Is Alejandro Tabilo a player to keep an eye on in Rio de Janeiro? Chilean makes confident start | ATP tour | Tennis

Rio de Janeiro

Is Tabilo a player to keep an eye on in Rio de Janeiro? Chilean starts confidently

Fonseca and Melo continue in doubles
February 17, 2026

Could Alejandro Tabilo be ready for a big week on clay in Brazil?

The Chilean southpaw got off to a good start in his Rio Open, presented by Claro, on Monday when he defeated American Emilio Nava 6-3, 6-3 in just 63 minutes.

Tabilo is fresh off a run to the quarter-finals at the ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires, where he defeated Joao Fonseca. Now the former No. 19 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, a three-time ATP Tour champion, will seek his first ATP 500 title.

The winner claimed 86 percent of his service points according to Infosys ATP Stats and did not face a break point against the American. Tabilo will next play qualifying match Dino Prizmic or lucky loser Francesco Passaro.

German Yannick Hanfmann also got off to a good start with a 7-6(3), 6-4 victory against Brazilian wildcard Joao Lucas Reis Da Silva.

“Very satisfied of course. Getting through a tough first match against a Brazilian on center court is not the easiest task,” said Hanfmann. “I knew that, especially during the night session. I served quite well and tried to stay calm throughout the match. I knew it was going to be difficult.”

Serbian Dusan Lajovic, finalist of the ATP Masters 1000 on clay in Monte-Carlo in 2019, recorded his first victory in the Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Daniel Altmaier 6-4, 7-6(7). Altmaier still leads their series 2-1.

Other players who advanced on the first day of the main draw were Thiago Agustin Tirante, a 7-5, 6-3 winner against Cristian Garin, and Ignacio Buse, who edged past qualifier Igor Marcondes 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. Vit Kopriva also reached the second round with a 6-2, 7-6(5) win against wild card Gustavo Heide.

In the only doubles match of the day, Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca teamed with compatriot Marcelo Melo past alternates Roman Andres Burruchaga and Andrea Pellegrino 6-4, 6-4. It was the first tour-level doubles victory of Fonseca’s career.