Donna Vekic used a return to Charleston to arrest a slide in form and to reset ahead of the clay season. After an apparel switch to Ellesse and the tour’s marketing photoshoot at Indian Wells, the former Wimbledon semifinalist edged Ajla Tomljanovic, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, in a match that stretched the Croat’s patience and resolve.

The victory followed a mixed start to 2026 that has seen Vekic slip from a career-high of No. 17 to No. 79 at the end of last year and fall out of the Top 100 for the first time since 2022. She defended her level while diagnosing the fine margins where matches have turned away from her.

“I’ve definitely had a good level of tennis from the beginning of the year,” Vekic said. “I lost the first round to Alex [Eala] in Auckland and then I lost to Mirra [Andreeva] in Australia. Those two were really tough matches but I played really well. I made the finals [at a WTA 125k] in Manila, too, so I’m playing really good tennis. I just need to believe in myself a bit more in these tough situations in matches.”

Her approach has been pragmatic. After missing the Miami Open main draw she stayed in North America, working in a Boca Raton practice block and accepting support from former coach Pam Shriver through Yonex’s Mindset and Performance Program. Training included practice sets with Tomljanovic and off-court breaks such as horseback riding in Wellington.

“It’s always challenging, it’s always tough,” she said of her latest comeback. “I’m definitely more towards the end of my career. The way I look at it is just to give it my best. If it works out, great. If it doesn’t, I’ve had a pretty good career with a lot to be proud of.”

Vekic acknowledged the need for freer tennis and less tension in big moments. She celebrated meeting a friend in a first-round draw with a simple dinner on Daniel Island and then converted that momentum into her first green-clay win since 2015, joking about the surface: “It’s faster than the red clay, and it’s green. So, I try to imagine it’s a grass court!”

“I’m trying to play a little bit more freely. Sometimes when you want it so bad, you have the opposite effect. You get tighter, more nervous. So, I’m just trying to relax a bit. Donna Vekic

Borna Gojo lifted the biggest title of his career at the Morelia Open, adding a second triumph in Mexico during a strong 2026 run. The eighth seed defeated Juan Pablo Ficovich 7-6(5), 6-2 in the final at Estadio Tres Marías in one hour and 32 minutes. The opening set was decided in a tight tie-break and Gojo used that momentum to break serve at key moments in the second set and close the match convincingly.

The 28-year-old Split native reflected on the physical and mental demands of the final. “It was a very difficult match. Juan is a great opponent, but today the weather was a challenge for both of us, and in the end, I managed to close it out with my serve. This victory means a lot to me. The past two years have been very difficult after a back injury, but today I’ve won the biggest title of my career and I’m very grateful to Morelia and Mexico for the past few weeks,” he said.

Gojo’s Morelia title is his second in Mexico this season, following the Challenger in Metepec in February. All four of his ATP Challenger titles have come on fast surfaces, including Ortisei in 2022 and Sioux Falls in 2024. He dropped just one set in Morelia, to Quinn Vandecasteele in the second round. The 125 ranking points from the victory lift him 12 places from No. 151 to No. 139.

On clay in Naples, fifth-seeded Hamad Medjedovic won the Guerri Napoli Tennis Cup, beating Daniel Altmaier 6-2, 6-4 in one hour and 37 minutes. Medjedovic, a 22-year-old Serbian long regarded as a protégé of Novak Djokovic, controlled the final against the top seed and world No. 55 and drew repeated applause from a sold-out Centre Court. He recovered from early struggles against Hynek Barton and Stefanos Sakellaridis before beating Alexandre Muller in the quarterfinals and Vitaliy Sachko in the semifinals.

“It has been an amazing week. I am really happy to win this tournament,” Medjedovic said. “It’s the first clay-court tournament of the season and I came here without high expectations. But with the support from an amazing crowd, I managed to play a great level of tennis. I was a bit sick at the beginning of the week but was able to increase my level every round and eventually win the trophy.” The 125 points move him from No. 115 to No. 81; Altmaier rises to No. 52.

The Guerri Napoli Tennis Cup finished with record-breaking attendance and participation, surpassing 2025 figures. “The organizational and public success of the Guerri Napoli Tennis Cup has been exciting,” said Antonio Santa Maria, General Manager of organizer Master Group Sport. “The setting of the Tennis Club Napoli is unique in the world, but that alone is not enough; it requires efficient organization in every aspect. We paid attention to every detail in terms of services for players and fans to maintain a high level for the event. ]”

The European clay swing on the Challenger Tour resumes this week with the Guerri Napoli Tennis Cup from March 23 to 29, now staging its third consecutive edition as an ATP Challenger 125. Organized by Master Group Sport in collaboration with the Tennis Club Napoli, the event has grown in profile and attracted both established names and emerging talent.

Recent Naples winners have used the tournament as a springboard. Luciano Darderi was a finalist in 2025 and is now a Top 20 player, while Vit Kopriva broke into the Top 100 after lifting the trophy in Naples. This year the top seed is world No. 55 Daniel Altmaier, who received a main draw wild card and opens against Miguel Damas of Spain as he pursues an eighth Challenger title.

Defending champion Vit Kopriva is the No. 2 seed and heads the bottom half of the draw, set to face a qualifier in round one. Alexandre Muller, also drawn against a qualifier, and Stan Wawrinka complete the top four seeds. The 40-year-old three-time Grand Slam champion recently re-entered the Top 100 after reaching the third round of the Australian Open and will meet Matteo Martineau of France in his opening match.

“In the final week of March, the Tennis Club Napoli will once again take center stage on the global ATP calendar by hosting a new edition of the Napoli Tennis Cup. I would like to emphasize that Naples has now firmly and consistently established itself within the international tennis circuit for quite some time,” said Riccardo Villari, President of the Tennis Club Napoli.

“I’m very excited about this year’s edition. When I was playing, this was my favourite tournament. I expect packed crowds every day. The entry list is great, featuring champions with experience like Wawrinka, solid Top 100 guys like Kopriva and young potential stars like Federico Cina,” said tournament director Alessandro Motti.

Across the Atlantic, the second edition of the Morelia Open begins on hard courts at Club de Golf Tres Marías. The ATP Challenger 125 field is led by world No. 80 James Duckworth, who faces Marc-Andrea Huesler in round one. Adam Walton is the second seed and meets Luka Pavlovic, Tristan Schoolkate is third and will play a qualifier, while Coleman Wong starts against Nicola Mejia. Michael Mmoh, last week’s Morelos Open champion, opens with Beibit Zhukayev.

“The Morelia Open is not an improvised project. We are building a tournament with an international and long-term vision. The renovation of Club Tres Marías is a strategic investment that raises the competitive level and the overall experience of the event,” said tournament director Raúl Zurutuza Barclay. The Morelia entry list also includes Mexican home favourites led by world No. 303 Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez and wild cards Alan Magadan, Alan Ruibio Fierros and Alex Hernandez.