South American clay tennis tour not at risk, Argentina Open director says

The South American ATP clay tennis tour (known as the Golden Swing) is not in jeopardy, Argentina Open director Martín Jaite said on Monday during the presentation of the 2026 tournament.  Fear over the fate of the region’s three tennis tournaments (Argentina, Brazil, and Chile) had been spurred by the recent announcement of the Saudi Arabia Masters 1000 tournament, set to start in February 2028. This would place the event in direct competition with the region’s premier tennis tour, potentially limiting the South American tournaments’ ability to entice top players. “Over the talks we’ve had, the ATP doesn’t want to kill off the South American swing,” Jaite said, sitting alongside top-ranked Argentine ATP player Francisco Cerúndolo. “We’ll always fight for this tournament, and the players fight for it by coming and playing.” The tournament director went on to discuss the good prospects for next year’s competition. “Luckily, we don’t have room for any more sponsors,” he said. Jaite added that the tournament reached a new attendance record in 2025, with more than 66,000 fans over the week-long contest. Working in conjunction seems to be a key factor for tournaments in South America. Jaite admitted to “working closely” with the Rio tournament to secure the presence of the world’s top talents. Beyond international stars, however, he stressed that having Argentine stars is key.  “Fans need someone to cheer for,” he said. “If last year’s final had featured two foreigners instead of [Cerúndolo], it wouldn’t have been the same. It’s very important for the tournament.” No major changes Jaite also rejected talks of a move to a hard court, away from the tournament’s traditional clay courts. Experts have hailed it as the one chance to save the South American tournaments amid an increasing push by the ATP for fewer clay court tournaments. The move has proved a successful one for Mexico’s Acapulco tournament, with more top stars making the trip. “I think making the move to hard courts would be a step back,” he said. “Being a clay court tournament is what sets us apart. If we play on hard courts, we compete with the Europeans and the Arabs. It would be just another tournament.” The organizers confirmed that top-ten Italian Lorenzo Musetti and Cerúndolo will lead the pack at the Argentina Open in 2026. Other top players include former world no. 6 Matteo Berrettini, defending champion Joao Fonseca, and iconic French star Gael Monfils close behind. The Argentina Open is set to be played from February 9 to 15, 2026. Tickets are up for sale here.