Phoenix Challenger diary: Darwin Blanch gets best career win, targets RG qualies and driver's license

PHOENIX—Darwin Blanch wasn’t sure where he would end up playing following an opening-round loss in BNP Paribas Open qualifying at Indian Wells on March 2.

“I stayed training there for two days. I was doubting if I was going to come here or Cap Cana,” he recounts to TENNIS.com after crossing state lines to Arizona.

The 18-year-old moved up from qualifying to the main draw of the ATP Challenger 175 in Phoenix thanks to a last-minute wild card. On Tuesday afternoon, he made the most of the upgrade by upsetting 52nd-ranked and fellow left-hander Terence Atmane for his biggest career win.

“It feels amazing. I’m super happy with the way I went into the match,” he says following the 6-4, 6-4 victory. “I was confident in my game and feel like I served super well. That helped me in the important moments. And also returned super well.”

Having trained at Juan Carlos Ferrero’s academy for several years, where Blanch developed a first-hand appreciation for Carlos Alcaraz’s journey to world No. 1 after seeing “how he really is off the court, training, and putting a lot of intensity and work in,” the American has since left Alicante to train in Buenos Aires. He’s ranked inside the Top 300 as of this week, peaking at No. 272 less than a month ago, and has two targets of note in mind.

“The goal right now is to get into the French Open qualies. I’m not that far away if I do well at a few more tournaments. It would be nice to also win a Challenger,” he shares.

There’s another important matter Blanch wants to check off his list, too. Getting behind the wheel, though finding the right spot on the tennis calendar may prove more difficult than anticipated.

“I still haven’t gotten my driver’s license yet. It’s something I definitely want,” Blanch says with a smile. “At the same time, my dad and I are like, it’s not like I’m gonna drive anytime soon or need it. So we’re probably going to wait on that for now.”

Bicknell's road back to the Challenger level

A little over two years ago, Blaise Bicknell became just the second Jamaican-raised player to lift an ATP Challenger Tour crown.

His career progress stalled later that year when at 22, he required hip surgery. Out of action nearly eight months, Bicknell navigated the growing pains of his most serious injury to date in 2025.

“I kind of rushed it when I was just coming back. I actually ended up pulling my quad in the same hip that I had surgery,” he shares. “Just to come back and build back up my body to 100 percent feels good.

A former teammate of Ben Shelton’s during the University of Florida’s NCAA team title run back in 2021 (he then transferred to Tennessee following an undefeated singles campaign that season), Bicknell has been working his way back up after dipping as low as No. 1054 last June.

“I played a Futures last week and won it, so that’s given me some confidence,” he says.

Bicknell successfully qualified at the Arizona Tennis Classic Tuesday by rallying past Thai-Son Kwiatkowski. The vibe of the Phoenix Country Club offers him a slice of home, commenting that “I’m from Jamaica so everything’s kinda laid back there. This event kind of reminds of me that, all the people are very nice and friendly.”

The world No. 475 faces Mitchell Krueger Wednesday, where a win would catapult him back well inside the Top 400.