Week in review: Brits Jan Choinski and Ryan Peniston shine, Jay Dylan Friend breaks through

On a dramatic final day at the Copa Faulcombridge by Marcos Automoción, it was Jan Choinski who rose above the pressure to claim his fourth ATP Challenger title of the season, capping a week of resilience and quality tennis at the Club de Tenis Valencia in Spain.

The 29-year-old Briton produced a gutsy performance to defeat rising Croatian Luka Mikrut 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 in Sunday’s singles final on a packed Pista Central Pablo Andújar. After dropping the opening set, Choinski found another gear, showcasing his strength, composure and intelligent shot-making to turn the match around and lift the trophy.

Read more: Albert Ramos Viñolas waves goodbye with emotional farewell in Valencia

His path to the title was anything but easy. Earlier in the day, he returned to court to finish his rain-delayed semifinal against Henri Squire. In a two-and-a-half-hour thriller, Choinski delivered an epic comeback to win 6-7(2), 7-5, 7-5, earning his place in the final and setting the tone for his champion’s display.

In the title match, Mikrut started strong, using his aggressive baseline game to dictate the early rallies and take the first set. But Choinski responded with impressive authority, breaking two times in the second set. The third set belonged entirely to him: confident, composed and relentless, he powered to victory to clinch the 2025 Copa Faulcombridge crown.

He captures his seventh ATP Challenger Tour career title and took away from Spain €25,740 in prize money as well as 125 ATP ranking points.

Virtanen crowned champion in Roanne

Meanwhile in France, Otto Virtanen was crowned champion at the Open Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes de Roanne. The unseeded Finn outlasted fifth favourite and 2022 champion Hugo Gaston of France in the singles final 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

Virtanen booked his spot in the championship match of the ATP Challenger Tour indoor hard-court tournament with wins over local wild card entry Tom Paris, No. 7 seed Alexander Blockx from Belgium as well as Frenchmen Calvin Hemery and Matteo Martineau.

The 24-year-old Hyvinkää native fired 16 aces in the final and won 93% of his first-serve points to succeed in one hour and 18 minutes.

"I knew I had to play my best tennis today," Virtanen said during the on-court ceremony. "It has been a fantastic week for me. It was my second time here. Last time I was a semifinalist, so I improved a bit. It is such a great tournament. I felt very warm from the first day until now. Thank you, everybody!"

By lifting his eighth career ATP Challenger trophy, the second of the season following his triumph in Birmingham, United Kingdom, Virtanan collected €20,630 in prize money as well as 100 ATP ranking points.

A total of 18,524 spectators attended the fourth edition of the Open Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes de Roanne held at the Halle Andre Vacheresse, the highest turnout since the tournament’s creation.

It has been a fantastic week for me. It was my second time here. Last time I was a semifinalist, so Iimproved a bit. Otto Virtanen

Cazaux clinches biggest career title at Jinan Open

In Asia, Frenchman Arthur Cazaux has captured the biggest title of his career by lifting the trophy of the 2025 Jinan Open. The top seed of the ATP Challenger Tour 125 hard-court event defeated sixth-seeded American Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-2 in Sunday’s singles final.

Cazaux advanced to the championship match with wins in the top half of the draw over his compatriot Ugo Blanchet, Canadian Liam Draxl, Chinese wild card entry Yi Zhou and No. 7 seed Shintaro Mochizuki of Japan.

The world No. 70 was efficient in the final, capitalized on all of his four break-point chances, and won 60% of the total points played to secure victory in one hour and 30 minutes.

By winning his fourth ATP Challenger Tour career crown, his first of the season, Cazaux earned $28,400 in prize money as well as 125 ATP ranking points.

Peniston prevails in Crete

Briton Ryan Peniston is the new champion of the ICONICO Crete Challenger, after defeating top-seeded Belgian Kimmer Coppejans 6-3, 7-5 in the singles final held at the Lyttos Sports Center in Hersonissos, Crete.

The No. 4 seed of the ATP Challenger Tour 50 hard-court tournament converted five of his eight break-point chances and won 54% of the total point played to prevail after one hour and 55 minutes.

Peniston clinched his second ATP Challenger Tour career title after winning in Winnipeg, Canada two years ago. The 29-year-old Englishman pocketed €7,530 in prize money as well as 50 ATP ranking points.

The ICONICO Crete Challenger was the fifth ATP Challenger Tour tournament hosted in Crete this year, with the sixth starting next Monday—a remarkable achievement for Greek tennis that highlights the sport’s rapid growth in the country.

Friend claims maiden title

A new name entered the winner’s circle at the Grossman-Kennedy/LWH Solano Challenger, as Japan’s Jay Dylan Friend enjoyed a breakthrough week in Fairfield, Conn.

The 21-year-old showcased remarkable resilience and maturity by battling his way through qualifying and advancing all the way to the title match. In a hard-fought final, Friend overcame Australian qualifier Edward Winter 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-2 after more than two hours of intense tennis.

It was a defining moment in Friend’s young career. By lifting his maiden trophy on the Pro Circuit, he earned $8,350 in prize money and added 50 valuable ATP ranking points, a significant boost as he continues to climb the professional ladder.

Barrios Vera dominates in Cali

On the South American clay, top seed Tomas Barrios Vera capped off a dominant week by lifting the title at the KIA Open in Cali, Colombia. The 119th-ranked Chilean delivered a commanding performance in the final, defeating Bolivian rising star Juan Carlos Prado Angelo 6-1, 6-4.

With the victory, Barrios Vera secured the sixth ATP Challenger Tour title of his career and his second of the season, adding to his triumph earlier this year in Campinas, Brazil. The 27-year-old collected $14,200 in prize money and 75 ATP ranking points, further strengthening his push up the rankings.

Challenger action continues in Olbia

The ATP Challenger Tour returns to Sardinia this week for the third edition of the Olbia Challenger, bringing top international talent and promising young stars to the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Host nation Italy will rely on the experience of Stefano Travaglia, who will open against France’s Luca Van Assche, and on the strong form of Francesco Maestrelli. Maestrelli, who has already won two Challenger titles in 2025, will face either a qualifier or a lucky loser in his first-round match.

Two promising young Italians, Pierluigi Basile and Carlo Alberto Caniato, have been awarded wild cards. Basile will take on Spain’s Pablo Carreño Busta, while Caniato will face France’s Dan Added. The third wild card went to Francesco Forti, who will meet Croatia’s Borna Gojo in the opening round.

The spotlight, however, is firmly on the top two seeds. Leading the draw is world No. 73 Alejandro Tabilo from Chile—a former Top 20 player. In September, Tabilo defeated Lorenzo Musetti in the final of the Chengdu Open to claim the third ATP title of his career. Vit Kopriva, who has enjoyed great success on Italian soil, winning two of his six Challenger titles in Verona (2023) and Naples (2025) leads the bottom half of the draw. The top two seeds will both begin their campaigns against qualifiers.

Defending champion Martin Landaluce of Spain returns to Olbia as he continues his push toward the Top 100, currently sitting at No. 111. Despite being only 19, Landaluce will face an even younger opponent in the first round: Germany’s Justin Engel, who last year in Almaty became the first player born in 2007 to win a match at ATP level.

Also worth keeping an eye on are Nishesh Basavareddy of the United States, born in 2005 and chasing points to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals, and Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic, a former world No. 23 best remembered for facing Fabio Fognini in the historic final of the Monte-Carlo Masters in 2019.

Read more: Dusan Lajovic intent on Top 100 return after "worst season so far"

Players to battle for exclusive trophy in Curitiba

Emilio Nava leads the field at the Copa Internacional de Tenis – Ano III, being held on the clay courts of Graciosa Country Club in Curitiba, Brazil. The American will strong competition from South America. Thiago Tirante from Argentina and 2023 champion Hugo Dellian of Bolivia are other contenders for the title of the ATP Challenger Tour 75 tournament.

This year’s winners will take home more than just ranking points and prize money; they’ll receive a trophy worthy of a true champion. It was created by the design team of Vivara and handcrafted by master goldsmiths at the brand’s Manaus workshop. The elegant silver piece measures 30 centimeters in height, 15 centimeters in width, and weighs around 2 kilograms. Its design symbolizes the spirit of tennis: a harmonious balance between strength and grace, embodying the determination and excellence of the athletes.

Further tournaments in America, Asia and Europe

The hard-court swing in Asia continues this week with the inaugural Shenzhen Tennis Open, where Portuguese rising star Henrique Rocha leads the field as the No. 1 seed. Frenchmen Harold Mayot and Kyrian Jacquet, along with Australia’s Jason Kubler, round out the top four favorites for the title.

Meanwhile, in the United States, home favorite Brandon Holt headlines the second edition of the Lincoln Challenger as the top seed. Fellow Americans Murphy Cassone and Patrick Kypson, as well as Great Britain’s Jack Pinnington Jones, are also among the leading contenders in the capital of Nebraska.

Finally, the sixth and penultimate tournament of the season is being held in Crete. Oliver Crawford from Great Britain tops the draw at the Hersonissos Challenger 6.