PUNTA DEL ESTE/STARNBERG, January 29, 2024
Gianluca Mager was crowned champion of the first edition of the Punta del Este Open after defeating the Argentine Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-0 on Sunday. The 29-year-old Italian, a former World No. 62, climbed to the 263rd position in the ATP rankings after winning the ATP Challenger Tour 75 clay-court event held at the Cantegril Country Club in Maldonado, Uruguay.
In front of more than 1,000 spectators on Center Court, Mager sent down eight aces and broke his rival’s serve six times to prevail after two hours and 16 minutes.
The Sanremo native emerged as the player who contested the most matches in the competition, having entered the tournament as a qualifier. Mager played a total of seven matches to conclude the week as the champion, celebrating his sixth ATP Challenger career title, his first since Gran Canaria 2022.
When you win your first title since 2022 🤗#ATPChallenger | @pdeopen pic.twitter.com/ADsL4rtLGs
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) January 29, 2024
After lifting the trophy, Mager described the week as “incredible.” He stated, “After two very tough years in my career, I am starting to play tennis again.” Regarding Punta del Este, he added, “It is a very beautiful city.”
The 22-year-old Tirante, despite not winning the final, achieved his career-best ranking, now sitting at World No. 109, surpassing the 111th position he had reached in 2023. Tirante expressed, “I think I had a very good tournament; there were very difficult players, and the level of play was very high. It gave me a lot of confidence, and I leave with good sensations.”
