Rwanda to Host ATP Challenger Tennis Tournaments Again in 2026



Sport & Entertainment

23, Oct-2025     Mugisha John


Rwanda will host two back-to-back professional tennis tournaments the ATP Challenger 75 Tour and the ATP Challenger 100 Tour for the second consecutive year, strengthening its growing status as a tennis destination in Africa.


The tournaments are scheduled for March 2–15, 2026, at the IPRC Kigali / Kicukiro Ecology Tennis Club, with the Challenger 75 taking place in the first week and the Challenger 100 in the second.

Rwanda made history in 2024 as the second Sub-Saharan African country, after South Africa, to host an ATP Challenger event when it staged the Challenger 50 Tour, which attracted over 60 international players ranked inside the world’s top 150.

The tournaments offer valuable ATP ranking points — 75 and 100, respectively — and provide a key platform for players aiming to break into the top 100 and qualify for ATP Tour and Grand Slam events.

In 2025, both Kigali tournaments were won by Frenchman Valentin Royer, who defeated Slovakia’s Andrej Martin and the Netherlands’ Guy Den Ouden in straight sets during the two consecutive weeks. The 2024 editions were claimed by Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak and Argentina’s Marco Trungelliti.

The ATP Challenger series is known for nurturing future stars of tennis. Notable players who once competed at this level include world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, as well as former champions Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, and Juan Martin del Potro.

Rwanda’s continued hosting of these tournaments highlights its growing investment in sports and infrastructure, positioning the country as an emerging hub for international tennis in Africa.


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