Michael Mmoh takes his comeback tour to the Tenerife Challenger

At 28 years old, Michael Mmoh is entering an important phase of his career, and he's chosen a special place to be a part of it. This fortnight, the American is playing the Tenerife Challenger for the first time; taking place across two tournaments at the Abama Tennis Academy in Guía de Isora, it offers players an ideal early-season platform. While winter still dominates much of Europe and North America, Tenerife—located in the Atlantic Ocean—provides mild temperatures, sunshine, and excellent outdoor hard courts, creating perfect conditions to train and compete at a high level.

With its reliable weather, professional facilities, and relaxed atmosphere, the biggest of the Canary Islands has become a popular stop on the ATP Challenger Tour and an ideal destination for top-level tennis in February.

Career highlights and a strong start to 2026

Mmoh, who turned professional in 2016, is currently world No. 238 and reached a career-high ranking of No. 81 in September of 2023. Mmoh is a seven-time ATP Challenger Tour champion, with all of his titles coming on hard courts and all on home soil in the United States. His last triumph came in 2022, and he enjoyed his best season in 2023 by reaching the fourth round at both the Australian Open and the US Open.

He opened the 2026 season strongly with a quarterfinal run at the ATP 250 Hong Kong Tennis Open, highlighted by a victory over No. 4 seed Karen Khachanov, one of the biggest wins of his career.

First impressions of Tenerife

His first impressions of Tenerife could hardly be more positive.

“It’s a beautiful place," Mmoh said. "It’s my first time here in Tenerife. Honestly, I heard it was a nice place and a nice tournament but coming here exceeded all my expectations. To see it in person, the views from the tennis courts are just amazing. It is a spectacular place and it’s going to be a great place to call [the] office for the next two weeks."

From a tennis family to the pro tour

Mmoh was born into a tennis family, and he started playing at age 3 with his father Tony, a former ATP player. Mmoh moved to the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, at 13 to pursue his career.

Growing up, his idol was former world No. 1 Andy Roddick.

Staying healthy, building momentum

After being sidelined from the court many times, Mmoh is focused on building momentum.

“I had a couple of injuries the last two years, which was tough," he said. "But that’s part of being a professional tennis player. There’re ups and downs. At the end of the day, I did everything to stay healthy. I was happy to start the year the way I did, beating Khachanov and other great players. That gives me confidence that this is going to be great year for me.

"I've got what it takes, and I feel like staying healthy. There’s no reason I can’t do that."

Asked about his goals, the Washington Commanders fan was clear and realistic.

"The biggest target for sure is to stay healthy and play a full calendar year," he said. "I haven’t done that in some time. Ranking-wise, I want to see myself back in the Top 100, and then go from there. I can definitely go for more, but I want to do one step at a time.”

Courts that suit his game

The conditions in Tenerife seem to suit his game well.

“The courts here are unique. They are on the slower end for sure, but it suits me. I am a good athlete. I can play physical tennis. The rallies are going to be a bit longer here. I have the ability to play well on these courts,” Mmoh said, underlining why the island is such an attractive stop for players looking to compete outdoors in February.

An eye on the big stage

Even while focusing on his own season, Mmoh keeps a close eye on the biggest stages. Reflecting on recent Grand Slam action at the Australian Open, he added: “Both matches, [Carlos] Alcaraz vs. [Alexander] Zverev and [Jannik] Sinner vs. [Novak] Djokovic, were incredible level. It was great for the fans to have these two matches on the same day. It was a treat for tennis.”

For Mmoh, Tenerife is more than just another tournament stop. It’s a chance to build confidence, stay healthy, compete in ideal outdoor conditions, and, as he put it himself, to enjoy a “spectacular place” that might just be the perfect office for the next two weeks.