ATP Rio de Janeiro: Triumph After Trials! Etcheverry Reaches Fourth Final and Finally Claims First Title

On February 23rd Beijing time, the ATP 500 Rio de Janeiro clay court event concluded with 26-year-old Argentine Etcheverry winning his maiden tour title in a dramatic fashion. Due to a rain delay in the semifinals, the finalists had to endure playing two matches in one day. The 8th seed Etcheverry first narrowly overturned Copilva 4-6/7-6(2)/7-6(4) in a nearly 4-hour semifinal battle, then staged another comeback in the final, defeating Chilean player Tabillo 3-6/7-6(3)/6-4 after 3 hours and 4 minutes, marking a milestone in his career.

Etcheverry fell behind 3-6/1-3 in the final and appeared exhausted from the lengthy semifinal. In contrast, his opponent Tabillo advanced easily in just 72 minutes in the semis, enjoying a physical advantage. However, the match remained intensely competitive. Etcheverry unleashed remarkable offensive power under pressure and ultimately prevailed in this grueling duel.

Etcheverry had previously reached finals at three ATP 250 clay events—in Santiago and Houston in 2023, and Lyon in 2024—only to fall short. Notably, he came within one point of his first tour title two years ago in Lyon, losing to Pericard in the final. Now, in his fourth tour final, Etcheverry has finally broken through with a victory. In this week's new rankings, he rises 18 spots to No. 33 worldwide, marking his return to the Top 40 for the first time since February last year.

“This is a dream come true for me,” Etcheverry said after the match. “I have been chasing my first title for a while now, and my team and I have worked incredibly hard. I can hardly believe it. All I could do was give 100%. It was the final, the last match of the tournament, so I gave it my all, and in the end, it paid off.”

Etcheverry’s Path to the Title

First Round: 3-6/6-3/6-4 vs. Comesana

Second Round: 7-6(1)/6-4 vs. Gobas [Q]

Quarterfinal: 7-6(4)/6-4 vs. Faria [L]

Semifinal: 4-6/7-6(2)/7-6(4) vs. Copilva

Final: 3-6/7-6(3)/6-4 vs. Tabillo

As the defending singles champion and playing on home soil, Fonseca exited in the second round but claimed the doubles title alongside compatriot Melo. This wildcard duo came from behind to defeat Hasse/Franzen 4-6/6-3/10-8 in the final, winning their first tournament together. At 19, Fonseca became the youngest ATP 500 doubles champion since the tour restructured in 2009.

(Text and editing by Wang Fei; photos courtesy of Visual China)