Net gain: Why the Rio Open is South America's tennis powerhouse

For more than a decade, the Rio Open presented by Claro has been a leading light for South American tennis.

The clay-court event marks a week-long tennis festival in Rio de Janeiro, where many of the world’s biggest stars, including Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, have competed in recent years.

The only ATP 500 event in South America and the lone ATP Tour event in Brazil, the tournament has been crucial in growing the game in this part of the world, while it has helped propel the careers of many South American stars.

Ahead of the 11th edition, let’s look at what makes the Rio Open presented by Claro such an important event in the calendar.

Big names, big impact
The ATP 500 event has made a big mark in South America, with Rio de Janeiro's Jockey Club Brasileiro welcoming 65,000 spectators each year. The tournament has hosted some of the biggest stars in the game, including former World No. 1 Nadal, who won the first edition of the event in 2014 and made the semi-finals in both 2015 and 2016.

“The first edition of a big tournament like Rio, it’s a very important city in the world, and after coming back from injury, it always makes the victory a little more special,” Nadal said after winning in 2014.

In 2022, Spanish sensation Alcaraz climbed to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings after winning his maiden major title at the US Open. The then-18-year-old’s first taste of success in that historic season came in Rio, where he defeated Diego Schwartzman to win the biggest title of his career (at that point). Two years earlier, Alcaraz had won his maiden tour-level match in the Brazilian city.

Former Top 3 stars David Ferrer, Dominic Thiem and Casper Ruud have also lit up Rio during its first decade of tour-level competition. Ferrer won the title in 2015 and Thiem in 2017.

Launchpad for South Americans
Alongside a set of elite past champions from Europe, the Rio Open presented by Claro has also been a crucial showground for more local talent, with four of the 10 winners hailing from South America.

Back in 2016, Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas became the first player from the continent to lift the trophy, which proved to be the biggest of his career. Argentine Diego Schwartzman won his lone ATP 500 crown in Rio in 2018, while Chilean Cristian Garin lifted the trophy in 2020.

Recently, the event has been pivotal for Nicolas Jarry, Mariano Navone, Joao Fonseca and Sebastian Baez. Chilean Jarry arrived in Rio in 2023 outside the Top 100 in the PIF ATP Rankings. However, he came through qualifying to reach the semi-finals and return to the Top 100 for the first time in three years. He would go on to win titles in Santiago and Geneva in 2023.

In 2024, a record 20 players from six different South American nations competed, including Navone. The Argentine earned his first tour-level win at the event and then went on to reach the final, where he fell to his countryman Baez. The 23-year-old Navone jumped to a career-high No. 29 in the PIF ATP Rankings just four months later.

Lastly, we have the Fonseca story. The #NextGenATP Brazilian made his debut in Rio two years ago when he was just 16. On his second appearance in 2024, the teenager soared to the quarter-finals at the event that he attended every year as a young fan, a run that gained the attention of the tennis world. Fonseca has since won the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF title and defeated Top 10 star Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open. All eyes will be on the home favourite this week.

Legends' praise
While the Rio Open presented by Claro has continued to lead the way for South American tennis, Alexander Zverev and Holger Rune headline some of the top European stars set to compete at the ATP 500 this week.

Former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings Andy Murray never competed at the Rio de Janeiro clay-court event, but he did win Olympic gold in the Brazilian city in 2016. The Briton is a big fan of South American tennis culture. Murray wrote on X in 2024: “The way the fans support the tournaments there is incredible. Amazing atmospheres and tennis is clearly part of their sporting culture.”

Away from the court, off-court activities in Rio are aplenty. Nadal visited the famous Rio Carnival and Alcaraz enjoyed a helicopter tour of the city, even passing over Christ the Redeemer.

“It was the first time we had the chance to enjoy the Rio Carnival and it has been an unforgettable experience," Nadal said after his 2015 visit. "There was unbelievable positive energy [from] everyone. Everyone was singing and dancing, it was fantastic for me to have the chance to enjoy this unique experience."

Alcaraz recalled his helicopter journey in 2023: “It was the first time that I had flown in a helicopter. I was a little bit scared at the beginning, but it passed really fast,” Alcaraz said. “To see the Redeemer from the helicopter was marvellous.”

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Keep an eye on the Rio Open presented by Claro and ATP Tour social and web channels this week to catch all the drama from the 11th edition of this premium South American event.