The Mallorca Championships would be Alejandro Tabilo’s hunt for his second ATP tour-level title. The Chilean had lost two finals on clay: the Cordoba Open and the Chile Open. His only victory came on hard court in the Auckland Open in New Zealand.
On the other hand, it was Sebastian Ofner’s opportunity to hunt for his first-ever ATP tour-level title. Ranked No. 59 on the ATP rankings, it was also the 28-year-old Austrian’s first-ever ATP tour-level final.
After defeating Ofner in the Mallorca Championships final, Alejandro Tabilo has climbed five places in the live ATP rankings to 19th, with Austria’s Sebastian Ofner climbing nine spots to No. 45. Tabilo has risen one place above his compatriot, Nicolas Jarry, to become the highest ranked Chilean on tour.
Alejandro Tabilo’s Record-Breaking Victory
Alejandro Tabilo needed one break of Sebastian Ofner’s serve in each set to overcome the Austrian 6-3, 6-4. Tabilo won the championship with an ace on his third championship point. In addition to making history as the first-ever Chilean man to win a grass-court title in the Open Era, the Chilean has climbed to within 197 points of Novak Djokovic in No. 13 on the live Race to Turin ranking.
This final was the first-ever clash between Alejandro Tabilo and Sebastian Ofner on the ATP tour. Tabilo’s break of Ofner’s serve in the sixth game of the first set was enough to win the first set, while his break of Ofner’s serve in the ninth game sealed Ofner’s fate.
The Chilean also played in the doubles final of the Mallorca Championships. With his partner, Diego Hidalgo, he lost the title 4-6, 4-6 to Julian Cash and Robert Galloway. Alejandro and his Ecuadorian partner could not convert any of the five breakpoint opportunities they created through the two sets of the final.
Alejandro Tabilo’s Excellent 2024
Alejandro Tabilo has had a great 2024. Among his most exciting performances was a victory over then world No. 1, Novak Djokovic, in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open to reach the last four stage. It was the first time two Chileans would get to the semifinal of a top ATP tour tournament.
In the Mallorca Championships, Alejandro Tabilo dropped just one set, which came in the semifinal clash with 6th seed Gael Monfils. The Mallorca Championships has been a well-played preparation for the Chilean going into Wimbledon, with no better form of preparation than winning a tournament on the same surface before a Grand Slam.
Jurgen Klopp, former Liverpool manager, Premier League and UEFA Champions League winner, was present in the Center Court to watch the final, fully clad in the German National team’s jersey. Top-rated Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, who played the titular character in the Hannibal series from 2013 to 2015, was also present to watch the final.
Tabilo In The Wimbledon Championships
Seeded 24th, Alejandro Tabilo will face Danny Evans in the first round of the Wimbledon Championships on Tuesday, the 2nd of July. The next day, the Chilean would team up with his Mallorca Championships doubles partner, Diego Hidalgo, again to play against his Mallorca Championships final opponent, Sebastian Ofner, and Ofner’s doubles partner, Sam Weissborn, in the first round of Wimbledon.
If Alejandro Tabilo is lucky, his path to the Wimbledon final would include potential battles against top-seeded players like Taylor Fritz in the third round, Alexander Zverev in the fourth round, Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals, and Novak Djokovic in the semifinal.
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