Van Assche grinds out Olbia triumph over resilient Carreno Busta

In the crisp October air of Sardinia, Luca Van Assche reclaimed his place among Challenger victors with a punishing three-set win over Pablo Carreno Busta at the Olbia Challenger. The 21-year-old Frenchman, a two-time semi-finalist at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, outlasted the former World No. 10 7-6(5), 6-7(1), 6-2 in a match that stretched over three hours and 14 minutes. This marked his first title at the level since March 2023, a hard-fought return after navigating a season filled with inconsistent results and mounting pressures.

Mastering tiebreak tensions

Van Assche’s path to victory demanded sharp tactical shifts on the medium-paced hard courts, where Carreno Busta’s heavy topspin returns tested his baseline consistency from the outset. He built early momentum with crosscourt forehands that pinned the Spaniard deep, setting up a one–two punch in the first set that forced errors during the tiebreak. As the match wore on, the Frenchman’s ability to incorporate inside-out angles disrupted his opponent’s rhythm, turning defensive exchanges into opportunities for down-the-line winners that sealed the decider.

The mental strain peaked in the second set, where Carreno Busta‘s slice backhands slowed the tempo and drew unforced errors, but Van Assche regrouped by varying his serve placement to regain control. This resilience echoed the quiet intensity of the Olbia crowd, their murmurs rising with each prolonged rally under the fading afternoon light. For a player who has reached the last four in Jeddah the past two years, the win felt like a release, validating the groundwork laid amid recent setbacks.

Jodar rallies for Jeddah boost

Shifting focus to the U.S., Rafael Jodar fortified his bid for the year-end showcase by capturing the Lincoln Challenger, rallying past Martin Damm 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-3 in the final for his second title in three months. The 19-year-old Spaniard, last season’s US Open boys’ singles champion and a University of Virginia sophomore balancing five classes with pro commitments, thrived on the indoor hard courts by using deep serves to neutralize Damm’s flat groundstrokes. His composure shone in clutch moments, saving break points with underspin backhands that altered pace and opened the court for aggressive inside-in forehands.

Jodar’s success vaulted him nine places to ninth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, enhancing prospects for a debut at the 20-and-under Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. He reflected on the week’s demands, highlighting how steady execution across five matches rewarded his preparation. The victory underscored the dual pressures of college life and the tour, where mental sharpness often tips the scales in tight contests.

Trophy time for Rafa Jodar #ATPChallenger | @RFETenis pic.twitter.com/cvODPSHx8H

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) October 19, 2025

“It feels great, I’m super happy with how the week went,” Jodar shared. “I was feeling very good during all the matches. I handled the important moments very well. I know it’s always complicated to win a Challenger because you have to win five matches, you have to have a little bit of luck, you have to play your best during the whole week. It’s difficult. I’m very happy because it means the work I’m doing during the season is paying off.”

Vallejo, Jacquet, and Wendelken surge ahead

On the clay courts of Brazil, Adolfo Daniel Vallejo delivered a dominant run at the Copa Internacional de Tenis in Curitiba, dropping just one set before defeating Pedro Boscardin Dias 6-3, 7-5 to claim his second Challenger title at age 21. The Paraguayan upset Emilio Nava, a Top 100 player, in the opener with looping topspin forehands that exploited the slower bounce, then dispatched recent Cali champion Tomas Barrios Vera using varied serve angles to control rallies. Against the local hopeful in the final, Vallejo’s steady baseline pressure and crosscourt patterns wore down defenses, turning home-crowd energy into motivation for his unflinching focus.

“I competed really well the whole week,” he noted. “I got a few really good wins, especially in the first round, I beat Emilio Nava, who is in the Top 100. I also beat [Tomas] Barrios Vera, who won the title last week in Cali. In the semi-finals and final, I was playing against local players. I’m very happy with the week and the way I competed.”

In Asia, Kyrian Jacquet secured his third Challenger trophy of 2025 at the Shenzhen Tennis Open, overpowering Zhou Yi 6-3, 6-3 on hard courts that favored his blend of heavy drives and slice approaches. The 24-year-old Frenchman, now No. 151 in the PIF ATP Rankings and nine spots from his career high, built on February’s back-to-back wins in Chennai and New Delhi by maintaining efficiency against the home favorite’s aggressive returns. His straight-sets mastery highlighted growing confidence, where tactical variety neutralized crowd support and propelled consistent results.

Meanwhile, in Greece, Harry Wendelken turned a lucky loser entry into his maiden Challenger crown at the Hersonissos Challenger 6, defeating 18-year-old Maxim Mrva 6-4, 6-3 after seven matches in eight days. The 23-year-old Briton, with Mrva in the draw via the Next Gen Accelerator, relied on precise serve placement and down-the-line backhands to overcome the Czech teen’s promise on outdoor hard courts. This breakthrough rocketed him 105 places to a career-high No. 341, illustrating how opportunistic runs can accelerate careers amid the tour’s relentless grind.

These victories across continents reveal the Challenger Tour’s crucible, where players like Van Assche, Jodar, Vallejo, Jacquet, and Wendelken hone mental and tactical edges against veterans and peers alike. As the season nears its qualifiers, such perseverance positions them for potential leaps into the spotlight, from Jeddah’s innovation to the ATP’s main draw pressures.