“It was a mental game for me. I played well, but it was hard to close it out because I was quite nervous,” Gaubas admitted. “I tried not to think about the fact that it was a final, but of course I felt the tension and the crowd. In the end, I just went for it—and it worked.”
Reflecting on his opponent, he added: “Pol didn’t look 100 percent in the first set. I was relaxed and stuck to my game. After a medical timeout, he started playing more aggressively, and it worked for a while, but it’s hard to maintain that level. I just focused on staying solid.”
Gaubas, who practices in Alicante under the guidance of former world No. 23 Guillermo García-López, claimed his second ATP Challenger Tour career title after winning his maiden trophy in Cordenons, Italy, last year. Alongside €20,630 in prize money, Gaubas also picked up 100 ATP Ranking points, propelling him to a new career-high of World No. 149.
It feels amazing. I didn’t have the best start to the season, but my goal was to crack the Top 150—so I’m super happy right now. Vilius Gaubas
