SAO PAULO/STARNBERG, March 30, 2026

Argentina’s Roman Andres Burruchaga is the first singles champion in the history of the LA Open. In a closely contested final on Sunday evening at the Jockey Club de Sao Paulo, the 24-year-old defeated Portugal’s Jaime Faria 6–7(5), 6–4, 6–4 after 2 hours and 49 minutes to lift the trophy at the inaugural ATP Challenger 100 event held in the Brazilian city.

The son of Jorge Burruchaga, who scored the winning goal for Argentina in the 1986 FIFA World Cup final, Burruchaga delivered another comeback performance in a final that kept the crowd captivated from start to finish.

Burruchaga started strongly, breaking Faria’s serve in the opening game, but the Portuguese player responded immediately and gradually took control. Faria held three set points at 5–3, yet the Argentine fought back to level the score and force a tie-break. In the decisive moments of the first set, however, Faria was more consistent and edged it 7–6(5).

The Portuguese player appeared to be moving toward the title when he went up 3–1 in the second set with an early break of serve. But once again, Burruchaga refused to give in. The Argentine rallied to overturn the deficit, held his advantage, and broke Faria again to take the set 6–4.

The deciding set followed a similar pattern, with both players exchanging breaks in the early stages and producing high-quality rallies that thrilled the crowd. Burruchaga and Faria were level at 4–4 heading into the closing stages, suggesting the title might once again be decided in a tie-break. Instead, the Argentine held serve for 5–4 and then broke Faria in the next game to seal the championship. Fittingly, the final point reflected just how fine the margins had been throughout the match, as Burruchaga’s shot clipped the net and dropped softly onto the Portuguese side of the court.

First title of ’26 ✅

Burruchaga lands the Sao Paulo silverware in a 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4 thriller 🆚 Faria #ATPChallenger | @AATenis pic.twitter.com/RArYAsd01i

— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) March 30, 2026

“I would like to thank all the fans who came to the tournament; it was a very beautiful week,” Burruchaga said. “The first set was very close and competitive, and it slipped away from me. Little by little I started to feel better, and I knew I had my chances. It was a very tough and competitive match in which either of us could have won.”

The title is Burruchaga’s fourth on the ATP Challenger Tour and his third in Brazil. His previous triumphs came last year in Buenos Aires, Piracicaba and Costa do Sauipe. On his way to the LA Open final, he defeated Brazil’s Gustavo Heide and Eduardo Ribeiro in the opening rounds, then overcame fellow Argentine Alex Barrena in the quarterfinals and Bolivia’s Juan Carlos Prado Angelo in the semifinals.

“I feel very good whenever I come to Brazil,” Burruchaga added. “It is my third title in the country, and even in the tournaments I didn’t win, I always played very well here. I will come to Brazil whenever I can, because I really enjoy being in the country.”

The victory will take Burruchaga back into the world’s Top 100 and to a new career-high ranking, surpassing his previous best of No. 96.

Faria, meanwhile, is still chasing his first ATP Challenger title since his victory in Curitiba, Brazil, in October 2024, which followed his earlier triumph in Oeiras, Portugal, that same year. The Portuguese, who was ranked No. 157 before the final and has previously reached a career-high of No. 87, received strong support from the crowd throughout the match and thanked the fans afterward.

“It is always good to play in Brazil. I had another good week,” Faria said. “I was not able to leave with the trophy, but I am happy. I have to keep working to experience more moments like this and eventually win. You can expect from me a very hard-working athlete who will give everything, with a great desire to climb the rankings.”