As the season’s brightest #NextGenATP stars set their sights on a strong week at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, the Challenger Tour has been a vital part of each of the Milan qualifiers successes this year.
Seven of the eight players in Milan have won a Challenger title in 2022. ATPTour.com looks at each of the competitor’s rise through the Challenger level this season.
Jack Draper
No player has a better winning percentage on the Challenger Tour this season than Draper. The 20-year-old boasts a 24-4 Challenger match-winning record in 2022. The Briton holds a season-leading four Challenger titles (tied w/ Pedro Cachin): Forli-2, Forli-4, Forli-5, and Saint-Brieuc. At the Forli-5 Challenger, Draper fended off four match points in the final to defeat Swiss Alexander Ritschard.
“I think the Challenger Tour is massive for players,” Draper told ATPTour.com. “When you come through and start winning tournaments back-to-back at that level it gives you huge confidence you can come on Tour and compete with these guys. Everyone on the Challenger level is hungry to do well because that is what gets you onto the Tour. The Challenger Tour has given me a real base and confidence of coming onto the Tour.”
Jiri Lehecka
The Czech, who is a two-time Challenger finalist this season, claimed his third Challenger title on home soil in Liberec, which propelled him to a career-high 59 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. In May, the 20-year-old finished runner-up at the Mauthausen Challenger (l. Rodionov).
“The Challenger Tour is a very important part of everyone’s journey,” Lehecka said. “I won my first Challenger last year in Finland, that was one of the best moments of my life so far.”
Francesco Passaro
The Italian, who is a five-time Challenger finalist this year, collected his maiden title at the Trieste Challenger in July. The 21-year-old was a finalist at the Sanremo (l. Rune), Forli-6 (l. Musetti), Milan (l. Coria), and Como Challengers (l. Stebe). Passaro is 29-20 at the Challenger level this season.
“Sometimes I think it’s more difficult to play Challengers than the ATP (Tour),” Passaro said. “We are more hungry to go up. I think it’s like university for us and then the ATP Tour is the job. We are trying to study to be ATP Tour ready.”
Francesco Passaro claims the title at the 2022 Trieste Challenger. Credit: Citta di Trieste Challenger
Lorenzo Musetti
The Italian triumphed on home soil at the Forli-6 Challenger…
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