"It's definitely special!": Yannick Hanfmann wins first title in five years 

Yannick Hanfmann made a strong statement on the ATP Challenger Tour with a title win at the fifth edition of the Platzmann Open, held for the first time at the Tennis Club Rot-Weiss Hagen. The 33-year-old German claimed his first trophy since 2020 in Todi, Italy.

Sunday was a grueling day for Hanfmann, who first had to complete his weather-delayed semifinal against Swedish qualifier Olle Wallin before surviving a three-set thriller in the championship match against sixth seed Guy den Ouden from the Netherlands. Playing in front of a packed crowd of around 1,000 fans on Center Court, Hanfmann recovered from losing the first set to showcase his versatile game and eventually triumphed 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in one hour and 43 minutes.

"Maybe I was the fresher player in the end. Guy played a very strong first set, but then he seemed to run out of energy a bit, while I was able to raise my level," Hanfmann reflected after the match, pointing out that den Ouden had played his semifinal earlier the same day, defeating Jerome Kym of Switzerland.

"I was almost out of the tournament. In the second round, I was down 5-2 in the third set and had to save match points. And then you find yourself in the final and win. Sometimes those are the key moments in a week," said Hanfmann, who reached the quarterfinals in Kitzbühel the week before.

"I've been playing mostly on the ATP Tour in recent years. Hopefully, I can win a title there too. But it's definitely special to win a Challenger title here in Germany," said the World No. 150.

The 2025 Platzmann Open was a resounding success, according to tournament organizers. "Despite the challenging weather at the end of the week and several match reschedulings, everything turned out well. I'm proud of how the tournament went," said tournament director Rogier Wassen.

After three editions in Lüdenscheid, this year the event moved about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) northeast to Hagen. "We were looking for a venue that could offer more, having a larger catchment area, and bigger facilities," Wassen explained.

"We had around 6,000 spectators this week, twice as many as in Lüdenscheid. So, it was clearly the right decision."

Echargui's dream week in Porto

Moez Echargui has long admired Porto, but after this week, the Portuguese city will always hold a special place in his heart. At age 32, the Tunisian claimed the biggest title of his career by winning the Eupago Porto Open. In front of a packed crowd at the Complexo Desportivo do Monte Aventino, Echargui lifted his first ATP Challenger trophy at the 27th edition of the storied event.

Having won 13 titles on the ITF Pro Circuit – all in Tunisia, including five this year – Echargui seized his opportunity in Porto. In the final, he defeated sixth seed Francesco Maestrelli of Italy 6-3, 6-2 in just 76 minutes of near-flawless tennis.

Starting from the qualifiers, Echargui notched seven wins in eight days, earning his 53rd match victory of the 2025 season. Though it was their first official meeting, Echargui and Maestrelli know each other well, having practiced together for years. The Milan-based Tunisian, fluent in Italian, never lost serve in the final and displayed his best tennis.

He had to fight hard earlier in the tournament, coming back from a set and 3-1 down in the quarterfinals and saving a set point in the semis. But in the final, he dominated. Playing in sweltering heat, Echargui unleashed an inspired performance and collapsed in joy after match point. It was a moment of redemption after years of injuries and setbacks.

"I’ve won many titles at home, but this one means everything. Porto is my home away from home," Echargui said during the trophy ceremony.

"The crowd was incredible, the atmosphere amazing. It felt like I was playing in Tunisia, but I was in Porto. This might have been one of my best matches, especially mentally. I had nothing to lose, coming from qualifying. Francesco had more pressure. I stayed calm, focused on each point. Looking back, I wasn’t even thinking – I was just in the zone, and everything worked,” the La Marsa native added.

Echargui earned 100 ATP Ranking points, pushing him to World No. 211, a new career high. A debut at the Australian Open 2026 now appears within reach.

Bueno wins Svjany Open

In Liberec, Czech Republic, 21-year-old Gonzalo Bueno won his first title of the season at the Svjany Open. The Peruvian lifted his third career Challenger trophy after Argentine Genaro Alberto Olivieri retired in the final due to a right foot injury. Bueno was leading 6-2, 2-0 when Olivieri was forced to stop playing.

Bueno takes home €12,980 (15036and 75 ATP Ranking points from Liberec.

Svajda secures Lexington Open title

In North America, the hard-court swing continued with the 30th edition of the Lexington Open. Sixth seed Zachary Svajda of the United States captured the title after battling back to defeat Australian Bernard Tomic 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the final.

On his path to the title, the Californian beat US-American qualifier Alex Rybakov, Japan's Ryuki Matsuda, top seed Nishesh Basavareddy from the United States and Yu Hsiou Hsu from Chinese Taipei. It was Svajda’s sixth Challenger crown and his second of the season after winning the Hall of Fame Open in Newport. He earned $14,200 as well as 75 ATP Ranking points.

Budkov Kjaer shines in Astana

In Kazakhstan, Nicolai Budkov Kjaer continued his breakout season. The 18-year-old Norwegian won the President’s Cup in Astana, defeating Italian Alexandr Binda 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 24 minutes.

It was Budkov Kjaer’s third Challenger title this year, adding to his wins in Glasgow, United Kingdom and Tampere, Finland.

From Hagen to Bonn – Challenger Tour rolls on

🇩🇪 Just an hour’s drive separates the TC Rot-Weiss Hagen and the TC Blau-Gelb Bonn Beuel, where the German summer Challenger swing continues this week. The top three seeds at the ATP Challenger 75 event in Bonn are Botic van de Zandschulp from the Netherlands, Belgian Raphael Collignon, and Elmar Møller of Denmark.

Van de Zandschulp opens against Clement Tabur from France, while Collignon and Møller both face qualifiers. French Open junior champ and home favourite Niels McDonald also takes on a qualifier after a strong showing in Hagen. German fans will also have their eyes on Diego Dedura, who opens against No. 4 seed Vilius Gaubas from Lithuania.

Cordenons: Where tennis meets summer fun

🇮🇹 The Challenger Tour also returns to Italy, where the Eurosporting Complex in Cordenons hosts the 22nd Serena Wines 1881 - Acqua Maniva Tennis Cup. The Center Court has been fully renovated and sits next to an outdoor pool, creating a unique atmosphere where top-tier tennis meets summer fun.

Top seed Carlos Taberner of Spain enters the clay-court event with a wild card. The World No. 84 has already won two Challenger titles this year and reached his first ATP final in Umag. Other contenders include Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic, Hungary’s Zsombor Piros, and Austria’s Lukas Neumayer.

Hard-court action in Poland and Chicago

🇵🇱 Hard-court fans will enjoy the Kozerki Open in Grodzisk Mazowiecki, Poland. The ATP Challenger 75 event is held at the expansive Akademia Tenisowa Tenis Kozerki, just outside Warsaw. Top seed Kamil Majchrzak aims to become the first Polish champion at the event and faces competition from Croatian rising star Dino Prizmic as well as Frenchmen Harold Mayot and Kyrian Jacquet.

🇺🇸 Meanwhile, in the U.S., the Chicago Men’s Challenger returns for its fourth edition. Danish player August Holmgren leads the field, joined by British hopeful Billy Harris, Lebanon’s Hady Habib, and China’s Yibing Wu. The tournament takes place at XS Tennis Village in Chicago, Illinois.