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Five ATP Challenger players to watch in 2026
Zheng, Jodar among the list
January 05, 2026
Natalie Kim/Tiburon Challenger
Michael Zheng, 21, is No. 182 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
By ATP staff
From college standouts to young stars making it big, here are five ATP Challenger players to watch in 2026:
Michael Zheng
Zheng is a proven winner and his ascension to the ATP Tour is not a question of if, but when. The two-time reigning NCAA singles champion, a senior at Columbia University, has a 24-7 match record at the ATP Challenger level in 2025, including three title runs.
Zheng made the most of the ATP Next Gen Accelerator spot at the Chicago Challenger in August, going to the winner’s circle as World No. 416 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Zheng then added to his title in September with back-to-back titles in Columbus and Tiburon. Celebrating his 22nd birthday later this month, Zheng begins the season at No. 182 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
Nicolai Budkov Kjaer
One of the fastest-rising young players on the ATP Challenger circuit, the Norwegian is coming off a dominant season in which he was one of six players to claim a season-high four titles at that level. That success helped Budkov Kjaer qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, where he reached the semifinals. At No. 135 in the PIF ATP Rankings, the 19-year-old will aim for a second straight title at the 20-and-under event.
In 2025, the teenager won his first Challenger title in Glasgow in February and returned to the winner’s circle in July with back-to-back victories in Tampere and Astana, becoming the youngest Norwegian to claim multiple Challenger titles. The 2024 Wimbledon boys’ singles champion won the Mouilleron le Captif Challenger in October for his fourth victory of the year.
Rafael Jodar
Few Challenger players have made a more eye-catching, late-season surge than Jodar, who won three titles in as many months en route to qualifying for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. On New Year’s Eve, the 19-year-old announced he had turned pro, giving up his remaining eligibility at the University of Virginia, where he spent two seasons.
The Spaniard entered the Hersonissos Challenger in September as World No. 540 and was in a big race to pick another, however in his ninth Challenger appearance, he went on to win. Jodar won the Lincoln and Charlottesville Challengers in a three-week span in October, the second on his home campus in Virginia. He scored two team stage wins in Jeddah and is expected to start 2026 at a career-high No. 165.
Rafa Jodar award time 😎#ATPChallenger | @RFETenis pic.twitter.com/cvODPSHx8H
– ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) October 19, 2025
Federico Cina
Having just finished her first full season on the Challenger circuit, Cina is quickly announcing herself on that stage and knocking on the door of her first title. The Italian made three Challenger finals in 2025, including a tight two-set loss to fellow #NextGenATP star Justin Engel – the shortest Challenger tournament appearance since 2003. The 18-year-old will be one to watch as he aims to qualify for the 2026 NextGenATP Finals presented by PIF.
Elmer Moller
The energy and momentum is strong on Moller’s side as he approaches his Top 100 debut. Boasting a thunderous, devastating hand, the Dane closed out his 2025 season in triumphant fashion, winning the Maia Challenger in the final week. It marked the 22-year-old’s third title of the year in his last four games. He also won clay court Challengers in Oeiras, Portugal and Iasi, Romania. Moller starts the year at No. 119 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
