Buenos Aires holds a special place in Facundo Diaz Acosta’s heart and winning his maiden ATP Tour title Sunday on the same grounds he secured his first tour-level victory a year ago adds another chapter to his hometown story.
The 23-year-old, who is a five-time ATP Challenger Tour champion, grew up playing at the Club Atlético Comercio, located within walking distance of the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club, where Diaz Acosta downed third seed Nicolas Jarry to win the biggest title of his career, the IEB+ Argentina Open.
Flashback one year and Diaz Acosta was celebrating a different breakthrough; the-then World No. 191 notched his first tour-level win as a wild card at the ATP 250, ousting countryman Federico Coria. The next day, Diaz Acosta was on the verge of upsetting second seed Cameron Norrie. Diaz Acosta served for the match at 6-4, 5-3 before Norrie tallied four consecutive games and eventually won a tight third-set tiebreak. The Briton then enjoyed a run to the final.
Despite the heartbreaking loss, in which Diaz Acosta was two points from victory on multiple occasions, he looks back on that match as a turning point.
“I started believing a little bit more and I think I had a click in my head,” Diaz Acosta told ATPTour.com. “After that match, I realised that I had a level that I didn't know I had. I felt more confident and I really felt like I could do better things than what I was doing before.”
The new belief and confidence was easy to spot. Diaz Acosta collected four ATP Challenger Tour titles in 2023 and claimed the second most match wins (44) last season at that level, only behind Francisco Comesana (45). He cracked the Top 100 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time in July.
“I think I worked a lot in the mental part and I learned how to manage my energy,” Diaz Acosta said. “Which weeks to stop, which weeks to play. Tennis is very tough because all the weeks you have tournaments and you want to play everything. I learned when to stop and when to go to a tournament at 100 per cent. I think that made my tennis level go up and my consistency as well.”
Diaz Acosta is not the only player who has built upon a standout 2023 ATP Challenger Tour season to capture his first ATP Tour title already this year. The lefty joined Alejandro Tabilo and Luciano Darderi, who also won Challenger trophies in the final month of last season and have since triumphed on the ATP Tour.
What is interesting about Diaz Acosta’s journey through the ATP Challenger Tour is that he was forced to make a slower start at that level, not at his own fault.
While many players may have an opportunity as a teenager to develop their game on the ATP Challenger Tour, that was rarely the case for a then 19-year-old Diaz Acosta in 2020. Because of Covid-19 concerns, tournaments were few and far between. The Buenos Aires native improvised, often hitting a tennis ball against a mattress set up against his house.
“I think on TikTok I saw a video of some guy doing it and I said, 'Okay, I have plenty of time and nothing to do.' So I put it up and I started playing,” Diaz Acosta said. “It was tough moments and I just tried to keep the racquet in my hand and not waste the time. It was something to have fun a little bit.”
Facundo Diaz Acosta is crowned champion at the Oeiras Open 4 Challenger in May 2023. Credit: FPT/Sara Falcao
A pivotal aspect of Diaz Acosta’s rise has notably been away from the court. He hired a mental coach at the end of 2021 and maintains that relationship to this day. On Wednesday morning, the day after he beat Stan Wawrinka at this week’s Rio Open presented by Claro, Diaz Acosta was savouring downtime at the beach, something he maybe would not have done in years prior during a tournament week.
“I started learning some things and now it's quite different. I started doing some routines, reading routines, and I try to be more in the moment for matches, for trainings and in life,” Diaz Acosta said. “Just try to enjoy the time a little bit more and not be focussed all the time on tennis.”
At a career-high No. 59 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings following his Buenos Aires triumph, Diaz Acosta’s latest milestone is just another reward for his dedication.
“It's like a dream come true. A lot of years working hard, working for that. I wasn't expecting it this year, but of course it was a dream to win an ATP title at home,” said Diaz Acosta, who faces fifth seed Sebastian Baez on Thursday in Rio. “I'm very happy. First ATP match win in Buenos Aires last year and now first title.”
Winning big 👏
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) February 18, 2024
After lifting four Challenger trophies last year, @Facudiazacosta takes home his first @atptour title in Buenos Aires#OnTheRise | @ArgentinaOpen pic.twitter.com/4xjBUZNAeD
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