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Sakamoto, 18, closes the Challenger season in historic fashion
Dzumhur wins a season-best sixth Challenger title
December 03, 2024
Yokkaichi Challenger
Rei Sakamoto is the second youngest Japanese winner in ATP Challenger Tour history.
By ATP staff
Japan’s Rei Sakamoto ended the 2024 season in fine fashion on Sunday when he made history in front of his home fans.
The 18-year-old won his first ATP Challenger Tour title and became the second Japanese champion at that level. Only Kei Nishikori, the former World No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings, won the Challenger title as a junior in 2008.
Sakamoto was competing as a wild card in his sixth Challenger outing. The #NextGenATP youngster defeated German qualifier Christoph Negritu 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the final. Sakamoto, who won the Australian Open boys’ singles title this year, is the third youngest Challenger champion this season. Only Joao Fonseca and Joel Schwaerzler were young when they raised the trophy.
The youngest Japanese champions
Sakamoto’s victory also capped a historic season for Japanese players on the Challenger Tour. Eight Japanese players combined for 10 Challenger titles this year, marking an Asian country record. Following Sakamoto’s title, he has moved up to number 412 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
Sakamoto wasn’t the only Challenger roster to make history this past week. Hady Habib became the first Lebanese champion in Challenger history, with his victory in Challenger Dove Men+Care Temuco. Lebanon is the 85th different country or region with the title of Challenger.
Hady Habib crowned in Temuco Challenger.” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2024/12/02/16/ 46 /habib-temucoch-2024.jpg?h=1080&w=1920″>
Hady Habib was crowned Temuco Challenger. Credit: Challenger Dove Men+Care Temuco
Habib, 26, survived Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-4, 6-7(3), 7-6(2) in a final that lasted two hours, 34 minutes. The former standout at Texas A&M University held his own even though he failed to play the tournament 6-4, 5-4.
“Right now I think I have the biggest dopamine rush I think I’ve had all year. To end the year like this is incredible, making history for my country,” said Habib. “I’m speechless.”
Damir Dzumhur won the best Challenger title of the season at the Maia Open, where he cruised past Italian Francesco Passaro 6-3, 6-4 in the final. Dzumhur dropped the first set of his campaign and rarely looked back to collect his 14th Challenger title.
“It was the best end of the year for me,” said Dzumhur. “I’m very happy. It means a lot to me. Maybe one of the results that I can say means a lot to me in my career. Winning ATP tournaments is a great feeling, playing Grand Slams with great players, winning against great players is a great feeling, but when you come back, you enjoy everything more. That’s why I am even more pleased with this result.”
Damir Dzumhur plays in the Maia Challenger.” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2024/12/02/16/44 / dzumhur-maiach-2024.jpg”>
Damir Dzumhur playing in Maia Challenger. Credit: FPT/Maia Open
The 32-year-old Dzumhur will finish the season inside the Top 100 of the PIF ATP Rankings, which he returned to in August for the first time in four years.
Germany’s Mats Rosenkranz won the Manzanillo Open in Mexico to claim his first Challenger title. The 26-year-old was competing in only his third tournament at this level this season. Rosenkranz defeated Gonzalo Oliveira 6-3, 6-4 in the title match and moved up 109 places in the PIF ATP Rankings, rising to World No. 373.
Mats Rosenkranz celebrates winning the Manzanillo Challenger.” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2024/12/02/16/40/ rozenkranz -manzanilloch-2024.jpg”>
Mats Rosenkranz celebrates winning the Manzanillo Challenger. Credit: Toño Torres Téllez
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