Blockx Achieves First ATP Victory at Cincinnati Tournament

Cincinnati, Ohio — Alexander Blockx secured his first ATP Tour victory on Friday at the Western & Southern Open, defeating home favorite Marcos Giron 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. The 20-year-old Belgian displayed tenacity throughout the match, outpacing Giron after an intense three-set battle.

Blockx, currently ranked fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, is in a strong position to make his debut at the 20-and-under event in December. He previously won the boys’ singles title at the 2023 Australian Open and recently climbed to a career-high ranking of No. 113 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

The young player hit 32 winners and converted four of his seven break points during the match, showcasing his developing skills on the court, as noted by Infosys ATP Stats. His upcoming second-round match will be against fellow American and 27th seed, Ugo Carabelli.

Carabelli continued his impressive 2025 season by overcoming four-time ATP Masters 1000 finalist Kei Nishikori with a score of 7-5, 6-3. The Argentine player, ranked a career-high No. 47, faces a challenging opponent in his next match against World No. 6.

While most of Carabelli’s victories have been on clay, he previously reached the third round at the hard-court ATP Masters 1000 in Miami this March, marking his best performance at that level.

In other results at the tournament, American wild card Alex de Minaur won against fellow wild card Jack Sock, 6-3, 7-6(3). De Minaur will play 22nd seed next, while lucky loser Ben Shelton triumphed over his opponent 6-4, 7-6(5) to set up a second-round meeting with another formidable player.