ALMATY/STARNBERG, October 14, 2024

German teenager Justin Engel celebrated a milestone victory at the Almaty Open, winning his first-ever ATP Tour match in the tournament’s opening round. The 17-year-old wild card entry defeated World No. 133 Coleman Wong from Hong Kong 7-5, 6-4 on Monday afternoon.

Engel withstood 10 aces and broke his rival three times. The World No. 522 was dominant with his own serve, winning 71 per cent of his first-service points. Engel prevailed after one hour and 34 minutes.

Debut Delight

17 year old Justin Engel wins on his ATP tour debut as he defeats Coleman Wong 7-5 6-4 pic.twitter.com/Y4zKTOKno0

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 14, 2024

“This year has already been so good. Now this…this is incredible,” said Engel, who has become the youngest match winner on the ATP Tour since Carlos Alcaraz in 2020. “Winning my first ATP Tour main draw match at the age of 17 is the best feeling I can ever have.”

This victory marks a significant step in Engel’s promising career as he continues to rise through the ranks of professional tennis. He has already captured four titles on the ITF World Tennis Tour earlier in the season, lifting the trophies in Villach, Austria, on home soil in Uslar and Trier as well as in Cap d’Agde, France.

Almaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of over two million. The city is located in the mountainous area of southern Kazakhstan near the border with Kyrgyzstan in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau at an elevation of 700 to 900 metres above sea level. Engel managed to adapt to the conditions well.

“I practiced three days here and I am getting used to it. But still it’s very tough. The ball are flying high but I love to play here. That’s why I won. It’s a great facility here and I like Almaty. I already told my dad that I want to stay for two weeks. Maybe next year,” the youngster added with a smile.

Up next for Engel will be No. 4 seed Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina.