Luca Van Assche celebrated the biggest moment of his career after defeating Alexander Blockx to win his first ATP Tour title at the Millennium Estoril Open on Sunday.
The 22-year-old Frenchman overcame the Belgian 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in a closely contested final that lasted two hours and 24 minutes, completing a breakthrough week in Portugal.
The victory marks Van Assche's maiden ATP Tour crown and rewards a season of steady progress. His title run also propels him 30 places up the ATP Live Rankings to a career-high world No. 48, putting him inside the Top 50 for the first time.
Speaking after the match, Van Assche credited months of hard work for his rise.
"I worked very hard over the last few weeks and months," he said.
"I've tried to focus on my game rather than the results, and it's paying off now."
Van Assche added that experience has played a key role in his development since breaking into the world's top 100 as a teenager.
The Frenchman said he has become more familiar with his game while learning how to better manage his emotions during matches, improvements that have helped him compete more consistently on the ATP Tour.
His victory in Estoril caps an impressive week that included a quarter-final upset over top seed Andrey Rublev before defeating compatriot Hugo Gaston in the semi-finals.
Away from the court, Van Assche describes himself as a calm and easy-going person who enjoys spending time with family and friends. He also has a keen interest in football, music and mathematics, revealing he may have pursued academic studies if he had not become a professional tennis player.
For now, however, his focus remains firmly on tennis.
Van Assche said he plans to celebrate the title with his family before turning his attention to the rest of the season, hoping to build on the momentum from the biggest victory of his career.
