Etcheverry Claims Rio Crown in Rain-Soaked Drama
Tomas Martin Etcheverry ends years of finals frustration with his first ATP title at the Rio Open, surging 18 spots in the rankings amid a week of title triumphs and upsets across the Tour.
In the sweltering humidity of Rio de Janeiro, where clay grips every slide and rally, Tomas Martin Etcheverry finally shed the weight of four lost finals. The 26-year-old Argentine outlasted Alejandro Tabilo in a gritty three-setter on a rain-drenched Sunday at the Rio Open presented by Claro, securing his maiden ATP Tour title and vaulting 18 places to No. 33. Heavy downpours had compressed the weekend into a double-header of endurance tests, but Etcheverry’s heavy topspin forehand dug deeper lines with each hour, turning frustration into a breakthrough that echoes through the South American swing.
Etcheverry rewrites his finals narrative
Etcheverry leaned into clay’s demands, mixing crosscourt rallies with inside-out forehands to disrupt Tabilo’s baseline power in the decider. His 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory wasn’t built on flair but on the quiet resolve of someone reclaiming his edge, marking his return to the Top 40 for the first time since last February. This win, at an ATP 500 event, adds 500 points that fuel his momentum heading into Europe’s red-dirt battles.
That same week, Carlos Alcaraz, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, and Sebastian Korda lifted trophies across three tournaments, a surge that highlights the Tour’s early-year intensity. Alcaraz’s dominance in Doha layered another chapter onto his rise, while Korda’s home-soil success quelled whispers of inconsistency. For Etcheverry, the Rio triumph feels like a pivotal exhale, easing the psychological pressure of near-misses.
Mensik topples Sinner in Doha’s heat
Across the desert in Doha, Jakub Mensik arrived with the raw power of a 20-year-old on the cusp, his flat groundstrokes slicing through the hard courts at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open. Climbing three spots to a career-high No. 13, the Czech’s semi-final run peaked with an upset over World No. 2 Jannik Sinner, where aggressive returns on second serves forced the Italian into early errors. Mensik’s down-the-line backhands pierced the court, his one-two serve-return combo keeping the pressure unrelenting in an ATP 500 draw that rewarded boldness.
The sting of that loss leaves Sinner adjusting his patterns, but for Mensik, the victory lightens the load of his swift ascent, blending tactical savvy with the confidence of youth. His straight-set wins en route built a rhythm that hard courts amplify, setting up potential deep runs as the surface shifts to clay. This Doha showing positions him as a threat in bigger fields, where his serve’s bite could unsettle more seeds.
Fils and Korda rebuild on hard courts
Arthur Fils, fresh off a back injury that kept him out through January, pushed to the Doha final, dropping just one set before Alcaraz halted his charge, earning a six-spot rise to No. 34. The Frenchman’s low-slice backhands disrupted topspin rhythms, followed by inside-in forehands that hugged the lines under the evening glare. His return to form, gaining points from a deep run since February, rebuilds belief for the clay transition.
Stateside, Sebastian Korda dismissed Tommy Paul in straight sets at the Delray Beach Open, clinching his third ATP title and surging 10 places to No. 40 on home hard courts. Korda’s all-court blend—slice backhands transitioning to net rushes—exploited the surface’s speed, his forehand volleys sealing points amid crowd roars. This 250-level win recalibrates his trajectory after lean months, strengthening his stance for North American swings.
Alejandro Tabilo, despite the Rio runner-up finish, rocketed 26 spots to No. 42, riding six wins in his last eight matches, including Buenos Aires quarters, with crosscourt rallies that stretched foes wide on clay. Steady climbers like Taylor Fritz (up one to No. 7), Casper Ruud (up one to No. 12), and Tommy Paul (up two to No. 22) advance incrementally, their experience steadying the early volatility. Career highs mark breakthroughs for Vit Kopriva (No. 65, +22), Ignacio Buse (No. 66, +25), Thiago Agustin Tirante (No. 76, +16), Alexander Blockx (No. 94, +10), and Luca Van Assche (No. 100, +30), each carving mental space amid the grind.
As February fades on February 23, 2026, these shifts carry veterans through expectations and youngsters toward belief, with Etcheverry’s catharsis leading the charge. Clay’s demands loom, promising tactical evolutions that could extend these surges into a volatile spring.
