The games in the main draws of the Rio Open, the biggest tennis competition in South America, start this Monday (16). The event began last Saturday (14) with the qualifying competitions, a preliminary phase that brings together athletes with lower positions in the rankings. ranking of the Association of Professional Tennis Players (ATP).
Held since 2014, the Rio Open takes place at the Jockey Club Brasileiro, in Gávea, south of Rio de Janeiro. It is a level 500 tournament, the third in importance on the ATP circuit, behind only the level 1000 competitions and the Grand Slams, which are the four biggest events in world tennis (Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open).
The main name in Brazilian tennis today and number 33 in the world in singles, João Fonseca opens the green and yellow participation in the Rio Open at 4:30 pm (Brasília time)at Quadra Guga Kuerten, but in the doubles bracket. The 19-year-old from Rio will have as his partner the experienced Marcelo Melo, 42, from Minas Gerais, who has two Grand Slam titles under his belt. They face Bosnian Damir Dzumhur and Frenchman Alexandre Müller.
Despite not having a score as a doubles player, João received a wild card – an invitation given to tennis players who do not have a ranking to enter directly into the main draw – from the organization. Marcelo, on the contrary, built his career playing in partnerships, occupying 55th place in the ATP, having been number one in the world in 2015. Dzumhur and Müller, like the Rio native, are used to singles disputes and have low places in the doubles list. Bosnian is only 588th and French is 445th.
The next duel at Guga Kuerten, which doesn’t start until 7pm, also involves a Brazilian, but in the singles bracket. Gustavo Heide from São Paulo, number 257 in the world and another recipient of a wild card from the organization, will face off against Czech Vit Kopriva (95th).
Finally, in the last clash of the night on the court, João Lucas Reis (207th) faces German veteran Yannick Hanfmann (90th). The Pernambuco native also competes in the main draw of the Rio Open as a guest.
There is also a fourth clash involving Brazilians this Monday. In the third game of Court 1 of the Jockey Club, Igor Marcondes (350th) faces the Peruvian Ignácio Buse (96th).
The São Paulo native had to overcome qualifying to reach, for the first time, an ATP 500 main draw in his career, at the age of 28. The place came last Sunday (15th), after defeating the Portuguese Jaime Faria (148th) by 2 sets to 0, partials of 6/1 and 7/6 (7-5).
Mass Brazilianity
In total, Brazil will have six representatives in the singles tournament, a record. Two of them will even face each other in the first round, in a confrontation that is yet to be scheduled. On one side, João Fonseca. On the other, Thiago Monteiro.
The 31-year-old from Ceará and number 209 in the world (but who was once 61st) qualified through qualifying. On Sunday, he beat Serbian Dusan Lajovic (123rd) by 2 sets to 1, with splits of 2/6, 6/3 and 6/3.
Another who faces a qualifying rival, but a foreigner, is Guto Miguel, 16 years old and third in the world among youth. Currently in 1586th position in the adult rankings, the Goiás native, who received one of the organization’s wild cards, is in the main draw of an ATP 500 for the first time and will face Lithuanian Vilius Gaubas (127th). The match has yet to be scheduled.
In doubles, in addition to João Fonseca and Marcelo Melo, Brazil will have three more partnerships. One of them is 100% from Rio Grande do Sul, between Orlando Luz, number 54 in the world, and Rafael Matos (34th). On Sunday, they won the ATP 250 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, by beating the hosts Nicolás Kicker and Andrea Collarini by 2 sets to 0, partials of 7/5 and 6/3. At the Rio Open, Orlandinho and Rafa debut against Argentine Guido Andreozzi (31st) and Frenchman Manuel Guinard (25th), in a game to be scheduled by the organization.
Another gaucho, Marcelo Demoliner (82nd), competes in the competition alongside Fernando Romboli (45th) from Rio. They debut against the French Sadio Doumbia (26th) and Fabien Reboul (27th). São Paulo’s Felipe Meligeni Alves (441st) and Marcelo Zormann (154th), in turn, face the partnership of Belgian Sander Gillé (61st) and Dutchman Sem Verbeek (59th). The two appointments have not yet been scheduled.
Last year, Rafael Matos and Marcelo Melo played together and were champions. The former also won the 2024 edition, with Colombian Nicolás Barrientos as his partner. They were Brazil’s only achievements at the Rio Open.
