CAMPINAS, September 16, 2023
Tennis fans in Brazil are getting ready, as the 13th edition of the Campeonato Internacional de Tênis will be held at the traditional Sociedade Hípica de Campinas from October 2 to 8. With a record prize money of $130,000, the clay-court event is the largest ATP Challenger in the country’s calendar and will award 100 points to the champion. Santander is the official sponsor of the competition.
The list released by the organization includes players from more than 20 countries across all five continents, including those participating in the qualifying rounds. At the top of the list, there are players ranked inside the top 100, as well as rising stars from Brazil, and competitors who have previously lifted the trophy on the clay courts of Campinas.
Argentina, which has won seven out of the 12 editions at Hípica, will be represented by the current top three players in the moment. They are Juan Manuel Cerundolo, ranked 91st in the world, Federico Coria, ranked 96th, and World No. 99 Facundo Díaz Acosta. This trio has already competed in major tournaments on the circuit, including all four Grand Slams and the ATP Masters 1000 series.
Cerundolo, the top-seeded player in Campinas, has the experience of winning an ATP 250 title in his career in Cordoba and has secured two Challenger titles in 2023, both on the clay in Tigre. Coria came close to winning his first tour-level title in Cordoba in February, but his compatriot Sebastián Baez, the 2021 Campinas champion, spoiled the celebration.
Last year’s winner, Briton Jan Choinski, returns to the Campinas clay courts as the 7th seed. His outstanding performance at Hípica propelled him up the ATP rankings, allowing him to participate in tour-level events in 2023. For example, he reached the second round at Wimbledon. Another player in the draw is Argentine Facundo Bagnis, who won the tournament in 2016.
So far, Brazil has two players guaranteed entry based on their rankings: Thiago Monteiro from Ceará, ranked 116th in the ATP and the 6th seed, and Campinas native Felipe Meligeni Alves, ranked 142nd in the world. Both of them are representing Brazil this weekend in a Davis Cup match against Denmark, led by Holger Rune, away from home, in the World Group I.
Currently ranked as the number 2 player in Brazil, Monteiro is entering his 13th season on the professional circuit, with victories in Grand Slams and Masters 1000 events in the US. In Campinas, the 29-year-old returns to the competition after finishing as the runner-up in 2021, losing to Baez in the final. Winning this year’s tournament would likely place him back within the top 100, a select group where he has spent nearly 200 weeks in his career.
On the other hand, Meligeni arrives at Hípica in his best form. While his current ranking – 142nd – is not his best, the 25-year-old from São Paulo has just had an excellent campaign at the US Open, where he qualified and advanced a round. In his hometown, he aims to surpass his 2020 campaign when he reached the semi-finals, in order to achieve his goal by the end of the year.
“My goal is to break into the top 100 in the world, so I know that Campinas is crucial to my plans. It’s a very special tournament for me because it’s the biggest Challenger in Brazil and I get to play at home, in front of my family and friends. I believe I’m in my best moment, both mentally, tactically, and technically, having just competed in a Grand Slam. So, I want to make the most of all this confidence to have a great campaign at home,” says Meligeni.
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Entry List Campeonato Internacional de Tênis Campinas:
- Juan Manuel Cerundolo (ARG)
- Federico Coria (ARG)
- Facundo Díaz Acosta (ARG)
- Tomas Barrios Vera (CHI)
- Thiago Monteiro (BRA)
- Alejandro Tabilo (CHI)
- Jan Choinski (GBR)
- Hugo Dellien (BOL)
- Felipe Meligeni Alves (BRA)
- Facundo Bagnis (ARG)
- Vit Kopriva (CZE)
- Francisco Comesana (ARG)
- Dalibor Svrcina (CZE)
- Luciano Darderi (ITA)
- Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG)
- Andrea Pellegrino (ITA)
- Guido Andreozzi (ARG)
- Marco Trungelliti (ARG)
- Andrea Collarini (ARG)
- Santiago Rodriguez Taverna (ARG)
- Juan Pablo Ficovich (ARG)
