PORTO ALEGRE, May 3, 2025

Rafael Padilha, an 18-year-old rising talent from the Rede Tenis Brasil project, is soaking up valuable experiences as he builds his tennis career. Since delivering the ceremonial first serve at this year’s Miami Open, the young Brazilian’s journey has gained momentum—and this week in Porto Alegre, he’s taken another important step.

Padilha has been serving as a hitting partner at the Brasil Tennis Open, an ATP Challenger Tour 50 event held at the Associação Leopoldina Juvenil. On Friday, he had the chance to warm up Argentina’s Santiago Taverna ahead of his semifinal clash.

“It was a great experience today,” Padilha said. “I let them know I was available, and they called me up to hit with him.”

Next on the horizon: college tennis in the United States. Padilha aims to balance his professional aspirations with a college education, keeping his options open for both a tennis career and life beyond the sport. Dietze Tenis, the Rio Grande do Sul branch of Rede Tenis Brasil, is already in talks with several U.S. universities as they help chart the next chapter in Padilha’s promising journey.