Medjedovic makes Top 100 debut with Oeiras Challenger triumph

Hamad Medjedovic has set a strong tone for the 2025 season with an impressive start to the year.

The Serb clinched his fifth ATP Challenger Tour title at the Oeiras Indoor 1 in Portugal on Saturday. With the win, the 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion made his Top 100 debut at No. 98 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Playing his sixth final at the Challenger level, Medjedovic defeated Canadian Liam Draxl 6-1, 6-3 in one hour and nine minutes en route to the title. The 21-year-old, who ended the 2024 season by reaching the final at his home ATP 250 event in Belgrade, decided to skip the Australian Open to compete in Oeiras.

“I am feeling great. I could not have asked for a better start to the year and a better end to the week,” said Medjedovic. “I am feeling happy after deciding not to go to Australia with my team. It was a bit risky. But I kept believing in myself and I knew it was a good idea. So, I am happy that it paid off straight away.”

Medjedovic rules in Oeiras 🇵🇹🏆

21-year-old Hamad Medjedovic breezes past Liam Draxl 6-1, 6-3 to claim his fifth Challenger title#OnTheRise pic.twitter.com/J06vz7bWEQ

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) January 11, 2025

Nottingham, Great Britain
In Challenger action elsewhere, Viktor Durasovic lifted his maiden Challenger title at the Lexus Nottingham Challenger in Great Britain. Durasovic, 27, edged home favourite Henry Searle 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-1 in the final. The Norwegian propelled to a career-high No. 289 in the PIF ATP Rankings with the win.

^{Viktor Durasovic in action at the Nottingham Challenger. Photo Credit: Jan Koscielski}

Bangkok Open 2, Thailand
Japan’s Rio Noguchi collected his first Challenger title at the Bangkok Open 2, where he downed Jie Cui 7-6(9), 6-2 in the final. Noguchi, 26, was competing in his third Challenger final. “The key this week was the mental part, never giving up,” said Noguchi, No. 254 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

^{Rio Noguchi at the Bangkok Open 2. Credit: The Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand}