Buenos Aires
\n Hometown hero Cerundolo wins Buenos Aires title in \u2018best moment of career so far\u2019<\/p>\n
Top seed sinks Darderi for his first ATP Tour crown since 2024<\/p>\n
February 15, 2026<\/p>\n
Marcelo Endelli\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
Francisco Cerundolo in action against Luciano Darderi in the Buenos Aires title match.
\n By Andy West<\/p>\n
Francisco Cerundolo<\/a> put a history of Buenos Aires heartache behind him in style on Sunday afternoon, when the top seed eased to his maiden title at the IEB+ Argentina Open<\/a>. <\/p>\n A defeated finalist in 2021 and 2025, hometown favourite Cerundolo overcame second seed Luciano Darderi<\/a> 6-4, 6-2 to seal an emotional triumph at the clay ATP 250 event. Cerundolo held his nerve in a see-saw final set, in which all but two games featured at least one break point, to lift his fourth ATP Tour trophy and his first on Argentine soil. <\/p>\n Fran, let the party begin \ud83d\udd7a<\/p>\n Home hero @FranCerundolo<\/a> wins the title in Buenos Aires in front of his adoring fans! @iebmasargopen<\/a> | #ArgOpen2026<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/UZWeNGzMCZ<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ATP Tour (@atptour) February 15, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cProbably the best moment of my career so far,\u201d declared Cerundolo after his 97-minute win. \u201cI really wanted to win here in my hometown, in my country, with my friends and family and all the people here in Argentina. This feeling is amazing. I really fought throughout these past years and tried to win. I couldn\u2019t do it, and today I played one of the best matches probably of my career.\u201d <\/p>\n The No. 19 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Cerundolo is the seventh home champion in the history of the IEB+ Argentina Open<\/a>, which was first held in 2001. The 27-year-old has now won a Tour-leading 46 matches on clay since the start of the 2024 season, two more than second-placed Darderi. <\/p>\n Cerundolo saved six of seven break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats, including all five in the opening set. He now leads 24-year-old Italian Darderi, who himself was born and spent much of his childhood in Argentina, 3-2 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series. <\/p>\n \u201cI think I played really good, really aggressive. I didn\u2019t let him take initative of the points,\u201d said Cerundolo. \u201cIt\u2019s a final. You have to go for it. Nobody wants to lose, and everybody wants to win. I played for every point today.\u201d <\/p>\n Despite falling short of his fifth ATP Tour title, Darderi will rise to a career-high World No. 21 on Monday after his run to the championship match in Argentina. <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n