According to the schedule announced by ATP, Vietnam will host the ATP Challenger 50 Phan Thiet tournament from January 19 to January 25. Immediately after that, another Challenger 50 tournament is also expected to take place in Phan Thiet, in the period from January 26 to February 1. Both tournaments are likely to be held at international standard stadiums in the NovaWorld area.
ATP Challenger Tour is a tournament system under the ATP Tour, playing an important role in the roadmap for accumulating points and raising rankings for young players or athletes who are looking for opportunities to return to the top competition group. Vietnam's hosting of 2 consecutive Challenger tournaments is considered a remarkable step forward in efforts to restore professional playgrounds for domestic tennis.
Previously, at the end of 2025, the stadium complex in Phan Thiet successfully organized the ITF World Tennis Tour series for both men and women, creating a premise to continue upgrading to tournaments belonging to the ATP system. This shows that the organizational capacity, facilities as well as professional conditions of Vietnamese tennis are gradually meeting international standards.
Having Challenger tournaments held domestically is of great significance to Vietnamese players. Instead of having to travel to other countries in the region or Europe at high costs, domestic athletes have more opportunities to compete, rub shoulders and accumulate points right at home, in familiar conditions.
In the past, Vietnamese tennis used to host ITF tournaments in Tay Ninh, as well as some Challenger tournaments in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. However, due to various reasons, these tournaments were not maintained for long. The lack of domestic international playgrounds is considered one of the reasons why Vietnamese players face difficulties in development, especially in arenas such as Davis Cup.
In recent times, Vietnamese tennis has faced many challenges when National No. 1 player Ly Hoang Nam switched to playing professional pickleball. At SEA Games 33, Vietnamese tennis did not win any medals for the first time since 2015, reflecting the gap in the successor force at a high level.
In that context, Vu Ha Minh Duc is being considered the most promising face of Vietnamese men's tennis. Over the past two years, the player born in 2000 has continuously competed in international tournaments in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India and Europe to accumulate experience and points. At the end of the 2025 season, Minh Duc made his mark when he achieved positive results at the M15 Kuala Lumpur tournament series.
With the position of defending national champion, Minh Duc is likely to be given a special slot to participate in both ATP Challenger tournaments in Phan Thiet. This is considered an important opportunity for this tennis player to verify his professional ability against opponents with higher rankings and qualifications, and at the same time open up new hope for Vietnamese tennis in the coming period.
