BMW Archives - Tennis Grandstand

(by Florian Heer)

Shelton Claims Munich Crown as BMW Open by Bitpanda Delivers on All Fronts

American lifts biggest clay title of his career while Schnaitter/Wallner delight home fans and tournament organizers celebrate strong attendance and growth.

Ben Shelton captured the title of the 2026 BMW Open by Bitpanda, defeating fourth-seeded Italian Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 7-5 in Sunday’s singles final.

In front of packed stands on Center Court at the MTTC Iphitos, Shelton set the tone early, racing to a 4-0 lead in the opening set. Cobolli improved as the match progressed, but the world No. 6 remained rock solid on serve, saving all six break points he faced and converting three of his nine opportunities to seal victory in one hour and 30 minutes.

“I came out at a really high level,” said Shelton, who earned his fifth career title and third at ATP 500 level following Tokyo in 2023 and Dallas earlier this year.

“I have done that before against him, but the toughest thing is maintaining it, as he raises his level. I was able to do that in the second set, hanging in there when he played some great tennis, and I came through to win it in straight sets.

“I am happy with my performance this week. I got better and better as the week went on, and I am pleased with the work my team put in here.”

Shelton received a prize cheque of €478,935, as well as a brand-new BMW iX3 and traditional Bavarian Lederhosen. He also collected 500 ATP Ranking points.

“The car is great. It might be difficult to get it back to Florida, where I live,” Shelton said with a smile.

The Atlanta native has now claimed the biggest clay-court title by an American man since Andre Agassi won the ATP Masters 1000 in Rome in 2002 – the year Shelton was born.

“It’s huge. I have big ambitions on clay – a surface I want to keep improving on each year. It has become one of my favourite surfaces to play on.

“It’s a short season and some of the Americans choose not to play every event. But we had two guys in the quarterfinals of the French Open last year. Success on clay is coming back. I am looking forward to being part of this progression of U.S. men’s tennis on clay. On the women’s side, they have a lockdown as they won the French last year. We as the men have some more to do but we are heading into the right direction. This is just one step in a long swing and let’s see what happens.”

And how will he celebrate? “We’ll go to a restaurant we visited a couple of times this week and enjoy the moment before flying to Madrid,” Shelton concluded.

Local heroes shine in doubles

Earlier in the day, Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner completed a dream run by winning the doubles title. The German qualifiers defeated the all-French duo Théo Arribagé and Albano Olivetti 6-4, 6-7(4), 12-10 in one hour and 44 minutes.

Both Bavarians played college tennis in the United States before turning professional. After six ATP Challenger Tour team titles, Schnaitter and Wallner secured their maiden ATP Tour crown, splitting €157,320 and earning 500 ranking points—projected to push them into the Top 40 for the first time.

“We started in qualifying and saw that as an advantage, as it gave us two extra matches in these conditions,” explained Wallner. “We stayed positive all week and tried to bring the energy from our family and friends onto the court.”

“It was a complicated match today, and we’re very happy to come off as winners. Tonight I’m heading to the Allianz Arena to support Bayern Munich and hopefully see them seal the title. After that, Jakob and I will celebrate at a restaurant.”

“It’s been a tough week with a lot of hard matches, so I’m pretty exhausted,” added Schnaitter. “I’ve been in touch with many people from my time in the U.S., including my former coaches. They’ve been checking in regularly.”

Strong crowds underline tournament success

The closing press conference of the BMW Open by Bitpanda painted a highly positive picture of this year’s edition, highlighting both sporting quality and continued growth off the court.

Tournament director Patrik Kühnen emphasized the strength of the player field, which delivered “dramatic, exciting and high-quality matches” throughout the week. Alongside established stars, several newcomers made their Munich debut, including Stefanos Tsitsipas and João Fonseca. Kühnen also pointed to rising talents such as Alexander Blockx, whom he expects to make an impact in the coming months. A key objective- engaging fans with world-class tennis – was clearly achieved, while the successful integration of the Allianz Para Trophy was praised as an important step toward greater inclusion.

From an organizational perspective, Christian Okon, managing director of the MMP Event, reported an official attendance of 70,000 spectators, with nearly all sessions sold out. The expansion of Center Court capacity and the upgrade of Court 1 into a fully-fledged second show court – with its own host, DJ, and vibrant atmosphere – added significant value for fans. Looking ahead, plans are underway for a Challenger tournament in Cologne in summer 2027, with the winner set to receive a wild card for the BMW Open by Bitpanda.

Fabian Tross, president of the license holder MTTC Iphitos, highlighted the successful transition to ATP 500 status, calling it a bold but ultimately correct decision that has elevated the tournament to a new level. “The strong engagement from club members – 300 to 400 attending daily – underlined local support,” said Tross. He also revealed long term infrastructure plans, with a new stadium scheduled for completion in 2028, further strengthening Munich’s position on the ATP Tour.

(by Florian Heer)

Ben Shelton picked up right where he left off in Munich, returning to the BMW Open by Bitpanda with confidence and momentum. After last year’s dramatic run to the biggest clay-court final of his career – highlighted by saving three match points in his opening match – the American began his 2026 campaign on Monday in hard-fought fashion, battling past compatriot Emilio Nava in three sets to launch his title bid as the No. 2 seed.

In a match between two close friends, Shelton could rely on his serve in difficult moments, firing 14 aces throughout the encounter. In the end, the world No. 6 won six points more than Nava to secure a 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-3 victory in two hours and six minutes.

“It’s tough. Not just a compatriot, but probably my best friend out on Tour, or one of a few,” Shelton said. “His trajectory has been steep lately, so I’m happy to see the way he has been climbing. I know he wasn’t feeling 100 per cent today, so I feel bad about that. I hope he gets back to 100 per cent quickly, because he’s playing great on the clay.”

Nava, who entered the main draw as a lucky loser after falling to Slovakian Alex Molcan in the final round of qualifying, and Shelton both often practice together in Florida but met for the first time in a professional match.

“He’s got a massive serve, similar to my first-round matchup last year, and it made things really difficult. He returned well down the stretch in the second set, broke me when it mattered, and he was clutch. So, to get through that, I’m really happy. Starting my run here in Munich, it’s a special place for me, and I’m just excited to keep going.”

Up next for the 23-year-old Atlanta native will be Belgian wild card entry Alexander Blockx, who defeated Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann 7-6(2), 6-2 in one hour and 28 minutes.

In other action, fifth seed Francisco Cerundolo eased past Indian lucky loser Sumit Nagal 6-2, 6-2 in one hour and 20 minutes. The 19th-ranked Argentine will play two-time Munich finalist Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands in the second round.

Arthur Rinderknech also opened his campaign in Bavaria with a comfortable win. The seventh-seeded Frenchman beat Alex Michelsen from the United States 6-3, 6-3 in one hour and 41 minutes, while Gabriel Diallo of Canada defeated Ukrainian qualifier Vitaliy Sachko 6-1, 6-2 in 76 minutes.

Earlier in the day, João Fonseca spoke to the media ahead of his debut appearance in Munich, sharing his excitement about competing at the BMW Open by Bitpanda for the first time.

“I am really happy to be here in Munich for the first time,” the Brazilian said. “Although it’s a little bit cold, I am feeling really great. I practiced today and yesterday, and I also feel good at the altitude here.”

Fonseca, who will take on Alejandro Tabilo of Chile in the first round, highlighted the importance of the conditions as part of his preparation for the upcoming clay-court swing. “I always wanted to come here. It is a great tournament and it’s at altitude, which is good preparation for next week’s Masters in Madrid.”

Looking ahead, the 19-year-old acknowledged the challenges of facing elite competition on the ATP Tour. “It’s always tough to play against the top-ranked players. I need to find solutions when I am not playing at my best to still win the match,” he explained. “I have been achieving good results. I am trying to learn balance and to be more consistent with the results. I am still learning and still need to understand more of the mental part of the game.”

Off the court, Fonseca also revealed his interest in football and his desire to experience the sporting culture in Munich when Bayern Munich hosts Real Madrid in the quarterfinal of the Champions League. “I have never met Vinicius Jr. I hope I can visit the game, and I will cheer for the Brazilians,” he added with a smile.

Alexander Zverev is back in Munich, where the German star is set to make his 12th consecutive appearance at the MTTC Iphitos. The three-time champion, who lifted the trophy in 2017, 2018 and again on his 28th birthday last year, is tied with Philipp Kohlschreiber for the most titles at the tournament in the Open Era.

Reflecting on his history at the event, Zverev looked back on his early days in Munich. “Winning tournaments is obviously great. I probably can’t remember every match I’ve played here, but I do remember my first one. I received my first wildcard here in 2014 and only won three games against Jürgen Melzer. I still remember that match well because I was in a big learning phase at the time and very nervous on court.”

Now one of the leading players on the ATP Tour, Zverev arrives in strong form. “I’m happy to be here. I have played a lot of tennis recently, which is very positive and means that I’ve been playing well,” the world No. 3 said.

In the opening round, Zverev will face Miomir Kecmanović, who defeated him earlier this season in Acapulco. The German is eager for a different outcome this time. “On that day, I didn’t play well, and I mentioned at the beginning of the year that matches like that would happen. After that, I found my rhythm again, and I’m looking forward to facing him here in Munich and doing better.”

BMW

Ben Shelton Claims Munich Crown as BMW Open by Bitpanda Delivers on All Fronts

Ben Shelton Survives Tough Test In BMW Open In Munich