Flavio Cobolli defeats Frances Tiafoe to win Acapulco title, set to break into Top 15

Flavio Cobolli capped a dream week in Acapulco on Saturday night, battling past Frances Tiafoe in two close sets, 7-6 (4), 6-4, to capture the third ATP title of his career at the ATP 500 event.

It’s actually the equal-biggest title of his career, too, his first two ATP crowns both coming last year, and both on clay, first in Bucharest (an ATP 250) then in Hamburg (an ATP 500).

The Italian is now set to break into the Top 15 when the new ATP rankings come out on Monday—he’s projected to rise from No. 20 past his previous career-high of No. 17 to a new high of No. 15.

Both Cobolli and Tiafoe had come back from the brink of defeat to win their semifinal matches the night before, Cobolli rallying from 3-1 down in the third set to beat Miomir Kecmanovic, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-4, and Tiafoe surviving an all-American duel against Brandon Nakashima, 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4, after Nakashima not only served for the match at 6-5 in the second set, but then came within two points of winning at 6-all in the tie-break.

Though it was only two sets, the final was another grinder, clocking in at two hours and nine minutes. And Tiafoe had his chances, not only leading 3-1 in the first set tie-break before Cobolli snuck out the 70-minute set, but then—after going down 4-2 in the second set—breaking back to even the set up at 4-all.

But Cobolli regrouped in a big way from there, winning eight of the last 10 points of the match, breaking for 5-4 and then serving it out, sealing the victory with an ace, his 10th of the match.

Cobolli’s victory is notable for a few more reasons.

First of all, he had lost both of his previous career meetings against Tiafoe in straight sets, both on outdoor hard courts— and they weren’t even that close, the American winning 6-4, 6-2 in Delray Beach in 2024 and 6-1, 6-4 in Washington D.C. in 2025.

Also, at 23, he’s the youngest man to win Acapulco in a decade, since a 22-year-old Dominic Thiem lifted the trophy in 2016.

Finally, and perhaps most surprisingly, he’s the first Italian to capture an ATP title this year. The Italian men’s No. 3 will now join countrymen Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti—who are currently ranked No. 2 and No. 5, respectively—in the Top 15.

Luciano Darderi can join Cobolli in that last stat a day later on Sunday as he plays for the ATP 250 clay-court title in Santiago.