ATP Challenger Tour: A Beginner’s Guide

The Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar always returns at the end of August and beginning of September. The tournament, held at the Academy facilities, is part of the Challenger category. But do you really know what this entails and what this circuit means for tennis players?

Tennis players forge their careers and enhance their legends in the big matches, in the relentless battles that remain in the memory of every spectator. Grand tournament finals and relentless battles for the top spots in the rankings. All of this magnifies and mythologizes the value of our sport, but sometimes the journeys that lead to glory are less well-known. The process is a fundamental part of the ultimate triumph, and as part of that process, that path, in tennis we find the Challenger Tour.

The ATP Challenger Tour is a series of tennis tournaments belonging to the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). This tournament constitutes the second tier of professional tennis, a precursor to the ATP Tour events and ahead of the third tier, the ITF World Tennis Tour. You could say it’s the first step. All, absolutely all, players, if they want to reach the highest-level and most renowned ATP tournaments must play this circuit, which will allow them to win matches and rise in the world rankings until they have access to professional ATP tournaments. Did Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, and Novak Djokovic participate in the Challenger Tour? Correct, even Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, and Novak Djokovic played matches on this circuit.

The circuit is divided into four categories based on the points awarded and the prize money they distribute: Challenger 50, Challenger 75, Challenger 100, and Challenger 125. Since this year, the Challenger 175 tournaments have also been added, which are the three circuit tournaments held during the second week of the longer Masters 1000 tournaments (Indian Wells, Madrid, and Rome). The number associated with the category indicates the ATP ranking points awarded for each of these tournaments. The more points a tournament awards, the higher the ranking you usually need to have to qualify for them.

The circuit continues to grow, providing tennis players with better and more comprehensive services each year. In 2022, 195 tournaments in this category were held around the world, with prize money exceeding €20 million. A historic figure.

This week, many of the tennis players of the future will be playing in Manacor. Don’t let that get you lost… What if you’re enjoying the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar courts watching a future Roland Garros winner? Always remember that the Challenger circuit was a fundamental part of their journey.