From 1 to 7 May, on the fields of Monte Urpinu, the blue clay season opens with the "Sardegna Open", a premium event in the newly created Challenger 175 category that promises quality and entertainment
Here we are! The first "fifteen" of the "Sardegna Open" is now very close, a tournament which marks the European debut of the newborn Challenger 175 category and which effectively launches the great spring of tennis in Italy, a luxury starter at the Internationals which this year at the Forum Italico will occupy two weeks starting May 10.
An unmissable week because these new events on the ATP calendar - not surprisingly already nicknamed "Super Challenger" - were created with a wink at the most demanding public and are presented as unique tournaments, capable of making even the most famous ATP 250 envious.
From 1st to 7th May (qualifications on 29th and 30th April), the appointment for enthusiasts is on the red clay of the Tennis Club Cagliari from where you can admire, almost from the sidelines, champions of the caliber of the Croatian Borna Coric, the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka, by the Argentinian Diego Schwartzman, without forgetting the Americans Maxime Cressy and the young Ben Shelton, one who could soon take off towards shores that are unimaginable today.
Obviously there are also the Azzurri, important names, capable of igniting the passion of those who love the sport of racket: Lorenzo Musetti, Lorenzo Sonego - who has already won in Cagliari in 2021 - and Marco Cecchinato. But, with a little luck, even Italian tennis legends such as Fabio Fognini or “Next Gen” with great prospects such as Matteo Arnaldi, Francesco Passaro or Giulio Zeppieri could find a place in the draw.
And then there's the revolution that the Super Challengers, born out of the need to create a new opportunity for the top players in the second week of some Masters 1000, bring as a dowry. By eliminating the restriction on the top 50 (but the ban on the top 10 remains), Cagliari could have a potential draw with members by right of classification included in the top thirty of the world ranking. In short, enormous possibilities are hidden behind this mechanism: of the 64 players who will leave the Masters 1000 in Madrid within the first week, there will certainly be those who want to warm up their engines in view of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia and, obviously, for them they would open the doors of the Super Challenger of Cagliari. In short, no certainty, but there are great expectations on the definitive list of who will land on the fields of Monte Urpinu.
After the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome and the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, the Cagliari tournament is the most important tournament held in Italy and Sardinia, with the exception of the Davis Cup and Fed Cup challenges, all of which were lucky. it has never hosted an appointment of this level. An appointment that - as the president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation Angelo Binaghi underlined - is not a spot event, but will also return in the coming years. An exceptional result, if you think that only a few years ago Sardinian tennis players had to leave the island to improve while today kids from all over the world arrive in Cagliari.
For the many enthusiasts, this Challenger 175 therefore represents another special occasion to be able to admire up close the best Italian tennis players and the big names in world tennis who will then be engaged on the courts of the Foro Italico the following week. Let the show begin!