University of Arizona's Colton Smith reaches first Challenger final on USTA Pro Circuit

University of Arizona senior Colton Smith reached the biggest final of his young career this weekend on the USTA Pro Circuit. The ITA All-American finished runner-up at the Market Beat Open presented by USTA Northern, winning three three-setters at the ATP Challenger 75 event in Sioux Falls, the first professional tennis event hosted in South Dakota.

The 21-year-old from the state of Washington moved up more than 100 spots in the ATP rankings to world No. 390 behind his run, hitting a new career high. The result also gives him an early lead in the USTA's Australian Open Wild Card Challenge, with Smith's 44 points earned in the first week putting him in pole position as he seeks his Grand Slam debut next year in Melbourne.

“It’s pretty cool," Smith said of his standing in the four-week challenge. "It feels pretty nice but I think now, going into these next couple of weeks, it’s not something I will be thinking about. I've just got to take it one match at a time.”

Smith came back from a set down to defeat compatriot Martin Damm in the first round then knocked off former world No. 14 Kyle Edmund of Great Britain in the second round. He then beat Michigan State star Ozan Baris in the quarters and Arizona State's Murphy Cassone in the semis, battling through three sets in both all-American matches.

In Sunday's final, he dropped a 6-1, 7-5 decision to Borna Gojo, the former world No. 72 who reached the US Open fourth round in 2023. Croatia's Gojo is working his way back from a stress fracture that kept him out of action from January through August this year.

“I had a slow start and it’s attributed a little bit to nerves, having never been in this position before,” Smith said after his first Challenger final. “The guy played like a Top 50 player I think and I tried to find my way back into the match.