Tennis News

Challenger Q3: Fonseca’s first title marks milestone breakthrough

For players with aspirations of competing on the biggest stages on the ATP Tour and in Grand Slam tournaments, it all begins on the ATP Challenger Tour. Such was the case for Jannik Sinner, who claimed his second major title Sunday at the US Open.

Roughly five years before his second Slam trophy, the Italian was lifting the trophy at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Lexington, Kentucky as a 17-year-old.

Is this a good omen for Joao Fonseca, the Brazilian who last month claimed the Lexington Challenger title just one day younger than Sinner? The #NextGenATP star’s triumph in Kentucky headlines key moments on the ATP Challenger Tour from Q3:

Fast-Rising Fonseca:
Less than a year removed from winning the 2023 US Open boys’ singles event, Fonseca did not drop a set en route to claiming his first ATP Challenger Tour title in Lexington. The Rio de Janeiro native, who turned 18 two-and-a-half weeks after his triumph, is the youngest Brazilian to win an ATP Challenger Tour title.

“In the ceremony, they gave me the trophy and announced, ‘Lexington is the first Challenger to have three 17-year-old champions. He said, ‘Shang Juncheng [2022], Jannik Sinner [2019],’” recalled Fonseca, sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. “That’s really nice.”

Fonseca entered the week having lost four of his past five matches across levels. But the teen quickly rebounded, becoming the second-youngest South American player to win a hard-court Challenger tournament, only behind Juan Martin del Potro.

Read ATPTour.com’s feature on Fonseca with insights from the teenager and his parents.

Fellow #NextGenATP Champions:
Fonseca was not the only teenage titlist to make history this past quarter. Gabriel Debru, 18, became the third-youngest Frenchman to win multiple Challenger trophies (since 1978), joining former Top 10 stars Richard Gasquet and Gael Monfils. Debru won the Troyes Challenger (July) and in Como in September.

Vilius Gaubas survived a marathon, three-hour, two-minute final in Cordenons to lift his maiden Challenger title. The 19-year-old, seventh in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, is the youngest of three Lithuanian champions in Challenger history.

Youngest ATP Challenger Tour champions in 2024

Damir Dzumhur’s Dominant Title Run:
It has been a resurgent year for former World No. 23 Damir Dzumhur, who boasts a season-leading five Challenger titles. No other player has won more than three this season. The 32-year-old returned to the Top 100 in August for the first time in four-and-a-half years. The Bosnian has triumphed in Barletta, Ostrava, Zagreb, Santo Domingo and Istanbul, with the latter two coming in the past month.

“I’m not done yet. This is not where I want to stop. I just want to go step by step,” Dzumhur said last month. “I’m definitely more motivated [knowing] that I got back to the Top 100. It’s definitely nice to see your name among the Top 100 players.”

Richard Gasquet Gains Another Place In Record Books:
The Frenchman claimed his first Challenger title since 2017 in Cassis to become the third-oldest champion at that level, only behind Ivo Karlovic and Fernando Verdasco. Gasquet has made Challenger history throughout his two-decade-plus career, having become the second-youngest to win a title as a 16-year-old in 2002.

Wu Yibing Wins Comeback Tournament:
The Chinese star capped a dream comeback week by triumphing on home soil in Jinan. Playing in just his second tournament since last year’s US Open and first since April’s ATP 250 in Houston, Wu went all the way to capture his fifth Challenger title as World No. 582.

“That was my goal before coming here,” the wild card Wu said of winning the trophy. “I have high expectations of myself and also my team, we all work hard for it. It’s been more than [four] months since my last tournament. I feel happy. It’s the first step of coming back. And hopefully more to come.”

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Will cloud hang over Sinner's US Open victory?

In the build-up to the US Open, eventual men’s champion Jannik Sinner was cleared of fault or negligence over two failed doping tests. Yet questions remain over the case.

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Can Alcaraz bounce back to spearhead Spain’s Davis Cup charge?

Carlos Alcaraz will look to channel home support this week as he seeks a quick response to his US Open disappointment at the Davis Cup Finals Group Stage.

The No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings, who was upset by Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round in New York, will lead six-time champion Spain’s Group B campaign in Valencia. Alcaraz will be representing his country at the ‘World Cup of Tennis’ for the first time since 2022.

Joining the Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion in representing their country in Group B are World No. 11 Alex de Minaur (Australia), No. 18 Ugo Humbert (France) and No. 37 Jiri Lehecka (Czechia). All four nations competing at the Pabellon Fuente de San Luis are former Davis Cup champions.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/09/08/17/55/davis-cup-primer-de-minaur-2024-sunday.jpg” style=”width:100%;” alt=”Alex de Minaur” />
_{^{Australia’s Alex de Minaur in action during the 2023 Davis Cup Final. (Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for ITF)}}

A host of ATP Tour stars will also be in action in Bologna, Manchester and Zhuhai as group stage action takes place from 10-15 September. The winners and runners-up of each group will advance to the Davis Cup Finals Knockout Stage, to be held in Malaga from 19-24 November, when the 2024 Davis Cup champions will be decided.

Like Alcaraz’s Spain, Italy will compete on home soil. The defending champion will rely on its strength in depth in Bologna as it plots a return to the knockout stage. The two leading Italians in the PIF ATP Rankings, Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti, are both unavailable, but captain Filippo Volandri nonetheless has three Top 50 singles players to choose from in Flavio Cobolli, Matteo Arnaldi and Matteo Berrettini.

Italy’s rivals in Group A are Belgium, Brazil and the Netherlands, all of whom are chasing their maiden Davis Cup crown.

Having reached his maiden Grand Slam semi-final in New York last week, Jack Draper will be full of confidence as he leads Great Britain’s Group D campaign in Manchester. The 22-year-old, the great new hope for men’s tennis in his country after the recent retirement of Andy Murray, joins Davis Cup stalwart Daniel Evans and Wimbledon doubles champion Henry Patten in the host country’s lineup.

An Argentina team that features Top 35 singles stars Sebastian Baez, Francisco Cerundolo and Tomas Martin Etcheverry will provide stiff competition to Draper and his teammates, as will 2022 titlist Canada, which is led by Felix Auger-Aliassime. Finland, which recorded its best Davis Cup result by reaching the semi-finals in 2023, completes the Group D lineup.

History will be made when Group C action kicks off in Zhuhai. The first Davis Cup Finals event to be held in China will feature Chile, Germany, Slovakia and USA battling for two spots at the knockout stage.

Brandon Nakashima has been named on the USA’s Davis Cup roster for the first time, a reward for the strong form that has lifted him to a career-high No. 40 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Mackenzie McDonald and Reilly Opelka are also singles options for the record 32-time Davis Cup champion, with Paris Olympics silver medallists Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram providing strength on the doubles court.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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Gasquet becomes third-oldest Challenger champion in history

A trio of veteran players lifted trophies on the ATP Challenger Tour this past week, including Frenchman Richard Gasquet, who became the third-oldest champion at that level. Fellow tour-veteran Damir Dzumhur claimed a season-leading fifth Challenger title while Roberto Carballes Baena won in Seville for the third consecutive year.

Gasquet, 38, triumphed on home soil at the Cassis Open Provence by Cabesto, where he rallied past Austrian Jurij Rodionov 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the final. Due to rain, the championship match was forced to finish Monday with Gasquet leading 3-2, 40/0 in the final set. The former World No. 8 in the PIF ATP Rankings wasted no time upon resumption to earn his 10th Challenger title and first since 2017.

“I’m very proud. Winning a tournament is always special,” Gasquet said. “I came after a bad US Open, so I tried my best to survive the first two rounds and then I started to play well. It feels great to win another tournament. It gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season.”

Oldest champions on the ATP Challenger Tour since 1978

Dzumhur strengthened his claim as the ATP Challenger Tour’s season leader in singles trophies (five) by successfully defending his title at the Istanbul Challenger TED Open. The 32-year-old, who returned to the Top 100 in August for the first time since 2020, downed Hamad Medjedovic 6-4, 6-2 in the title match.

The Istanbul Challenger is the longest-running hard-court tournament on the ATP Challenger Tour. In its 37 years of existence, only two players have successfully repeated as champion: Malek Jaziri (2016-17) and Dzumhur. The Bosnian is just the second player since 2021 to win five Challenger titles in a season. Mariano Navone also lifted five trophies last year.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/09/09/13/45/istanbulch-2024.jpg” style=”width:100%;” alt=”Damir Dzumhur and Hamad Medjedovic compete in front of a full crowd in Istanbul.” />
^{Damir Dzumhur (far end) and Hamad Medjedovic compete in front of a full crowd Sunday. Credit: Istanbul Challenger TED Open}

Home favourite Carballes Baena became the first player in 10 years to three-peat at a Challenger tournament. The 31-year-old dropped just one set en route to the LXI Copa Sevilla crown and cruised past third seed Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 7-5 in the final.

The Spaniard is just the seventh player to win three consecutive years at one Challenger event. Andreas Haider-Maurer last accomplished the feat by triumphing in Brasov, Romania from 2012-14. Carballes Baena is the second to record a hat-trick in Seville, joining Daniel Gimeno-Traver (2011-13).

In other Challenger action, Francesco Passaro survived a marathon week to be crowned champion at the AON Open Challenger, which was celebrating its 20th anniversary. The 23-year-old Italian gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about as he saved two match points in the opening round and another pair in the quarter-finals. Passaro overcame Spaniard Jaume Munar 7-5, 6-3 in the final.

^{Francesco Passaro wins the 20th anniversary edition of the Genoa Challenger. Credit: AON Open Challenger}

Japan’s Sho Shimabukuro collected his third Challenger title by winning the Road to the Rolex Shanghai Masters. The 27-year-old was dominant all week, racing past Yu Hsiou Hsu 6-4, 6-4 in the final, during which Shimabukuro dropped just two points behind his first serve, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“I’m very happy, first Challenger title this year,” Shimabukuro said. “My first time in Shanghai, my first time playing a Challenger in China. I enjoyed it and I will keep going.”

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/09/09/13/52/shimabukuro-shanghaich-2024.jpg” style=”width:100%;” alt=”Sho Shimabukuro triumphs at the Shanghai Challenger.” />
^{Sho Shimabukuro in action at the Shanghai Challenger. Credit: Road to the Rolex Shanghai Masters}

Jan Choinski, who fell to Seville champion Carballes Baena in a five-set US Open first-round clash, also returned to the winners’ circle at the NO Open powered by EVN. The 28-year-old beat Lukas Neumayer 6-4, 6-1 in the final. Choinski is a three-time Challenger champion, having won a title each season since 2022.

Following his title run, Choinski is up 100 places to No. 176 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED 👏

Choinski is the champion in Tulln after a straight sets victory over Neumayer!#ATPChallenger | @the_LTA pic.twitter.com/8e6cqyqU5R

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) September 8, 2024

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Watch GB in Davis Cup action on BBC

BBC will show live coverage of Great Britain in the Davis Cup Finals group stage in Manchester in September.

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PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah Update: Mensik, Michelsen, Shang in control after US Open

Wins at the US Open for Alex Michelsen, Shang Juncheng and Jakub Mensik have enhanced the trio’s chances of qualifying for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, which takes place from 18-22 December.

The 19-year-old Shang earned wins against Alexander Bublik and Roberto Carballes Baena to reach the third round at a major for the second time. The Chinese lefty, who advanced to the last 32 in Melbourne in January, pushed former finalist Casper Ruud to five sets in the third round but ultimately fell short.

Shang, who is third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, will next head to Asia, where he will compete on home soil at the ATP 250 event in Chengdu.

PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah

Czech Jakub Mensik advanced to the third round at Flushing Meadows in 2023 and was back at it in 2024. The 19-year-old, currently fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, held three match points against Nuno Borges in the third round but ultimately fell just short of reaching the fourth round at a Slam for the first time.

While Shang and Mensik are aiming to make their debuts in Jeddah, second-placed Michelsen is trying to return for the second time.

The 20-year-old American backed up final runs on home soil in Newport and Winston-Salem by earning a match win in New York. Michelsen beat Eliot Spizzirri in the first round but then ran into eventual champion Jannik Sinner.

Lower down the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, eighth-placed Henrique Rocha and 10th-placed Coleman Wong reached the semi-finals at ATP Challenger Tour events in Cassis, France and Shanghai, respectively.

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Relaxed Murray surprised he does not miss playing

Andy Murray reveals retirement has been “the complete opposite” to his expectations and that he is not missing tennis like he thought he would.

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Watch: Sinner beats Fritz to lift US Open title

Watch the moment world number one Jannik Sinner beats Taylor Fritz in straight sets to win the US Open and secure a second Grand Slam title of the year.

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Cahill on Sinner: 'He's got a champion mindset'

Renowned coach Darren Cahill has helped Jannik Sinner surge to new heights since joining the team in July 2022.

The 23-year-old won his first major title under Cahill’s guidance at the Australian Open in January and then rose to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time in June. On Sunday afternoon in New York, Sinner bookended his standout major season by capturing the title at the US Open.

Following Sinner’s victory, Cahill spoke to ESPN about the Italian’s journey and elite mindset during his US Open run.

“He was ready today,” Cahill told ESPN. “There was a difference between Australia and here. I think in Australia when you’re going for your first, those nerves, it was the first major final that he’d ever been in. There were more nerves. And maybe even some more expectations as well because he had beaten Medvedev a few times. And to get over that hump and that hurdle. I think it gives you incredible confidence that no matter what, you are going to be able to handle situations.

“This morning he practised well. This morning we were talking to Andre Agassi in the locker room. He was talking about his game, and his mentality, and his composure also in the big moments. Even when he was tested in that third set, I still felt like he felt like he could get back into it and turn it around which he was able to do. So, he’s got this champion mindset that I think a lot of players don’t have. Certain players do have it for sure. But I believe he was born with it and he loves those situations and those moments.”

Australian Cahill has enjoyed a standout coaching career. The former No. 22 in the PIF ATP Rankings helped guide Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt and WTA star Simona Halep to World No. 1 and joined Sinner’s team two years ago in an aim to add some experience to an-already well-oiled team.

Sinner has worked with countryman Simone Vagnozzi since the start of 2022 and Cahill was quick to praise Vagnozzi when he was asked about Sinner’s performance against Taylor Fritz.

“I think that Simone Vagnozzi has done an amazing job over the past couple of years, working on errors of his game, both transition from defence… and to get some power on those in the corners,” Cahill told ESPN. “But also getting back and taking the point over and transitioning into offence as well. Simone has been an amazing coach. He’s done a great job the past two and a half, three years. And it’s been an absolute honour to work with him and see how he’s been able to evolve Jannik’s game.”

Sinner leaves New York holding a 55-5 record on the season and has a commanding 2,885-point advantage over second-placed Alexander Zverev in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, which acts as a barometer for ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF.

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Fritz boosts Turin qualification hopes after US Open run, Mover of Week

With just two months to go until the Nitto ATP Finals, the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin is starting to heat up. Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev have already qualified for the prestigious year-end event, but behind them there are a host of stars aiming to finish in the Top 8 and qualify for Turin.

ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as of Monday, 9 September following the US Open.

Taylor Fritz – Fifth (3,890 points), +5
Fritz has climbed five spots to fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin after he became the first American man to reach a major final since Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009. The 26-year-old, who defeated Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud and Frances Tiafoe before losing to Sinner in the final, is aiming to make his second appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals. He reached the semi-finals in 2022.

View The PIF ATP Live Race To Turin

Alex de Minaur – Eighth (3,305 points)
The Australian remains in strong contention to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time after he advanced to the quarter-finals at a major for the third time this season at Flushing Meadows. De Minaur has won tour-level titles in Acapulco and ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 2024.

Grigor Dimitrov – 10th (2,835 points), +3
The 33-year-old is back in the Top 10 in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin after he enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals at the US Open. The Bulgarian is aiming to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time since he won the title in 2017. Dimitrov is currently 470 points behind eighth-placed De Minaur, who occupies the final qualification spot.

Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev have already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, scheduled to take place from 10-17 November.

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