ITAJAI/STARNBERG, January 20, 2026
Thiago Monteiro made a strong start at the inaugural Itajaí Open on Monday, cruising past fellow Brazilian Joao Eduardo Schiessel in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2.
It marked an encouraging opening match at the ATP Challenger Tour 75 clay-court event for Monteiro, who is beginning his 2026 season on home soil after opting to skip the Australian swing.
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After the match, Monteiro explained that taking a break before the end of last season and deciding not to travel to Australia proved to be the right strategy.
“This is the first time in many years that I’m starting the season in Brazil, and being able to do it here in Itajaí, a place I know very well, is special. I lived here for five years, played many junior events in this club, and I really feel at home,” he said. “It was my first match of the season and I managed to play at a very high level, even higher than I expected. That’s very positive. I’m happy with my preseason, happy to be 100 percent physically fit again, and ready to try to go as far as possible this season.”
The 31-year-old Fortaleza native also reflected on a difficult 2025 campaign that was disrupted by injuries. “Last year I had many injury issues and couldn’t compete at full capacity. Even when I tried to play, there was always some physical insecurity, and physical strength has always been a key part of my game. That’s why stopping earlier and giving myself more time in the preseason was so important.”
Monteiro revealed that there had initially been plans to play in Australia, but the team ultimately decided against it.
“In the first weeks I wasn’t at 100 percent yet, so we chose to skip that hard-court event and focus on the long clay-court stretch in South America. It was the right decision. I’m feeling very good, and the debut was excellent,” the World No. 196 said.
Earlier in the day, Pedro Boscardin was unable to overcome Argentina’s Genaro Olivieri. After a competitive first set, Boscardin lost the tiebreak 7-2 and couldn’t recover in the second, falling 6-2.
In the final match of the evening, Igor Marcondes delivered a convincing performance to defeat Felipe Meligeni 6-1, 6-2.
