For the second time, Marco Trungelliti enjoyed another successful fortnight in Kigali after winning the ATP Challenger 100 Kigali title on Sunday.
The Argentine came from a set down to defeat former world No.16 Marco Cecchinato 4–6, 6–0, 6–3 in the final played before a packed crowd at the IPRC Kigali Ecology Tennis Club.
ALSO READ: Trungelliti beats Cecchinato to win second Challenger title in Kigali
The 36-year-old received the trophy from President Paul Kagame, who attended the final alongside First Lady Jeannette Kagame among other guests who joined the tennis fraternity for the thrilling final.
With the victory, Trungelliti pocketed $26,130 (over Rwf38 million) in prize money and earned 100 ATP ranking points, which he hopes will help him break into the main draw of upcoming Grand Slam tournaments, particularly the French Open and Wimbledon Championships—a milestone he has yet to achieve in his career.
"Now I’m going to be very close to my best ranking, which is important going forward for tournaments like the French Open and Wimbledon Championships, trying to get into the main draw for the first time,” he said.
The French Open is scheduled from May 18 to June 17, while Wimbledon will take place from June 29 to July 12.
Trungelliti and Rwandan coffee
Trungelliti was celebrating his second Challenger title in Kigali, having also won the inaugural ATP Challenger 50 Kigali 2024 in the Rwandan capital.
He praised both the playing conditions and the organisation of the event, saying the environment helped him perform at his best.
"I liked the conditions here. It may sound crazy, but I like places where I can drink good coffee. Rwanda’s coffee makes me feel good, and it also affects my performance on the court,” he said.
The Argentine added that he usually drinks coffee before matches and after lunch, which helps him stay relaxed and focused during competition.
Despite his success in Kigali, he admitted he had little time to explore the country due to his tight match and training schedule, but expressed hope to return and experience more of Rwanda in the future.
Cecchinato also praised the tournament, revealing that he chose to compete in Kigali rather than travel to the United States for the Indian Wells Open.
"Honestly, I would usually prefer to play Indian Wells or Miami, but these weeks here on clay in Rwanda have been very good. The organisation has been perfect,” Cecchinato said.
More than 40 players took part in the ATP Challenger 75 and 100 tournaments held in Kigali, representing countries including Argentina, Austria, Burundi, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, England, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, the Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia and the United States.
Ranked No.132 in the world, Trungelliti was the highest-ranked player in the Kigali draw, followed by Arthur Gea (No.161), while finalist Cecchinato is ranked world No 224.