Tennis turns its back on South America: the ATP removes Córdoba from the calendar and Schwartzman strongly questions the decision

Apparently, the “unpopular opinion” of Scotsman Andy Murray, who a few days ago had hoped for the arrival of a Masters 1000 in South America, was not echoed. Exactly the opposite happened: it was decided to go down to ATP 250 of Cordoba, which was played on clay, and its place in the calendar was taken by Mallorca (on grass), leaving the region with only three tournaments by 2025. It is a new blow for one of the most forgotten areas of tennis.

Next season, South America will host only the Buenos Aires Open, from 10 to 16 February, Rio de Janeiro (from 17 to 23 February) and Santiago de Chile (from 24 to 30 March). The Argentine and Chilean competitions fall into the 250 category, the lowest in the ATP, while the Brazilian one is a 500, one step below the Masters 1000.

“The decision to give a 250 to Argentina and the entire region is confirmed. From four to just three. I don’t see it as a great decision to bring the tournaments and the possibilities to all of South America. A shame”the Argentine complained Diego Schwartzman, champion in Rio in 2018 and in Buenos Aires in 2021.

This sector of the world has never hosted an M1000, which is contested in countries with developed economies such as the United States, France, Spain, Italy, Canada and China, gradually losing tournaments over the years. The extinct is left behind Brazil open, which took place first in Costa do Sauipe (2001-2011) and then in Sao Paulo (2012-2019), and that of Bogotawho greeted the Australian Bernard Tomic by winning the championship twice in 2014 and 2015.

He Golden swing, as the clay-court tournaments played in South America are known between the end of the season in Australia and the start of the North American tour, remained on the sidelines and had to make enormous financial efforts to attract foreign figures such as Carlos Alcaraz AND Cameron Norris.

In fact, it is worth mentioning the Spaniard’s participation in Rio de Janeiro this year, which ended after two Games and a sprained ankle, was the last one stipulated in the contract. Logically, the organization of the Brazilian event is interested in renewing the agreement with the current number two in the world, but tennis players are increasingly superior who choose to spend those dates playing on fast indoor courts like Rotterdam or Marseille.

Playing in South America means going from hard courts to clay and then back to hard courts before the slow-court tour of Europe begins. That is, more wear and effort for even lower premiums. An example: this year’s champion in Rio de Janeiro, the Argentine Sebastián Báez, pocketed 392,000 dollars, compared to the 550,000 dollars that the Frenchman Ugo Humbert got for triumphing in Dubai.

The three events to be played in South America in 2025 contrast with the nine to be played in the United States, including three M1000s and a Grand Slam, or the tournament calendar loaded in Europe, which brings together almost 50% of ATP events. Together with Africa, which sees tennis only in Marrakech, South America is the big forgotten country in the tennis calendar.

In a sport clearly dominated by the Old Continent. The last non-European to win a Slam was Juan Martin del Potro in 2009, with his unforgettable US Open against Roger Federerand there are currently five South Americans in the top 50: Sebastiano Baez (19), Francisco Cerúndolo (twentyone), Nicholas Jarry (23), Tomás Martín Etcheverry (30) e Alessandro Tabilo (44), plus eight more in the Top 100.

Despite this, the ATP continues to choose not to look at these latitudes and concentrate tennis, its expansion and its wealth in the same areas. And everything, moreover, awaiting the sensational entry of Saudi Arabia.

Another of the innovations made official by the ATP is that the Cincinnati and Canada Masters 1000similarly to what was done with Miami and Indian Wells, it will have a field of 96 players and 12 days of duration, while Dallas, Doha and Monaco have reached the update and they will become ATP 500.

Furthermore, together with Córdoba, the Estoril tournament will be removed from the calendar, open a place for the ATP 500 in Hamburg (formerly M1000) which will be played the week before Roland Garros. And the Los Cabos event skips from February to July. Everything is temporary.