Munich. He really wanted it - and he did it! After losing to Alexander Zverev in the final of the BMW Open by Bitpanda last year, Ben Shelton managed to win the tournament in Munich today - and how!
Concentrated and focussed from the start, the American took the first set 6:2 after two breaks. Flavio Cobolli, who had played so well against Zverev yesterday, found it difficult to get into the match. It was only in the second set that things went better for the Italian: he was able to keep the match more open until 5:5, when a disastrous double fault led to a crucial break for Ben Shelton. The rest was just a formality for the sixth-ranked player in the world. After exactly 1:30 hours, Ben Shelton converted his first match point and clinched victory in his second appearance in Munich (6:2; 7:5). This makes him the first American since Andre Agassi in 2002, the year he was born, to win a major title on clay. "The BMW Open is a great tournament, it's an honour to play here. I hope I can play in Munich for many years to come. I love the energy that comes from the crowd during my matches and the Kids Day in Munich is one of my favourite days on the whole tour. Thank you to everyone who came to the BMW Open by Bitpanda," said the newly crowned winner.
Of course, the winner not only received prize money and a trophy, but also - traditionally - lederhosen from Inntaler Trachten and the winning car, an all-electric BMW iX3 50 xDrive.
The German doubles pairing of Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner experienced a real fairytale. The two Bavarians made it into the main draw via the qualifying rounds and surprisingly won the title at the BMW Open by Bitpanda today - their first ever major title on the ATP Tour. They won the first set against the French pairing Arribagee/Olivetti 6:4, but had to concede the second in a tie-break. After that, there was no stopping them in the match tie-break. The fans cheered them on loudly, Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner kept their nerve and were able to convert their second match point after 1:44 hours (6:4; 6:7 (4); 12:10). And afterwards they really celebrated: "You can't believe it yet, it's just crazy," said Jakob Schnaitter. "It's a dream come true," added Mark Wallner, "an incredible story.
Even before the finals began, the organisers and partners were delighted with the BMW Open by Bitpanda 2026. Tim Beltermann, Head of BMW Germany: "We had hoped to see a lot of passion and enjoyment this week, and that worked out 100 per cent. We have had a very long partnership with the BMW Open, for 39 years, and it's great what we have achieved together." The "anecdote" that Tim Beltermann added was also great and surprising for many: "Our all-electric fleet travelled 65,000 kilometres to drive players and guests around the city during the tournament". The Future Aces initiative is also very important for the "BMW Open family". Every ace hit during the tournament is converted into a coaching lesson for young people from Munich's disadvantaged schools - 300 were raised.
70,000 spectators came to the MTTC Iphitos course during the BMW Open by Bitpanda, "we had many sold-out days and the fans felt very comfortable with us," said Christian Okon, organiser MMP Event. "We have also changed a few things this year. For example, we have further upgraded court one with a presenter, DJ and cameras. This has created a fully-fledged second centre court, which was great fun for everyone." And where world-class tennis could be seen.
Tournament Director Patrik Kühnen had put together a very attractive field of participants, the strongest in the tournament's history: "It was a nice mix of familiar and new faces, such as Stefanos Tsitsipas, Joao Fonseca and the young Belgian Alexander Blockx. We saw a lot of matches that really had character. Kühnen also emphasised how perfectly the Allianz Para Trophy has been integrated into the tournament: "The competitions have really grown into the tournament. And with Gustavo Fernandez and Sam Schroder, we had two worthy winners in the Open and Quad Divisions respectively".
Fabian Tross, MTTC Iphitos board member, gave an outlook for the future: "It was a big and courageous step to go to an ATP 500 event, which also means restrictions for our club members. But the tournament is now at a completely different level, which is enjoyed and accepted by everyone. The new stadium is eagerly awaited. Construction will start in September and we expect it to take a year and a half. We will then be able to use the stadium for the first time in 2028."
