The 33rd edition of the San Marino Open — an ATP Challenger 125 event with a $203,900 prize purse — is set to run from July 26 through August 2 at the Centro Tennis Cassa di Risparmio di Fonte dell'Ovo, and this year's edition brings a string of intriguing storylines.
Tournament director Nicola Lombardini has confirmed three wild cards for the main draw, all awarded to promising young Italian talents recommended by national team captain Filippo Volandri. The most notable is 18-year-old Jacopo Vasamì, a former ITF Junior world No. 2 and one of the brightest prospects in Italian tennis. Joining him are Filippo Romano, a 21-year-old from Sarzana who has collected his first professional ITF titles this season, and 20-year-old Carlo Alberto Caniato, who trains at the Villa Carpena Forlì academy and has climbed to within striking distance of the ATP top 500.
"We selected three players who have already competed at Challenger level and are ready to perform," Lombardini said during Thursday's press conference. "This is a well-deserved platform for them to showcase their talent and potentially launch their careers."
A significant innovation this year is the introduction of electronic line calling — the first time Hawk-Eye technology will replace traditional line judges at the San Marino Challenger. The tournament has also refreshed its show court, which remains one of the most visually striking on the circuit, nestled in the green hills beneath San Marino's famous Three Towers.
The entry list is headlined by Argentina's Facundo Diaz Acosta, who sits just outside the ATP Top 100 and has already won four Challenger titles in 2026. Bolivia's Hugo Dellien — winner of the Trieste Challenger and a quarterfinalist in Cordenons — is another dangerous name, as are Finland's Otto Virtanen, 21-year-old Lithuanian Vilius Gaubas, and veteran Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili, a former world No. 16 with five ATP trophies to his name. France's Alexandre Muller, the 2024 champion who reached a career-high No. 38 last year, and Spain's Pedro Martinez (career-high No. 36) add further depth to the draw.
Among the Italian contingent, all eyes will be on Andrea Pellegrino, the 2023 finalist who made a memorable run to the fourth round of the Rome Masters in May, knocking out Arthur Fils and Frances Tiafoe before losing only to Jannik Sinner. Francesco Maestrelli and Marco Cecchinato — runner-up at the Milan Challenger earlier this month — complete the home hopefuls. Cecchinato, a Roland Garros semifinalist in 2018 and former world No. 16, won his first major title in San Marino back in 2013. Luca Nardi was forced to withdraw late with an adductor injury.
SuperTennis will broadcast the tournament from Tuesday July 28, with San Marino RTV joining from Thursday.
Sources
- 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/
