CORDENONS/STARNBERG, July 20, 2026
Spain is celebrating again at the Serena Wines 1881 – Acqua Maniva Tennis Cup Internazionali del Friuli Venezia Giulia in Cordenons, an ATP Challenger tournament with a prize fund of €97,640. The title was claimed by Max Alcala Gurri, who became the first Spanish player to win the event in six years.
The 23-year-old from Barcelona appears to have developed a special affinity for Italian clay courts during the first seven months of the 2026 season. In May, he captured the Challenger 50 title in Cervia, a success that came between another triumph at the Challenger 50 in Royan, France.
In a one-sided final lasting just over one hour and 15 minutes, Alcala Gurri defeated 21-year-old Federico Bondioli 6–2, 6–0. While the Spaniard fully deserved the victory, Bondioli was clearly not at his best. The Italian had been struggling with an abdominal muscle problem, and the occasion of his first Challenger final also appeared to bring understandable emotional pressure.
Even so, Bondioli can look back on a memorable week. After coming close to a first-round exit against Ecuador’s Alvaro Guillen Meza, he showed significant improvements in his game and grew into one of the tournament’s standout performers.
The match was only briefly competitive in the opening set, when the players exchanged an early break and rebreak. From the fourth game onward, however, Alcala Gurri pulled away, using a relentless side-to-side baseline game that proved extremely difficult for Bondioli to handle. The Spaniard quickly took control and closed the first set 6–2.
If possible, Alcala Gurri raised his level even further in the second set. He dominated from the baseline, dictated the tempo of the rallies, and gave Bondioli no opportunity to recover, sealing the set 6–0 and completing an emphatic victory.
🚨 TWEENER ALERT 🚨
Max Alcala Gurri powers to his3⃣rd Challenger title of 2026, racing past Bondioli 6-2, 6-0 in Cordenons! 🙌#ATPChallenger | @RFETenis pic.twitter.com/weiAfjz8qy
— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) July 19, 2026
The title is particularly significant for the Spaniard. It is his second Challenger crown on Italian soil in 2026 and guarantees him a career-high world No. 180. The ranking rise also secures him a place in the qualifying tournament for the US Open, the fourth Grand Slam of the season, which will be held on the hard courts of New York at the end of August.
