LILLE/STARNBERG, September 4, 2025

The eighth edition of the Play In Challenger, an ATP Challenger tournament organized by the Tennis Club Lillois Lille Metropole, will take place from February 16 to 22, 2026.

The tournament, the most prestigious tennis event in Northern France, has now confirmed its dates: it will be staged during the first week of the Zone B school holidays, which includes the Lille district.

Held on the facilities of the Tennis Club Lillois Lille Metropole, the Play In Challenger remains the only ATP Challenger event in the Hauts-de-France region. Classified as an ATP Challenger 125, it will award 125 ATP Ranking points to the champion and offer a total prize purse of $200,000.

This year’s edition ended with high drama, as local favorite Lucas Pouille was forced to retire in the final after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon, handing victory to young Frenchman Arthur Bouquier.

Attractive spot on the calendar

While it is still too early to announce the names of the players who will compete in Lille in 2026, the tournament’s scheduling suggests a strong field. That week, the Play In Challenger will be the highest-level ATP event in Europe, with no ATP 250 or ATP 500 tournaments on the calendar.

“The success of an ATP tournament depends heavily on its place in the calendar,” explained Antoine Sueur, president of the Play In Challenger. “In 2026 we are fortunate to benefit from an attractive slot, and we hope to welcome some of the best-known players on the ATP Tour.”

Tennis fans will have to wait a little longer before the first names are revealed and before learning who will follow in the footsteps of past champions: Gregoire Barrere (2018, 2019), Zizou Bergs (2021), Quentin Halys (2022), Otto Virtanen (2023), Arthur Rinderknech (2024), and Arthur Bouquier (2025).

LE PLAY IN CHALLENGER REVIENT DU 16 AU 22 FÉVRIER PROCHAIN !

✅ATP Challenger 125
✅200 000 $
✅Top joueurs et internationaux (Benjamin Bonzi, Arthur Rinderknech, Lucas Pouille, Benoit Paire, Terence Atmane, Zizou Bergs, Viktor Troicki…)

https://t.co/QYP2cEJEIn pic.twitter.com/IOs1vRaM7u

— Play In Challenger Lille (@PlayinLille) August 29, 2025