CESENATICO/STARNBERG, January 16, 2026

The entry list has been announced for the inaugural Start Romagna Cup, a new ATP Challenger 50 tournament scheduled from February 2–8 on the indoor hard courts of the Circolo Tennis “A. Godio” in Cesenatico, Italy. With seven players ranked inside the world’s Top 300—two of them inside the Top 200—and a deep group of Italian competitors, the first edition promises a highly competitive field.

The tournament, offering total prize money of €56,700, will mark the first ATP Challenger event of the 2026 season in Italy. It is held the week following the Australian Open, the opening Grand Slam of the year. Adding further prestige, the tournament director will be Brazilian Carlos Bernardes, one of the most respected chair umpires on the ATP Tour, who concluded his officiating career at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals in Turin to an emotional tribute from the game’s top stars, including Jannik Sinner.

Heading the entry list is 21-year-old Croatian Luka Mikrut, currently ranked No. 163 in the world and winner of his first Challenger title in Como last August. He is followed by two Davis Cup players: Estonian Daniil Glinka (No. 199), who claimed the Challenger title in Drummondville, Canada, at the end of 2025, and Bosnian Nerman Fatic (No. 223), a familiar face in the region who trains under Patricio Remondegui and represents CT Zavaglia Ravenna in Italy’s Serie A.

Particular attention will also be on Nishesh Basavareddy (No. 239), the 20-year-old US-American of Indian heritage, a two-time Next Gen ATP Finals participant who is currently competing in Melbourne after successfully coming through the Australian Open qualifying draw. Also aiming to make a strong impact in Cesenatico are Switzerland’s Remy Bertola (No. 255), France’s Calvin Hemery (No. 259), and Russia’s Ivan Gakhov (No. 261).

Italian players are well represented, with several already assured of direct entry into the 32-player main draw. Among them are Federico Arnaboldi (No. 376), Naples native Raul Brancaccio (No. 411), 2005-born Carlo Alberto Caniato (No. 392), who trains at the Villa Carpena Academy in Forlì, and 20-year-old left-hander Federico Bondioli (No. 440) from Ravenna. Likely to join them in the main draw are Stefano Napolitano (No. 448) and Gianmarco Ferrari (No. 453), currently first among the alternates.

The field will be completed by six qualifiers, three wild cards and two special exempts. Additional Italian names on the alternate list include Giovanni Fonio, Pietro Fellin, Andrea Guerrieri, and local players Enrico Dalla Valle and Francesco Forti, as well as 18-year-old prospect Jacopo Vasami, all potential candidates for wild cards.

Further details, including wild card announcements, are expected to be revealed at the tournament’s official press conference on Friday, January 23, at 12:00 pm, at the Palazzo del Turismo in Cesenatico.

Entry List ATP Challenger Romagna Cup Cesenatico:

Mikrut,Luka CRO 163
Glinka,Daniil EST 199
Fatic,Nerman BIH 223
Basavareddy,Nishesh USA 239
Bertola,Remy SUI 255
Hemery,Calvin FRA 259
Gakhov,Ivan 261
Kopp,Sandro AUT 302
Broom,Charles GBR 304
Brunclik,Petr CZE 306
Mrva,Maxim CZE 342
Feldbausch,Kilian SUI 374
Arnaboldi,Federico ITA 376
McHugh,Aidan GBR 384
Caniato,Carlo Alberto ITA 392
Brancaccio,Raul ITA 411
Martinez,Alex ESP 412
Albot,Radu MDA 429
Prihodko,Oleg UKR 437
Bondioli,Federico ITA 440
Vandermeersch,Cyril FRA 444