Quimper, Manama showcase fine fields during Australian Open on ATP Challenger Tour

The new ATP Challenger Tour season has arrived in France, and it does so with a familiar tournament in a brand-new setting. The 17th edition of the Open Quimper Bretagne Occidentale will take place, but for the first time at the Kostum Park – À Nous La Vie in Quimper.

Known for its medieval old town, Quimper combines strong regional identity with a deep sporting tradition—an ideal setting for one of France’s longest-running indoor Challenger events.

Strong French contingent in Quimper

French players have dominated the tournament over the past years, with a home favorite lifting the trophy nine times. Pierre-Hugues Herbert (2014, 2024) and Grégoire Barrère (2019, 2023) have each claimed the title twice, underlining the strong tradition of French success at the event.

That trend is set to continue in 2026, with at least eleven players from the host nation featured in the singles main draw. Leading the bottom half of the draw is 2017 champion Adrian Mannarino. Now 37, the experienced left-hander and five-time ATP Tour champion enters the tournament on a wild card and opens his campaign against Switzerland’s Remy Bertola.

Another wild card has been awarded to Benoit Paire, who faces an immediate test in the first round against his seventh-seeded compatriot Benjamin Bonzi. Fourth seed Quentin Halys is also considered a strong contender for the title, although he will have to navigate a tricky opening match against Switzerland’s Marc-Andrea Hüsler, a dangerous opponent capable of upsetting any draw. The defending champion Sascha Gueymard Wayenburg is also part of the strong French contingent, taking on a qualifier in the first round.

However, the field is led by American Aleksandar Kovacevic. The world No. 56, who captured two of his six ATP Challenger Tour career crowns last season, opened the season in strong fashion by reaching the semifinals at the Brisbane International on the ATP Tour, but after first-round exits in Auckland and at the Australian Open, he is still searching for his first match win since then. In Quimper, the 27-year-old New York native will be looking to rebuild confidence with an opening-round victory over Frenchman Clément Tabur.

Spain’s Pedro Martínez, who lifted the trophy at the Bengaluru Open in India two weeks ago, and Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili are also among the international contenders in the hunt for the title and 125 ATP Ranking points. Young talents are represented as well, with German teenager Justin Engel and former French Top 15 junior Thomas Faurel both capable of causing upsets.

👉 Stream the Quimper Open live this week on the Tennis Channel app

Top 100 quartet headlines action in Bahrain

Meanwhile, the spotlight also turns to Manama, where the fifth edition of the Bahrain Open adds another standout stop to the ATP Challenger Tour calendar. Also staged as an ATP Challenger 125 Showcase Tournament this week and previously named ATP Challenger of the Year in its category, the outdoor hard-court tournament once again attracts a strong field, and underlines Bahrain’s growing role as a hub for elite professional tennis in the Middle East.

Four Top 100 players headline the singles draw, with Alexei Popyrin, Mattia Bellucci, Jacob Fearnley and Filip Misolic all set to compete. Each arrives in Manama eager to respond after first-round exits in Melbourne, bringing added motivation and intensity to a tournament that promises high-level clashes from the opening rounds.

Popyrin will start his title bid as the top seed against Frenchman Ugo Blanchet. The 50^th-ranked Australian is seeking his third ATP Challenger Tour career title in addition to his three trophies on the ATP Tour.

Second-seeded Italian Bellucci also looks to bounce back after an opening-round loss to Casper Ruud at the Happy Slam, and will begin his run at the Persian Gulf against a qualifier. Britain’s Fearnley, seeded third, returns to action after a four-set defeat to Kamil Majchrzak in Melbourne and is set to face Austria’s Lukas Neumayer. Completing the top quartet, fourth seed Filip Misolic will take on Italian veteran Lorenzo Giustino in the first round.

In-form German Yannick Hanfmann, who impressed at the Australian Open with a strong performance in the second round against Carlos Alcaraz before eventually losing in three sets, is seeded fifth in Manama and will face a qualifier in the opening round.

The Bahrain Open field also features several exciting Next Gen prospects, including Norway’s Nicolas Budkov Kjaer, Mexico’s Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez, Austria’s Joel Schwärzler and Czech teenager Maxim Mrva, all of whom are capable of making a deep run and adding an extra layer of intrigue to the tournament.

👉 Stream the Bahrain Open live this week on the Tennis Channel app