September 2026, the month of great tennis in Genoa: two tournaments in Albaro, two weeks, a single neighborhood. Where to sleep.

There's something we discover every year in early September, when the sound of balls bouncing off clay reaches all the way into Arena Albaro Village: great international tennis returns to Genoa. In September 2026, tennis in Genoa doesn't stop after a week: it continues for another, always in the same neighborhood.

Tennis Week One in Genoa: The Aon Open Challenger, September 7-13, 2026

It's called the Aon Open Challenger - Memorial Giorgio Messina, and it's now in its 22nd edition. It is played on the clay courts of Valletta Cambiaso, Beppe Croce Stadium, in the heart of Albaro.

The tournament was born in 2003, and was named in 2014 as the best Challenger in the world, and again in 2018 and 2019 as the best Italian Challenger. Among the names who have played here over the years are Fabio Fognini (winner in 2008 and 2010, before becoming one of the most famous Italian tennis players in the world), Lorenzo Sonego, Marco Cecchinato, and Poland's Jerzy Janowicz, who played here as an outsider before reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon a few years later. It's the beauty of Challenger tournaments: you can see up close the athletes who could one day compete in a Grand Slam.

The tournament bears the name of Giorgio Messina, historic president of the Genoa Tennis Club and the Ligurian Committee of the Italian Tennis Federation.

Week Two: De Wave Open Challenger Debut, September 21-27

Soon after, from September 21 to 27, Albaro hosts the De Wave Open Challenger for the first time, at the Park Tennis Club at Via Zara 18 - a brand new, never-before-played tournament with a prize pool of $107,000 and approximately 10,000 spectators expected in person.

Behind the project are former professional Gianluca Naso (now National Coach) and Federico Bini, with the presidency of Alberto Clavarino and the support of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation. The main sponsor is De Wave Group, a Genoese company specializing in cruise ship and yacht fittings - another piece of Genoa that works around the world, this time lending its name to a tournament born in the city.

Being a first edition, everything is still to be built - including the hospitality fabric of the city, which in the coming years will learn about this new event as it already knows the Aon Open Challenger.

The tennis courts of Genoa where our guests can also play.

What we love to share, because we experience it every day, is that in Arena Albaro Village you don't just watch tennis from the outside: you play it. The Campanella Tennis-Calcetto complex, right next to Arena Albaro House, manages two clay courts and two multipurpose synthetic grass courts, open to the public every day (weekdays 7:00-23:00, weekends 8:00-23:00), with a tennis school for all levels and ages.

Just steps away, the Tennis Lido di Albaro adds four more clay courts, managed by the ASD Genoa Tennis School, active since 1997.

It means a simple thing: those staying with us during these two weeks can have breakfast, hit the court for an hour of play, and then go see the professionals, all on foot, in the same neighborhood.

Where to sleep to experience two weeks of tennis

We recommend Arena Albaro House, for up to 6 people, for those who want to experience this September up close: it is inside the same complex as Arena Albaro Village, a few minutes walk from the courts where you can play, Valletta Cambiaso, and the Park Tennis Club - three locations, a single base.

After a match, you feel the difference: private parking is included for those arriving with a tennis bag in their car, 24-hour security for those returning late after an evening of matches, and free and unlimited access to the Empire gym for those who want to continue training even on days without a tournament.

For the full schedule and tickets, check the official Aon Open Challenger website and the De Wave Open Challenger channels.

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FAQ

• When will international tennis be played in Genoa in 2026?

  In two weeks in September: the Aon Open Challenger from September 7th to 13th in Valletta Cambiaso, and the new De Wave Open Challenger from September 21st to 27th at the Park Tennis Club on Via Zara.

• What is the De Wave Open Challenger?

It is an ATP Challenger Tour tournament in its first edition, with a prize pool of $107,000, organized by Gianluca Naso and Federico Bini with the support of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation.

• Where can you play tennis near Arena House Albaro?

In Arena Albaro Village, the Campanella Tennis-Calcetto complex offers two clay courts and two synthetic grass courts, open to the public every day. Not far away, the Tennis Lido di Albaro adds four more clay courts.

• Are the venues of the two tournaments close to each other?

Yes, Valletta Cambiaso and the Park Tennis Club are both located in the Albaro neighborhood, like Arena Albaro Village.