Historic ATP Challenger double for Chun-Hsin Tseng in Vicenza

History was made at the Tennis Palladio 98 in Vicenza as Chinese Taipei’s Chun-Hsin Tseng became the first player ever to win back-to-back titles at the Internazionali di Tennis – Città di Vicenza. The 23-year-old clinched his second consecutive crown with a commanding 6-3, 6-4 victory over Austria’s Lukas Neumayer in front of more than 600 fans who packed the stands for the ATP Challenger Tour tournament’s grand finale.

Tseng, who began playing tennis at the age of six, quickly showcased his remarkable talent and determination. A junior Grand Slam champion at both Wimbledon and Roland Garros in 2018, Tseng turned professional early and has steadily climbed the ranks.

In Sunday’s final, the World No. 94 showcased the full range of his baseline consistency and clever shot variation, including trademark drop shots that proved decisive. Facing a well-rested opponent – Neumayer had advanced directly to the final after Jerome Kym withdrew from their semifinal due to injury – Tseng maintained focus and intensity throughout.

The first set turned on a single break in the eighth game, which Tseng converted at the first opportunity. He then served it out 6-3. In the second, the defending champion raced ahead 5-1 and seemed poised to cruise to the title. Neumayer, to his credit, mounted a late comeback, winning three consecutive games to close the gap to 5-4. But Tseng held firm, sealing the match with a love hold and lifting the trophy after 80 minutes of high-level play.

“I think I served and returned well today,” said Tseng, who claimed his sixth ATP Challenger Tour career title. “I was able to control most of the rallies, which gave me confidence throughout. I feel physically good and hope to keep this level up in the coming tournaments. I was really happy to be here in Vicenza—the atmosphere was fantastic! It’s a great tournament, and I think I played quite well today. My opponent was tough, but I stayed focused and managed to win in two sets.”

Chidekh crowned Chisinau champion

Meanwhile, the inaugural Moldova Open came to a conclusion at Arena Chisinau, marking a historic milestone as the country hosted an ATP Challenger Tour event for the very first time.

In Sunday‘s singles final, Frenchman Clement Chidekh defeated top-seeded Russian Ilia Simakin 7-6(6), 7-5 to claim his first title of the season. The No. 8 seed delivered a composed and tactically sound performance. Chidekh withstood 10 aces and broke his rival one time to seal victory in one hour and 55 minutes, earning his second ATP Challenger career title.

His path to the title was anything but easy, with several strong performances throughout the week. In the opening round, Chidekh beat Slovakia's Lukas Pokorny followed by a three-set win over Polish qualifier Olaf Pieczkowski. He then breezed past Latvia’s Robert Strombachs 6-4, 6-0, before dispatching Great Britain’s Toby Samuel 6-4, 6-1 in the semi-final.

A former standout at the University of Washington, Chidekh is currently ranked World No. 297. Born in Arles and now residing in Orléans, the 23-year-old continues to show promise on the Pro Circuit. His victory in Chisinau confirms him as a rising player to watch this season.

“This has been an incredible tournament. I want to thank the organizers, umpires, line judges, ball kids, and everyone who helped make this week unforgettable. Chisinau is a city I’ll be happy to return to," Chidekh said.

ATP Supervisor Andrey Kornilov noted: “This has been an excellent debut. I’m confident Moldova will continue to host professional-level events in the years to come.”

Kyson claims Little Rock Open crown

Patrick Kypson capped his dream run at the UAMS Health Little Rock Open by winning his fifth ATP Challenger Tour career trophy. The 25-year-old US-American battled his way from the qualifying to the title in the capital city of Arkansas.

Kypson defeated local wild card entry Michael Zheng 6-1, 1-6, 7-5 after two hours and 22 minutes in the singles final of the $100,000 hard-court event.

🇬🇧 Grass-court season kicks off in Birmingham

While some players are still battling it out on the clay in the second week at Roland Garros, for others it’s the start of a long-awaited summer on the grass.

As part of the newly refreshed grass court calendar for 2025, this year’s Lexus Birmingham Open will feature an exciting new addition: an ATP Challenger 125 event — marking the first-ever men's professional outdoor tournament to be held in Birmingham.

The field is led by World No. 68 Mattia Bellucci. The 23-year-old Italian will face strong competition by Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan as well as Australians Rinki Hijikata and Alexander Vukic.

Leading the British charge is hometown favourite Dan Evans. The Birmingham-born star has enjoyed significant success on British grass courts in the past, having claimed titles twice at the Lexus Nottingham Open and once in Surbiton. Now, the former British No.1 will aim to lift the trophy in his hometown, where his tennis journey began.

🇩🇪 Neckarcup success story continues in Bad Rappenau

For ten years, the Neckarcup was held at the Tennis Club Trappensee in Heilbronn. Now, the success story of the award-winning clay court tournament — which was named the world’s best ATP Challenger event three times — continues in a new setting as the "Neckarcup 2.0" in Bad Rappenau.

Two Top 100 players headline this week’s action in Germany. World No. 95 Luca Nardi of Italy is the first seed. Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, ranked World No. 99, leads the bottom half of the draw. Danish youngster Elmer Moller and Valentin Royer of France round out the top four. India’s Sumit Nagal is also part of the line-up, seeking to become the second player in history of the Neckarcup to lift the trophy twice.

🇨🇿 Mensik headlines the action at home in Prostejov

Hometown hero Jakub Mensik is the big star at this year’s Unicredit Czech Open in Prostejov. The World No. 19, who captured the ATP Masters 1000 title in Miami earlier this season, is seeking his second triumph on the Challenger Circuit following his win on home soil in Prague two years ago. Also seeded at the clay-court event are Alejandro Tabilo from Chile, Vit Kopriva from the Czech Republic and Hugo Dellien of Bolivia.

🇺🇲 Hard-court swing continues in Texas

The hard-court swing in the United States continues with the third edition of the Texas Spine and Joint Men's Championship in Tyler, where home favourite Mitchell Krueger is the top seed. Liam Draxl of Canada, Yuta Shimizu from Japan and Frenchman Antoine Escoffier are the other favourites for the title.