Adeleye misses ATP 50 Challenger spot

Nigeria’s No. 1, Daniel Adeleye, missed out on a place in the main draw of the 2026 ATP 50 Challenger in Abidjan following a second-round qualifying defeat on Monday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Adeleye lost 7-5, 6-3 to Algeria’s Hamza Reguig, who is ranked 849 in the world.

The 19-year-old had earlier come from a set down to beat France’s Elijah Sanogo 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) on Court 1 at Cofina Neemba on Sunday, before his campaign ended in the second round.

Following his first-round qualifying win, Adeleye earned his first ATP ranking point, joining compatriot Christopher Bulus as a ranked Nigerian player.

He was provisionally ranked 1953 after Sunday’s victory, and that would have improved had he followed it up with another win on Monday.

Since helping Nigeria advance at the Davis Cup World Group II play-offs in February, Adeleye has remained active on tour.

He was instrumental at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, where he led Nigeria to a memorable 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan in the Davis Cup World Group II play-offs, winning two crucial singles matches.

The two-day encounter was level at 1-1 after the opening matches, before Nigeria took control on Day 2 with a vital win in the doubles rubber.

After Canice Abua lost 6-3, 6-4 to Khumoyun Sultanov in the opening match, Adeleye restored parity with a composed 6-2, 6-4 victory over Abdulaziz Usmonjonov.

He later sealed the tie with a 6-3, 6-4 win against Ilya Ignatov, after the duo of Abua and Michael Emmanuel had given Nigeria a 2-1 lead with a hard-fought doubles victory over Denis Istomin and Sultanov.

The result secured Nigeria’s place in the Davis Cup World Group II, where they will face Morocco from September 18 to 20, 2026. However, Adeleye may be unavailable for that tie due to his tour commitments.

The ATP Challenger 50 is part of the secondary professional circuit organised by the ATP. The 2026 ATP Challenger Tour calendar features 158 tournaments, with prize money ranging from $63,000 to $300,000.