CENTURION, June 7, 2026
South Africa’s Philip Henning captured the first ATP Challenger title of his career on Sunday after overcoming Bulgaria’s Alexander Donski in a dramatic three-set final at the Rise Centurion Open.
Henning takes the winner’s prize money of $9,500 and adds 50 points to his ATP Ranking, now breaking through the top 300 in the world for the first time.
In a finals contest that showcased both resilience and determination, Henning looked in control early on as he raced to a commanding 6-2 first-set victory. However, Donski, also competing in his maiden ATP Challenger final, refused to back down and fought back strongly to take the second set 6-3, forcing a deciding tie break.
With the title hanging in the balance, the final went the distance, with Henning holding his nerve in a tense match tiebreak to prevail 8-6 and seal the biggest title of his career.
The victory capped a memorable fortnight for the South African, who thrilled home fans throughout the tournament and became the latest local player to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the ATP Challenger events on South African soil.
A special moment for Philip Henning 👏
The South African saves a championship point to defeat Donski 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(6) and claim his maiden ATP Challenger title in Centurion#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/XqIIg8vYJR
— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) June 7, 2026
“We’ve had a great week with great tennis,” says Henning. “Alexander had a rocket of a serve that I sometimes could not even see – he was a tough opponent. This moment is very special for me. I got to lift my first ATP title at home and to share it with South African fans make it even more special! Hopefully, there will be many more to come.
The past two weeks have been awesome, and the ATP tournament has been a great success.”
He also made special mention of his brother and supporters who made it such a memorable event.
For Donski, the defeat brought an end to a remarkable week that saw the Bulgarian qualifier reach the first ATP Challenger final of his career after coming through the qualifying draw.
“It has been a great week with really great tennis. There were a lot of tough matches against great players. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to compete at this level. I would like to thank the Rise Centurion Open team and the ATP for hosting the Challenger events – they have been the absolute best. I have been training so hard, and I hope to be back here.”
He thanked his girlfriend and his girlfriend’s parents, who attended the Rise Irene Open to support him.
During the prize giving Tournament Director, John-Laffnie de Jager, congratulated both players who have had breakthrough weeks and said they should be proud of what they achieved here in Centurion.
“The past two weeks have been a great and significant moment for tennis in South Africa. We haven’t had tennis of this level in South Africa for a while. Judging by the support and the crowds, this shows there is a real interest in the sport.
He added that tennis is a global sport, and through the ATP Challenger events, they hope to build tennis in South Africa so it gets bigger and bigger. “We also want to support tennis players – the big names are made at ATP Challenger events, therefore our vision is to take tennis in SA to the next level and continue bringing tennis of this level to local fans,” he says.
