![\"Luca](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/van-assche-lillech-2026.jpg\")
<\/p>\n Challenger
\n Van Assche returns to Top 100 following Lille Challenger title<\/p>\n
The 21-year-old defeats Blockx in final<\/p>\n
February 23, 2026<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Laurent Sanson\/Play In Challenger<\/p>\n
Luca Van Assche is the first player to win five titles at Challenger 125-level, a category that was introduced in 2019.
\n By ATP Staff<\/p>\n
Luca Van Assche<\/a> returned to the Top 100 of the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time in 21 months following his Sunday triumph at the ATP Challenger event in Lille, France.<\/p>\n \nThe 21-year-old \u2014 who competed at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF<\/a> in 2023 and 2024 \u2014 won the Play In Challenger<\/a>, his second title at that level this season. In the final, the home favourite downed fellow former Jeddah competitor Alexander Blockx<\/a> 6-2, 6-4.<\/p>\n \n\u201cThis victory shows that I worked very hard before the start of the season,\u201d said Van Assche, who earlier this month won the Quimper Challenger. \u201cIt\u2019s the reward for all the work I\u2019ve put in over the last few months and I\u2019m very happy.\u201d<\/p>\n \nVan Assche is the first player to win five titles at Challenger 125-level, a category that was introduced in 2019.<\/p>\n Van Assche’s Challenger 125 Titles<\/p>\n 2026 – Lille, Quimper<\/p>\n 2025 – Olbia<\/p>\n 2023 – Sanremo, Pau<\/p>\n \nVan Assche, who has been as high as No. 63 in the PIF ATP Rankings, first cracked the Top 100 following his title at the 2023 Sanremo Challenger. Thanks to his Lille victory, Van Assche is back above that threshold for the first time since May 2024. Van Assche holds the final spot in this week\u2019s Top 100.<\/p>\n Big win. Big trophy \ud83c\udfc6@lucavanassche<\/a> becomes the first player to claim five ATP Challenger 125 titles since the category was introduced in 2019#ATPChallenger<\/a> | @PlayinLille<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/9iknBypB7l<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) February 22, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \nSeeded seventh in Lille, Van Assche played his best tennis under pressure. He saved 25 of the 28 break points he faced throughout the week, according to Infosys ATP Stats. The Frenchman raced past 16-year-old star Moise Kouame<\/a> 6-1, 6-1 in the semi-finals and applied the finishing touches on his title run.<\/p>\n \n\u201cI\u2019m trying to find a strong playing identity, to maintain a very high level every day, and that\u2019s what I managed to do this week,\u201d said Van Assche. \u201cI never played an exceptional match, but I managed to stay at a very good level.\u201d<\/p>\n \nSakellaridis, 21, surges to first Challenger trophy \nSakellaridis is up 55 places to a career-high No. 220 in the PIF ATP Rankings.<\/p>\n \nGojo ousts three of top four seeds to win in Mexico \nGojo, who in his previous outing reached the final at the Cleveland Challenger, defeated the Canadian Galarneau 6-1, 6-4 to lift the trophy.<\/p>\n \nJusto triumphs on home soil, claims maiden Challenger title \ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddf7 Nothing like winning at home \ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddf7#ATPChallenger<\/a> | @AATenis<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/nqQ0oErvGW<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) February 22, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n
Greek Stefanos Sakellaridis<\/a> claimed his maiden Challenger title with a memorable victory at the Delhi Open 2026<\/a>. The 21-year-old overcame Oliver Crawford<\/a> 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(6) in a three-hour, nine-minute final battle, during which the Briton was two points from victory in the deciding-set tie-break. Crawford earlier let slip a 5-2 lead in the final set.<\/p>\n
Borna Gojo<\/a> earned his third Challenger crown at the Chacachallenger – Metepec Open, where the Croatian downed three of the top four seeds en route to the title. From the quarter-finals onward, the 27-year-old defeated second seed Bernard Tomic<\/a>, third seed and home favourite Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez<\/a> and fourth seed Alexis Galarneau<\/a>. <\/p>\n
Argentine Guido Ivan Justo<\/a> won the Challenger 50 event on home soil in Tigre, lifting his first trophy at that level and climbing to a career-high No. 277 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The 28-year-old rallied past Lautaro Midon<\/a> 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 in the AAT Challenger IEB+ Edicion Tigre I final.<\/p>\n