Coleman Wong became the first player from Hong Kong to capture an ATP Challenger title after he overcame familiar foe, Adam Walton of Australia, 7-5 7-6(4) in the final of the Jiujiang Challenger. Having reached the title match at this level on five previous occasions, Wong managed to keep his focus and conjured timely winners and served brilliantly towards the business end to triumph in straight sets.
Being crowned champion of the Jiangxi Open, Coleman Wong commented, “This is my first ATP Challenger title, and to also be the first Hong Kong player to win one makes it incredibly special. The journey has not been easy, and I want to sincerely thank everyone who supported me since day one. This achievement belongs to all of you as much as it does to me.”
Congratulating Coleman on the title, Michael Cheng, President of the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association, said, “Coleman’s historic ATP Challenger title is a landmark moment for Hong Kong tennis. His achievement reflects years of dedication, resilience, and the growing strength of our local development system.”
“On behalf of the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association, I extend our heartfelt congratulations to Coleman and his team. We hope this breakthrough will inspire a new generation of players to pursue excellence on the international stage, and we firmly believe that Hong Kong can compete—and succeed—at the highest levels of the sport.”
“With strong support from the Government, the Hong Kong Sports Institute, and our commercial partners across all stages of athlete development, we are proud to see Hong Kong players making their mark on the international stage. We are especially thankful towards the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau for retaining our status as a Tier A sport, which enables talented young athletes to continue training at the highest level and to compete in international tournaments.”
“Beyond supporting them on tour, hosting international tournaments in Hong Kong has also enabled our local players to compete at the highest levels, accelerating their development. We look forward to continuing working hand in hand with our stakeholders to further elevate Hong Kong tennis,” Cheng added.
Prior to this final, Wong and Walton have met 3 times as a professional, with the HK rep holding a slight 2-1 H2H advantage thus far:
Nonthaburi CH. Sep 2024 QF Wong d. Walton 6-4 6-4
Miami 1000 Mar 2025 3R Walton d. Wong 7-6(4) 4-6 6-4
US Open Sep 2025 2R Wong d. Walton 7-6(5) 6-2 4-6 6-4
In the opening set, it was Wong who yielded serve first to trail 2-1, but he responded immediately to break back for 2-2. However, Walton knuckled down and returned the favour by breaking Wong again to lead 3-2.
Trailing 4-3, Wong capitalised on a Walton cross-court forehand error to break and even at 4-4. Then at 5-5, Wong produced a first serve winner out wide to save a break point to force deuce. He hit an inside-out forehand winner to wrong-foot his opponent before delivering another huge first serve winner to hold for 6-5.
After executing a masterful topspin forehand lob for a winner that left Walton stranded at the net, Wong hit a deep return plum on the line that Walton could not handle. Wong broke again to take the first set, 7-5.
In the ensuing set, there were no break point opportunities for either player, as proceedings headed towards an inevitable tiebreak.
After exchanging a mini-break with one another to reach 3-3, Wong produced a running backhand down-the-line passing shot to lead 4-3. He then belted consecutive aces to go ahead 6-3 with three match points in hand.
After Walton saved the first with an ace down the tee, he committed his 29th unforced error of the match to end the contest, as Wong fell to the ground in jubilation.
Wong had previously reached five ATP Challenger finals in his career but came up just short at Playford and Shenzhen in 2023, New Delhi and Lincoln in 2024, and Seoul in 2025.
Currently ranked No. 122 on the ATP Rankings, Wong is projected to rise to a new career-high No. 109 next week.
Results
Jiangxi Open
Jiujiang, China
26 Apr-3 May, 2026
Round 32
(4)Coleman Wong (HKG) d. Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3 6-3
Round 16
(4)Coleman Wong (HKG) d. Rio Noguchi (JPN) 7-6(2) 6-2
Quarterfinals
(4)Coleman Wong (HKG) d. (7)Bu Yunchaokete (CHN) 7-6(2) 7-6(8)
Semifinals
(4)Coleman Wong (HKG) d. Sun Fajing (CHN) 6-3 6-4
Final
(4)Coleman Wong (HKG) d. (3)Adam Walton (AUS) 7-5 7-6(4)
Photos: JiangxiOpen