Henrique Rocha is the champion of the 11th edition of the Internazionali di Tennis Città di Perugia | G.I.Ma. Tennis Cup. The 21-year-old Portuguese player capped a remarkable week at the Tennis Club Perugia by defeating third seed Daniel Merida 7-6(5), 6-3 in the final of the ATP Challenger 125 event organized by MEF Tennis Events.

Rocha, the tournament’s fourth seed, dropped just one set throughout the entire week and secured the fourth Challenger title of his career, as well as his second trophy of the 2026 season following his triumph in Brasilia.

Standing tall in Perugia ✊

Henrique Rocha overcomes Merida 7-6(5), 6-3 to secure his second ATP Challenger title of the season#ATPChallenger | @meftennisevents pic.twitter.com/KRMsw0jF7J

— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) June 7, 2026

“It was a fantastic week and I’m very happy,” Rocha said after lifting the trophy. “I started well, then my level improved match after match, and I finished strongly thanks to a great mindset. At the same time, there are still many aspects of my game I want to improve. I believe there are great things ahead of me.”

While the title does not immediately change Rocha’s ATP ranking position, the world No. 119 leaves Perugia with growing confidence and the support of a crowd that embraced him throughout the tournament.

“I want to thank the fans because they supported me in every match, even when I was playing against Italian players,” he said. “The tournament organization and the entire staff made me feel at home from the very first day, and that definitely contributed to this victory.”

Rocha now turns his attention to the grass-court season, with a clear objective in sight.

“My main goal is to break into the Top 100,” he explained. “I’m only around twenty places away, so I hope it happens soon. But I also feel I can go even further. I’ll play some grass-court events, starting with the Challenger in Ilkley, before heading to Wimbledon. I consider myself a complete player and I believe I can perform well on every surface.”

Despite the defeat, Merida also leaves Perugia with plenty to celebrate. The Spaniard will achieve a new career-high ranking of World No. 82 on Monday after reaching the final.

For MEF Tennis Events CEO Marcello Marchesini, the final between two players born in 2004 perfectly reflected the tournament’s role as a launching pad for the next generation.

“The final featured two young players who represent exactly what our tournaments are about,” Marchesini said. “MEF Tennis Events has always been a platform for emerging talent. Merida has taken a major step forward this season, while Rocha fully deserved this title after producing outstanding tennis throughout the week.”

With another successful edition completed, attention now shifts to the next events on the MEF Tennis Events calendar, including the historic ATP Challenger tournament in Todi this August and a return to Sardinia later in the year.