Tunisian player Moez Echargui achieved a career milestone on Sunday, 3 August 2025, by capturing his first ATP Challenger Tour title at the Porto Open in Portugal. The 32 year old triumphed in the final over Italy’s Francesco Maestrelli 6–3, 6–2, marking a perfect end to a dream week in Porto.

Entering the tournament as a qualifier, Echargui had to battle through two rounds to earn a spot in the main draw. He first played the Australian T. Braithwaite and won 6-2, 6-2, then the Portuguese D. Marques 6-1, 6-4. Once in the main draw, he recorded a series of impressive wins. He defeated Khumoyun Sultanov 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4, Frederico Ferreira Silva 6-3, 6-3, Edas Butvilas in the quarter-final 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, and battled past former top 100 player Hugo Grenier in the semifinals, where he saved a set point in the opening set tiebreak before closing out the match in straight sets 7-6 (6), 6-4. By the time he stepped onto the Central Eupago court for the final, Echargui had already won six matches in six days, and he wasn’t done yet.
Facing the sixth seed Francesco Maestrelli, who is ranked 178 in the world, Echargui produced one of the most composed and tactically sound performances of his career. The match lasted just 76 minutes, with Echargui converting three break points and closing the match on his first championship point, 6-3, 6-2.

Echargui’s win is not only personal but national. He becomes only the second Tunisian man to win a Challenger title, following in the footsteps of Malek Jaziri. His performance in Porto has earned him 100 ATP ranking points, which will propel him to a new career-high of world No. 211 a major jump from his previous best of No. 271.

An emotional Echargui addressed the crowd after the match, thanking the local fans for their support “Porto is my home away from home,” he said. “The support from the crowd was incredible. It felt like I was playing in Tunisia.” He added “I stayed focused point by point, didn’t overthink, and trusted my tennis. Everything clicked this week.”

With his ranking now rising inside the top 220, Echargui is poised to enter higher-level Challenger events and possibly Grand Slam qualifying draws.

For Tunisian and African tennis fans, his win is a source of pride and a reminder that hard word and persistence, always pay off.