challenger
Five ATP Challenger Players to Watch in 2026
Zheng and Qiao Da are on the list
January 5, 2026
Natalie King/Tiburon Challenger
21-year-old Michael Cheng is ranked 182nd in the PIF ATP Rankings.
Written by ATP Staff
From college standouts to breakout young stars, here are five ATP Challenger players to watch in 2026:
Mr. Zheng
Zheng Zhi is a proven winner and his entry into the ATP Tour is not a matter of if, but when. The two-time defending NCAA singles champion and Columbia University senior has a 24-7 record at the ATP Challenger level in 2025, including three championships.
Zheng took full advantage of her spot in the ATP Next Gen Accelerator at the Chicago Challenge in August, making her way to the winner’s circle and ranking 416th in the world in the PIF ATP Rankings. Subsequently, Zheng won consecutive championships in Columbus and Tiburon in September to add to his championship title. Zheng, who celebrates his 22nd birthday later this month, starts the new season ranked 182nd in the PIF ATP Rankings.
Nikolai Budkov Kjaer
The Norwegian is coming off an outstanding season as one of the most improved juniors on the ATP Challenger Tour, where he was one of six players to win a season-leading four titles at the level. This success helped Budkov Kjaer qualify for the Next Generation ATP Finals hosted by PIF, where he reached the semi-finals. The 19-year-old, ranked No. 135 in the PIF ATP Rankings, is aiming to qualify for a second consecutive 20-and-under tournament.
In 2025, the teenager won his first Challenger title in Glasgow in February and returned to the winner’s circle with back-to-back wins in Tampere and Astana in July, becoming the youngest Norwegian to win multiple Challenger titles. The 2024 Wimbledon men’s singles champion won the Mouilleron le Captif Challenger in October, his fourth victory of the year.
Raphael Jodar
Few Challenger players have had a more dramatic late-season run than Jordahl, who won three titles in a matter of months and qualified for the Next Generation ATP Finals hosted by the PIF. On New Year’s Eve, the 19-year-old announced he would turn pro, forgoing the remainder of his two seasons of eligibility at the University of Virginia.
The Spaniard entered the Hersonissos Challenge in September as world number 540 and as a substitute in the main draw, but in his ninth appearance at the Challenger he went all the way to victory. In October, Jordahl won the Lincoln Challenge and the Charlottesville Challenge over a three-week period, the latter held on his home campus in Virginia. He has two group stage wins in Jeddah and is on track to start 2026 at a career-high No. 165.
Trophy time for Rafael Jordahl 😎#ATPchallenger | @RFETenis pic.twitter.com/cvODPSHx8H
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) October 19, 2025
Federico Sina
Fresh off his first full season on the Challenger Tour, Cina quickly announced himself on the stage and knocked on the door of his first championship. The Italian competed in three Challenger finals in 2025, including a narrow two-set victory over #NextGenATP star Justin Engel in his youngest appearance at the Challenger Championship since 2003. The 18-year-old will be a player to watch as he aims to qualify for the 2026 Next Generation ATP Finals hosted by the PIF.
Elmer Mohler
As Moller approaches his first hundred, power and drive are firmly on his side. The Dane ended his 2025 season in triumph with a thunderous, damage-causing backhand to win the Maia Challenger in the final week. This marked the 22-year-old’s fourth final appearance and her third Challenge title of the year. He also won clay-court challenges at Oeiras, Portugal, and Iasi, Romania. Muller started the year ranked 119th in the PIF ATP rankings.
