Francisco Cerundolo finally captured the elusive home title he had long craved, defeating Luciano Darderi 6-4, 6-2 to win the Argentina Open on Sunday and banish the memories of two previous final defeats in Buenos Aires.

The top seed and hometown favourite required just 97 minutes to see off second seed Darderi at the clay-court ATP 250 event, sealing his fourth career title and first on Argentine soil in front of an adoring crowd of family, friends and supporters.

“Probably the best moment of my career so far,” Cerúndolo said after lifting the trophy. “I really wanted to win here in my hometown, in my country, with my friends and family and all the people here in Argentina. This feeling is amazing.”

The 27-year-old had previously fallen short in the 2021 and 2023 finals but produced a composed and clinical display to ensure there would be no repeat heartbreak this time. He did not drop a set all week and showed resilience under pressure in the championship match, saving six of the seven break points he faced — including all five in a tightly contested opening set.

Once he edged ahead, Cerúndolo’s confidence grew. He dictated from the baseline, moved Darderi around the court with heavy groundstrokes and capitalised on key moments to close out the match in straight sets.

His triumph makes him the seventh Argentine man to win the tournament since its inception in 2001 and marks a career-defining milestone for the world number 19.

“I really fought throughout these past years and tried to win. I couldn’t do it, and today I played one of the best matches probably of my career,” he added, reflecting on a long-awaited breakthrough on home clay.