ACAPULCO/STARNBERG, March 1, 2026

Marcelo Melo and Alexander Zverev celebrated the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentacdo por HSBC ATP 500 title in Acapulco on Saturday night, marking their first trophy as a team. Maintaining the high level and confidence they had shown throughout the week, the Brazilian-German pairing defeated Austria’s Alexander Erler and US-American Robert Galloway in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, in one hour and nine minutes on Centre Court.

With the victory, Melo secures the 42nd title of his career from 80 finals – his 14th ATP 500 crown – and becomes a three-time champion in Acapulco, having previously lifted the trophy in 2015 with Ivan Dodig and in 2020 alongside Lukasz Kubot. He now matches Mate Pavic as the most successful active doubles player on tour in terms of titles won. For Zverev, it marks his second doubles title in Mexico – he also won in 2019 with his brother Mischa – bringing his total to three doubles trophies.

Fresh off his Rio Open triumph on February 22, Melo switched from clay to hard courts and claimed his second ATP 500 title in less than a week, extending his winning streak to eight matches. With the Acapulco victory, he is set to return to the Top 50 of the ATP doubles rankings, projected to rise to No. 46 in the next update. The partnership between Melo and Zverev now includes one title and one runner-up finish, the latter coming at the 2024 Monte Carlo Masters.

“It’s always a pleasure to be in Acapulco. It’s a special place for me, for Sascha. Thank you very much to the fans, to everyone who came here to watch the final and the tournament. I won in Rio, I won here – I’m very happy,” Melo said.

Dominance and Confidence

Melo and Zverev controlled the opening set, breaking serve in the third and ninth games to take it 6-3. Their dominance continued early in the second set, where they broke in the fourth game to move ahead 4-1. Although their opponents fought back, recovering the break and leveling at 4-4, the Brazilian and the German remained composed. They saved two break points in the ninth game before breaking once more to seal the 6-4 victory and the title.

Double trouble @AlexZverev and @marcelomelo83 claim the Acapulco title as they defeat Erler/Galloway 6-3 6-4 #AMT2026 pic.twitter.com/hfZauuKehC

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 1, 2026

Acapulco marked Melo’s 10th appearance at the tournament and his 20th season on the professional circuit. The 42-year-old now owns 672 career victories from 1,130 matches played.

A record-breaker in Brazilian tennis, Melo holds 42 doubles titles, including two Grand Slams – Roland Garros (2015) and Wimbledon (2017) – as well as nine Masters 1000 crowns, 14 ATP 500 titles, and 17 ATP 250 trophies. He spent 56 weeks as the world No. 1 in doubles, becoming the only Brazilian in history to top the ATP doubles rankings, and remained inside the Top 10 for eight consecutive seasons.

Melo also holds records for Grand Slam appearances (73), ATP Finals participations (eight consecutive through 2020), and became the first active doubles player to reach 1,000 career matches in 2023. Now tied with Pavic as the most successful active doubles player in terms of titles, Melo continues to add to a remarkable legacy – with Acapulco providing yet another milestone.

Cobolli triumphs in singles

Later on Saturday evening, Flavio Cobolli became the third Italian man to earn two or more 500-level titles. The No. 5 seed defeated eighth-seeded US-American Frances Tiafoe 7-6(4), 6-4 in the championship match.

Cobolli fired 10 aces and won 79 per cent of his first-service points to secure victory in two hours and nine minutes.

La magia di Flavio

The moment @cobollifla became the third Italian man to earn two or more 500-level titles! #AMT2026 pic.twitter.com/eckC7T43As

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 1, 2026

“When I was a kid, I was dreaming for this moment,” said Cobolli. “For this kind of tournament, playing on the center court with people cheering for me. I’m very proud, not only for me, but also for the people that work for me — my dad, my family, the rest of my team. They will help me a lot.”

Last year, Cobolli won the ATP 250 tournament in Bucharest and the ATP 500 event in Hamburg. The 20-year-old Florence native is the youngest Acapulco champion since a 22-year-old Dominic Thiem in 2016.