Alexander Blockx wins Next Gen clash over Rafael Jodar to lift Canberra Challenger crown

The 2026 ATP Challenger season has its first week in the books—and the young guns have wasted no time in making a strong impression.

Alexander Blockx captured the title at the 10th edition of the Workday Canberra International. The 20-year-old Belgian delivered a composed and assured performance to defeat Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar, 6-4, 6-4, in Saturday’s singles final of the $225,000 hard-court event held at the Canberra Tennis Centre.

In the first meeting between the former Top 10 junior players, Blockx sent down five aces and won 77 percent of his first-serve points. The world No. 115 broke Jodar’s serve three times to seal victory in one hour and 23 minutes.

“When I was 1-4 down in the second set, I was preparing myself for the third set,” Blockx admitted after the match.

“I was mentally calm, which helped me to break back. There was one bad game and I smiled about it. I played at a good level throughout the match.”

Both players showcased their athleticism, shot-making and competitive maturity beyond their years throughout the week, thrilling the Canberra crowd and reinforcing the event’s reputation as a launchpad for emerging stars. Blockx began his campaign in style, defeating 19-year-old Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, 6–2, 6–3, in the first round. It was another convincing victory over the Norwegian, whom he had also beaten during his run to the final of the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia last December.

Three hard-fought three-set victories over Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain, top seed Vit Kopriva from the Czech Republic and local wild card entry James McCabe followed. Blockx recorded his first match wins in Canberra after suffering first-round exits in the previous two years.

“I played bad here the last couple of years,” he said. “I wanted to come back badly, and I am glad I did it. I took the right decision, and I am really happy to start the season here this week.”

By winning his fourth ATP Challenger Tour career crown, Blockx pocketed $33 650 in prize money as well as 125 ATP Ranking points. The Antwerp native will crack the Top 100 for the first time, raising to world No. 95 on Monday.

Jodar battled his way from the qualifying into the final, winning six matches in Canberra. The 19-year-old Madrid native, who lifted three trophies on the Challenger Tour last year, earned $19,700 in prize money as well as 75 ATP Ranking points. Jodar is also projected to reach a new career-high ranking of World No. 150.

Martinez masters Skatov, wins Bengaluru Open

Meanwhile in India, top seed Pedro Martinez crowned a memorable week at the 10th Dafa News Bengaluru Open 2026 by defeating Kazakhstan’s Timofey Skatov, 7-6(5), 6-3, in Saturday’s singles final of the ATP Challenger Tour hard-court event hosted by the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium. The 28-year-old Spaniard lifted the trophy along with a $33,650 winner’s cheque and 125 ATP Ranking points.

The rain-interrupted championship match delivered plenty of drama from the outset. Martinez pressed early, creating break chances in the third game, but Skatov’s resilient defence and steady serving kept the opening set finely balanced. The Kazakh elevated his game midway through the set, dominating several extended rallies with deep, penetrating returns.

However, Martinez absorbed the pressure and forced the set into a tiebreak after Skatov saved multiple set points in a marathon service game. In the breaker, the world No. 96 from Valencia capitalized on key unforced errors to edge ahead and take the first set.

Riding that momentum, Martinez struck immediately in the second set, breaking serve in the opening game and dictating play with clean ball-striking and precise placement. Skatov continued to battle, but the former world No. 40 stayed firmly in control, sealing victory with another decisive break in the ninth game to cap off an impressive title run in Bengaluru after one hour and 56 minutes.

“I played here eight years ago, and the tournament has improved a lot since then,” said Martinez, who beat Finnish qualifier Eero Vasa, Belgian Michael Geerts, German veteran Cedrik-Marcel Stebe and Matteo Martineau of France en route to the final.

“The end of the last season was pretty tough for me, as I had to deal with some medical issues and I wasn’t able to compete at my best. So, I am very happy to win the title here.”

Martinez captured his eighth ATP Challenger Tour career title in addition to his tour-level triumph in Santiago de Chile four years ago.