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Việt Nam will host four ATP Challenger 50 tennis tournaments in next few months, luring many international quality athletes to the town in 2026.
Tennis
No 1 player of Việt Nam Vũ Hà Minh Đức,will have chance to compete in four ATP Challenger 50 tennis tournaments this year. — Photo courtesy of VTF
HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam 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 Việt Nam Tennis Federation (VTF) and its partner NovaGroup have launched their cooperation by hosting the ATP Challenger 50 – Phan Thiết 1 from January 19 to 25 at NovaWorld Phan Thiết in Lâm Đồng Province.
The tournament marks eight years since the first professional tennis event was held in Việt Nam in 2018.
The ATP Challenger 50 – Phan Thiết 2 will follow from January 26 to February 1. The ATP Challenger 50 – Phan Thiết 3 will take place from May 4 to 10, while the ATP Challenger 50 – Phan Thiết 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. Việt Nam’s representatives include leading players such as national champion Vũ Hà Minh Đức, Nguyễn Minh Phát and Trương Thành 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.
World No 159 Watanuki Yosuke of Japan will compete in the ATP Challenger 50 – Phan Thiết 1 on January 19-25 in Lâm Đồng Province. — AFP/VNA Photo
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 Nguyễn Hồng Sơn.
“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. — VNS