(by Florian Heer)
Shelton Claims Munich Crown as BMW Open by Bitpanda Delivers on All Fronts
American lifts biggest clay title of his career while Schnaitter/Wallner delight home fans and tournament organizers celebrate strong attendance and growth.
Ben Shelton captured the title of the 2026 BMW Open by Bitpanda, defeating fourth-seeded Italian Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 7-5 in Sunday’s singles final.
In front of packed stands on Center Court at the MTTC Iphitos, Shelton set the tone early, racing to a 4-0 lead in the opening set. Cobolli improved as the match progressed, but the world No. 6 remained rock solid on serve, saving all six break points he faced and converting three of his nine opportunities to seal victory in one hour and 30 minutes.
“I came out at a really high level,” said Shelton, who earned his fifth career title and third at ATP 500 level following Tokyo in 2023 and Dallas earlier this year.
“I have done that before against him, but the toughest thing is maintaining it, as he raises his level. I was able to do that in the second set, hanging in there when he played some great tennis, and I came through to win it in straight sets.
“I am happy with my performance this week. I got better and better as the week went on, and I am pleased with the work my team put in here.”
Shelton received a prize cheque of €478,935, as well as a brand-new BMW iX3 and traditional Bavarian Lederhosen. He also collected 500 ATP Ranking points.
“The car is great. It might be difficult to get it back to Florida, where I live,” Shelton said with a smile.
The Atlanta native has now claimed the biggest clay-court title by an American man since Andre Agassi won the ATP Masters 1000 in Rome in 2002 – the year Shelton was born.
“It’s huge. I have big ambitions on clay – a surface I want to keep improving on each year. It has become one of my favourite surfaces to play on.
“It’s a short season and some of the Americans choose not to play every event. But we had two guys in the quarterfinals of the French Open last year. Success on clay is coming back. I am looking forward to being part of this progression of U.S. men’s tennis on clay. On the women’s side, they have a lockdown as they won the French last year. We as the men have some more to do but we are heading into the right direction. This is just one step in a long swing and let’s see what happens.”
And how will he celebrate? “We’ll go to a restaurant we visited a couple of times this week and enjoy the moment before flying to Madrid,” Shelton concluded.
Local heroes shine in doubles
Earlier in the day, Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner completed a dream run by winning the doubles title. The German qualifiers defeated the all-French duo Théo Arribagé and Albano Olivetti 6-4, 6-7(4), 12-10 in one hour and 44 minutes.
Both Bavarians played college tennis in the United States before turning professional. After six ATP Challenger Tour team titles, Schnaitter and Wallner secured their maiden ATP Tour crown, splitting €157,320 and earning 500 ranking points—projected to push them into the Top 40 for the first time.
“We started in qualifying and saw that as an advantage, as it gave us two extra matches in these conditions,” explained Wallner. “We stayed positive all week and tried to bring the energy from our family and friends onto the court.”
“It was a complicated match today, and we’re very happy to come off as winners. Tonight I’m heading to the Allianz Arena to support Bayern Munich and hopefully see them seal the title. After that, Jakob and I will celebrate at a restaurant.”
“It’s been a tough week with a lot of hard matches, so I’m pretty exhausted,” added Schnaitter. “I’ve been in touch with many people from my time in the U.S., including my former coaches. They’ve been checking in regularly.”
Strong crowds underline tournament success
The closing press conference of the BMW Open by Bitpanda painted a highly positive picture of this year’s edition, highlighting both sporting quality and continued growth off the court.
Tournament director Patrik Kühnen emphasized the strength of the player field, which delivered “dramatic, exciting and high-quality matches” throughout the week. Alongside established stars, several newcomers made their Munich debut, including Stefanos Tsitsipas and João Fonseca. Kühnen also pointed to rising talents such as Alexander Blockx, whom he expects to make an impact in the coming months. A key objective- engaging fans with world-class tennis – was clearly achieved, while the successful integration of the Allianz Para Trophy was praised as an important step toward greater inclusion.
From an organizational perspective, Christian Okon, managing director of the MMP Event, reported an official attendance of 70,000 spectators, with nearly all sessions sold out. The expansion of Center Court capacity and the upgrade of Court 1 into a fully-fledged second show court – with its own host, DJ, and vibrant atmosphere – added significant value for fans. Looking ahead, plans are underway for a Challenger tournament in Cologne in summer 2027, with the winner set to receive a wild card for the BMW Open by Bitpanda.
Fabian Tross, president of the license holder MTTC Iphitos, highlighted the successful transition to ATP 500 status, calling it a bold but ultimately correct decision that has elevated the tournament to a new level. “The strong engagement from club members – 300 to 400 attending daily – underlined local support,” said Tross. He also revealed long term infrastructure plans, with a new stadium scheduled for completion in 2028, further strengthening Munich’s position on the ATP Tour.
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