VILLENA/STARNBERG, September 22, 2026
The Ferrero & Forty Challenger 2026 will take place from October 4–11 in Villena, Alicante, celebrating its ninth edition as an ATP Challenger 100 event. The tournament continues to establish itself as one of Spain’s leading professional men’s hard-court tournaments, combining high-level international tennis with gastronomy, culture, entertainment, family activities and business networking.
One of the major innovations this year is the arrival of FORTY Group as a strategic partner, giving the tournament a fresh boost and helping create an expanded experience around the competition.
With more than €160,000 in prize money on offer, the champion will also receive 100 ATP ranking points – a valuable reward for players looking to break into the Top 100 or strengthen their position among the world’s elite.
A star-studded field
The 2026 edition features a strong line-up of established professionals, rising stars and former champions, with several players currently ranked between No. 90 and No. 190 in the world.
Among the leading names are:
Dino Prizmic (Croatia, 21) – Currently No. 103 in the ATP rankings and a former world No. 70, Prizmic has won three ATP Challenger singles titles and represented Croatia in the Davis Cup.
Pedro Martinez (Spain, 29) – The Spaniard is currently ranked No. 132, with a career-high of No. 36. He won an ATP 250 title in Chile and has reached two further ATP finals in Austria and Portugal. He is also a Davis Cup representative for Spain.
Pablo Llamas Ruiz (Spain, 23) – Currently No. 143, Llamas Ruiz is a two-time Challenger champion, winning titles in Segovia in 2023 and Alicante in 2026. He also reached the third round of the 2026 Rome Masters 1000, his best result at that level.
Dusan Lajovic (Serbia, 36) – The former world No. 23 currently sits at No. 149. A two-time ATP Tour champion, Lajovic lifted titles in Umag in 2019 and Banja Luka in 2023, while also reaching the 2019 Monte Carlo Masters 1000 final.
Darwin Blanch (United States, 18) – Currently ranked No. 245, with a career-high of No. 211 reached in June 2026, Blanch is one of the tournament’s most intriguing young prospects. Coached by Juan Ignacio Chela and developed at the Ferrero Tennis Academy in Villena, he recorded his first ATP-level victory in Winston-Salem in 2025 against former champion Borna Coric. In 2024, he made his Masters 1000 debut in Miami and faced Rafael Nadal in Madrid at just 16 years of age.
Damir Dzumhur (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 34) – Currently No. 104 in the ATP rankings and a former world No. 23, Dzumhur has won three ATP Tour titles, in St. Petersburg and Moscow in 2017 and Antalya in 2018. He has also been a longstanding Davis Cup representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Laslo Djere (Serbia, 31) – Currently ranked No. 183, Djere has reached a career-high of No. 27 and has won three ATP Tour titles in Rio de Janeiro, Sardinia and Santiago. In 2023, he recorded one of the biggest victories of his career by defeating then-world No. 3 Casper Ruud in Auckland.
Joel Schwaerzler (Austria, 20) – Currently No. 179 in the world, Schwaerzler won Challenger titles in Rwanda in 2026 and at the Macedonian Open in 2024. The former world No. 1 junior also reached the final in Lugano in 2026 and is currently Austria’s No. 3 player.
A tournament that has launched champions
Since its inaugural edition in 2018, the Alicante Ferrero Challenger has developed a reputation as an important stepping stone for players with ambitions of reaching the highest levels of professional tennis.
The tournament’s roll of honour includes some notable names.
2018 – Pablo Andujar
The inaugural champion defeated Alex de Minaur in the final, after the Australian had reached the championship match with a semifinal victory over top seed Roberto Carballes.
2019 – Pablo Andujar
Andújar successfully defended his title, defeating Pedro Martinez in the final.
2020 – Carlos Alcaraz
At just 17 years of age, Alcaraz won the title on the courts where he trained every day, defeating Pedro Martinez 7-6(6), 6-3. That season, he won three Challenger titles and made a spectacular rise towards the Top 100.
2024 – Kamil Majchrzak
The Polish player returned to Villena, where he had trained as a youngster, and defeated Nicolas Moreno de Alboran 6-4, 6-2 in the final, moving to the brink of the ATP Top 100.
2025 – Pablo Carreno Busta
Carreno Busta produced a thrilling comeback in the final, overcoming Hugo Grenier 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in front of a packed and enthusiastic crowd.
Other prominent names have also featured at the tournament, including Daniel Merida, a semifinalist in 2025, and Martin Landaluce. Over the years, players such as Rafael Jodar, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Feliciano Lopez and Jannik Sinner have also competed in Villena, underlining the tournament’s role as a platform for future stars.
From Alcaraz’s teenage breakthrough to Majchrzak’s return to Villena and Carreno Busta’s triumph in front of the home crowd, each champion has left a mark on the event. The question now is who will emerge as the next major star in 2026?
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Open Days bring tennis, music and gastronomy together
The tournament will also open its doors to the wider public during the quarterfinals and semifinals on Friday and Saturday.
Admission will be free, with a food truck area featuring restaurants and gastronomic professionals from Alicante. Families will be able to enjoy a dedicated Kids Zone, designed to introduce younger visitors to tennis through a range of activities.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to take part in an open tie-break tournament and experience the competitive side of the sport themselves.
Music, prize draws and a live concert at 6 p.m. on Saturday will complete the Open Days programme, creating a festival atmosphere that combines tennis, gastronomy, music and family entertainment.
Villena strengthens its position on the tennis map
The Valencian Community has a long-standing connection with elite tennis, having produced champions such as Juan Carlos Ferrero, David Ferrer and Roberto Bautista Agut. It was also the region where Carlos Alcaraz took some of his first steps towards professional tennis.
With the 2026 edition, Villena and the province of Alicante continue to strengthen their position as destinations for international sport and professional tennis.
The Ferrero & Forty Challenger offers more than world-class competition. Visitors will be able to watch high-level matches, follow the players’ training sessions and explore the facilities of the Ferrero Tennis Academy, one of the leading centres for the development of future tennis stars.
