Top seed Radu Mihai Papoe won the 2026 edition of the ITF World Tennis Tour Dedeman & Simba Trophy in dominant fashion, defeating wildcard Dragoș Nicolae Cazacu 6-0, 6-0 in Sunday’s singles final to capture the title at the $30,000-plus-hospitality tournament in Bacău.
The 25th edition of the tournament marked a historic milestone, with all eight singles quarter-finalists representing Romania. Among them was promising junior Yannick Theodor Alexandrescu, who competes for France but is of Romanian origin.
Papoe, ranked No. 358 in the ATP rankings before the tournament, advanced through the draw by defeating Ștefan Adrian Andreescu in the quarter-finals and Robert Guna in the semi-finals before producing a flawless performance in the championship match. The victory earned him a winner’s prize of $4,612.
Tournament organizers described the 2026 edition as the most successful in the event’s history.
„The tournament was created with two main objectives: to increase Bacău’s international visibility and to help Romanian tennis players earn ranking points close to home under favorable financial conditions,” said Cristi Lungu, representative of Simba Invest, which co-finances the event together with Dedeman.
The tournament attracted players from across the world while also showcasing the depth of Romanian men’s tennis. Sunday’s singles final was played before a packed crowd at the SCM Bacău Tennis Complex.
In the doubles competition, Ukraine’s Oleksandr Ovcharenko and Italy’s Riccardo Perin claimed the title after defeating North American pair Kaneer Kapasi and Petro Kuzmenok 6-3, 2-6, 10-5 in the final. Ovcharenko and Perin had previously eliminated Romanian duo Ștefan Adrian Andreescu and Gheorghe Claudiu Schinteie in the semi-finals.
Tournament director Mihai Ciuntea said the event once again delivered high-quality tennis and received positive feedback from players, spectators and sponsors.
With its record Romanian representation in the singles draw and strong public attendance, organizers consider the 25th edition of the Dedeman & Simba Trophy the most successful in the tournament’s history, setting high expectations for the 2027 edition.
