Tennis is largely an individual sport. But Argentine players on the ATP Challenger Tour have been playing with a sense of team spirit in the second half of the season, chasing history for their proud sporting nation.
The South American country, which boasts great sportsmen such as Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, Manu Ginóbili, Juan Martin del Potro, and Guillermo Vilas, has a crop of Challenger Tour players who have proven to be unstoppable.
“We have a nice group of players at the moment,” Facundo Bagnis told ATPTour.com. “We have young players, those that entered the Top 100 for the first time this year, those that qualified for Grand Slams for the first time, and even the older guys like me [laughs].”
Players from Argentina have combined to make Challenger Tour history this year, collecting 21 Challenger titles, marking the most titles by a single country in a season.
Juan Manuel Cerundolo (left) and Camilo Ugo Carabelli at the 2022 Buenos Aires-2 Challenger.” />
Juan Manuel Cerundolo (left) and Camilo Ugo Carabelli at the 2022 Buenos Aires-2 Challenger in October. Credit: Manuel Cortina
Heading into this past weekend, Argentina was tied with France at 19 Challenger titles this year. The previous record for most Challengers by a single country in a season, 20, has been reached four times. (France in 2005, Argentina in 2007, 2016, 2021). After tying the record for a third time in 2021, Argentine players set their sights on attempting to stand alone at the top of the Challenger Tour record books.
On Sunday, Juan Manuel Cerundolo was crowned champion at the Coquimbo Challenge while Bagnis secured the record-breaking 21st title by winning the Ambato Challenger.
“When the match finished and they told me the record, it was an amazing feeling,” Bagnis said. “Argentina will always be at the top levels of global tennis and today, with even more tournaments close to home in South America, we are grateful for this and have taken advantage of all the opportunities.”
Pedro Cachin, 27, holds a season-leading four Challenger titles (tied w/ Jack Draper) and is the only Argentine with more than two titles this season. Cachin, World No. 55, won titles in Madrid, Prague, Todi, and Santo Domingo.
“Most Challenger titles in a year is incredible.” Cachin said. “It’s amazing to have such an opportunity for all the players to be a part of something special like that. It is not easy for our players to travel the world, going very far…
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