Stan Wawrinka heads to Naples as clay swing kicks off on Challenger Tour

The European clay-court season really begins to gain momentum once again in Naples, Italy as the Guerri Napoli Tennis Cup returns from March 23 to 29. Now in its third consecutive year, the ATP Challenger 125 event continues to grow in both popularity and competitive level, firmly establishing itself on the international calendar.

Organized by Master Group Sport in collaboration with the Tennis Club Napoli, the tournament has steadily increased its profile. Recent editions have featured rising stars such as Luciano Darderi, finalist in 2025 and now a Top 20 player, and Czech champion Vit Kopriva, who broke into the Top 100 following his triumph in Naples.

This year’s top seed is world No. 55 Daniel Altmaier, who was awarded a main draw wild card. The 27-year-old German will start his title bid against Miguel Damas of Spain, seeking his eighth trophy on the Challenger Tour.

Defending champion Kopriva leads the bottom half of the draw. The No. 2 seed will face a qualifier in the first round. Frenchman Alexandre Muller, who will also oppose a qualifier, and Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka round out the top four seeds. The 40-year-old three-time Grand Slam champion recently re-entered the Top 100 after reaching the third round of the Australian Open. His participation adds further star power to the event, which continues to attract both established names and emerging talents. Wawrinka will play Matteo Martineau of France in the opening round.

“In the final week of March, the Tennis Club Napoli will once again take center stage on the global ATP calendar by hosting a new edition of the Napoli Tennis Cup. I would like to emphasize that Naples has now firmly and consistently established itself within the international tennis circuit for quite some time,” said Riccardo Villari, President of the Tennis Club Napoli.

“It’s worth remembering that our city does not have an indoor arena, which makes organizing such events and attracting top players even more challenging. Despite this, the Tennis Club Napoli has always ensured a high-quality organizational standard. I would like to recall just some of the key players from recent years: Fabio Fognini, Matteo Berrettini, Lorenzo Musetti—who won the ATP 250 tournament here in 2022—as well as Luciano Darderi and Luca Nardi, winner in 2024.”

Tournament director and former Top 100 doubles player Alessandro Motti, who captured the Challenger Napoli doubles title in 2008 as well as in 2012, stated:

“I'm very excited about this year’s edition. When I was playing, this was my favourite tournament. I expect packed crowds every day. The entry list is great, featuring champions with experience like Wawrinka, solid Top 100 guys like Kopriva and young potential stars like Federico Cina.”

Second edition of Morelia Open kicks off

Meanwhile on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the second edition of the Morelia Open gets underway. The ATP Challenger 125 hard-court tournament will once again be held at the Club de Golf Tres Marías in Morelia, the capital of Michoacán in Mexico. The host club has undergone a comprehensive modernization process in recent months.

“The Morelia Open is not an improvised project. We are building a tournament with an international and long-term vision. The renovation of Club Tres Marías is a strategic investment that raises the competitive level and the overall experience of the event,” tournament director Raúl Zurutuza Barclay explained.

The entry list is led by world No. 80 James Duckworth. The 34-year-old Australian is eyeing his 18th ATP Challenger Tour career title but will face a tough first-round opponent in Marc-Andrea Huesler from Switzerland. Duckworth’s compatriot Adam Walton is the second seed and will take on Luka Pavlovic of France in his opening match.

Tristan Schoolkate of Australia is the third seed, facing a qualifier in the first round and Coleman Wong from Hong Kong is the fourth favourite. He starts his title bid against Nicola Mejia of Colombia. Last week’s Morelos Open champion Michael Mmoh will also be part of the line-up, trying to continue his momentum in Mexico. The American takes on Beibit Zhukayev of Kazakhstan.

The Morelia Open 2026 aims to compete for the ATP Challenger Tour’s “Tournament of the Year” award—an honor based on player evaluations and operational excellence.

Zurutuza outlined the core pillars driving this ambition: “We know that the ‘Tournament of the Year’ award is one of the greatest recognitions on the circuit. It is not achieved through good intentions alone, but through structure, flawless operations, and attention to detail. We are aligning all these factors.”

The tournament’s growth is also part of a broader effort to strengthen Mexico’s presence on the Challenger circuit. The main draw will feature at least four home favourites led by world No. 303 Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez. He will be joined by wild card entries Alan Magadan, Alan Ruibio Fierros and Alex Hernandez.

“Mexico is experiencing a strong moment in the organization of professional tournaments. The Morelia Open aims to contribute stability, quality, and continuity to the calendar,” Zurutuza concluded.