There will be a second first-time champion on the ATP Tour this weekend when Alexander Blockx and Luca Van Assche battle for the Estoril Open title on Sunday.
Following Quentin Halys’ triumph over Alexander Bublik in Kitzbuhel on Saturday, both Blockx and Van Assche are now playing in an ATP final for the first time in their careers. It also marks their first-ever head-to-head showdown.
For Blockx, it felt like only a matter of a time. A former Australian Open junior champion (beat Learner Tien 11-9 in the third-set tiebreaker in 2023), the Belgian is already up to 38th in the rankings at 21 years old. He has earned 15 of his 21 main-tour match victories in 2026, three of which have come during a wild week in Estoril. Blockx outlasted Kyrian Jacquet on Wednesday, saving a match point at 4-5 and 5-6 in the third set before prevailing 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(4). After holding off Roman Andres Burruchaga 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 in the quarters, the No. 4 seed came back from 5-2 down in the second set, 4-2 down in the third, and 4-0 down in the third-set tiebreaker to defeat Luciano Darderi 5-7, 7-6(1), 7-6(5).
Van Assche is not exactly well rested, either. The 78th-ranked Frenchman needed three sets against Frederico Ferreira Silva, Pablo Carreno Busta, and Andrey Rublev before beating compatriot Hugo Gaston 6-4, 7-5 in the semis. Even that straight-set affair required one hour and 57 minutes. Van Assche has doubled his 2026 ATP-level match win count from four to eight this week.
This match will be on Blockx’s racket. He is the much bigger hitter both on serve and from the back of the court, and even his defensive skills were extremely impressive against Darderi on Saturday night. If the same physical and mental levels that have been on display throughout the week return again on Sunday, Blockx should lift the trophy.
Pick: Blockx in 2
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Blox in 2