KIGALI/STARNBERG, March 6, 2026
The ATP Challenger Tour is back in Africa for the third edition of the Rwanda Challenger, with back-to-back clay-court tournaments scheduled from March 2 to March 15 in Kigali. This week’s first tournament offers $107,000 in total prize money and 75 ATP Ranking points to the champion, while the second week raises the stakes to $177,000 and 100 ATP ranking points.
Stefano Napolitano and Joel Schwaerzler will compete in Saturday’s singles final. Napolitano, who battled his way through the qualifying into the semis, upset second-seeded Frenchman Arthur Gea 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-3 on Friday afternoon at the Iprc Kicukiro Ecology Tennis Club. The 30-year-old Italian hit eight aces and won 71 per cent of his first-service points to prevail after two hours and 42 minutes.
(Q)ualifer ➡️ (F)inalist
Stefano Napolitano upsets [2] Gea 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-3 to enter his TENTH career #ATPChallenger final!
Kigali | @tennis_rwanda pic.twitter.com/57VUpKCncU
— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) March 6, 2026
Later in the afternoon, Schwaerzler defeated Marco Cecchinato of Italy 6-2, 7-6(8). The 20-year-old Austrian, who was born in South Africa, is making his second appearance in Kigali after reaching the second round last year. Schwaerzler, currently ranked on a career-high world No. 214, saved the only break point he faced and capitalized on two of his own six break-point chances to advance in one hour and 40 minutes.
Indoor Hard Outdoor Clay finalist
Joel Schwaerzler dispatches Cecchinato 6-2, 7-6(8) to make another #ATPChallenger final in back-to-back weeks!
Kigali | @tennis_rwanda pic.twitter.com/NV9TNZGuhw
— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) March 6, 2026
Schwaerzler, who finished runner-up to Zsombor Piros at the indoor hard-court Challenger Citta Di Lugano last week, is seeking his second ATP Challenger Tour career title following his triumph in Skopje, North Macedonia two years ago. Napolitano could lift his fifth Challenger trophy, his first since Biella in September 2025.
Schwaerzler won the only previous meeting between the two in the first round of the Soma Bay Open in Egypt earlier this year when Napolitano was forced to retire at the beginning of the third set.
