Fernando Romero Nuñez 
A week after winning the Rio Open, Argentine tennis star Sebastián Báez got the Chile Open title on Sunday, beating Chilean Alejandro Tabilo (51st ATP singles ranked) 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 in two hours and 15 minutes of play. Báez’s back-to-back wins have catapulted him to 19th in the rankings, making him the top-ranked Argentine and the only South American in the ATP singles top 20.
Despite some erratic shots in the first set, Báez took his game up a notch in the second, where his consistent groundstrokes and intense defense allowed him to take the game to a third set. With Tabilo cheered on by the home crowd, the Argentine star saved a break point and battled on to take the lead at 1-0. Despite the Chilean breaking his serve later on at 5-4, Báez regained the advantage to wrap the game and clinch his second title in as many weeks.
Báez emerged as the clear top performer in the ATP’s South American swing, having reached the semifinals in Córdoba and the quarters in Buenos Aires. Chile is the sixth title in his career, having previously won Estoril in 2022, Córdoba, Kitzbühel, and Winston-Salem in 2023, and Rio in 2024.
By winning the Chile Open, Báez overtook Francisco Cerúndolo as the highest-ranked Argentine tennis player and is the only South American in the top 20, reaching a career-best 19th place in the rankings. He’s one of only 20 Argentines ever to reach said heights.
“The key to winning is maintaining motivation game after game,” said Báez after the game. “We all like to win, results bring confidence. Tournaments are won with the practice you do every day, the work that nobody sees.”
His dominance also shows in the season’s numbers. Báez now sits fifth in the Race To Turin, the calendar year ranking which qualifies the top eight players to the ATP Finals. He’s also one of only three players to win two titles in 2024, joining Frenchman Ugo Humbert (winner in Marseille and Dubai) and Italian Jannik Sinner (Australian Open and Rotterdam champion), and the player with the most wins (16) in the year.
