2026 AAT Challenger Edición TCA: Preview, Prize Money & Entry List
The ATP Challenger Tour has returned to Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the AAT Challenger Edición TCA. Held on the red clay courts of the Tenis Club Argentino, this Challenger 50 event features a mix of experienced veterans and rising South American talent competing for crucial rankings points and a share of the prize purse.
Tournament Information
- Tournament: AAT Challenger Edición TCA
- Dates: January 12 – January 17, 2026
- Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Category: Challenger 50
- Surface: Red Clay
- Draw Size: 32 Singles / 16 Doubles
Prize Money and Points Distribution
The total prize money commitment for the tournament is $63,000. The champion will take home a check for $9,500 and earn 50 ATP ranking points, while the runner-up will receive $5,500 and 25 points.
| Round | Prize Money (USD) | ATP Points |
| Winner | $9,500 | 50 |
| Finalist | $5,500 | 25 |
| Semifinalist | $3,145 | 14 |
| Quarterfinalist | $1,800 | 8 |
| Round of 16 | $1,010 | 4 |
| Round of 32 | $630 | 0 |
Player Field and Seeds
The singles draw is headlined by local favorite Santiago Rodríguez Taverna (World No. 224) and fellow Argentine Lautaro Midón (World No. 232). The field relies heavily on South American clay-court specialists, with all eight seeded players hailing from Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, or Brazil.
Top 8 Seeds:
- Santiago Rodríguez Taverna (ARG) – Rank 224
- Lautaro Midón (ARG) – Rank 232
- Andrea Collarini (ARG) – Rank 242
- Murkel Dellien (BOL) – Rank 247
- Juan Pablo Varillas (PER) – Rank 253
- Nicolás Kicker (ARG) – Rank 257
- Pedro Boscardin Dias (BRA) – Rank 273
- Matheus Pucinelli De Almeida (BRA) – Rank 298
Wildcards and Qualifiers
The tournament organizers have granted Wildcards (WC) to three Argentine players to compete in the main draw:
- Alexis Gurmendi
- Máximo Zeitune
- Dante Pagani
Additionally, six players navigated the qualifying draw to earn their spots, including Uruguay’s Joaquín Aguilar Cardozo and Romania’s Stefan Palosi.
Notable First-Round Results
Early action in the Round of 32 has already seen some intense battles:
- Juan Manuel La Serna defeated Juan Bautista Torres in three sets: 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.
- Fifth seed Juan Pablo Varillas advanced past Gonzalo Villanueva with a 6-4, 6-3 victory.
- Pedro Sakamoto moved into the Round of 16 after veteran Renzo Olivo was forced to retire due to a low back injury while trailing 6-4, 1-0.
- Eighth seed Matheus Pucinelli De Almeida won a tight contest against Mateus Alves (Alt), 7-6, 7-5.
The tournament continues throughout the week, concluding with the final on Saturday, January 17.
