Ignacio Buse capped off his dream week at Rothenbaum and emerged as the beaming champion of the 2026 Bitpanda Hamburg Open. The 22-year-old Peruvian prevailed in a high-quality final, defeating world No. 26 Tommy Paul of the United States 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-3. After 3 hours and 3 minutes, Buse converted his first match point at 5:45 p.m. and sank to the red clay of the sold-out Center Court, overcome with emotion.
For the Peruvian, the triumph in Hamburg marks the greatest success of his career to date. With his title at the Bitpanda Hamburg Open, Buse not only celebrates his first-ever ATP tournament victory but also writes a special chapter in the current season: He is the first player of the 2026 calendar year to secure the title on the ATP Tour as a qualifier.
From the very first rally, the final delivered exactly what the fans at Rothenbaum had hoped for. Both players engaged in intense baseline duels, whipping their forehands over the net at tremendous speed and facing off tactically at the highest level. Four consecutive breaks underscored the intensity and tactical intelligence of both finalists. The tiebreak was the logical conclusion to a high-class first set in which both Buse and Paul repeatedly found the right answers. Amid the roaring cheers of the spectators, the Peruvian ultimately won the set narrowly 7-6 (6) and cemented his status as the crowd favorite at Rothenbaum.
Paul had already proven time and again on his way to the final that he never gives up and is incredibly resilient. At the start of the second set, Buse seemed to lose some energy under the blazing Hamburg sun. The Peruvian briefly lost the precision he’d shown in previous days and quickly fell behind 0–4. But Buse impressively demonstrated why he had thrilled the fans in Hamburg. Loudly supported by the crowd, he fought his way back, narrowed the gap to 3-4, and made the set exciting once again. In the end, Paul still took the set 6-4—but Buse had regained the momentum.
In the decisive third set, Center Court finally turned into a cauldron. “Peru, Peru” chants echoed through the stands as Buse held his serve with nerves of steel and then converted his fifth break point to take a 2-0 lead. Driven by the crowd, the 22-year-old continued to play courageously, withstood the pressure, and ultimately closed out the set with confidence. Even a break at 5-2 didn’t rattle Buse.
“This is very emotional for me and my family, who have invested so much in this moment. I can hardly describe it. This victory is for them. This is the happiest moment of my life; it’s hard for me to put it into words. I’m very proud, also for Peru,” said Buse, fighting back tears of joy.
The last qualifier to lift the trophy at Rothenbaum was Nikoloz Basilashvili in 2018.
In the doubles final, the German duo Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz celebrated their third title at Rothenbaum, defeating the French pair Doumbia and Reboul 6-3, 4-6, 10-8. Next year, the Bitpanda Hamburg Open will take place from May 15 to 22—ticket sales are already underway.
