After an opening-round loss in BNP Paribas Open qualifying at Indian Wells on March 2, 18-year-old Darwin Blanch shifted course and accepted a last-minute wild card into the ATP Challenger 175 in Phoenix. He moved from qualifying into the main draw and on Tuesday produced the biggest victory of his young career, defeating 52nd-ranked left-hander Terence Atmane 6-4, 6-4.

Reflecting on the week that followed Indian Wells, Blanch said, “I stayed training there for two days. I was doubting if I was going to come here or Cap Cana.” He credited his serve and returns for carrying him through the match. “It feels amazing. I’m super happy with the way I went into the match,” he says following the 6-4, 6-4 victory. “I was confident in my game and feel like I served super well. That helped me in the important moments. And also returned super well.”

Blanch spent several years at Juan Carlos Ferrero’s academy in Alicante, where he developed a first-hand appreciation for Carlos Alcaraz’s rise after seeing “how he really is off the court, training, and putting a lot of intensity and work in,” and has more recently relocated his training base to Buenos Aires. Ranked inside the top 300 this week and having peaked at No. 272 less than a month ago, he is focused on two immediate goals. “The goal right now is to get into the French Open qualies. I’m not that far away if I do well at a few more tournaments. It would be nice to also win a Challenger,” he shares.

Off court, Blanch has another item on his list. “I still haven’t gotten my driver’s license yet. It’s something I definitely want,” Blanch says with a smile. “At the same time, my dad and I are like, it’s not like I’m gonna drive anytime soon or need it. So we’re probably going to wait on that for now.”

Also in Phoenix, Jamaica’s Blaise Bicknell is regaining momentum after hip surgery and a long recovery. Bicknell, who won an ITF M15 in San Jose, Costa Rica and became the second Jamaican-raised player to claim an ATP Challenger title a little over two years ago, said, “I kind of rushed it when I was just coming back. I actually ended up pulling my quad in the same hip that I had surgery,” he shares. After dropping as low as No. 1054 last June, he reports confidence from recent wins. “I played a Futures last week and won it, so that’s given me some confidence,” he says. Bicknell qualified at the Arizona Tennis Classic by rallying past Thai-Son Kwiatkowski and noted the Phoenix Country Club’s relaxed atmosphere: “I’m from Jamaica so everything’s kinda laid back there. This event kind of reminds of me that, all the people are very nice and friendly.”