ATP Tour

Arnaldi sparks revival with 'unreal' Cagliari Challenger triumph

Matteo Arnaldi’s triumph at the Sardegna Open on Sunday is one of the standout stories from the 2026 ATP Challenger season.

Weeks after sharing that he had endured “the toughest six months” of his career, citing a persistent right foot injury, the 25-year-old flipped the script in memorable fashion, claiming his biggest career title and first triumph at any level since June 2023.

The Italian downed former World No. 6 Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-4 in the clay-court final and will now head to his home ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Rome.

“It feels amazing, with how I started [the season], how the year was going, the problems I’ve had this year, it’s unreal to be here with the title,” Arnaldi told commentator Rob Werner. “Playing such a good player in the final and being able to come through, I’m super happy.”

Arnaldi, who reached a career-high No. 29 in 2024, arrived in Cagliari after a qualifying loss at the Mutua Madrid Open, where he was defending quarter-final points. Entering the Challenger 175 event on a four-match skid with a 2-8 season record across all levels, Arnaldi is proud of the level he produced this week.

“I don’t think I’ve realised yet what I did because I haven’t played that much. I literally started to play tennis again fully two weeks ago,” Arnaldi said. “So I wasn’t even expecting this. It’s so special. I’m so proud of it.

“I didn’t even know if I was going to come or not. After Madrid, I was debating and I wasn’t feeling okay. I wasn’t in the best mood. We just went home, tried to practise a few days and see how it would feel. It responded pretty well, so we were like, ‘Let’s try and go play as many matches as we can’. I’m really happy that I was able to get the win, first title in three years.”

IL CAMPIONE 🇮🇹🏆@mattearnalds claims the biggest title of his career at the Sardegna Open!#ATPChallenger | @federtennis pic.twitter.com/hBVTxcEpe8

— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) May 3, 2026

The Sanremo native saved a match point in the quarter-finals against Nuno Borges, keeping his tournament alive with a narrow 6-3, 6-7(2), 7-6(3) victory after three hours. Even after playing three deciding-set matches in Cagliari, Arnaldi’s right foot withstood the physical demands of the week.

“It was feeling worse at the start, but then it got better. I’m actually surprised,” Arnaldi said. “Usually the past month, it has been the opposite. So that’s a very positive sign. I don’t have any expectations for Rome, I just want to recover and see how it’s going to feel in the next few days. But if it’s like this and I’m able to practise, I’m sure I will be able to get back to the level I want and I think I showed that this week.”

Tabilo wins second Aix-en-Provence crown
Chilean Alejandro Tabilo was crowned champion at the Open Aix Provence Crédit Agricole for the second time in three years. The 28-year-old, who previously won the French tournament in 2024, overcame Belgian Zizou Bergs 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the championship match.

After defeating four Top 100 players en route to the title, Tabilo became one of four players to have claimed multiple trophies at Challenger 175 level, alongside Ugo Humbert, Nuno Borges and Mariano Navone.

^{Alejandro Tabilo signs autographs moments after winning the Aix-en-Provence Challenger. Credit: Mike Lawrence/ATP Challenger}

Tabilo is up eight places to No. 35 in the PIF ATP Rankings. His best result at ATP Tour level this year is a run to the Rio de Janeiro final.

Wong makes history; Safiullin among other Challenger champions
Coleman Wong entered the record books when he won the Jiangxi Open, becoming the first champion from Hong Kong in ATP Challenger history. The 21-year-old defeated Adam Walton 7-5, 7-6(4) in the final and is now at a career-high No. 110 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Roman Safiullin won his second consecutive Challenger title after a marathon week at the Danube Upper Austria Open powered by SKE. Two weeks after winning the Oeiras Challenger as a qualifier, the 28-year-old needed a deciding set in four of his five matches in Mauthausen, where he survived Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) in the final. Safiullin beat Faria in the Oeiras quarter-finals with a similar scoreline of 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(1).

Spaniard Nikolas Sanchez Izquierdo lifted his first Challenger crown at the Ostra Group Open By Porsche Servisni Centrum Ostrava. The 27-year-old beat home hope Zdenek Kolar 6-4, 7-6(4) in the final.

Gauthier Onclin sealed back-to-back titles in Côte d'Ivoire, where he downed American Michael Mmoh 6-3, 6-4 in the final. The Belgian is at a career-high World No. 183. Onclin leaves Abidjan after winning 10 consecutive matches.

Onclin’s countryman Buvaysar Gadamauri was crowned champion at the Shymkent Challenger 2. A first-time Challenger champion, Gadamauri ousted India’s 18-year-old Manas Dhamne 7-6(6), 6-4 in the final.

Phew… what a week 😮‍💨#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/K0EPA1Xrb1

— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) May 3, 2026