Cilic's comeback leads 5 Challenger moments to recollect from 2025

Challenger

Cilic’s comeback leads 5 Challenger moments to recollect from 2025

Nava’s stretch of dominance, Burruchaga’s marathon triumph amongst highlights

December 16, 2025

From Marin Cilic’s record-breaking comeback to Emilio Nava’s dominant run and Mark Lajal’s emotional triumph, ATPTour.com highlights 5 moments to recollect from the 2025 ATP Challenger season.

Cilic circles again to Challengers, turns into oldest grass-court championAfter present process two knee surgical procedures prior to now two years, Cilic made an emphatic return to the ATP Challenger circuit. On the Girona Challenger in March, the Tour-veteran secured his first Challenger title since 2007, surpassing Andy Murray for the longest span (17 years, 10 months) in between Challenger trophies.

“It’s important to settle for that I’m not High 100, High 50 anymore, so you may’t simply choose and select any event you wish to play. It’s time to place the top down, work, get again to Challengers and grind it out,” the previous No. 3 informed ATPTour.com in April. “That was for me step one after which afterwards, it’s placing the mindset in, nonetheless having motivation to battle it out with younger weapons, to compete and play effectively.”

🏆 Rijeka 2007🏆 Girona 2025

At 17 years and 10 months, @cilic_marin now holds the document for longest hole between Challenger Tour titles!#ATPChallenger | @atptour pic.twitter.com/UOcnvyGeHZ

— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) March 30, 2025

Cilic once more broke one other document of Murray’s on the Nottingham Challenger. At 36 years and eight months, the 2017 Wimbledon finalist turned the oldest grass-court Challenger titlist, a feat that Murray had achieved simply two years earlier on the similar event. The Croatian, who reached the fourth spherical of Wimbledon, completed the yr at No. 75 within the PIF ATP Rankings.

Nava navigates month of dominanceFor one whole month, Nava was unstoppable. The American constructed a 19-match successful streak and had gained 35 consecutive units, one shy of tying David Goffin’s Challenger document set in 2014. Nava had gained three consecutive titles, triumphing on clay in Asuncion, Concepcion and Sarasota.

Nava reached the ultimate of Tallahassee and held a one-set lead, inching nearer at becoming a member of Guillermo Coria (2000) and Tallon Griekspoor (2021) as the one gamers to win 4 Challenger titles in as many consecutive tournaments, however Chris Rodesch spoiled Nava’s hopes with a three-set victory.

Lajal saves 5 MPs in Bloomfield Hills, dedicates title to late grandfatherThe Estonian delivered a brave efficiency to dramatically fend off 5 championship factors to win the Bloomfield Hills Challenger and seize his second title at ATP Challenger stage. That very same day, hundreds of miles away in Estonia, Lajal’s grandfather, Tõnu, was laid to relaxation.

Lajal wrote an Instagram submit, dedicating his greatest profession trophy to his grandfather, who was intently following the 22-year-old’s profession. Lajal dispatched Andres Martin 6-7(7), 7-5, 7-6(9) in a three-hour, 22-minute last earlier than lifting the trophy within the air and searching as much as the sky.

“It was very good to do it as a result of they’d a ‘sending away’ with our household in Estonia on the day of the ultimate,” Lajal informed ATPTour.com. “I feel every thing was excellent timing.”

With Nadal watching, Rincon completes full-circle triumph at Rafa Nadal AcademyDaniel Rincon was main 2-0 in his second-round match on the ATP Challenger occasion held at Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar, and he out of the blue froze. The Spaniard noticed Rafael Nadal himself watching from the stands. “I noticed him wanting and I misplaced six video games in a row,” Rincon mentioned with fun. “I bought a bit tight there.”

The nerves didn’t derail Rincon for lengthy. The 22-year-old regrouped, gained the match and went on to seize the trophy on the very place the place he educated and graduated from in 2021. Whereas competing within the last, Rincon once more noticed the previous World No. 1 Nadal watching, though the match was nearly midway over, so Rincon “didn’t have an excessive amount of time to consider it”.

Daniel Rincon celebrates successful the Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar.” model=”width:100%” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/pictures/information/2025/09/17/21/32/rincon-manacorch-2025.jpg”>Daniel Rincon wins the Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar. Credit score: Alvaro Diaz/Rafa Nadal Open by Movistar

Burruchaga survives seven-hour Sunday to assert Piracicaba crownRoman Andres Burruchaga endured a marathon Sunday on the Piracicaba Challenger, the place he spent almost seven hours on courtroom in in the future, on account of heavy rain all week suspending a number of matches.

Burruchaga gained a three-hour, two-minute semi-final towards house hope Gustavo Heide earlier than returning to courtroom and successful the second-longest Challenger last in historical past (three hours, 45 minutes). The Argentine saved a championship level, surviving countryman Facundo Mena 7-6(8), 6-7(6), 7-6(4) to raise the Brasil Tennis Challenger trophy.