For the next fortnight, all eyes will be on the stars of the ATP Tour as they battle for glory at the US Open. But as hungry as they will be to lift the champions' trophy, there is a group of competitors that are just as motivated to make a splash at the hard-court Grand Slam. They are the players competing throughout the year on the ATP Challenger Tour.
Securing entry into a Grand Slam is no simple task. It requires year-round focus, hard work and consistency to arrive at this moment. For players grinding on the Challenger circuit, this is the reward. Having the opportunity to test their talents against the best players in the world, and with coveted points and prize money at stake, is what drives these players from January to November.
The 2021 US Open is no exception. A platform to showcase their skills and eventually take the next step on the ATP Tour, it presents a huge opportunity on a global stage. A strong performance at the US Open can prove to be career-altering for many Challenger stars, as they target the Top 100 and beyond. So, which players are poised to wreak havoc on the draw? We look at five to watch in New York...
Jenson Brooksby (USA)
The breakout ATP Challenger star of 2021 has fast become one of the more feared competitors on the pro circuit. Superlatives aside, Brooksby has made a name for himself behind a determined and unrelenting approach, boasting an air of confidence typically reserved for the most accomplished veterans. A self-described 'physical player', the 20-year-old has one gear: non-stop attack.
One of the newest members of the Top 100 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Brooksby has soared from No. 310 to open the 2021 season to join the elite club. What started with a domination of the ATP Challenger Tour, claiming a trio of titles and posting a 23-3 record, has since translated to the tour-level. Not only did he qualify for Roland Garros in May, but that would be followed by a final run at the ATP 250 event in Newport and a semi-final finish at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.
Now, the California native will look to continue his push towards Next Gen ATP Finals qualification when he enters his home Grand Slam. Two years ago, he was a relative unknown when he stunned former World No. 4 Tomas Berdych in New York. Now, Brooksby has arrived. He will open against Mikael Ymer, with a potential second-round clash against 14th seed Alex de Minaur or Taylor Fritz looming large.
Cem Ilkel (TUR)
It's not often that you have the opportunity to make history for your country on the Grand Slam stage. But that is exactly what 26-year-old Ilkel has been tasked with at the US Open. The Istanbul native will be just the second man from Turkey to appear in a major main draw in the Open Era, after successfully qualifying at the US Open on Friday. He joins Marsel Ilhan, who made 12 major appearances from 2009-16.
Tennis in Turkey has enjoyed a significant boost in 2021, behind breakout campaigns from Ilkel and Altug Celikbilek. Both feature in the Top 200 of the FedEx ATP Rankings, with Ilkel claiming his maiden Challenger title in Quimper, France, last year and Celikbilek adding two crowns of his own - in Porto and Pozoblanco - one month ago.
It was in the Pozoblanco final that the two budding stars faced off in just the second all-Turkish final in ATP Challenger history. Celikbilek would prevail in a deciding set, but it is Ilkel who has carried the momentum into the US Open. Wins over Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, former World No. 8 Fernando Verdasco and surging #NextGenATP star Jiri Lehecka saw him qualify for his maiden major. He will make his debut on Monday, facing Alex Molcan on Court 8.
ATP Challenger Match Wins Leaders in 2021
| Player | Match Wins |
| Tomas Martin Etcheverry |
35 |
| Benjamin Bonzi |
34 |
| Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune |
26 |
| Altug Celikbilek |
24 |
| Nicolas Jarry |
24 |
| Jenson Brooksby |
23 |
| Gastao Elias |
23 |
| Cem Ilkel |
22 |
| Kacper Zuk |
22 |
| Zdenek Kolar |
22 |
Alex Molcan (SVK)
Ilkel's first-round opponent is another qualifier making his major debut, Slovakian star Molcan. Both Grand Slam debutants epitomize that 'never give up' attitude of so many players battling on the ATP Challenger Tour.
At the age of 26, Ilkel is finally breaking through after years of fighting for his tennis dreams. And at the age of 23, Molcan is in a similiar position. Three years after reaching his first Challenger final, the Bratislava resident says he now has the tools to make a charge up the FedEx ATP Rankings. It all started with a run to the final at the ATP 250 event in Belgrade in May, where he faced World No. 1 Novak Djokovic for the title.
"It was a huge confidence boost and I took a lot of information from that match, to see how Djokovic plays," Molcan told ATPTour.com. "To see his logic and intelligence on the court really helped me grow and I kept improving and getting better and better. I started to believe in myself and the confidence was the biggest thing. There was no consistency when I was younger, but if you want to change, you have to work. This year, we had a good preparation and now I am putting the puzzle together."
Despite falling to Djokovic in the Belgrade final, he has carried the momentum into the second half of 2021. Not only did he claim his maiden ATP Challenger crown in Liberec, Czech Republic, but he did so in ruthless fashion. Molcan dropped a combined two games in the semi-finals and final, en route to his first title and a career-high of No. 136 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.
The winner of Molcan/Ilkel is guaranteed to face an American in the second round - either 19th-seed John Isner or #NextGenATP star Brandon Nakashima.
Photo: Regina Cortina Photography
Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune (DEN)
Denmark has a new star and his name is Holger. A three-time ATP Challenger champion in 2021, the surging teenager is finding his form in a hurry on the biggest stages in professional tennis. The US Open will provide his biggest test yet, with a first-round clash with top seed Novak Djokovic looming large. It will be a Tuesday night battle under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Rune is fast becoming one of the more feared #NextGenATP stars on the planet. Not only did the 18-year-old become the youngest Challenger winner in Denmark's history, with his maiden title in Biella, but he is now riding a 13-match win streak after lifting back-to-back trophies in San Marino and Verona and successfully qualifying at the US Open. He will make his Grand Slam debut after overcoming Mats Moraing on Friday. The Dane was won 18 of his last 19 sets played, going back to the San Marino final earlier this month.
Rune has become a machine in 2021, launching his 6'2" frame into a mammoth forehand from all corners of the court. In just his second ATP Tour main draw appearance, he reached the quarter-finals on the clay of Santiago in February. And the Copenhagen native would add tour-level victories in Bastad and Kitzbuhel in July.
Rune is poised for a breakthrough under the bright lights of Flushing Meadows.
Botic Van de Zandschulp (NED)
Four Grand Slams in 2021, four main draw appearances for the Dutchman. After reaching the second round at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, defeating Hubert Hurkacz as a qualifier and Gregoire Barrere as a lucky loser, Van de Zandschulp will look to go one step further in his US Open debut. With a year of Grand Slam experience and a successful campaign on the ATP Challenger Tour under his belt, the Dutchman is certainly one to watch in New York.
To say that Van de Zandschulp has been battle tested entering the hard-court major is an understatement. He rallied from a set down in all three of his qualifying matches this week, overcoming Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera, Ben Shelton and Enzo Couacaud to punch his ticket. In fact, he found himself a break down in the deciding set against the American wild card Shelton, before storming back.
Sitting at a career-high No. 118 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, the 25-year-old is making his mark on the pro circuit this year. Since registering his first Top 20 victory over Hurkacz at Roland Garros, he reached his first final of the year in Amersfoort and added three more semi-final finishes. And earlier in the year, he advanced to his first ATP Tour quarter-final at the Great Ocean Road Open in Melbourne.
Van de Zandschulp will open against Spain's Carlos Taberner on Court 15 on Monday, with a potential second-round clash against either eighth-seed Casper Ruud or former World No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the cards.
from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3BqpYTz
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