napoli, Moscow and Meknes, saw him soar to a career-high World No. 82 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

“This year I am playing with more confidence,” Munoz-de la Nava told ATPWorldTour.com from his home in Madrid. “After two years of working really hard with my team, I’ve been able to play well and be happy on the court. I’ve been working with my physio on treating my knee and my trainer has helped me a lot. I’ve had so many injuries the past few years. As they say, it’s really important to play with two legs, to be able to run and just stay healthy. This is the big difference for me.

“It was really important for me to win the first Challenger in Napoli. It was a big one and it helped me make a big jump in the rankings. Before the victory there, I had played seven or eight finals in my career and only won one. It came so fast and the final was 6-2, 6-1 (d. Donati). The start of my season wasn’t so good. I lost many close matches in the first two or three months. After this tournament, everything changed. And of course I cannot forget the match at the tournament in Manerbio, Italy, when I became Top 100. I will never forget this match.”

When the Madrid native entered the Top 100 for the first time in August, he claimed a slice of history, as the 14th-oldest player to crack the century mark for the first time. He was the first 33 year old to do so since Estrella Burgos last year.

“It’s so special and so important for me (to enter the Top 100). For so many years, it was more than a goal. I was completely blocked when I was playing and I couldn’t focus my energy. It became a big point of pressure for me. After this year, I’ve made it and I feel freer and much better. It was really hard.”

Munoz-de la Nava turned pro in 1999, but his progress was hampered by a car accident soon after receiving his driver’s license, which resulted in persistent knee troubles. For years, the Spaniard’s position in the Emirates ATP Rankings vacillated around the Top 200. His 2011 campaign finished with promise and a year-end spot of No. 140, but setbacks would send it in the wrong direction. No. 171 would follow in 2012, No. 194 in 2013 and No. 206 in 2014. Finally healthy, he is now realising his potential 15 years later.

With two daughters at home – Noa and Paula – Munoz-de la Nava has new sources of inspiration that have driven him to new heights in 2015.

“Noa, my oldest (age 3), has seen me play many times. It’s been a really good inspiration for me and has motivated me. Every time they come with me I play well and I feel better. It’s very important.”

A doubles finalist at the ATP World Tour 500 event in Hamburg in 2012, with Rogerio Dutra Silva, Munoz-de la Nava has also reached a pair of tour-level singles quarter-finals in Estoril earlier that year and in Delray Beach in 2013. The biggest win of his career came in his hometown Mutua Madrid Open, upsetting then World No. 22 Sam Querrey from a set down as a qualifier in 2010. The Spaniard learned to play at age five when his father introduced him to the game. After competing in a national tournament in Madrid, he started practising there on a full-time basis and later turned pro at 17.

“Francisco Clavet has always been my idol. I practised with him a lot when I was 20-23 and he was at the end of his career. He inspired me because he was always focused, professional and working hard. I have to work hard at every point and he really taught me a lot about how to be a professional player.”

Munoz-de la Nava is looking to cap his breakthrough campaign with a strong statement at the ATP Challenger Tour Finals as he sets the tone for the 2016 season. Despite being the second-highest ranked player in the tournament field, he is not taking anything for granted and is grateful to have qualified.

“Since the middle of the year, I decided to be focused on Sao Paulo and I made it. It’s going to be on indoor clay with altitude. More similar altitude to Madrid, so for me it is not going to change a lot, but the balls are going to be fast. Let’s say for guys like Lorenzi, he’s especially good in altitude. I played Albot in a final in Moscow, Dustov likes faster courts and Cecchinato was pretty solid all year, so all the matches are going to be tough. The conditions will be really important. Let’s see how fast the court is. I’ve been practising hard. I haven’t played tournaments this month to rest and be ready to play here.

“2016 is going to be interesting but it will be tough. In the Challengers I was almost always seeded and it’s different now. I can play against Top 10, Top 20, Top 30 players. It’s going to be an exciting year and I will try to be as prepared as I can. I will need a little bit of luck with the draws and I’ll try to stay in the Top 100.”

One of five players from Argentina in the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, Guido Pella is an integral member of the South American nation’s resurgence in 2015.

Less than a month removed from reaching a career-high World No. 73, Pella is looking to cap a strong season with a deep run at the ATP Challenger Tour Finals. He is the first former champion to return to the Brazilian metropolis for a second shot at the trophy. The 25 year old, who won the title on indoor hard in 2012, arrives at the indoor clay courts of the Pinheiros Club with his sights set on surging to full-time ATP World Tour status next year.

Pella’s path has been a rocky one. Following his breakthrough success in 2012, he was on course to soar to new heights following his first match wins at the Grand Slam and ATP World Tour Masters 1000 levels the next year. But the Bahia Blanca native would endure a significant setback just months later, suffering a torn right hamstring in his Wimbledon debut. Locked in a fifth set against Jesse Levine, Pella had to be carried off Court 7 after slipping on the grass. His position in the Emirates ATP Rankings would subsequently slip outside the Top 200 in 2014, but he was determined to rediscover his top form.

Boasting a 43-13 mark this year, which included titles in Montevideo (Uruguay), San Luis Potosi (Mexico), Porto Alegre (Brazil) and Sao Paulo – the host city of this week’s season finale – he is playing the best tennis of his young career and will be the second-highest ranked player in the field.

Pella spoke to ATPWorldTour.com ahead of the ATP Challenger Tour Finals…

Guido, you were out of the Top 200 exactly one year ago, then you won the title in Lima and it all turned around. How special is it to be back inside the Top 100 and at a career-high Emirates ATP Ranking?
This year was a special year because I never thought that I would be at this ranking in this part of the year. It was a really good season because I worked really hard to get here. I’m trying to enjoy it. It feels really good to be in the Top 100 again and the main draw of the Australian Open next year. I’m trying to work hard and improve my ranking. I enjoy playing well like this.

What are you doing differently this year? Has it been more of a physical or mental hurdle to overcome?
I think it has been a mental thing, because two years ago I was in the Top 100 but I was not so strong mentally to be there. I stayed there for a few months and I didn’t understand how to be there for a longer time. I’m older now. I’m 25. In my mind, now I’m prepared to be there for a few years. I’m going to try to get to the Top 50, play better every day and improve my tennis.

You’ve won 43 matches and four titles this year. Is there one moment that has stood out for you above the rest?
I don’t know about one moment, but I think it all started in Mexico when I won my first title this year (in San Luis Potosi). I felt really, really good. The altitude there was very high and I played really good tennis. My mind was in a good place in that tournament and I felt that I could play better and be in the Top 100 again after that. In that moment, that was the best thing for me to later achieve the goal.

You’re now heading to Sao Paulo. Was this a goal of yours this year? What are your thoughts on the rest of the field?
There are a lot of good players, but I’ve been there a lot of times. I won two or three Challengers in the city. This year I won one title in Brazil and I feel really good. It’s South America, so I am comfortable there. The eight best players are there, so it’s an important tournament for me. There are a lot of points and money and it’s always good to play in those kinds of tournaments.

You won the title in 2012 when it was on indoor hard. What are your memories from that week?
It was on indoor hard and I beat a lot of good players, like Victor Hanescu. It was really important for me because it was an unknown surface and it’s difficult for us (Argentines) to play good tennis there. I remember I played really well.

How do you change your approach when you know you can lose a match with the round robin format and not be eliminated?
I think it’s really good because we are used to losing one match and being eliminated from the tournament. It helps our minds to be prepared in case we lose one match. If we can win the title without losing any matches it’s even better, but I remember in 2012 I lost the second match of the round robin and it was ok. I was still in the tournament and I think this year I will be more prepared than three years ago because I already know the format.

Looking back at your Wimbledon debut in 2013, when you tore your hamstring, how did that drive you to work even harder to get back to your top level?
It was very tough. It was a really disappointing thing for me, because I worked really hard to play well on grass. Now I’m stronger and playing better. I’m happier with my tennis.

Guido, tell us how you got your start in tennis and who were your idols growing up?
I started playing in my home city of Bahia Blanca at five or six years old in my father’s club. I don’t know how I got to improve this much. I played for many hours. When you are a kid you play for 10 hours in a row and you don’t get tired or injured. It was really fun and I enjoyed it. Now I can’t believe that I am here and that I improved so much, because we didn’t have many courts to  practise on and didn’t have good players to hit with. I liked (Guillermo) Vilas, I liked (David) Nalbandian and Jose Luis Clerc. They were good players. The most beautiful player to watch was Nalbandian. He was No. 1 of the Argentine players.

You are one of five Argentines in the Top 100. What impact has the rise of Leo Mayer and Federico Delbonis had on your country with Juan Martin del Potro still absent?
Fede Delbonis and Yaca Mayer proved to the entire world that they can win a lot of matches in Davis Cup without being Top 10 players. Argentina has had 10-12 years of Top 10 players and now we only have one and he’s injured. I think it’s really good for us to be in the semi-finals of Davis Cup and do even better without Del Potro. It’s a really big responsibility and they played really well. We’ll always be a huge tennis country and I think we can do better.

Your position in the Emirates ATP Rankings now puts you in position to qualify for ATP level events next year. What are your goals for 2016?
I want to keep improving my tennis first, and I know that if I keep playing well I will get more points, a better ranking and play in better tournaments. It’s a circle. 2016 can be my year to be in the Top 50. That is my main goal. I think I’m ready.