Buenos Aires leaves clay: hard courts from 2028

The Argentina Open in Buenos Aires will play its last edition on clay in 2027. From 2028 the tournament will switch to hard courts and remain an ATP 250. La Nación journalist Sebastián Torok reported it on October 22, adding that the official ATP announcement is imminent and could come as early as the Finals in Turin.

That ends a run of 27 consecutive editions on the clay of the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club, from 2001 to 2027. The venue stays the same, but the club will have to rebuild five courts: three match courts and two practice courts. The February 2026 edition was won by Francisco Cerúndolo, who beat Luciano Darderi 6-4, 6-2 in the final. The 2027 tournament, scheduled for February 7 to 15, has already confirmed Flavio Cobolli.

The change follows the sale of the tournament: Tennium sold the license and the ATP took it over with backing from SURJ Sports Investment, the sports arm of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. In June, La Nación had reported a double jump in 2029, hard courts and an upgrade to ATP 500. The October version moves the surface switch up by a year and, for now, shelves the higher category.

The aim is to attract more of the tour's top players, who build their schedules around hard-court events. In January 2025, Catalina Fillol, director of the Chile Open, said that as soon as she tells players the tournament is on clay, they shut the door on her.