Nava nets fourth Challenger title of year, tying season lead

  • Posted: Sep 22, 2025

Emilio Nava built on his career-best year Sunday at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Villa Maria, Argentina, where the American captured his fourth title of 2025. Nava and Borna Coric are now tied atop the Challenger season leaderboard with four titles each.

Returning to action for the first time since the US Open, Nava dropped just one set en route to the title and ousted home hope Alex Barrena 6-3, 6-3 in the final.

“I had a pretty good week,” said the bilingual Nava in Spanish. “My team and I did a good job. I like [the Argentine crowd] because it adds a little more tension [when facing an Argentine] and it makes everything a little more fun when the crowd is at 100 per cent. I loved it.”

Nava, who is coached by Argentine Diego Cristin, has earned all six of his Challenger trophies on clay. Earlier this season, he went on a 19-match winning streak on the surface, a run during which he won three titles (Asuncion, Concepcion and Sarasota) and finished runner-up in Tallahassee.

The 23-year-old made his Top 100 debut last Monday and is currently No. 90 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

Reigning NCAA singles champ Zheng saves two championship points
In other Challenger action, reigning NCAA singles champion Michael Zheng saved two championship points to capture his second title of the season. The Columbia University star rallied past Martin Damm 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in an all-American final at the indoor Columbus Challenger in Ohio.

Damm, who was aiming for his first Challenger trophy, held championship points on return at 5-4, 15/40 in the decider. Yet Zheng prevailed, backing up his Chicago Challenger triumph from last month to extend his winning streak at that level to 10. Zheng, 21, is up 85 places to No. 227 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

Choinski claims title after saving four consecutive match points in R2
Briton Jan Choinski went from almost out of the tournament to winning the LAYJET – Open presented by Kronen Zeitung in Bad Waltersdorf, Austria. Down four consecutive match points in the second round to Marko Topo, the 29-year-old escaped 2-6, 6-1, 7-6(6) and built upon his momentum to lift his third Challenger trophy of the year and sixth overall. Choinski beat Vit Kopriva 7-5, 6-4 in the final.

Tuniasian Echargui wins third trophy in as many months
Tunisia’s Moez Echargui won his third Challenger title in as many months at the Saint-Tropez Open. Echargui defeated Frenchman Dan Added 6-3, 6-4 in the final. In July, the 32-year-old became the second-oldest (Joseph Sirianni) first-time Challenger champion with his triumph in Porto.

<img alt=”Moez Echargui wins the Saint-Tropez Open.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/09/22/14/29/echargui-sainttropezch-2025.jpg” />
Moez Echargui wins the Saint-Tropez Open. Credit: Saint-Tropez Open

Former No. 3 Stan Wawrinka made the Saint-Tropez semi-finals, yet withdrew before Saturday’s match against Added due to a left hamstring injury. Wawrinka, 40, reached a Challenger final the previous week in Rennes, France.

Agamenone lifts first title in more than two years
Italian Franco Agamenone returned to the winner’s circle for the first time since July 2023. The 32-year-old claimed the Intaro Open 2 in Targu Mures, Romania, where he downed top seed Jay Clarke 6-3, 6-4 in the final. Agamenone is a five-time Challenger champion.

<img alt=”Franco Agamenone celebrates winning the Targu Mures Challenger.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/09/22/14/25/agamenone-targumuresch-2025.jpg” />
Franco Agamenone celebrates winning the Targu Mures Challenger. Credit: Intaro Open 2

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