POZNAN/STARNBERG, June 12, 2026
The countdown is on for the 2026 Enea Poznan Open ATP Challenger 100, which gets underway this Sunday with a strong international field and plenty of reasons for Polish tennis fans to be excited.
Leading the draw is Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko, currently ranked No. 97 in the world. The former Top 50 player will make his fourth appearance in Poznan, where he reached the semi-finals in 2021. Shevchenko arrives directly from Roland Garros, where he competed in the main draw before falling to Alex Michelsen in the opening round.
Among the tournament favourites is also Britain’s Jan Choinski, whose Polish roots have made him a particularly intriguing figure for local fans. Coached by his Polish-born father, Choinski recently captured the ATP Challenger title in Zagreb and climbed to a career-high ranking of No. 105, putting him on the verge of breaking into the Top 100 for the first time.
The 29-year-old first gained widespread attention during his Wimbledon debut in 2023, when he stunned Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic in the opening round. British media famously dubbed him “the ballerina’s son” in reference to his mother’s career at the Royal Ballet School. His run was eventually ended by Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in the second round.
Another major contender is Czech Dalibor Svrcina, last year’s runner-up in Poznan, while Argentina’s Facundo Diaz Acosta, seeded fourth, arrives in good form after successfully qualifying for Roland Garros and reaching the second round in Paris.
Polish hopes rest on defending champion Kasnikowski
Home fans will once again be looking for a strong Polish challenge. Three Polish players have lifted the Poznan trophy in tournament history: Jerzy Janowicz in 2012, Hubert Hurkacz in 2018 and Maks Kasnikowski in 2024.
Kasnikowski returns this year thanks to a wild card and will attempt to become the first repeat champion in recent years.
“Fortunately, I haven’t had any major health issues over the last year,” said Kasnikowski. “The rehabilitation work before the tournament helped me maintain continuity in my schedule. There were minor injuries, of course, but that’s normal. I played a lot of matches and tournaments. The first months were about getting back into form, but this season everything has been moving in the right direction.”
Wild cards have also been awarded to Daniel Michalski and Tomasz Berkieta, one of the most promising young players in Polish tennis. Additional qualifying wild cards were given to Alan Ważny, Filip Pieczonka, Aleksander Błus and Jan Sadzik, the current No. 1 in the Polish junior rankings and winner of the pre-qualifying tournament.
