ROANNE/STARNBERG, October 12, 2025
Otto Virtanen was crowned champion at the Open Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes de Roanne. The unseeded Finn outlasted fifth favourite and 2022 champion Hugo Gaston of France in Sunday’s singles final 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
Virtanen booked his spot in the championship match of the ATP Challenger Tour indoor hard-court tournament with wins over local wild card entry Tom Paris, No. 7 seed Alexander Blockx from Belgium as well as Frenchmen Calvin Hemery and Matteo Martineau.
The 24-year-old Hyvinkää native fired 16 aces in the final and won 93 per cent of his first-service points to succeed in one hour and 18 minutes.
An ace to eight 8⃣
Otto Virtanen stands tall in Roanne, defeating Gaston 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to add another title to the collection! #ATPChallenger | @openaraderoanne pic.twitter.com/SR5C6ZhXzu
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) October 12, 2025
“I knew I had to play my best tennis today,” Virtanen said during the on-court ceremony. “It has been a fantastic week for me. It was my second time here. Last time I was a semi-finalist, so I improved a bit. It is such a great tournament. I felt very warm from the first day until now. Thank you, everybody!”
By lifting his eighth Challenger career trophy, the second of the season following his triumph in Birmingham, United Kingdom, Virtanan collected €20,630 in prize money as well as 100 ATP Ranking points.
A total of 18,524 spectators attended the fourth edition of the Open Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes de Roanne held at the Halle Andre Vacheresse, the highest turnout since the tournament’s creation.
