A series of tennis stars unexpectedly flock to the 'grass' tournament.

Two ATP Challenger Tour events in France and Italy will have the honor of welcoming a lineup of world-class tennis talents this week.

In the context where many stars are competing at Mutua Madrid Open 2026, the two ATP Challenger (lower-tier compared to ATP Tour) events running concurrently in Aix-en-Provence (France) and Cagliari (Italy) continue to attract attention with the participation of numerous top names in men's tennis.

At the Open Aix Provence, the spotlight is on former Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka. The Swiss player, currently playing his final season at age 41, finds himself in a highly competitive draw featuring many ATP top 50 players. The reigning runner-up will face seed No. 8 Sebastian Ofner right in the first round—a challenging matchup for "Stan The Man".

Additionally, the appearance of Grigor Dimitrov further enhances the appeal of the event in France. The Bulgarian player is in the same section as top seed Alex Michelsen—who has a first-round bye and could potentially face the "Little Federer" right from his opening match. Furthermore, the tournament also features Alejandro Tabilo and Zizou Bergs.

Simultaneously, the Sardegna Open in Cagliari also gathers several notable figures. Defending champion Mariano Navone leads the seed list and could meet home player Matteo Berrettini in the first round, if Berrettini advances through qualifying. The "Serve Machine" Hubert Hurkacz is also present in this section, creating intense competition.

The tournament in Italy also includes seeded players such as Adrian Mannarino, Nuno Borges, Roman Andres Burruchaga, Lorenzo Sonego, Juan Manuel Cerundolo, Marcos Giron, and young star Federico Cina.

Held concurrently with the Madrid Open, the Challenger events in Aix-en-Provence and Cagliari often serve as stops for players who were eliminated early or wish to accumulate more points and match experience. With a lineup of quality stars, both tournaments promise to deliver exciting matches this week.