Kudinova and Semenova crushed the women’s final 6/0, 6/1; Spoto and Gianotti clinched their fourth Balneário Camboriú title in a super tie-break thriller.
The ITF World Tour BT400 Balneário Camboriú 2026, presented by Nubank through Brazil’s Sport Incentive Law, wrapped up on Sunday (March 29) with a historic women’s champion and an iconic four-peat in the men’s draw. Over six days of free-access competition, 75,000 spectators packed the beachside arena set up on the Barra Norte of Praia Central — one of the largest temporary beach tennis venues ever built.
Russians dominate the women’s final
On Sunday morning, Russians Elizaveta Kudinova and Anastasiia Semenova lifted the Balneário Camboriú trophy for the first time. They steamrolled Italian pair Flaminia Daina and Sofia Cimatti 6/0 and 6/1 in just over an hour. The duo has been the dominant force in women’s beach tennis in 2026, having already claimed the BT400 title in Cuiabá earlier this season.
“We expected a tough fight in every match. But we prepared very well for this tournament. We played every game calm and focused — and we finished incredibly happy with this important title.” — Elizaveta Kudinova, speaking to Programa PlayBT on YouTube
Spoto and Gianotti: four-time champions
The men’s final was a rollercoaster. World No. 1 Mattia Spoto (Italy) and Nicolas Gianotti (France) were pushed to the limit by Gabriele Gini (Italy) and Brazilian Felipe Loch. The challengers took the first set 7/5. The favorites leveled with a 7/6 tie-break win in the second. In the super tie-break decider, Spoto and Gianotti held their nerve to win 10/7, securing their remarkable fourth title in Balneário Camboriú.
“It’s great to win a tournament, and even better here in Balneário Camboriú — we love this city and its crowd. We didn’t always play our best, but I love this kind of victory, where you have to dig deep. The word was resilience.” — Mattia Spoto, speaking to Programa PlayBT on YouTube
Inclusion and amateur tennis
Beyond the professional competition, the event had a strong social dimension. An exhibition match featuring para-athletes Marcus Vinicius Jaszczerski (Curitiba) and Diogo de Almeida (Balneário Camboriú), paired with professional players, underlined the tournament’s and Nubank’s commitment to inclusive sport. Simultaneously, the Balneário Camboriú Open de Beach Tennis 2026, drawing over 1,000 amateur players from across Brazil, also concluded on Sunday, with more than 10,000 visitors per day in the amateur play area.
The closing night featured a live concert by Brazilian band Papas da Língua, free of charge. All six days of the event were open to the public at no cost — the only ticketed area was the central court grandstand for the professional finals, which sold out days before the tournament began.
Event Info
- Event: ITF World Tour BT400 Balneário Camboriú 2026
- Dates: March 24–29, 2026
- Venue: Barra Norte, Praia Central, Balneário Camboriú, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- Prize money: USD 45,000
- Women’s champions: Elizaveta Kudinova and Anastasiia Semenova (Russia)
- Men’s champions: Mattia Spoto (Italy) and Nicolas Gianotti (France)
- Live stream: Programa PlayBT on YouTube
- Title sponsor: Nubank (via Brazil’s Sport Incentive Law)
- Organization: Grupo Corre Brasil / AACESC
- Sanctioned by: ITF, CBT and FCT
