Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro, ranked 88th in the world, faced a tough loss in his opening match at the ATP 250 event in Antwerp. The Ceará native and number two tennis player in Brazil had his chances, even holding a match point, but ultimately fell to Argentina’s Mariano Navone, ranked 43rd, in a tightly contested three-set match. The final score was 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6) in favor of Navone.
Thiago Monteiro’s Close Battle in Antwerp
The match was a hard-fought contest for Thiago Monteiro, who had dropped 11 spots in the ATP rankings earlier that day. Facing the 7th seed, Monteiro displayed strong serving, hitting 15 aces and maintaining a solid 67% success rate on his first serves. However, when it came to closing out the match, Thiago Monteiro struggled to capitalize on key moments.
After splitting the first two sets, Monteiro found himself in a strong position in the third set tie-break. He led 4-2 and later served at 6-5 with a match point in hand. Unfortunately, the Brazilian couldn’t convert and allowed Navone to win three consecutive points, ending the match after 2 hours and 41 minutes of play.
What’s Next for Thiago Monteiro?
With this early exit in Antwerp, Thiago Monteiro will need to regroup as he looks ahead to the rest of the tennis season. His consistent presence in ATP 250 and Grand Slam tournaments has kept him competitive on the international stage, and he remains a key figure in Brazilian tennis.
Monteiro’s elimination leaves Thiago Wild as Brazil’s remaining representative in Antwerp. Wild, currently ranked 80th in the world, advanced to the main draw after defeating Estonia’s Mark Lajal in the qualifying round. Thiago Monteiro will surely be eager to bounce back in his upcoming tournaments and re-establish his form on the ATP Tour.
Monteiro has shown resilience throughout his career and will be looking to sharpen his game as he aims to improve his ranking and continue representing Brazil at the highest level of tennis competition.
