LISBON/STARNBERG, October 24, 2026
Tiago Pereira and Benjamin Winter Lopez were crowned doubles champions at the Lisboa Belem Open, with the Portuguese-Spanish partnership claiming their second ATP Challenger Tour title together. Meanwhile, Switzerland’s Alexander Ritschard and Russia’s Svyatoslav Gulin will contest Sunday’s singles final at the 10th edition of the tournament, organised by the Portuguese Tennis Federation and MP Tenis.
A week after finishing runners-up at the Maia Open, where they missed a championship point, Pereira and Winter Lopez went one step further in Lisbon. The duo recovered from a set down to defeat Polish specialists Karol Drzewiecki and Piotr Matuszewski 4-6, 6-3, 10-5.
“I’m very happy to finish this week with a victory. If things had gone wrong today, I don’t know how I would have gone home. The journey would certainly have felt longer than it will now,” Pereira said with a smile after securing a special trophy at the end of a demanding stretch of nine consecutive tournaments. He has competed in 14 of the past 15 weeks.
The final marked the Algarve native’s 10th career appearance in a Challenger doubles final and his seventh of the season. He now has five titles at this level, four of them won in 2026. The Lisbon triumph also marked his second Challenger doubles crown on home soil, following his success at the Maia Open towards the end of last season.
His impressive performances in doubles will see Pereira climb to a career-high No. 102 in the ATP Doubles Rankings on Monday. The achievement has prompted him to reassess his goals and schedule for the remainder of the year.
“I will play stronger tournaments to try to break into the top 100. Eventually, I may have to play qualifying in singles, but that’s absolutely fine. I’m making this adjustment to my schedule for a good reason,” he explained.
He also revealed that starting the 2027 season on the other side of the world could be an option if he manages to secure a place in the Australian Open doubles draw.
Pereira’s triumph marked the third Portuguese doubles title in the history of the Lisboa Belem Open. Gonçalo Oliveira previously lifted the trophy in 2020 alongside Roberto Cid Subervi and in 2022 with Zdenek Kolar.
Ritschard And Gulin Set Up Singles Showdown
In the singles competition, the 10th edition of the Lisboa Belem Open could produce the tournament’s first repeat champion. Alexander Ritschard will look to justify his favourite status against the surprise finalist Svyatoslav Gulin on Sunday.
The 32-year-old Swiss, who won the title in 2024, continued his impressive record on the clay courts of the Club Internacional de Foot-Ball (CIF), recording his 15th victory at the venue over the past three years. Ritschard defeated top seed and tournament favourite Marco Trungelliti, ranked No. 90 in the world, 6-1, 6-4 in the opening semifinal of the day.
Currently ranked No. 483 following another lengthy injury layoff, Ritschard will contest his 10th career ATP Challenger Tour final. His previous title came in Lisbon in 2024, a victory that propelled him into the world’s top 100, reaching a career-high No. 99 the following day.
Standing in his way will be a much less experienced opponent. The 23-year-old Gulin, currently ranked No. 545 and formerly as high as No. 358 in the summer of 2025, reached his first Challenger final by overcoming Denmark’s Elmer Moller, ranked No. 163, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5.
Wow. Lucky loser Svyatoslav Gulin upsets Elmer Moller 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 to reach the first #ATPChallenger final of his career here at the #LisboaBelémOpen. Survived vomiting in the last game to add another great chapter to an unforgettable week. https://t.co/i0TRJ72Lj8
— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) October 24, 2026
Moller had been bidding to reach his 10th Challenger final and his fifth in Portugal. The Dane even served for the opportunity to achieve that milestone before being broken, eventually losing the final three games of a 2-hour-and-25-minute battle. His run came to an end just one day after eliminating home favourite Henrique Rocha.
Gulin’s journey to the final has been particularly remarkable. After losing in the final round of qualifying to Patrick Schoen 6-0, 6-3, the Russian was granted a place in the main draw as a lucky loser. He immediately gained revenge against the Swiss, winning their first-round encounter 6-1, 6-1.
His subsequent run included victories over former world No. 100 Andrej Martin and 2021 finalist Andrea Pellegrino.
Sunday’s championship match will mark the first career meeting between Ritschard and Gulin, with the singles title at the 10th Lisboa Belém Open up for grabs.
