The Rise Centurion Open has started on a positive note for local tennis, with a host of South African players proving they can compete with top international opposition.
Centurion, South Africa (04 June 2026) – South African tennis players continue to make the most of home-court advantage at the Rise Centurion Open, with a strong local showing seeing five players book their places in the second round of the ATP Challenger tournament on Tuesday.
The standout result of the day belonged to Kholo Montsi, who produced one of the biggest upsets of the opening round. After dropping the first set, Montsi fought back brilliantly to defeat third seed Calvin Hemery 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 in a thrilling contest that had local supporters on the edge of their seats.
Montsi’s victory capped another encouraging day for the region’s players, with fellow South Africans Philip Henning, Devin Badenhorst and Alec Beckley also progressing, while Connor van Schalkwyk continued to impress in both singles and doubles competition.
Sixth-seeded Henning looked in complete control during his opening-round match, cruising past qualifier Orel Kimhi 6-2, 6-2 to keep South African hopes alive in the tournament. Badenhorst followed with a composed performance of his own, overcoming Oscar Weightman 6-3, 6-4, while qualifier Beckley secured a convincing 6-3, 6-3 victory over Dominik Palan.
The success did not stop there. Montsi and van Schalkwyk combined forces in the doubles draw to pull off another impressive result, battling past fourth seeds Luca Castelnuovo and Jeffrey Chuan En Hsu 5-7, 6-4, 10-6.
The strong performances come just a week after several local players made their mark at the Rise Irene Open, suggesting that South African tennis is enjoying a promising period of growth.
Tournament Director John-Laffnie de Jager said the results underline the value of hosting ATP Challenger events on local soil.
“To have five South Africans progress to the second round of the singles draw, alongside wins against higher-ranked international opponents, is exactly what these tournaments are designed to achieve,” said De Jager.
He added that the performances are a reflection of the hard work being done behind the scenes.
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With local players continuing to rise to the occasion, South African fans have plenty to look forward to as the Rise Centurion Open continues.
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