These are difficult times for modest tournaments and authenticity. The competition for a week in the ATP calendar is fierce, and the transition from one surface to another, as well as the greater economic capacity of other events, puts this tour in great jeopardy. Nevertheless, every year, what takes place in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro excites everyone and brings back the essence of this sport.

A long journey, a surface different from the preceding and subsequent tournaments, lower economic availability compared to other countries to attract stars, and a tendency of tennis authorities to trivialize these weeks. The South American clay-court swing faces all of this year after year, battling against these giant enemies with an argument as abstract as it is powerful: passion.

Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, and Santiago de Chile breathe tennis from every pore during these weeks and offer a sublime spectacle for fans worldwide. This sport would not have reached its global status and media impact without the involvement of a continent that venerates tennis and has produced great stars. These are tournaments brimming with history, with young players who have the opportunity to embrace tennis by watching a great live show and mid-range players capable of securing key victories for their survival on the circuit.

– The competition from other tournaments with larger budgets is increasing, and fewer stars are choosing to play in South America.

It is impossible to compete with the petrodollars of Doha and Dubai and the logistical comforts offered by Delray Beach and Acapulco. The only way to do it is by providing exquisite treatment to the players, sublime organization at all tournaments, good facilities, and the fervor of the fans. Tennis rediscovers its essence on this tour, providing an ideal stage for Brazilian, Chilean, and Argentine players to showcase their potential and take a leap in quality.

This season, the week of the Cordoba tournament was already removed, and things tighten even more in 2026 with the season starting a week later. The trend in this sport is to move away from its roots and give precedence to places where neither fans nor passion for this sport are weighty arguments, overshadowed by immense amounts of money that convince both players and authorities.

– The stands are full, and the spectacle is sublime, without the big headliners contributing anything.

Perhaps the great dilemma facing the Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro tournaments in the coming seasons will be not to seek to attract stars based on their paychecks. Zverev and Rune were presented as the main attractions of the tour, but they have displayed a poor on-court attitude, and the spectacle has come from local players instead.

The stands fill up without the need for media names whose main focus is to collect a high fee, and neither of the two events needs that to excite and thrill the entire planet with tennis. The South American clay-court swing must remain on the ATP calendar as a reminder of what we were and what we should never cease to be. Long live tennis!

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los motivos por los que el tenis necesita más que nunca la gira sudamericana de tierra batida