The Golden Swing is currently underway. It’s been a fixture on the ATP calendar that defined South American tennis for years. The name refers to the cluster of February clay-court events: the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires, the Rio Open in Rio de Janeiro, and the Chile Open in Santiago.
Over time, the swing has expanded and contracted. The Cordoba Open disappeared in 2024. The Ecuador Open ended in 2018. The Mexican Open shifted to hard courts over a decade ago. The Brazil Open, last held in Sao Paulo, hasn’t run since 2019.
These tournaments are clay-court events by design, and they’ve drawn impressive names over the years. Carlos Alcaraz has played the swing multiple times, as did Rafael Nadal in his prime.
There’s a compelling reason for that appeal, and it’s not the clay itself, though that certainly helps. It’s not the prize money either, since bigger purses exist elsewhere. The draw is simpler and more powerful: the fans.
The Unmatched Passion of South American Tennis Fans
South American crowds bring unmatched energy and passion to every match, especially when a local player takes the court. Players love it because the atmosphere elevates the entire experience. Few crowds anywhere roar louder than Argentinians in Buenos Aires or Brazilians in Rio. For tennis as a global sport, these events matter enormously.
South America produces plenty of players but hosts relatively few events. There’s no obvious reason why the region shouldn’t have a Masters tournament; a clay-court Masters, naturally. The tour currently features only three clay Masters events. A fourth would balance the calendar and reward a region that’s given the sport so much.
Unfortunately, that’s not happening. The ATP will add another Masters to the calendar, but it’s going to the Middle East instead. According to multiple reports, a new outdoor hard-court Masters will launch in 2028 in Riyadh.
The timing, reportedly in February, poses an existential threat to the Golden Swing. It will siphon away most of the top players and gut viewership for those who aren’t watching live. That’s a tragedy for many reasons, but mostly because these are simply fantastic tournaments.
Sure, Brazilian and Argentinian stars will make patriotic returns to play at home. But the rumored prize money for the Riyadh Masters will be difficult to refuse, especially for players who depend on every dollar to sustain their careers. A player ranked 50th can’t skip guaranteed money the way someone in the top 10 can.
We won’t wade into the politics of it all, but it’s worth stating plainly: the ATP has criminally undervalued the Golden Swing. For many tennis fans, these events rank among the calendar’s highlights. For players who spend most of their lives on the road, returning home to compete in front of their own fans means something special and now they might be forced to choose otherwise.
What Happens Next?
In our opinion the Golden Swing will survive. In what form and with what level of importance remains unclear. It’s not an ideal situation for the tournaments, but we won’t understand the full impact until 2028 arrives and we see how things unfold.
Maybe the players who do show up will be enough to sustain the events. The crowds will certainly appear in force as they pack challenger events too. There will never be a shortage of South Americans willing to compete at home every year either.
Perhaps that will be sufficient. Perhaps, ultimately, that’s what tennis is really about.
Main Photo Credit: Felipe Zanca/Photosport
