Mariano Navone caps Cap Cana ATP Challenger with first career hard-court title

In the Dominican Republic, Argentina’s Mariano Navone captured the first hard-court title of his career, winning the second edition of the República Dominicana Open – Copa Cap Cana. The 25-year-old defeating Mattia Bellucci, 7-5, 6-4, after two hours and five minutes to lift the biggest trophy of his career.

Navone, seeded sixth, arrived in the championship match after a demanding semifinal victory over Belgium’s Alexander Blockx. Bellucci, by contrast, had not dropped a single set throughout the tournament, and had spent significantly less time on court leading into the final.

From the start, Navone dictated the pace with consistent baseline play, dominating the longer rallies and putting constant pressure on the Italian. Bellucci conceded a crucial break in the opening set while struggling to find answers against the Argentine’s solidity from the back of the court. In the second set, Navone secured two early breaks and maintained control until closing out the match.

The triumph marks a major milestone for Navone, who had previously won all eight of his ATP Challenger Tour titles on clay. Competing under sunny and hot conditions with temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), Navone kept his composure despite a heat break during the second set.

The world No. 79 withstood four aces from Bellucci, broke the Italian’s serve three times and won 53 percent of the total points played to seal the victory.

“I had been looking for a result like this on hard courts for a long, long time,” Navone said. “We learned to play on hard courts later in our careers. Argentine players grow up on clay, but here in Cap Cana I find conditions that suit me well because the ball bounces higher.”

Navone had arrived in the Dominican Republic following a first-round loss to Marcos Giron at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. In Cap Cana, however, he produced an impressive run through the draw, defeating local wild card Nick Hardt, Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki, second-seeded Frenchman Valentin Royer and Blockx on his way to the title.

“It was an amazing week here in Cap Cana. It is an amazing tournament,” Navone said. “Very happy to be champion and also hope all the best in the future for Miami. But now, we have to enjoy this week.”

His success also comes shortly after beginning a new partnership with coach Alberto Mancini, the former mentor of Guillermo Coria and Fabio Fognini, and a longtime captain of the Argentina Davis Cup Team.

With the victory, Navone earned $48,000 in prize money and 175 ATP ranking points, allowing him to climb 18 positions in the rankings to world No. 61.

More Challenger 175 action

Meanwhile, in Phoenix, rising American star Ethan Quinn captured the most prestigious title of his professional career at the Arizona Tennis Classic. In a thrilling final, Quinn defeated his compatriot Marcos Giron, 7-6 (1), 4-6, 7-5, after two hours and four minutes of high-quality tennis.

The championship match showcased the depth of U.S. tennis, with both players engaging in long baseline rallies and strong serving performances that kept the crowd on edge throughout the contest.

READ: Marcos Giron is playing the best tennis of his life at 32

The opening set was dominated by serve, with neither player conceding a break. In the tiebreak, Quinn raised his level and raced through it 7-1 to take the early lead.

Giron, seeded seventh in the ATP Challenger Tour 175 hard-court tournament, responded strongly. Adjusting his return positioning, he managed to earn a crucial late break to claim the set 6-4 and force a deciding third set. It proved to be a tense battle of endurance.

With the score locked at 5-5, Quinn capitalized on a slight drop in Giron’s first-serve percentage to secure the decisive break. Showing remarkable composure, the 22-year-old then served out the match to seal the 7-5 victory.

“It’s surreal,” Quinn said after lifting his second ATP Challenger career trophy, and first since Champaign, Illinois in November 2024. “It’s not every day that you get to be in the final. I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve been in a final, getting to compete late in a tournament, so all the emotions are really high.”

The triumph carries special significance for Quinn, who celebrated his 22nd birthday during the tournament week. The former collegiate standout at the University of Georgia demonstrated that he is ready to compete at the highest level of the Challenger Circuit.

“Getting a title and getting that confidence going into Miami, going into the clay season is going to be really nice,” the Californian said.

By defeating a seasoned opponent like the 70^th-ranked Giron, Quinn not only claimed the biggest title of his career, but also boosted his ranking to a career-high world No. 56—and established himself as a player to watch in the months ahead.

New tournament records

Earlier in the week, the 2026 Arizona Tennis Classic witnessed a new record for the longest match in tournament history. Britain’s Billy Harris and France’s Adrian Mannarino battled for three hours and 20 minutes in the quarterfinals.

Off the court, the tournament enjoyed record-breaking attendance throughout the week. The strong turnout of fans further reinforced the Arizona Tennis Classic’s growing reputation as one of the premier stops on the ATP Challenger Tour calendar.