Alexander Blockx, Justin Engel look to follow in Fonseca's footsteps at Canberra Challenger

The 2026 ATP Challenger Tour season gets underway on three continents, with the spotlight firmly on Asia and Oceania as Bengaluru and Canberra host the opening Tennis Channel Showcase events of the year. From India’s thriving tennis hub to Australia’s capital city, the second week of January will set the tone for a new season filled with established stars, rising talents and crucial ranking points.

Canberra

The Workday Canberra International will launch the season in Australia at the Canberra International Tennis Centre. The 10th edition of the combined ATP Challenger 125 and WTA 125 event will feature an increased total prize pool of $320,000 and a compelling mix of proven names and future stars.

The men’s field is led by world No. 103 Vit Kopriva. The 28-year-old Czech is bidding for his seventh ATP Challenger Tour career title. Kopriva will take on former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori in the first round.

“I’m looking forward to starting my season in Canberra, a city I’ve never been to before but very much looking forward to visiting. I have heard only great things about the event,” Nishikori said.

Italy’s Luca Nardi arrives as the second highest-ranked player. The world No. 107, a winner of seven Challenger crowns, will start his title bid against a qualifier. Alongside other youngsters like Justin Engel of Germany and 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals runner-up Alexander Blockx from Belgium, the 22-year-old Pesaro native highlights Canberra’s reputation as a launchpad for the game’s next generation.

Blockx dismissed Norwegian Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, 6-2, 6-3, in the opening round of the tournament to back up his semifinal win at the 20-and-under event in Jeddah last month.

Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka, who will take on Kyrian Jacquet of France, and Tomas Barrios Vera of Chile, who opposes local wild card entry Philip Sekulic, round out the top four seeds in Canberra.

“Once again, the field that will assemble here in January really demonstrates exactly what the Workday Canberra International is all about,” tournament director Lawrence Robertson said.

“Canberra will host some of the games established stars, while showcasing the game’s next generation of superstars, underpinning our position as Canberra’s premier summer sporting event.”

This is where the stars of tomorrow launch their careers, and we are lucky to witness it firsthand.

Former champions of the tournament include Hubert Hurkacz of Poland (career high No. 6), Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber (career high No. 16), Italian Andreas Seppi (career high No. 18) and home favorite Jordan Thompson (career high No.26).

"The standout story last summer was Brazil’s Joao Fonseca who arrived in Canberra fresh from winning the ATP Next Gen Finals and dominated the week without dropping a set,” Robertson said.

“Fonseca now boasts a career-high ranking of 24. Following in his footsteps are four of the eight ATP Next Gen players, all aged under 20, and we can expect the same explosive, high quality tennis from this group. This is where the stars of tomorrow launch their careers, and we are lucky to witness it firsthand.”

Bengaluru

Simultaneously in India, the landmark 10th edition of the Bengaluru Open will be staged from 5–11 January at the picturesque Stadium of the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA), cementing its status as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the national sporting calendar. Now firmly established as an ATP Challenger 125 event, the hard-court tournament boasts a prize purse of over $225,000 and awards 125 ATP Ranking points to the singles champion.

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Over the years, the Bengaluru Open has welcomed world-class players such as Max Purcell (2023 champion), Luca Nardi, Chun-Hsin Tseng (2022 champion) and Jiri Vesely, while also serving as a key platform for India’s leading players, including Leander Paes, Yuki Bhambri, Somdev Devvarman and Sumit Nagal.

The 2026 edition once again underlines its commitment to developing local talent. India’s No. 1 and 2017 champion Nagal launched his home campaign with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Karnataka’s Prajwal Dev, who received a wild card after a strong run of form on the ITF World Tennis Tour.

“It's a proud moment for me to compete at the Bengaluru Open ATP Challenger, especially in my home state,” the 29-year-old world No. 632 stated prior to his defeat.

“Prajwal Dev has been a consistent and committed performer on the professional circuit and has contributed significantly to Indian tennis over the years,” tournament director Sunil Yajaman said.

“His dedication and hard work make him a deserving recipient of the wild card for the Bengaluru Open 2026. The tournament has always aimed to support Indian players by providing them opportunities at a high competitive level, and we are confident that Prajwal will make the most of this chance on home soil.”

The tournament’s top seed is Pedro Martinez of Spain. After a season without a tournament victory, Martinez will look to rediscover his winning touch in Bengaluru as he bids for his first title since lifting the trophy on home soil in Valencia in October 2024. Success in India would mark the eighth ATP Challenger title of his career. The world No. 92 takes on a qualifier in the first round.

Second-seeded Frenchman Harold Mayot, third seed Jay Clarke of Great Britain and fourth seed Lloyd Harris from South Africa also find themselves in competitive sections in the draw. World No. 163 Mayot is set to face Petr Bar Biryukov from Russia in the first round, while 175th-ranked Clarke will play Matteo Martineau of France and world No. 222 Harris is taking on Czech talent Jonas Forejtek.