VILLENA/STARNBERG, March 21, 2026
The ITF J300 Villena – Memorial Eduardo Ferrero has added two new names to its prestigious roll of honour, as Italy’s Raffaele Ciurnelli and Germany’s Mariella Thamm claimed the singles titles. They now join former champions such as Carlos Alcaraz, Paula Badosa, Andrey Rublev and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Finals day was heavily impacted by adverse weather, forcing matches indoors and adding the challenge of a last-minute surface change. In the boys’ final, Bulgaria’s Dimitar Kisimov, the tournament’s second seed, appeared in control with a set and a break lead. However, Ciurnelli refused to back down, pushing the second set into a dramatic tie-break, which he edged 9–7. Gaining momentum, the Italian became increasingly aggressive, frequently approaching the net, and ultimately completed the comeback to win 4–6, 7–6(9), 6–3. With this victory, he became the first Italian to win Spain’s top U18 international tournament.
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The girls’ final featured two highly promising players. Spain’s 15-year-old Paola Piñera, who had not dropped a set all week, faced top seed Mariella Thamm. While Piñera showcased her powerful forehand, she struggled more to adapt to the faster indoor conditions. Thamm used the surface to her advantage, consistently taking time away from her opponent with aggressive returns. Securing one break in each set, the German sealed the title with a 6–3, 6–4 victory.
The tournament enjoyed strong support from spectators throughout the week, with Piñera emerging as the standout performer among the Spanish contingent. Had she won, she would have become the youngest champion since Carlos Alcaraz lifted the trophy in 2019 at the age of 15. With another opportunity next year, she could still match the achievement of Paula Badosa, who won the title at 16.
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The finals were attended by several officials, including Francisco Vicent, President of the Valencian Tennis Federation, and Maite Gandía, Councillor for Sports of the City of Villena. In a fitting tribute, Laura Ferrero presented the trophies in memory of her father, Eduard
