KOBLENZ, February 8, 2026
The Koblenz Tennis Open marked the start of the 2026 ATP Challenger Tour season in Germany. The €56,700 hard-court tournament quickly developed into a festival of German tennis, with 13 home favourites competing in the singles main draw. Three reached the semifinals, and Tom Gentzsch even made it all the way to the championship match.
Kotov edges Gentzsch in dramatic final
Gentzsch eventually had to settle for second place after a highly emotional and dramatic Sunday afternoon, losing to Russia’s Pavel Kotov. In a final packed with high-quality and at times spectacular rallies, the former world No. 50 prevailed 6–4, 1–6, 7–6(8) after two hours and 46 minutes.
After dropping the opening set, Gentzsch appeared to have cracked the Muscovite’s code. Using his attacking strengths and backed up by excellent defense, he earned an early break in the second set and later moved ahead with another break in the third. The 22-year-old from Duisburg even held two match points in the tie-break — but in the end, it was not to be.
No fear from Pavel Kotov
The former world No.50 saves two championship points to defeat Gentzsch 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(8) and lift the title in Koblenz #ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/Mh0ru4Eu97
— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) February 8, 2026
“I don’t even know what to say. It was an incredible atmosphere in the arena today with so many fans and my family here. Unfortunately with a bitter ending, but we move on,” said the 22-year-old from Duisburg, who was playing his first Challenger final.
Gentzsch, who trains at the national training center in Kamen under coach Jan Velthuis, won four of his seven career ITF World Tennis Tour titles last year. In Koblenz, he took another important step forward.
“I have already played two quarterfinals this season and reached the semifinals in Genoa last year. Reaching a final in Germany now is of course something special.”
For his runner-up finish, Gentzsch earned €4,960 in prize money and 30 ATP ranking points, which will see him enter the world’s Top 250 for the first time.
Kotov, meanwhile, celebrated his fourth ATP Challenger Tour career title and took home €8,550 and 50 ATP Ranking points. After the final, he also reflected on a difficult period:
“I struggled with a wrist injury last season but now I’m fit again,” said Kotov, adding: “I already reached the semifinals in Koblenz in 2019, but the mission is only complete with today’s success.”
Schoenhaus reaches first Challenger semifinal
It was also a positive week for Max Schoenhaus, who reached the semifinals of an ATP Challenger event for the first time in his career before losing to Kotov in straight sets on Saturday. Two early service breaks — one at the start of the match and one in the opening game of the second set — proved costly for the 18-year-old from Soest.
Despite the defeat, Schönhaus looked back on a successful week in Koblenz.
“I can be very satisfied with my week here,” said the former junior world No. 2. “I’m really happy to have achieved this small milestone at this level. I’m excited to see what I can still accomplish this year. It also shows that the things we are working on are the right ones.”
In the live rankings, Schoenhaus now sits at No. 538, marking a new career-high position in the ATP rankings.
Koblenz Tennis Open add a splash of color
The tournament also stood out visually. Instead of the now-dominant blue surface, the Koblenz Tennis Open were played on an orange-red Rebound Ace court.
“The courts here are special anyway — apart from the color — because compared to other Challenger events they are newly laid every year,” explained Schoenhaus. “I actually like the color a lot, even if it can sometimes be a bit difficult to follow the ball on the livestream. For us on court, though, it doesn’t make any difference.”
Positive debut for the new organizers
The Challenger Tour visited Koblenz for the eighth time, but for the first time under new organizers. Tournament directors Birgit Bach and Johanna Strelow drew a positive conclusion from their debut event.
“We feel very comfortable in Koblenz. Despite the short preparation time, we are very happy with the result. We took over the organization of the tournament exactly eight weeks ago and deliberately decided on a new branding under the name ‘Koblenz Tennis Open’,” explained Strelow, who, like her colleague, comes from Leipzig.
“We didn’t have any existing partners or contracts beforehand, but the city really wanted to keep the tournament, and that’s why we took on this huge task. We started preparing on December 1 and have received great support here. We already feel very much at home.”
Whether the Koblenz Tennis Open will return in the same format in 2027 remains uncertain. “We would love to come back,” said Strelow. “We’ve already learned a lot and see a lot of potential with more preparation time. In the end, though, it’s also an economic decision. So we can’t give a definite answer yet — except that it would be a shame if it didn’t continue.”
In total, seven ATP Challenger events are scheduled in Germany this season. The next one will be the 12th edition of the Neckarcup, taking place from June 1 to 7 in Bad Rappenau.
