Van Assche surpasse Blockx et remporte son premier titre ATP à Estoril

Luca Van Assche is in luck, as he has clinched his first ATP title in Estoril after defeating Alexander Blockx in a tight match with a score of 6-4 4-6 7-5 after 2 hours and 24 minutes of battle with constant plot twists that allow the French player to climb to the best ranking of his career.

Van Assche had previously won 3 Challenger titles this season, which had enabled him to rise in the rankings again and gradually regain his best form, but he still needed that extra push to compete again in the big tournaments. However, Estoril has been a turning point for him in 2026, as he has defeated opponents like Andrey Rublev and Blockx himself to showcase his vintage version.

Van Assche enters the top 50 for the first time in his career

The final was a rollercoaster of emotions, as Blockx fought tooth and nail despite seeming to have lost. In fact, in the second set he started with a break up, but the Belgian player returned the favor and took the match to the deciding set. It was there that Luca managed to take a 3-0 lead with serve, and even had a chance to serve for the title at 5-4, but once again Blockx recovered and added drama to the match.

However, Van Assche broke Blockx again and eventually closed out the match to put the cherry on top of a week he will remember for the rest of his life. This victory will also allow him to enter the top 50 of the ATP rankings for the first time in his career (world number 48), showing that he has once again become a decisive player in clay court tournaments, his favorite surface.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Van Assche supera a Blockx y consigue su primer título ATP en Estoril