FARO/STARNBERG, March 8, 2026
Justin Boulais spoiled Joao Domingues’ bid for a home victory by defeating the Portuguese player 7–5, 6–4 to win the Faro Open, the oldest international tennis tournament in Portugal. The ITF World Tennis Tour M25 event, organized by the Centro de Tenis e Padel de Faro with the support of the Portuguese Tennis Federation and the City of Faro, took place from March 1 to 8 and concluded four consecutive weeks of professional tennis in the Algarve.
Sunday’s final lasted one hour and 55 minutes and ended with Boulais lifting the third singles title of his career. The 24-year-old Canadian left-hander, known for his powerful serve, completed a perfect week in Faro after also winning the doubles title the day before alongside Francisco Rocha.
Domingues recovered from a slow start in the opening set, fighting back from 1–4 and using a varied game and slice to trouble his opponent. However, a crucial service break while attempting to reach the tie-break allowed Boulais to take the set 7–5. In the second set, Domingues briefly seized the initiative with two breaks of serve, but Boulais responded strongly both times and capitalized on a lapse in concentration from the Portuguese to close out the match 6–4.
João Domingues termina o Faro Open como vice-campeão. Derrota por 7-5 e 6-4 para Justin Boulais, canadiano que no dia anterior já tinha feito a festa ao lado de Francisco Rocha nos pares e que há uma semana também venceu nessa variante em Vale do Lobo com Tiago Pereira. pic.twitter.com/aZloqEhRPQ
— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) March 8, 2026
“Obviously it wasn’t the result I wanted, but it was definitely a positive week after being injured for a long time and going through two very difficult years,” Domingues said after reaching the 24th final of his career, his first since August 2024. The former Top 150 player is set to climb more than 200 places in the ATP Rankings and could move up to around No. 850 next week.
For Boulais, the triumph marks his first singles title since November 2023 and the third of his career. The Canadian is projected to rise more than 50 spots in the rankings following his successful week in Faro.
“It’s an incredible feeling. It was a great week with many tough matches and I’m very proud that I managed to get through them,” Boulais said after completing the doubles–singles double. “Winning in Faro feels amazing. Everyone has been so welcoming and I really enjoyed playing in front of the crowd here.”
