PARMA/STARNBERG, June 20, 2026

Luca Van Assche completed an impressive week at the Emilia-Romagna Tennis Cup by defeating Austria’s Sebastian Ofner 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the final of the ATP Challenger 125 clay-court event held at the Circolo del Castellazzo in Parma, Italy.

The 22-year-old Frenchman crowned a tournament that gathered momentum with each round, overcoming the fourth-seeded Ofner after two hours and nine minutes of intense and entertaining tennis. In front of a packed Centre Court crowd that braved the scorching summer heat, both players produced spectacular shot-making and relentless intensity in a final that lived up to expectations.

Following the early exit of top seed Jesper de Jong, van Assche assumed the role of tournament favorite and handled the pressure impressively. However, it was Ofner who made the stronger start in the championship match. The Austrian broke serve in the third game and capitalized on an unusually error-prone opening set from Van Assche, using his powerful and aggressive game to take the first set 6-2.

As he had done several times throughout the week, van Assche responded emphatically. The Frenchman raised his level considerably in the second set, matching Ofner’s opening-set scoreline with a 6-2 set of his own to level the contest.

The decisive set swung in van Assche’s favor early. After falling behind 0-3, Ofner required treatment from the physiotherapist, but the Austrian continued to fight and kept the match competitive despite the demanding conditions and growing fatigue on both sides of the net. Van Assche remained the more composed player in the key moments, protecting his advantage and eventually closing out a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory.

Allez, Luca! 🇫🇷

Down a set, van Assche battles past Ofner 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 for a record-extending 6⃣th Challenger 125 crown! 👊#ATPChallenger | 🇮🇹 Parma | @lucavanassche pic.twitter.com/YLZUKVv6lv

— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) June 20, 2026

“I’m very happy,” said van Assche after receiving the trophy. “First of all, congratulations to Sebastian for a great tournament and for the level he showed today. Italy has always been a good place for me, and now my focus turns to Wimbledon. I would also like to thank all the spectators who came out during the week despite the extreme heat.”

Ofner was gracious in defeat, praising both his opponent and the Parma crowd.

“Congratulations to Luca on a fantastic tournament,” the 30-year-old Austrian said. “And thank you to the fans who supported me today with so much passion.”

The title continues van Assche’s resurgence on the ATP Challenger Tour and provides a major confidence boost ahead of Wimbledon, where both finalists will compete in the main draw.

Earlier in the day, Ryan Seggerman of the United States and Switzerland’s Jakub Paul claimed the doubles title with a 6-2, 7-6(5) victory over Thailand’s Pruchya Isaro and India’s Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha. For Seggerman, it was a second consecutive triumph in the event after winning last year’s edition in Sassuolo.