Mérida Wins Tenerife Challenger, Reaches Career-High No. 152

Spanish tennis player Daniel Mérida has reached a new career-high ranking of world number 152 after winning the Tenerife Challenger 1 tournament. This win is his second Challenger title and marks a big step forward in his career, bringing him closer to the top 100. Reaching the top 100 is crucial for players to get direct entry into major tournaments.

Mérida, who was born in 2004, won the final at the Tenerife Arena, beating Italy's Francesco Maestrelli 6-2, 6-4. This win follows his previous title in Pozoblanco in 2025, further showing his continued progress in professional tennis. The Tenerife victory is especially significant because Mérida, who is from Madrid, had never made it past the quarterfinals in previous editions of this tournament.

Meanwhile, Maestrelli will also see his ranking improve, moving up to world number 108. This success in Tenerife gives Mérida's season a boost, after he played in the Australian Open qualifiers and the Oeiras tournament earlier this year. Mérida said he was happy with how he played on the island, adding that he always feels he can play well there. Mérida is set to compete in the Tenerife Challenger 2, which starts tomorrow.