Open Menorca Challenger 100 finalises its draw in a public ceremony, with Royer and Ofner leading the field
The event, attended by families from Club Tenis Ciutadella and featuring a talk by Pepe Demi, sets the stage for the tournament’s start on 29 March in a highly competitive edition
The II Open Menorca ATP Challenger 100 has confirmed its main singles draw following Friday’s public draw ceremony. The event brought together more than 150 attendees, including ball kids from Club Tenis Ciutadella and their families, who also received their official accreditations and JOMA kit at the Hotel Seth Port Ciutadella.
The event included a talk by performance coach Pepe Demi — “Parent or coach: a decision to make” — aimed at young players and their families. He shared practical guidance on how to support a player’s development during formative years without creating unnecessary pressure or conflict. Demi later went on to host the draw itself.
The draw was overseen by ATP supervisor Ahmed Abdel-Azim, who highlighted the atmosphere surrounding what is usually a technical process: “It’s not often you see a draw with this level of public interest and enthusiasm,” he said.
The tournament gets underway tomorrow, 29 March, with the opening matches of the qualifying draw, subject to weather conditions, in an edition that continues to strengthen its position within the ATP Challenger Tour.
Royer leads a field with eight seeds inside the Top 250
France’s Valentin Royer, world No. 69, enters as top seed and the leading name in the draw, followed by Austria’s Sebastian Ofner (86) as second seed.
They are joined among the seeds by Spain’s Roberto Carballés Baena (165), Czech player Zdenek Kolar (183), Germany’s Justin Engel (190), Portugal’s Frederico Ferreira Silva (238), Spain’s Alejandro Moro Cañas (239) and Russia’s Ivan Gakhov (249).
The cut-off for direct entry (ATP No. 326) reflects the strong competitive level of a tournament now firmly established at Challenger 100 category.
Opening match-ups and potential paths
The draw features several intriguing first-round match-ups. Royer will face Edas Butvilas, champion of the inaugural 2025 edition, while Ofner takes on Raul Brancaccio, who enters as an alternate.
Spain’s Carballés Baena, third seed, will meet Italian — and Menorca resident — Felipe Virgili, a wildcard entry. Should he progress, his next opponent will come from Jonas Forejtek or a qualifier.
Meanwhile, Kolar (4) and Engel (5) will open against qualifiers, while Ferreira Silva (6) faces Spain’s Daniel Rincón. Moro Cañas (7) begins his campaign against Italy’s Franco Agamenone.
In the top half, a standout clash sees Ivan Gakhov (8) take on Slovakia’s Norbert Gombos, both experienced competitors on the Challenger circuit.
Strong Spanish presence and wildcard entries
The draw features a strong Spanish presence. Alongside Carballés Baena, Rincón, Damas and Moro Cañas, there is also Pol Martín Tiffon — runner-up in 2025 — and Alejo Sánchez Quílez, both competing on wildcards.
Additional wildcards have been awarded to Pedro Vives Marcos and Virgili, while alternates such as Brancaccio and Forejtek further strengthen a draw rich in variety and competitive depth from the outset.
A Challenger 100 firmly established on the calendar
With total prize money of €160,680 and 100 ATP ranking points for the champion, the Open Menorca Challenger 100 continues to strengthen its position within the Challenger circuit, featuring a balanced draw with no clear gaps between contenders.
The combination of Top 100 players, established names and emerging talents makes this edition a key stop at the start of the European clay-court swing.
For one week, Club Tenis Ciutadella will once again become a focal point of professional tennis, as the tournament continues to establish itself as one of the most promising events on the Challenger calendar.
