The day of glory!

Navone is going back to his beloved clay; the wait is over for the Argentinian, who tried playing on a fast surface and didn’t look out of place at all!

Navone’s return to clay was supposed to happen in Rosario but he pulled out because of a virus. I don’t know much more than that, but with a few days off he should be close to 100%. He hasn’t won much off clay, but he’s always fought hard and in the end I think this experience will help him for the rest of his career. Now that we’re back on clay he’s going to be a top player on this surface again, just like Baez, Carabelli and the others. I rate him highly and he’s one of the potential dark horses here. Can’t wait to see his first round against Nava!

The American made the opposite choice to Navone: he spent a large part of 2025 playing on clay to get out of his comfort zone, and he has to be taken seriously on this surface now. He’s more patient, his kick serve is monstrous and he’s got a nice pop on his forehand. I also think he’s played particularly well at the start of this year and that he’s going to have a great season, that’s my take. I’m excited about this match, I can see the American being able to hold his own against the Argentine, but he might need one tournament to adjust because he’s coming from Hungary… He played a match that didn’t count, but at least he played on indoor clay again; it’s not the worst transition to make, even if obviously it’s still quite a tricky one.