Over the weekend at the Cincinnati Open, former world number 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic was defeated by someone ranked No. 50. This weekend, that player is headed to Winston-Salem.
Argentinian standout Thiago Tirante’s recent successes on tour are not entirely out of the blue. In 2019, he was the world’s top junior, and last week he ousted American star Taylor Fritz in Montreal — his third top-ten win on the professional ATP tour.
But after holding off Djokovic on Saturday, Tirante is suddenly a household name, and he’ll be competing next week in the Winston-Salem Open. Tournament director Jeff Ryan says this year fans will once again be treated to an excellent field.
"You know the excitement level when he pulls off something like he did in Cincinnati just goes through the roof where he’s got like a big win over a legend," says Ryan. "And then you can talk about him actually coming and being part of our field. That for a tournament director is a big high."
Ryan says he’ll be announcing wild card entries sometime mid-week. The qualifying rounds begin Saturday, and the 2026 Winston-Salem Open runs through the 29th at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex.