OEIRAS/STARNBERG, January 11, 2025
Hamad Medjedovic experienced an unforgettable week at the indoor courts of the Jamor Tennis Complex, cracking the Top 100 with a commanding victory at the first of three consecutive Indoor Oeiras Open tournaments, organized by the Portuguese Tennis Federation.
The top seed, ranked World No. 112 at the beginning of the week, delivered a stellar performance in Saturday’s final, needing just 69 minutes to defeat Canadian Liam Draxl 6-1, 6-3.
Top 100 debut for Hamad Medjedovic!
The 21-year-old Serbian sails past Liam Draxl 6-1, 6-3 in 69 minutes to claim his 5th @ATPChallenger title at the Indoor Oeiras Open & secure a spot in the top 100 for the first time. Skipping the Australian Open qualifying has paid off. pic.twitter.com/gq1aWGz9q7
— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) January 11, 2025
The final was one-sided and could have ended even sooner, as Medjedovic served for the match at 6-1, 5-2. This was the only moment when the protégé of Novak Djokovic—who acts as a mentor to Medjedovic, offering support that goes beyond financial backing—felt the pressure of the occasion. In addition to claiming his fifth ATP Challenger Tour career title in six finals, the young Serbian also had the momentous achievement of breaking into the top 100 for the first time within reach.
Unlike the previous day, when he needed three hours to win the match of the week, or his opening round, where his opponent served for the match, Medjedovic dominated an opponent drained by earlier battles. With exceptional power from both baseline strokes, Medjedovic mixed in deft drop shots to frustrate Draxl and even fired two second-serve aces in a near-perfect performance.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the year. I’m happy we decided with my team not to go to Australia. It was a risky choice, but I believed in it and knew it could work. I’m glad the decision paid off immediately,” said the 21-year-old Serbian in his press conference, reflecting on his choice to skip the Australian Open qualifying rounds.
Regarding the final, Medjedovic added: “I hope all the finals I play from now on are like this one. It was a great match; I think I played very well from start to finish. I was in rhythm, feeling the ball perfectly, and comfortable on court. I was a bit concerned because yesterday’s match ended late and was very tough, but I recovered well and was ready to play today.”
Four years after Carlos Alcaraz broke into the top 100 with a victory at the Oeiras Open 125 on the clay courts of the same venue, Medjedovic achieved a similar milestone and declared, “Oeiras will always be special to me from now on.”
This was a goal the young Belgrade native had been chasing for some time, positioning him well to earn direct entries into the main draws of upcoming Grand Slam tournaments.
For now, his focus shifts to the Indoor Oeiras Open 2, starting Sunday, where he will again be among the title favorites.
Goldhoff/Hilderbrand triumph in doubles
In the doubles final, George Goldhoff and Trey Hilderbrand clinched the title, defeating Japan’s Kaichi Uchida and Uzbekistan’s Denis Yevseyev 7-5, 2-6, 10-5. It marked the first time the US-American duo competed and celebrated together.
For Goldhoff, 29, ranked No. 153 in the doubles rankings, this victory marked the 21st title of his career and his fourth at the Challenger level. Hilderbrand, 24, ranked No. 164, celebrated his 13th career title and fifth on the Challenger circuit.
