Play In Challenger Lille makes this year another step forward becoming an ATP Challenger 125 (200 000 $ + H), thus being part of the 10 most significant men’s indoor tennis tournament in France with 125 ATP points for the winner. The seventh edition will be held from 3 to 9 February, always on the courts of Tennis Club Lillois Lille Métropole withan extremely high level announced.
French tennis will be once again, and as each year, well represented, with Lucas Pouille as leader. Former ranked 10th, who will be 31 years in February, is very closed to top 100 (103rd). After jumping more than 200 rankings in 2024, player from Loon-Plage, stunned last Sunday in Australien Open first round by Alexander Zverev (2nd), keeps struggling for a come back to top level. It will be his second participation in Play In Challenger Lille.
He will also come as neighborhood: Terence Atmane (23 years, 154th) will be the other local player. Boulogne-sur-Mer native will participate for the first time in Play In Challenger Lille. The one who took one set to Daniil Medvedev in January 2024, during Australian Open first round, keeps fighting for a first appearance in top 100. Last year, Atmane reached the 3d round in Masters 1000 of Roma, upset in two sets (6-7, 3-6) by Grigor Dimitrov, thus ranked 10th.
Third French headline : Luca van Assche (137st, 63rd in 2023). Winner of Roland-Garros juniors in 2021, 20 years player, born in Belgium but with French nationality, is regarded as one of the greatest rising hope of his generation. Among the other players to follow are notably Serbian Laslo Djere (114st, ex-27st in 2019), Belgium Raphaël Collignon (120st), young Swiss gun Jérôme Kym (133rd), Grégoire Barrère (143rd) double winner in Lille (2018, 2019) and runner up (2021), Pierre-Hugues Herbert (147st), Hugo Grenier (153rd), Titouan Droguet (23 years, 183rd) and Belgium Alexander Blockx (19 years, 203rd, world junior number one in 2023).
To be noted that three wild cards have to be distributed by the tournament, which may lead to other nice surprises. They will be unveiled very soon.
