KOBLENZ, February 6, 2026

After two ITF World Tennis Tour events in Cadolzburg and Nußloch, international tennis action in Germany kicked off the new season with the Koblenz Tennis Open, marking the first ATP Challenger tournament of the year. The seventh edition of the hard-court event being held at the EPG Arena Koblenz has been a celebration for German tennis fans, with three local players advancing to the semifinals, promising an exciting conclusion to the week on home soil.

Christoph Negritu and Max Schoenhaus dominated the action on Friday. Negritu knocked out No. 2 seed Dan Added of France, rallying 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-4. The 31-year-old fired 17 aces and won 79 per cent of his first-service points to prevail after two hours and 21 minutes.

Negritu, ranked world No. 263 in singles and world No. 119 in doubles, will next take on Tom Gentzsch. The No. 7 seed of the ATP Challenger 50 tournament emerged victorious from the all-German affair with Florian Broska, winning 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-2 in two hours and three minutes.

In the top half of the draw, Schoenhaus continued his dream run in Koblenz by reaching his first semi-final on the Challenger Circuit. The 18-year-old wild card entry upset fourth-seeded Japanese Kaichi Uchida 7-5, 6-7(6), 6-2. Schoenhaus stroke 23 aces and broke his rival’s serve five times to succeed in one hour and 49 minutes.

The dream run continues

18-year-old Max Schoenhaus reaches his first career ATP Challenger semifinal after a three-set battle against Uchida in Koblenz#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/04wOvKpDE1

— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) February 6, 2026

Up next for the teenager from Soest, who became the first German player ever to win the ITF Junior Finals last year, will be Pavel Kotov. The 27-year-old Russian alternate beat German qualifier Max Rehberg 6-2, 6-4. The encounter lasted one hour and 19 minutes.