SAO PAULO/STARNBERG, July 28, 2026
The main draw of the World Tennis Tour M15 Sao Paulo Paineiras begins on Tuesday at the Clube Paineiras do Morumby in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The tournament features a total prize purse of US$15,000, with the singles champion earning 15 ATP Ranking points. Admission is free throughout the week.
Play starts at 11 a.m. with the final round of qualifying before the spotlight shifts to one of the day’s most anticipated first-round matches, as two of South America’s brightest junior prospects face off. Brazil’s Leonardo Storck Franca takes on Peru’s Nicolas Baena in a clash between two players making the transition from the junior circuit to the professional ranks.
The 17-year-old Storck is enjoying the best season of his young career. The Brazilian reached the semifinals of the Roland Garros boys’ singles event this year and currently sits at No. 23 in the ITF Junior Rankings. Born in Cuiabá and training in Rio de Janeiro, he is aiming to earn the first ATP singles ranking point of his career.
His opponent, 18-year-old Nicolas Baena, is ranked No. 18 in the ITF Junior Rankings and has already broken into the ATP Rankings at No. 1,914 after earning his first professional ranking point. In just four professional tournaments, the Peruvian has already recorded two main-draw victories.
“I’m very happy to be playing here and hope to have a great tournament,” Storck said. “I’m facing someone I know well from the junior circuit. We’ve been competing against each other for quite some time, so it should be a good match. Hopefully, I can earn my first ATP ranking point. My European swing was excellent, and after reaching the Roland Garros semifinals, I came back full of confidence. It’s even more special to have the opportunity to play a professional tournament here in Brazil.”
Following that encounter, top seed Carlos Zarate of Argentina will begin his title bid against Brazilian wildcard Kaua Santos, who currently competes in collegiate tennis in the United States and developed his game at Clube Paineiras do Morumby.
The World Tennis Tour M15 Sao Paulo Paineiras runs through Sunday, when the singles champion will be crowned.
