Joel Schwaerzler’s historic title leads five Challenger moments to remember in 2024 | ATP Tour

Challenger

Schwaerzler’s historic title leads 5 Challenger moments to recollect in 2024

A single-season file 27 completely different gamers with faculty tennis expertise received Challenger titles

December 14, 2024

To mark the tip of the 2024 season, ATPTour.com highlights 5 moments to recollect from the ATP Challenger Tour season.

Schwaerzler’s historic ‘shock’#NextGenATP Joel Schwaerzler entered the file books on the Macedonian Open, the place he turned simply the fourth participant to win a title at that degree whereas holding the junior No. 1 rating. Nick Kyrgios, Taylor Fritz and Wu Yibing additionally completed the feat.

“I used to be form of stunned,” Schwaerzler stated. “I knew I might win matches there however to truly win the match is one thing completely different.”

The 18-year-old, who received this yr’s Roland Garros boys’ doubles occasion alongside Norway’s Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, completed the season at No. 330 within the PIF ATP Rankings. Schwaerzler is the fourth-youngest Austrian winner in ATP Challenger Tour historical past.

Mejia wins Challenger title in reminiscence of late fatherNearly seven years on since his father’s passing, Mejia celebrated a profession milestone in April, when he received his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Following his triumph, Mejia was enthusiastic, but emotional, as he pointed to the sky. “Papá, papá,” he uttered.

“Each single day that goes by, I point out him, I take into consideration him, I dream about him in my sleep as a result of I take into consideration him the entire time,” stated the No. 219 participant within the PIF ATP Rankings. “It has been the hardest battle for me to grasp and know that he’s bodily gone endlessly. I really feel that he is near me each single day of my life. That is one factor that can hold me going endlessly as a result of that energy he gave me is unconditional.

“I feel after I lifted the trophy, I used to be additionally seeking to the sky as an indication of aid… I wished to have a look at my dad, clearly pointing the trophy to him.” Learn ATPTour.com’s function: Mejia wins Challenger title in reminiscence of late father: ‘The ache by no means goes away’.

Nicolas Mejia at age eight alongside his father Gustavo.” fashion=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/photographs/information/2024/04/03/18/18/mejia-gustavo-1-2024.jpg”>Nicolas Mejia at age eight alongside his father Gustavo. Credit score: Mejia Household

Rwanda Challenger displays hope & therapeutic of a nationThis yr marked 30 years because the Rwanda genocide, an atrocity that claimed an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 lives. Because the central African nation continues to get better and rebuild, tennis is taking part in a small however necessary a part of the therapeutic course of. The ATP Challenger Tour spent two weeks (26 February-10 March) within the capital metropolis Kigali, making Rwanda the seventh African nation to host an occasion at that degree.

Somewhat than making an attempt to erase the darkish chapter from historical past, the match adopted another method: selling schooling and honouring the fallen via visits to the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Greater than 20 gamers visited the memorial.

“Rwanda took a danger to organise the primary massive match on this a part of the world,” match director Arzel Mevellec stated. “It’s a vital image. Rwanda is a small nation however with massive occasions now. Soccer, NBA Academy Africa, and now Rwanda is on the world map of tennis and I feel that’s the start of one thing big. Rwanda could be proud about that.”

Rwanda is the seventh African nation to host an ATP Challenger Tour occasion. Credit score: Rwanda Tennis Federation

Champions hailing from faculty ranksThe faculty pathway continues to be a significant stepping stone for a lot of gamers to search out success on the ATP Challenger Tour and past.

A single-season file 27 completely different gamers with faculty tennis expertise received titles this yr, led by four-time winner Jacob Fearnley, who helped TCU seize the 2024 NCAA D1 males’s tennis championship in Could earlier than making fast progress on the Challenger Tour. The four-time ITA All-American completed the season at No. 99 within the PIF ATP Rankings, an enormous enchancment upon his No. 646 rating at the beginning of the yr.

The 2023 NCAA singles champion Ethan Quinn captured his maiden Challenger title in Champaign, his ultimate match of the yr. Tristan Boyer (Stanford), Federico Agustin Gomez (Louisville), Alexander Ritschard (Virginia), Learner Tien (USC) and Valentin Vacherot (Texas A&M) all claimed three Challenger titles.

Vacherot’s dominant begin to seasonVacherot began the season on one of many hottest Challenger runs in current reminiscence. The 26-year-old received his first 15 Challenger-level matches of the yr, claiming three titles. It was the longest profitable streak to start out a Challenger season since 2017. Vacherot was topped champion in back-to-back weeks in Nonthaburi, Thailand and triumphed a month later in Pune, India.

A shoulder harm sadly hindered Vacherot’s standout season through which he didn’t compete in any tournaments after the US Open. Vacherot tallied a 21-3 season file (Challenger degree) and held the second-highest profitable share on the ATP Challenger Tour this yr (87.5 per cent), solely behind Fearnley (27-3, 90 per cent).