Ethan Quinn has spent the start of 2026 learning to manage a new rhythm after breaking into the Top 100 last year. The 22-year-old added the biggest title of his career at the Phoenix Challenger, a week he sought after a narrow defeat to Reilly Opelka at the BNP Paribas Open.

Before Phoenix, Quinn’s season had been stop-start. Aside from a third-round run at the Australian Open in which he defeated Tallon Griekspoor and Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets, some early weeks produced two or fewer matches, including qualifying. He broke into the Top 100 last June following Roland Garros, where he competed six times after coming through qualifying.

“Something that a lot of players don’t speak about is when you’re playing Challengers and doing well, you’re constantly playing three, four, five matches a week. That’s the idea of a good week. Even when you’re playing ATP qualies, a good week is qualifying in and winning your first round,” Quinn said.

“Once you get to the Top 100, you’re in main draws directly and sometimes consistently winning a first round and getting enough points is perceived to be a good week. That’s a tough flip to make in your head.”

The disparity shows in match totals. Quinn’s loss to Opelka was his 11th match of the year including qualifying; a year earlier he had played 25 matches after leaving the California swing.

“It’s a really difficult thing to get in your brain. Thirty points to win a first round, versus in Challengers five or six points to win one. The terms are just different,” he says.

“At Indian Wells, I could have played a great or terrible match against Reilly, but you don’t actually get to see where you’re at. When I lost that match, I was like, I really want to come to Phoenix and get a chance to see where my level is. I was looking forward to coming here when we saw it on the schedule.”

Phoenix also allowed Quinn’s sports psychologist, Derin McMains, to watch him in person. They consult once or twice a month, typically 45 to 60 minutes on FaceTime. “Sometimes it’s about other mental cues that can help get me in the right frame of mind, right way to compete. There’s tournaments like Indian Wells where there’s a lot more obligations outside of the tennis court. Being able to handle all of that adversary is something that I really appreciate from him,” says Quinn.

“He works with the Arizona Diamondbacks and a plethora of professional athletes. Hearing his expertise when it comes to not just tennis, but problems that other athletes have, is really nice to discuss with him.”

Quinn’s run in Phoenix included a comeback after losing the opening set to Alexander Shevchenko, nine straight sets won, a quarterfinal where he saved six set points against Benjamin Bonzi, and a close win over Marcos Giron in the decider. “A lot of players that are in my shoes are here to play matches as well. It’s not an easier tournament. You’re still playing guys who were in Indian Wells last week,” he says. “I want to make sure that I’m respecting my opponents, whether it’s Carlos [Alcaraz] or a guy ranked 600, you have to treat him with the same understanding that he can beat you.”

Our conversation ended with coffee talk. Quinn loves his vanilla lattes, and his level on court this season has been anything but vanilla.

Mariano Navone captured his first hard-court title, defeating Mattia Bellucci 7-5, 6-4 in two hours and five minutes to win the República Dominicana Open – Copa Cap Cana. The 25-year-old, seeded sixth, arrived in the final after a demanding semifinal win over Alexander Blockx while Bellucci reached the title match without dropping a set.

Navone set the tone with steady baseline play, prevailing in longer rallies and pressuring the Italian’s serve. Bellucci conceded a pivotal break in the opening set, and Navone claimed two early breaks in the second to close out the match. Competing in sunny, hot conditions above 30 degrees Celsius, Navone endured a heat break during the second set but remained composed. The world No. 79 withstood four aces, broke Bellucci three times and won 53 percent of the total points.

“I had been looking for a result like this on hard courts for a long, long time,” Navone said. “We learned to play on hard courts later in our careers. Argentine players grow up on clay, but here in Cap Cana I find conditions that suit me well because the ball bounces higher.”

The victory is a milestone for Navone, who previously won eight Challenger titles on clay. He arrived in the Dominican Republic after a first-round loss to Marcos Giron in Indian Wells and produced wins over local wild card Nick Hardt, Shintaro Mochizuki, second-seeded Valentin Royer and Blockx en route to the crown. Navone has begun a new partnership with coach Alberto Mancini. “It was an amazing week here in Cap Cana. It is an amazing tournament,” Navone said. “Very happy to be champion and also hope all the best in the future for Miami. But now, we have to enjoy this week.” He earned $48,000 and 175 ATP points, jumping 18 places to world No. 61.

At the concurrent Challenger 175 in Phoenix, 22-year-old Ethan Quinn defeated Marcos Giron 7-6 (1), 4-6, 7-5 in two hours and four minutes to win the Arizona Tennis Classic. “It’s surreal,” Quinn said after lifting his second ATP Challenger career trophy, and first since Champaign, Illinois in November 2024. “It’s not every day that you get to be in the final. I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve been in a final, getting to compete late in a tournament, so all the emotions are really high.” “Getting a title and getting that confidence going into Miami, going into the clay season is going to be really nice,” the Californian said. Quinn celebrated his 22nd birthday during the week and rose to a career-high world No. 56. Earlier in Phoenix, Billy Harris and Adrian Mannarino played a record 3-hour, 20-minute quarterfinal match for the tournament.

Kamil Majchrzak drove into the Arizona week determined to turn a high‑profile exposure into tangible results at the Challenger 175 in Phoenix. After a first-time meeting with Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells three days earlier, the Pole said he wanted to build on the match and add valuable minutes and points to an uneven start to the season.

“I came here with my coach, wife and physio. We definitely are not quiet,” he said ahead of his Arizona Tennis Classic opener. “We have some nice playlists with different type of music. We talk and joke a lot. Otherwise the trip might get boring. It was fun. At Indian Wells we were all driving a bit, but here my coach took this responsibility on.”

Majchrzak, who began 2026 with a 4-6 record, called the Challenger 175 a rare chance to accumulate matches and ranking points. “It’s a great opportunity for all of us to get extra matches and extra points.” He described the level of competition as closer to a 250 event and said the Indian Wells encounter left him with belief and momentum.

“This feels like a 250 event more than a Challenger. I played a good match against Novak, I believe I could still do a little more, but that’s always your feeling after, It was a great experience for me and I believe I will get a lot of confidence from that match. I will try to show it here.”

Last month Majchrzak reached a career-high ranking of No. 55 at age 30. He has also altered his approach over the years, prioritizing calm and aggression on court.

“I’m still getting more relaxed on court, which allows me to use more of my abilities, making my opponents’ life difficult on court. So I believe what I’m looking for is this calmness so I can use my skills as much as possible,” Majchrzak explains. “Which, at the age of 20, wasn’t as obvious for me. That’s the biggest change. I play much more aggressive and have much more play in my hands. I still believe I have a couple of years ahead of me, just like Novak!”

Off court he remains mindful of moments that capture attention. “I’m just happy at the very end I could help make it up to the kid. I would still prefer people would come say, ‘great win in round two,’” he notes.