LISBOA/STARNBERG, October 20, 2026
Gastao Elias brought the curtain down on his professional tennis career at the Lisboa Belem Open, saying goodbye to the sport at the age of 35 in an emotional ceremony at Club Internacional de Foot-Ball (CIF), a venue he considers his home club.
The Portuguese, who captured 10 ATP Challenger Tour titles and reached a career high ranking of world No. 57 in October 2016, played the final match of his career on Tuesday but was unable to sign off with a victory, falling 6-2, 6-2 to Italy’s Francesco Passaro. The Italian arrived in Lisbon on the back of consecutive ATP Challenger titles in Palermo and Maia and extended his winning streak to 11 matches.
Gastão Elias retires from professional tennis in front of his family and closest friends here at the Lisboa Belém Open, played at the iconic CIF — his second home. A beautiful afternoon for a beautiful career. https://t.co/7c3sqgEYmF
— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) October 20, 2026
Despite the defeat, the occasion was a memorable one for Elias, who was surrounded by family and close friends as he said farewell to professional tennis.
“I had this date in my mind for many months and had all this time to think about and prepare for the day. It was making me tense, and I couldn’t prepare for it in the best possible way because it was difficult to find the motivation to train and prepare for my farewell. So today, I couldn’t have expected much more from myself. It was an emotionally demanding experience, but at the same time, it was a beautiful day that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Being able to do it here at CIF, with my family and friends, made it even more special, and I feel relieved,” Elias said during his press conference.
Reflecting on his career, the former Portuguese No. 1 highlighted his willingness to step outside his comfort zone as his greatest source of pride.
“What I am most proud of is having stepped outside my comfort zone several times,” he explained. “It is something very few people manage to do. Throughout all these years, I made decisions that I believed were right, but which were also the most difficult ones. From moving to Florida at the age of 16 to going to Brazil to train, it took courage to do all those things, with the unwavering support of my family.”
The farewell ceremony also featured several special gifts presented to Elias on court. His girlfriend, Rute Valente, prepared a photo book capturing memories from his career, while tournament director and MP Ténis representative Manuel de Sousa presented him with a framed photograph. CIF president Fernando Magarreiro handed him a club polo shirt and a trophy, while Portuguese Tennis Federation president Joao Paulo Santos also presented him with a commemorative trophy.
