VANCOUVER/STARNBERG, July 30, 2026
Keegan Rice‘s impressive run at the Odlum Brown VanOpen showed no signs of slowing down at Hollyburn Country Club on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old from Regina, Saskatchewan, dug deep in a hard-fought three-set battle, defeating Great Britain’s Harry Wendelken 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 to reach the quarterfinals.
Making moves at home 🇨🇦
20-year-old Keegan Rice reaches his first career ATP Challenger quarterfinal after fighting past Wendelken in three sets in Vancouver#ATPChallenger | @vanopentennis pic.twitter.com/1Wos5NcZQ8
— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) July 30, 2026
In a match lasting nearly two hours, Rice capitalized on the key moments, converting five of his eight break-point opportunities, including the decisive break late in the third set to seal the victory.
“It was a great battle. He’s a great player,” Rice said after the match. “There were ups and downs throughout, but I just stuck with it, stuck to my game, and kept believing in myself the whole way through.”
Rice arrived in Vancouver carrying momentum after a strong stretch on the professional circuit. Earlier this month, the former Top 40 ITF junior reached his first World Tennis Tour singles final at the M25 Laval, where the unseeded Canadian stunned former World No. 113 Liam Draxl en route to the championship match.
That composure under pressure was on display again on Wednesday. After dropping the second set, the University of Virginia standout remained committed to playing aggressive tennis throughout the deciding set.
“It’s what I practice every single day,” Rice said of his mindset on the biggest points. “I know that it’s going to pay off in the long run, whether it’s that game, the set, or the match. Over 25 to 35 weeks a year, I know that if I keep trusting myself, it’ll pay off.”
The victory sends Rice into the quarterfinals of an ATP Challenger 125 event for the first time in his career, marking another significant milestone on a résumé that already includes junior Grand Slam appearances at the Australian Open, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon.
“Unbelievable,” Rice said. “I’ve been working hard this summer, so it’s really rewarding to see all that work over the past few months paying off.”
