Raul Brancaccio won the Open Menorca title, defeating Spanish qualifier Alex Martinez 6-1, 6-4 in the final of the ATP Challenger 100 event. The Italian alternate claimed the third Challenger trophy of his career, while Martinez’s run from qualifying to the championship match emerged as the week’s most notable storyline.

Brancaccio added Menorca to earlier Challenger wins in San Benedetto in 2022 and Noumea, New Caledonia in 2023. He reached the final after surviving a dramatic semifinal with American qualifier Dali Blanch, prevailing 6-3, 0-6, 7-6 (2) in one hour and 53 minutes. “Dali played really well but I stayed focus and I was positive until the end,” Brancaccio said after the semifinal. He acknowledged a physical dip in the second set. “I am not sure what happened,” Brancaccio admitted. “I have to check with the physio and then we’ll see. I hope to be ready for tomorrow.”

On the final day at the Club de Tenis Ciutadella the world No. 379 converted four of five break-point chances and won 59 per cent of the points played to close out the title in 69 minutes. “I am very happy to have won the title. The last few years have not always been easy for me,” said Brancaccio, who is based in Valencia, Spain and has previously been ranked inside the world’s Top 125. “Now I will try to build on the level I showed here.” He earned €23,750 and 100 ATP Ranking points and will next compete at the Monza Open.

Martinez, 25, arrived in Menorca through qualifying and produced a string of upset wins on clay. He beat top seed Valentin Royer 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-3 then, hours later, defeated Pol Martin Tiffon 7-6 (5), 6-1. “Winning in the afternoon after already being tired is a great effort,” Martinez said after reaching the semifinals. He then defeated Daniel Rincon 7-5, 7-5. “I was staying strong mentally,” Martinez said afterwards. “Yesterday was a physical day for both of us as we both had to play two matches. After a huge effort like this, it’s easy to let go. I was really thinking about backing up this today.”

Martinez’s background includes four years at the University of Oklahoma, selection for the ATP Next Gen Accelerator in 2024 and two ITF titles last season in Tulsa and Harlingen. Reaching Menorca’s final marked the second Challenger title match of his career. “It means a lot, as there is a lot of struggle and pain going through this sport,” Martinez said before the final. “You have to sacrifice a lot and have to work really hard. It is just a reward for the push I have been done the last couple of months and after my injury.” Off court he kept things simple. “Every evening we go out for a walk, keeping our phones in the hotel room,” Martinez said. “There is a good environment in the town. It’s quite ‘tranquilo’ and it’s good to disconnect.” “It’s been helping. We have been doing it since Tuesday and here I am in the final,” Martinez had said on Saturday.

Raul Brancaccio captured the Open Menorca title, defeating Spanish qualifier Alex Martinez 6-1, 6-4 in the final of the ATP Challenger 100 event. The Italian alternate secured the third Challenger crown of his career while Martinez’s progression from qualifying to the championship match became the defining story of the week.

Brancaccio added Menorca to previous Challenger victories in San Benedetto in 2022 and Noumea, New Caledonia in 2023. He reached the final after surviving a dramatic semifinal against American qualifier Dali Blanch, prevailing 6-3, 0-6, 7-6 (2) in one hour and 53 minutes. “Dali played really well but I stayed focus and I was positive until the end,” Brancaccio said after the semifinal. He admitted to struggling physically in the second set. “I am not sure what happened,” Brancaccio admitted. “I have to check with the physio and then we’ll see. I hope to be ready for tomorrow.”

On a sunny afternoon at the Club de Tenis Ciutadella, the world No. 379 converted four of his five break-point opportunities and won 59 per cent of the total points to close out the title in 69 minutes. “I am very happy to have won the title. The last few years have not always been easy for me,” said Brancaccio, who is based in Valencia, Spain and has previously been ranked inside the world’s Top 125. “Now I will try to build on the level I showed here.” He earned €23,750 and 100 ATP Ranking points and is scheduled to compete next at the Monza Open.

For Martinez the week represented a breakthrough. The 25-year-old from Barcelona arrived via qualifying and beat top seed Valentin Royer 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-3 before returning hours later to defeat Pol Martin Tiffon 7-6 (5), 6-1. “Winning in the afternoon after already being tired is a great effort,” Martinez said after booking his place in the semifinals. He then beat Daniel Rincon 7-5, 7-5 in the semifinal. “I was staying strong mentally,” Martinez said afterwards. “Yesterday was a physical day for both of us as we both had to play two matches. After a huge effort like this, it’s easy to let go. I was really thinking about backing up this today.”

Martinez’s background includes four years at the University of Oklahoma, a degree in Human Relations, selection for the ATP Next Gen Accelerator in 2024, and two ITF titles last season in Tulsa and Harlingen. He has rebuilt after injuries to both knees and now trains in Barcelona with two coaches and a fitness trainer. Reflecting on his run, he said: “I had good wins against a top 100 player and a top 200 player, you are happy, but the job wasn’t done,” he said. “It got me nervous today, but I stayed mentally strong every ball during the match.” He added: “It means a lot, as there is a lot of struggle and pain going through this sport,” Martinez said before the final. “You have to sacrifice a lot and have to work really hard. It is just a reward for the push I have been done the last couple of months and after my injury.”

Off court, Martinez kept a simple routine. “Every evening we go out for a walk, keeping our phones in the hotel room,” Martinez said of his first tournament trip with his coach. “There is a good environment in the town. It’s quite ‘tranquilo’ and it’s good to disconnect.” He also noted: “It’s been helping. We have been doing it since Tuesday and here I am in the final,” Martinez had said on Saturday.

Elmer Moller finished the 2025 ATP Challenger Tour season by claiming the Maia Open, an indoor clay event organized by the Portuguese Tennis Federation. The 22-year-old Dane added another Portuguese trophy to a run that includes the Braga Open in September 2024 and the Oeiras Open 125 in April 2025, defeating Slovakian veteran Andrej Martin 6-4, 6-1 in the final.

Seeded third on the strength of an ATP ranking of No. 147, Moller delivered his best match of the week in a one hour, 16 minute final. He converted six of 10 break point chances and won 56 percent of the total points played to secure the victory. “He started really well. He’s very experienced and has a great forehand, so I tried to stay aggressive and use my backhand down the line to keep him from taking full control. In the second set I found my rhythm and by the end I felt like I was playing really well,” Moller said after defeating Martin for the first time in his career.

Andrej Martin became the oldest finalist in Maia Open history. The 36-year-old Slovak reached his second ATP Challenger final of the season and the 22nd of his career. Martin, whose last Challenger title came in June 2019, has now lost six finals in a row at this level.

The triumph in Maia was Moller’s fourth ATP Challenger title in eight finals, his third of the season and his third on Portuguese soil. He earned €20,630, collected 100 ranking points and climbed 26 places on the rankings to world No. 121.

Reflecting on his decision to step back briefly before Maia, Moller said: “Last year I lost in the first round, and this year I wasn’t even sure I’d play. It was really good to take a break from tournaments and training to stay home for a bit [he didn’t compete between mid-October and mid-November]. I arrived here with fresh energy, something I hadn’t felt in a while, and I’m happy I made that decision. Tennis never stops, and if you’re not playing a tournament, someone else is taking that spot. So, it can be stressful to step away, but in the end, it was absolutely worth it. It’s an incredible feeling to finish the year with a trophy.”

On his repeated success in Portugal he added: “In some ways yes, in others no. I always love playing in Portugal—every event is very well organized and many of the people are the same, so you end up knowing almost everyone. I also like the cities, and when you feel good at a tournament you tend to play better. So, it’s not 100 percent a coincidence. I love playing here.”