The Argentina Open is taking shape and already has three confirmed stars

With the curtain drawn on the 2022 calendar -which officially closed with the coronation of Novak Djokovic at the ATP Finals in Turin-, the tennis world is turning its eyes to the start of the 2023 season, which will begin, as per tradition, with the Australian hard-court tour. But in Buenos Aires a new edition of the Open Argentina -the 23rd in the history of the tournament-, which will be played from 13 to 19 February and is already taking shape.

Is that in recent days the organizers of the tournament have confirmed the participation of three great players, who have thrilled the fans: diego schwartzmann25th in the standings and a reference point for tennis in our country, the Austrian Dominic Thiemformer number three in the world, and the Italian Lorenzo Musetto23rd in the standings and one of the best rackets in the Next generation.

Musetti was the last of that trio to announce he will be playing at the event. “I wanted to tell you that I will participate in the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires. See you soon. A kiss”, commented the young promise, who will visit our country for the first time, in a short video posted on the competition’s official twitter.

The Carrara native of 20 years ago experienced the best season of his short career this year, in which he won his first two titles. In July he was crowned at the Hamburg ATP 500beating the Spanish in the final Carlos Alcarazthen number six in the standings, which months later he was crowned in the US Open and became the youngest number one in history. And at the end of October, he shouted champion in ATP 250 of Napleswith a win against Matthew Berrettiniin a 100% Italian final.

He ended the year with a record of 34-29, his second consecutive Finals appearance of the Next generationhe was playing in Milan, and in 23rd place in the standings, his best finish, after being 83rd in April.

The Italian joined Schwartzmann and Thiemtwo former champions of the tournament, who will try to lift the trophy again on the clay of Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis.

The small will be playing the main draw of the competition for the tenth time, in which he was crowned for the first and only time (at least until now) last year, when he beat his compatriot in the title match Francis Cerundolo.

That was his second final, after the one he lost in 2019 with the Italian Mark Cecchino. In this 2022, he returned to play the decisive instance, in which it fell to the Norwegian Casper Ruud.

Schwartzman has been coming for several seasons with great performances in the Buenos Aires tournament. Since in 2020 he reached the semifinals, but he had to go down before playing that instance, due to an injury he had suffered in the quarterfinal duel against the Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas.

The porteño had a season of many ups and downs, which ended without a title (in addition to the final in Buenos Aires, he played in Rio de Janeiro). But he still managed to finish for the fourth consecutive year as the highest-placed Argentine and remained in the top 25 of the standings, a very positive result and not easy to achieve. Will he be able to repeat a good performance at the BALTC in a few months?

Thiem completes the trio of figures already confirmed for the Argentine ATP. And it is, in terms of history and personal goals, the greatest attraction, even though he hasn’t yet recovered his best form, after a couple of seasons complicated by knee and right wrist injuries and some mentally difficult moments.

The Austrian, champion of the US Open in 2020 (the year in which he was also a finalist of the Australian Open and the ATP Finals), will play the Buenos Aires tournament for the fourth time, in which he debuted with a title in 2016, when he beat the Spanish in the final Nicolas Almagro. He returned to our country in 2018 to repeat the celebration by beating the Slovenian Aljaz Bedene. And the following year he said goodbye in the semifinals when he crashed against Schwartzman.

Thiem started his 2022 in March after missing the entire second half of last season with that wrist issue. But he hasn’t had a very successful comeback. Only in July did he manage to win his first match: in the first round of the Challenger in Salzburg, at home, where he finished 346th in the world (he had started the year 15th). And from that moment the comeback began.

In the weeks that followed, he reached the quarterfinals enough (lost with Sebastian Baezthen champion) and the semifinals in gstaad. In mid-September he was a finalist at the Challenger in Rennes, France, which allowed him to re-enter the top 200 in the standings. And in October he had another two good weeks, with the semifinals gijon (where he deleted Francis Cerundolo in quarters) e antwerp (He came to that instance with a victory against the Pole Hubert Hurkacz, 11th in the standings). And he was able to finish his campaign within inches of the top 100.

“I am very happy to return to the Argentina Open in 2023,” he commented confirming his return to our country.

The competition – which will distribute prizes of $602,250 – dreams of adding Ruud, champion in 2020 and 2022 and current number three in the world, to a team that already promises great games. Although after his ascent to the podium in the standings, the Norwegian – who was in Argentina a few days ago, where he performed with Rafael Nadal— has yet to release his schedule for the 2023 season, other than the ocean tour.