The evolution of the ATP Challenger Tour: One player's story 

At 33, Lorenzo Giustino has seen the ATP Challenger Tour evolve dramatically since he first turned professional in 2007. Born in Naples but long settled in Barcelona with his Spanish wife — and now a father to a baby daughter — Giustino continues to compete with the same passion that carried him to his career-high ranking of World No. 127 in 2019.

Speaking during the XC Copa Real Club de Tenis de Oviedo ITF World Tennis Tour event in Spain, the Italian reflected on how the tour has changed in the past decade and a half.

“There were way less tournaments and less players,” Giustino recalled. “You needed to be ranked inside the Top 80 to earn some money. Today when you are within the Top 200, you can do it.”

Changes of equipment and the game

For Giustino, the evolution of equipment has also played a role in reshaping the game.

“It’s easier to play tennis nowadays because the balls have changed. They have become slower and are easier to control. It’s easier to put the ball inside the court. But to be honest, there aren’t any good balls anymore around. Tennis has become slower. Spectators can watch more rallies. The average speed of winners eight years ago was 162 km/h (101 mph). Today it’s 122 km/h (76 mph). You have to adapt to it. And it’s better for taller players, who have the possibility to gain more pace in their shots.”

Professionalism, he says, has become another defining feature of the modern Challenger Tour.

Today everyone has his coach and physio with him. Before, no one even went to the gym. It’s all about the famous ‘two percent,’ which means that you just need to win two percent points more than your opponent to win a match. To win a tournament, you just need to be two per cent better than anyone else.

Challenger crown in Kazakhstan

Giustino’s own career highlight came in 2019 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, when he defeated Federico Coria to claim his maiden Challenger title.

“It was a very nice tournament with nice courts. We played at altitude, which made it pretty tough. I played the best year of my career. I almost cracked the Top 100 and was within the Top 10 of Challenger players, as I won so many matches. I won the title but also competed in three more finals and played at a very high level.”

That year was bittersweet, though, as he soon suffered an elbow injury that derailed his progress.

“From going to Top 100 to maybe not playing tennis anymore,” he admitted.

Despite the challenges, Giustino remains motivated, especially with his new family life providing fresh perspective.

“I want to play the Grand Slam tournaments again, but it’s not all about tennis anymore. I have been traveling for more than 10 years, which is not easy. Maybe I want to be at home with my kid in the future. The last couple of weeks they joined me on the tour, which was very motivating. So, maybe I will enjoy a few years more.”