The Play In Challenger (8th edition), an ATP Challenger tennis tournament organized by the Tennis Club Lillois Lille Métropole, will take place from February 16 to 22, 2026.
This Lille-based tournament, the most prominent in Northern France, now has the dates confirmed for its next edition: the Play In Challenger will be held from February 16 to 22, 2026, during the first week of school holidays for Zone B, which includes the Lille education district.
Organized by the Tennis Club Lillois Lille Métropole at its facilities, the only ATP Challenger tournament in the Hauts-de-France region continues to build its legacy. It maintains its status as an “ATP Challenger 125”, awarding 125 ATP points to the winner, with a total prize money of $200,000.
This year’s tournament ended in heartbreaking fashion, with local player Lucas Pouille forced to retire in the final due to a complete Achilles tendon rupture, handing victory to young Frenchman Arthur Bouquier.
An attractive Date on the ATP Calendar
While it is still too early to know which players will take part in the Play In Challenger, the tournament’s scheduling suggests the possibility of welcoming some of the top French players as well as high-profile international names. That week, the Play In Challenger will be the most competitive ATP tournament in Europe, as no ATP 250 or 500 events are scheduled!
“The success of an ATP tournament depends greatly on its place in the calendar,” explains Antoine Sueur, President of the Play In Challenger. “We’re fortunate in 2026 to benefit from an attractive time slot, and we hope to bring in some of the most well-known players on the ATP Tour.”
So, we’ll need to be patient before the first names are announced for this new edition of the Play In Challenger — and to discover who will succeed to Grégoire Barrère (winner in 2018 and 2019), Zizou Bergs (2021), Quentin Halys (2022), Otto Virtanen (2023), Arthur Rinderknech (2024), and Arthur Bouquier (2025)!
