Australian Open: Five challenger players to watch on the ATP Tour

australian open

Five challengers to watch at the Australian Open

Sakamoto, Jordan will meet in first round youth clash

January 17, 2026

From first-round #NextGenATP showdowns, to former collegiate standouts and other rising stars, ATPTour.com highlights five ATP Challenger players to watch during the Australian Open.

Sakamoto Rei
The 19-year-old lifted the 2024 men’s singles crown in Melbourne and became the first Japanese player to win the junior title at the Australian Open. Since then, the 6-foot-4-inch (193 centimeters) teenager has made a splash on the ATP Challenger Tour, including a victory at his hometown Yokohama Challenge last November, his final event in 2025.

As the first Japanese boy to win three challenger championships, Sakamoto advanced strongly in the Melbourne qualifying draw and this was his first time participating in an important main draw. He defeated former world number 21 Daniel Evans 6-1, 6-2 and continued to build on the momentum without dropping a set to earn a landmark appearance in Australia. Sakamoto will face 19-year-old Rafael Jodar in the first round.

Raphael Hodar
This will be an interesting first-round matchup between two emerging talents in Sakamoto and Jordan. Not only is the Spaniard playing in his first Grand Slam main draw, last week also marked his first attempt at qualifying for a Grand Slam – mission accomplished. Jordal’s Challenger performance was a key stepping stone to where he is today.

In the second half of the 2025 season, Jordan won three Challenger titles in just a few months and qualified for the Next Generation ATP Finals hosted by PIF. On New Year’s Eve, the 19-year-old announced he would turn pro, forgoing the remainder of his two seasons of eligibility at the University of Virginia. He started the season by reaching the finals of the Canberra Challenge, where he lost to 2025 Jeddah runner-up Alexander Blockx. Jordahl is ranked a career-high No. 150 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Liam Draxle
The Canadian is one of two players (Emilio Nava) to win a season-leading 44 games at the Challenger level in 2025. The 24-year-old Draxl won on Winnipeg’s hard courts in July and reached six other finals, capping off the best year of his career. Now, the former Kentucky standout turns his attention to his first major game appearance.

Draxl narrowly escaped elimination in the final round, trailing 3-6, 3-5 to Mackenzie MacDonald. Trailing by two points at 3-5 in the second set, Draxl completed a thrilling exchange with a backhand pass that gave the American a chance to put the ball over the top. Draxl fought back strongly and won 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-2, sealing his spot in the main draw in dramatic fashion. He will start against Damir Zumhur.

Raphael Collignon
The 23-year-old will be reliving memories of last year’s US Open, when he defeated 12th seed Caspar Ruud in five sets that lasted three hours and 30 minutes to reach the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time. The Belgian faces a tough test from fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti in his first match in Melbourne.

Collignon, who is ranked a career-high No. 72 in the PIF ATP Rankings, reached his second career tour-level quarter-finals in Brisbane earlier this month. This is his first time participating in the Australian Open main draw. Collignon’s father is a brain surgeon and he lifted two Challenger trophies in 2025 (Pau, Monza).

Patrick Capeson
A seven-time Challenger champion, Capeson is one of the six-time tied for most titles (four) in the division in 2025. The 26-year-old earned a spot in the main draw last November by winning the USTA Australian Open Wild Card Challenge, thanks in large part to victories at the Sioux Falls and Helsinki Challenger tournaments.

Kipson is competing in Melbourne for the second time (2024) and looking for his first major main draw win against Argentina’s Francesco Comesana.

Grand Slam debut is coming🔜

Arthur Gea, Rafael Jodar, Rei Sakamoto, Francesco Maestrelli, Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, Michael Cheng and Liam Draxl Buy Tickets @Australian Open Main draw!#ATPchallenger | #AustraliaOpen pic.twitter.com/VHsR4k90H9

— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) January 15, 2026