OEIRAS/STARNBERG, April 10, 2025
For the fourth time in the last five years, the Oeiras Open has been included in the prestigious ATP Challenger 125 category, the second-highest tier on the ATP Challenger Tour. This status continues to attract top-level talent and positions the tournament as one of the most significant Challenger events in Southern Europe.
The tournament’s list of past champions speaks for itself. Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz inaugurated the winners’ gallery in 2021 with a breakthrough performance that propelled him into the ATP Top 100 for the first time. He was followed by Hungary’s Zsombor Piros in 2023 and Argentina’s Francisco Comesana in 2024.
In 2025, Comesana returns as the tournament’s top seed and highest-ranked entrant at World No. 61. He leads a strong lineup that includes four players currently ranked inside the Top 100: Roman Safiullin (No. 68), Raphael Collignon (No. 68), and Thiago Monteiro (No. 94).
Portuguese rising star Jaime Faria (No. 99) will unfortunately miss this year’s event due to an ongoing recovery from a left foot injury. The 2024 season was a breakthrough for Faria, highlighted by a quarterfinal appearance at the ATP 500 Rio Open and his first Challenger title, which he won in Oeiras last May. His absence is felt especially at a venue where he made such an important mark.
As of now, Henrique Rocha (No. 204) is the only Portuguese player confirmed in the main draw. The field is full of standout international names, including the promising American Nishesh Basavareddy (No. 108). The young talent kicked off 2025 with a near-perfect run to the semifinals at the ATP 250 in Auckland, coming from qualifying. He recently cracked the Top 100 and will be competing in Portugal for the first time.
The list of projected seeds also includes the experienced Serbian Dusan Lajovic (No. 109, former No. 29), who has two ATP titles to his name and a Masters 1000 final in Monte Carlo, and Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild (No. 111, former No. 58), who won the ATP 250 in Santiago five years ago.
Other notable entries include Elmer Møller (2024 Braga Open champion), Alexander Blockx (winner of the Indoor Oeiras Open III in January), Luca van Assche (2022 Maia Open champion and Lisbon finalist), and Carlos Taberner, a two-time Challenger runner-up in Portugal (Maia 2020 and Porto 2024).
The youngest player in the draw is Nicolai Budkov Kjaer (No. 306) from Norway. Just 18 years old, he was ranked world No. 1 as a junior and won the Wimbledon boys’ title in 2024. He has already captured his first Challenger title this season, marking him as one to watch.
Several more Portuguese players, including Gastao Elias (No. 342), Pedro Araujo (No. 414), and Tiago Pereira (No. 415), are expected to join the field through wildcards or last-minute entries.
The Oeiras Open 125 will be held from April 13 to 20 at the Centro Desportivo Nacional Do Jamor, a historic sports facility located just outside Lisbon. As always, admission is free to the public for the entire week, making it an unmissable opportunity for tennis fans to enjoy world-class action in an intimate and welcoming setting.
