BRAGA/STARNBERG, October 5, 2025
Luka Mikrut became the seventh different champion in as many editions of the Braga Open, capping off a stellar week with his first ATP Challenger title on Portuguese soil. The tournament, organized by the Portuguese Tennis Federation and the Braga City Council, took place at the Clube de Tenis de Braga from September 28 to October 5.
Playing in front of packed stands, the 21-year-old Croatian currently ranked World No. 239 defeated Lithuanian Vilius Gaubas, who had just lifted the Lisbon title a week earlier, by 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 59 minutes.
Luka Mikrut is the new #BragaOpen champion!
6-3, 6-4 against Vilius Gaubas, who was looking for a second #ATPChallenger title in a row in Portuguese soil.
The 21-year-old Croatian will make his top 200 debut. pic.twitter.com/6iJBesTKxP
— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) October 5, 2025
Sunday’s victory marked Mikrut’s sixth title of 2025, following four ITF World Tennis Tour trophies earlier in the season and his maiden Challenger triumph in Como in August. The win all but guarantees his debut in the Top 200 and secures him a spot in the 2026 Australian Open qualifying draw.
“Finishing a tournament as champion is always a special feeling,” Mikrut said after the match. “Braga is a beautiful city, and I felt great throughout the week, so I’m really happy to end it this way.”
Reflecting on the final, the young Croatian highlighted his composure and focus: “Today I was very consistent and didn’t make many errors. I played aggressively but stayed solid. I was a break down in the second set, but I recovered immediately, which was key. I had a few missed chances, but that break at 4-4 was crucial, and I managed to serve it out.”
Gaubas, who spent nearly 12 hours on court throughout the week, showed signs of fatigue in the key moments of the final. The Lithuanian was hoping to become the first player since Gastao Elias in April 2022 to win back-to-back Challenger titles in Portugal.
While the ATP Rankings will next be updated on October 13 following the Shanghai Masters, Gaubas is projected to reach a career-high of around No. 130 in the Live Rankings.
As for Mikrut, his new career-high ranking inside the Top 200 (around No. 180) crowns a breakthrough season. “The tennis I played this week was probably the best of my career — maybe even better than in Como,” he said. “I also had some great dinners and conversations with friends here, and those little things make you feel truly connected to a place.”
Born in Split, Croatia, Mikrut now joins an illustrious list of Braga Open champions that includes Pedro Sousa (2018), Joao Domingues (2019), Thiago Monteiro (2021), Nicolas Moreno de Alboran (2022), Oriol Roca Batalla (2023), and Elmer Moller (2024).
