KOBE/STARNBERG, November 16, 2025

Yosuke Watanuki has clinched the title of the ninth edition of the Hyogo Noah Challenger. The No. 4 seed of the ATP Challenger Tour 75 hard-court tournament outlasted Elias Ymer of Sweden 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in Sunday’s singles final.

Watanuki, who advanced to the championship match in Kobe with wins over US-American Kaylan Bigun, Frederico Ferreira Silva of Portugal, fifth-seeded Frenchman Hugo Grenier and top seed Chun-Hsin Tseng from Chinese Taipei, fired 18 aces and won 78 per cent of his first-service points to prevail after two hours and one minute.

The 27-year-old Japanese celebrated his third triumph in Kobe after lifting the trophies here in 2019 and 2022. By winning his fourth ATP Challenger Tour career title, his first since 2023, Watanuki earned $14,200 in prize money as well as 75 ATP Ranking points.

The Hyogo Noah Challenger offered a total prize pool of $100,000 and was held at the Miki Disaster Management Park. Hyogo Prefecture, located in the heart of Japan’s Kansai region, offers an impressive blend of natural beauty, cultural heritage, and dynamic urban life. Stretching from the shores of the Seto Inland Sea to the rugged Sea of Japan coast, Hyogo is geographically diverse, boasting mountains, hot springs, coastal towns, and vibrant cities like Kobe, its capital.