TAUSTE, August 10, 2025
Sergio Callejon Hernando has claimed his maiden ITF World Tennis Tour crown, triumphing at the Open Villa de Tauste M25 hard-court event in Aragón. Under the lights and in front of about 300 spectators on Pista Central Antonio Maciá at the Tauste Tenis Club, the 20-year-old Spaniard outlasted Russian qualifier Pavel Lagutin 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 in Saturday night’s final.
Both players were appearing in their first final on the ITF Pro Circuit, and the opening set was fiercely contested. The first game lasted eight minutes, setting the tone for a tense battle. Callejon Hernando secured the first break in the 11th game, controlled the rallies from the baseline, and served out the set after 57 minutes.
Lagutin struck back in the second, breaking immediately and racing to a 5-1 lead. Although he couldn’t serve it out at the first attempt, he broke again to level the match after one hour and 35 minutes.
The decider saw Callejon Hernando break early, and from 4-0 up he never looked back. Lagutin began to run out of steam, and after two hours and six minutes, the Spaniard sealed the biggest win of his career.
Sergio Callejon Hernando claims his maiden title on the ITF World Tennis Tour and becomes the first ever champion of the Open Villa de Tauste.
He fights past Pavel Lagutin 7-5 2-6 6-1 in the final.#ITFWorldTennisTour #Tauste @RFETenis @TurismoAragon pic.twitter.com/wtJslSZUpN
— Florian Heer (@Florian_Heer) August 9, 2025
Reflecting on the conditions, he admitted: “It was pretty hot here during the week and tough to play long rallies.” The Mallorcan, who has spent his whole tennis life training on the Balearic island and is now based at Mallorca Tenis Club Teulera under head coach Angel Inocencio, describes his style as aggressive and prefers hard courts.
He also cleared up a small mystery for those who look him up online. It states that Callejon Hernando is left-handed but that’s not true. “That’s a joke we made”, he explained. “Three years ago I played with one guy, who stated that he was left-handed but it was the opposite. So, I adapted it and if someone doesn’t know me, he will be a bit confused.”
Callejon Hernando is also known for his distinctive backhand. “I had a problem with my elbow five years ago and my coach told me trying to put the hand on the racket down. I tried it and it felt good and continued to play with this strange technique. It’s my best shot now.”
Winning in Tauste was extra special: “I tried to play my best tennis today with the weapons I have and gave it all on court. I can’t believe winning the title here. That’s amazing.”
And his celebration plans? Simple: “I will have at least five beers and won’t rest for the rest of the night. My schedule is going back to Mallorca for practice for the next two weeks before I will return to the tour.”
