Christopher O’Connell celebrated a milestone victory on Saturday at the Lexus Nottingham Open, defeating Finland’s Otto Virtanen 7-6(3), 7-6(6) to secure the first grass-court title of his career.

The 32-year-old Australian held his nerve in two tightly contested tie-breaks. O’Connell withstood 19 aces and won eight points more than his opponent to lift the trophy after one hour and 56 minutes.

Welcome back, Chris 🏆@chrisoconnelll returns to the champion’s circle, outlasting Virtanen 7-6(3), 7-6(6) to claim his first Challenger title since 2024! 🇦🇺#ATPChallenger | @the_LTA | @TennisAustralia pic.twitter.com/ULcZz754Et

— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) June 20, 2026

The world No. 154 claimed his seventh ATP Challenger Tour career title. The triumph marks O’Connell’s first Challenger crown since Guangzhou, China in September 2024 and provides a timely boost of confidence heading into the grass-court season’s biggest events.

He earned €30,460 in prize money as well as 125 ATP Ranking points.

The Lexus Nottingham Open offered a total prize pool of €203,900 and was held at the Nottingham Tennis Centre. Nottingham is situated in the East Midlands of England and combines historic landmarks such as the famous Nottingham Castle with a modern cultural scene, bustling shopping districts and two major universities.