The third edition of the Țiriac Open since returning to Bucharest (March 30 – April 5) will take place at the National Tennis Center, just like last year. Today the draw was made for the main draws, the favorites, but also the Romanian players finding out their opponents from the first rounds.
Tiriac Open is ready for a new edition, the 24th in total and the third since the tournament returned to Bucharest, between 2017 and 2023 the license was rented for competitions organized in Budapest, then Belgrade.
“I care a lot about him and I wouldn't want him to disappear from the map, because here we have Mr. Tănase (no. Ilie Năstase), who from Roland Garros to the US Open and number 1 in the world, we have the name of Simona, who honors us with this base, we have a history of three Davis Cup finals, we have a lot in tennis and we would not want this one tournament that we have to disappear“, said Ion Țiriac, the owner of the tournament, in the press conference of the draw.
A promising roster of players for the first week of European clay thinned out along the way due to some last-minute withdrawals, but the field remains a formidable one for an ATP 250-level competition. Big names are there, Roberto Bautista Agut, Sebastian Baez, Pablo Carreno Busta or Botic van de Zandschulpbut also 4 Top 50 players at the moment. Bautista and Alexander Shevchenko were present at the drawing of lots ceremony.
The top 4 favorites have the first round free, being a table of 28 positions, they will wait for their opponents for the second round.
Gabriel Diallo, main favorite, three Romanians on the board
The table of the Țiriac Open 2026 tournament PHOTO Cristi Preda
In the absence of last year's champion, Flavio Cobollithe main favorite is the Canadian Gabriel Diallo (24 years old, 37th place in the world). He also participated in the Țiriac Open in 2025, reaching the 2nd round and being defeated by the future finalist, Sebastian Baez. And the Argentine returns, being the number 5 seed this season.
Favorites 2, 3 and 4 are, in order Adrian Mannarino (37 years old, 43rd place ATP), Fabian Marozsan (26 years old, 46th place ATP) and Nuno Borges (29 years old, 50th place ATP). The French participated twice in the Bucharest tournament, in 2014 and 2016, losing each time in the 1st round, the Hungarian is in his first appearance, and the Portuguese was present in 2024, reaching the 2nd round.
There are also three Romanians on the main grid, all beneficiaries of wild cards. Filip Jianu (24 years old, 243rd place ATP) will face the Bosnian Damir Dzumhur in the 1st round, Adrian Boitan (26 years old, 307th place ATP) will duel with the Dane Elmer Moller, again Razvan Turcanu (20 years old, 658th place ATP) has Alexander Shevchenko (Kazakhstan) as his first opponent.
Filip Jianu in action at the Țiriac Open Photo: Țiriac Open/Raed Krishan
As for Flavio Cobolli, he was expected to come to defend his title, but announced the other day that he could not attend. “He's going through a bit of a tough time mentally, given that he lost quickly in Indian Wells and Miami“, explained George Cosac, the president of the FRT, referring to the defeats in the 3rd and 2nd rounds of the Italian.
“He prefers to have a bit of a break before the ATP 1000 tournament in Monte Carlo, but he expressed his desire to come in 2027, because as he says, Bucharest has become his second home, by the fact that he managed to win this competition, the Țiriac Open, it was practically the springboard that “threw” him into the top 20 players. Today he is in 15th place. We are waiting for him in the next edition”, he added Cossack.
Ion Țiriac: “We're going to build a temporary center, we're putting 4,000 seats”
Ion Țiriac also spoke about an expected move of the tournament to a stable and dedicated place, in Otopeni, where he started building a base several years ago that includes several arenas dedicated to various sports.
“I don't think I'm able to tell you that next year we'll be playing on an already finished center. But, as you know, we waited about 2 years, 2 years or so, for an approval to make this stadium.
We are starting this year and quickly to do what we don't need huge approvals at the tennis courts. Hoping that next year we can play it in Otopeni, considering that we are going to make a temporary center and put 4,000 seats that are easy to do, until we do the right thing. In 2028 I hope everything will be ready“, he said related to a future organization of the Țiriac Open in Otopeni.
