Cobolli beats Tiafoe for Acapulco crown, joins Alcaraz & Sinner on this feat…

Acapulco

Cobolli beats Tiafoe for Acapulco crown, joins Alcaraz & Sinner on this feat…

Italian set for a brand new profession excessive in Monday’s PIF ATP Rankings

March 01, 2026

Flavio Cobolli captured his first hard-court ATP Tour title and third general Saturday on the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC. Seeded fifth in Acapulco, the Italian produced a excessive degree to down Frances Tiafoe 7-6(4), 6-4 within the championship match.

Cobolli pummelled his forehand with pinpoint accuracy and displayed his shotmaking capability all through the conflict. Because of his title run, Cobolli will rise to a career-high No. 15 in Monday’s PIF ATP Rankings.

“After I was a child, I used to be dreaming for this second,” stated Cobolli. “For this type of match, enjoying on the middle court docket with folks cheering for me. I’m very proud, not just for me, but in addition for the those who work for me — my dad, my household, the remainder of my staff. They’ll assist me loads.”

The 23-year-old is the fourth man born within the 2000s to win ATP 500 titles on a number of surfaces, becoming a member of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Arthur Fils. 

Regardless of getting into the ultimate winless towards Tiafoe of their earlier two Lexus ATP Head2Head conferences, Cobolli confirmed no indicators of hesitation. Shortly after letting slip a set level on return at 5-4 within the opener, he trailed 1/3 within the tie-break, however received six of the ultimate seven factors to realize a one-set benefit.

Tiafoe didn’t earn a break probability till the eighth recreation of the second set, changing his third alternative to that recreation to degree the rating at 4-4. It provided a glimpse of hope for Tiafoe, who earned a number of wins in dramatic vogue this week, saving two match factors to beat in Aleksandar Kovacevic within the second spherical. Tiafoe additionally wanted a heroic effort within the semi-finals to beat Brandon Nakashima, who served for a straight-sets win earlier than the eighth seed launched his comeback.

Such theatrics had been to not be within the remaining. Cobolli held his nerve after dropping serve, incomes a break again and efficiently serving out the match after two hours and 9 minutes.

“I feel I deserve it for the way I work outdoors the court docket,” Cobolli stated. “After the losses, I work once more on court docket and I simply wish to say that I’m very happy with myself. It was an incredible match at present, I feel it was the very best of the match for me. I by no means received towards [Frances] earlier than at present, so I’m very glad.”

Final 12 months, Cobolli received the ATP 250 occasion in Bucharest and the ATP 500 match in Hamburg. He’s the youngest Acapulco champion since a 22-year-old Dominic Thiem in 2016.