Bernard Tomic claimed the Lincoln Challenger title in Nebraska on Sunday. The victory marked his first ATP Challenger Tour title in eight years and led him to reconsider his retirement plans.
The 33-year-old Australian defeated fifth seed Mark Lajal in the final. Tomic lost the opening set but saved a championship point before winning the next two in tiebreaks for a 4-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(3) victory.
Tomic had announced in early July that 2026 would be his final year on tour. After the win he said the timing forced him to reassess. “I’ll be as honest as I can. About ten days ago I hit a bit of a brick wall, maybe two weeks ago. I said this was going to be my last year, so I guess I have to reassess a few things now,” he said.
Tomic reached a career-high ranking of world No. 17 in 2016 before dropping as low as No. 813 in 2022. He welcomed his first child in April and missed several months of play. The Lincoln title is his fourth Challenger crown and first since Mallorca in 2018. He is currently ranked 170 and aims to build points for a US Open push.
