ITAJAI/STARNBERG, January 21, 2026
With the stands packed at the Itamirim Clube de Campo, two Brazilian players took to the court in the opening round of the Itajaí Open ATP Challenger 75 main draw. Backed by strong local support, Mateus Alves and Thiago Seyboth Wild experienced contrasting outcomes.
Alves made a promising start by claiming the opening set 6-4, but was unable to maintain the momentum as Peru’s Gonzalo Bueno mounted a comeback, taking the match 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.
In contrast, Seyboth Wild capitalized on the energy from the Santa Catarina crowd to secure a solid 6-3, 6-4 victory over Argentina’s Lautaro Midon, booking his place in the second round of the tournament, which offers total prize money of USD 107,000 and awards 75 ATP Ranking points to the champion. Wild will next face Genaro Olivieri, who eliminated Pedro Boscardin Dias earlier on Tuesday.
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After the match, Seyboth Wild highlighted the crowd as a decisive factor in his performance. “I think the main reason for today’s win was the crowd. They were fantastic and supported me from start to finish,” the No. 8 seed said.
“When the match got tougher, the crowd grew louder, just the way we like it here in Brazil. It was an opening match with its ups and downs, an average level overall, but I was able to control the game with my forehand, which is what I enjoy doing. Now it’s about staying focused for the next match.”
