Vietnam to serve up four ATP Challenger 50 tennis tournaments
Vietnam is set to host four ATP Challenger 50 tennis tournaments over the coming months, serving up international-quality competition and drawing a strong field of overseas athletes to the country in 2026.
The Vietnam Tennis Federation (VTF) and its partner NovaGroup have launched their cooperation by hosting the ATP Challenger 50 – Phan Thiet 1 from January 19 to 25 at NovaWorld Phan Thiet in Lam Dong Province.
The tournament marks eight years since the first professional tennis event was held in Vietnam in 2018.
The ATP Challenger 50 – Phan Thiet 2 will follow from January 26 to February 1. The ATP Challenger 50 – Phan Thiet 3 will take place from May 4 to 10, while the ATP Challenger 50 – Phan Thiet 4 is scheduled for May 11 to 17.
These events, expected to feature up to 100 athletes mainly from Asia and Europe, are part of the ATP Challenger Tour, the world’s second-largest professional tennis circuit and a key stepping stone for players aiming to reach the ATP Tour.
In the first two tournaments, 24 players will compete in the qualifiers to secure places in the main draw. Vietnam’s representatives include leading players such as national champion Vu Ha Minh Duc, Nguyen Minh Phat and Truong Thanh Minh.
The main draw will feature 32 high-ranking athletes. Among them, 12 are ranked between No.159 and No.251, with the remainder ranging from No.300 to No.600.
Notable names include world No.159 Watanuki Yosuke of Japan, No.161 Mikrut Luka of Croatia and No.178 Habib Hady of Lebanon.
Accordingly, a total of US$63,000 will be awarded to the top competitors at each tournament.
“Organising four consecutive ATP Challenger 50 tournaments in the same year represents a strong step forward for Vietnamese tennis in its strategy,” said VTF General Secretary Nguyen Hong Son.
“We plan to hold international professional tournaments annually. This helps build an ATP-standard competition environment domestically and create a sustainable development foundation for young athletes.
“At the same time, we can link elite sport with tourism, media and national image promotion.”
He added that the presence of many players in the world’s top 200 would deliver high-quality matches for tennis fans.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese players would hone their technique and gain experience in pursuit of higher ATP rankings.
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