The 33rd edition of the San Marino Open, an ATP Challenger 125 event with a $203,900 prize purse, gets underway from July 26 to August 2 at the Centro Tennis Cassa di Risparmio in Fonte dell'Ovo. Tournament director Nicola Lombardini unveiled the three wild card recipients during the official press conference, awarding the main draw invitations to three promising Italian youngsters.
Jacopo Vasamì, 18, a former ITF Junior world No. 2 and one of Italy's most highly-rated teenage prospects, headlines the wild card contingent. He is joined by Filippo Romano, 21, from Sarzana, who has enjoyed a breakthrough season on the ITF circuit with his first professional titles, and Carlo Alberto Caniato, 20, originally from Veneto but now training at Villa Carpena Forlì, who has climbed inside the ATP top 500 with consistent Challenger and ITF results.
"These are three young players who have already competed at Challenger level," Lombardini explained. "They were recommended by Italy's Davis Cup captain Filippo Volandri, and they are more than capable of making an impact. The idea is to give them a well-deserved platform to showcase their talent, and hopefully a launching pad for their careers."
This year's edition introduces several innovations. For the first time, electronic line calling will replace traditional line judges, bringing the tournament in line with higher-tier ATP events. The center court has also undergone a visual restyling, enhancing one of the most scenic venues on the Challenger calendar, nestled in the green hills at the foot of San Marino's iconic Three Towers.
Television coverage has been expanded as well. SuperTennis will broadcast from Tuesday July 28 onwards (starting with the first round of the main draw), while San Marino RTV will provide coverage from Thursday, ensuring fans across Italy and the republic can follow the action.
The entry list is headed by Argentina's Facundo Diaz Acosta, who sits just outside the world top 100 and has already collected four Challenger titles in 2026 — making him one of the hottest players on the circuit. Bolivia's Hugo Dellien, fresh off his Trieste Challenger triumph and a quarterfinal run in Cordenons, is also in the draw, alongside Finland's Otto Virtanen, 21-year-old Lithuanian Vilius Gaubas, and experienced Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili — a former world No. 16 with five ATP titles to his name. France's Alexandre Muller, the 2024 San Marino champion and a former world No. 38, returns to defend his crown, while Spain's Pedro Martinez, who peaked at No. 36 in February 2025, adds further quality to an already deep field.
Among the Italian contingent, all eyes will be on Andrea Pellegrino, the 2023 finalist who made headlines at the Rome Masters this year by defeating Arthur Fils and Frances Tiafoe to reach the round of 16, where he eventually bowed out to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Pellegrino also successfully qualified for Roland Garros. Francesco Maestrelli and Marco Cecchinato — the latter a recent finalist in the Milan Challenger and the 2018 Roland Garros semifinalist who won his first major title in San Marino back in 2013 — round out the home hopes. Luca Nardi was forced to withdraw late with an adductor issue.
Sources
- [Ubitennis — Challenger di San Marino, tutto pronto: entry list di livello, occhio di falco elettronico e tre wild card a giovani azzurri](https://www.ubitennis.com/blog/2026/07/25/challenger-di-san-marino-tutto-pronto-entry-list-di-livello-occhio-di-falco-elettronico-e-tre-wild-card-a-giovani-azzurri/)
