Buenos Aires (Argentina) – This Monday’s ranking shows very positive data for Argentine tennis. For the first time since March 31, 2008, our neighbors have four players among the top 31 in the world rankings. At the top of the men’s list are Sebastian Baez (19th), Francisco Cerúndolo (22nd), Tomas Etcheverry (28th) and Mariano Navone (31st).
16 years ago, Argentina was in an even better situation, with three tennis players in the top 20 and one of them among the top ten in the world. At that time, David Nalbandian (7th), Guillermo Coria (15th), Juan Monaco (19th) and Juan Ignacio Chela (31st) were part of the Albiceleste squad.
The feat repeated by the Argentines now in 2024 was only possible thanks to a great effort by Mariano Navone throughout the season. Only ranked 125th in January, the 23-year-old played his first matches at ATP level this year and collected great results, such as runners-up at the Rio Open and Bucharest, as well as the semifinals in Marrakech.
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Last Sunday, he achieved the greatest achievement of his career by win the challenger 175 of Cagliari, in Italy. After climbing almost 100 positions in four months, Navone could even be seeded at Roland Garros if he manages to remain among the 32 best in the world after the Masters 1000 in Rome, which starts this Wednesday.
Monteiro could benefit from the Olympic race
Today outside the classification zone for the Olympic Games, Thiago Monteiro from Ceará can guarantee his place in Paris via a second route. To do this, he needs to hope that Argentine Facundo Diaz Acosta is not ahead of the compatriots mentioned above in the ranking that will be released on June 10th, shortly after the end of Roland Garros.
Gold medalist at the Pan de Santiago, Acosta has a guaranteed place in the Olympics as long as he is within the top 400 in the world and among the top four in his country, the limit number of players per nationality in the singles bracket. Today in 48th place in the ATP and fifth best Argentine, he would be left out. With that, Monteiro, who won bronze in Chile, would take his place. Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, who took silver at home, is also going to Paris.
