Ilie Nastase Shines at Bucharest’s ATP No. 1 Club Draw Ceremony
Main draw action for the ATP 250 event set to kick off Tuesday after rain disrupted qualifying rounds.
March 30, 2026
Tiriac Open presented by UniCredit Bank
A Moment to Remember: Nastase, Tiriac, Bautista Agut, and Shevchenko Gather in Bucharest.
By ATP Staff
Historical tennis icons graced the Tiriac Open presented by UniCredit Bank as they marked the beginning of the 2026 ATP 250 event.
Ilie Nastase, the first-ever ATP No. 1, was in attendance for the draw ceremony at this clay-court showdown. The legendary player shared the spotlight with tournament director Ion Tiriac, a former World No. 55 and five-time tour champion, along with 2026 competitors Roberto Bautista Agut and Alexander Shevchenko.
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Nastase, a titan in Romanian sports history, achieved the No. 1 ranking when the PIF ATP Rankings debuted on August 23, 1973, maintaining that position for an impressive 40 weeks. His career boasts 64 tour-level titles, including two Grand Slams—1972 US Open and 1973 French Open. Remarkably, he was also the inaugural ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF and won four Nitto ATP Finals titles.
Alongside Tiriac, Nastase was a formidable doubles player, claiming 11 tour-level titles between 1970 and 1977. Together, they were instrumental in leading Romania to Davis Cup finals in 1969, 1971, and 1972.
As the 2026 tournament begins, Bucharest experiences a rainy start, postponing all qualifying matches originally scheduled for Sunday to Monday. Consequently, main draw action will not commence until Tuesday, featuring fifth seed and 2025 finalist Sebastian Baez in action.
Baez will face Vilius Gaubas in their first-ever Lexus ATP Head2Head encounter. Meanwhile, fellow Argentine and seventh seed, Mariano Navone, will open the Central Court schedule against Christopher O’Connell, and former Top 10 star Bautista Agut will compete on Court 2 against Titouan Droguet.
