Francisco Cabral Shines at Australian Open
Francisco Cabral has started 2026 on a high note after finishing 2025 with an ATP title and achieving his best ranking. He captured the Brisbane tournament alongside partner Lucas Miedler, boosting his standing to 19th in the doubles rankings. This strong start comes just before the Australian Open, where they are among the top ten favored pairs.
Brisbane Tournament Victory
In the final of the ATP 250 tournament in Brisbane, Cabral and Miedler faced off against the British duo of Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash. They won the match with scores of 6-3, 3-6, and 10-8 after 85 minutes of play. Cabral expressed his joy, acknowledging the challenges posed by the top-ranked players.
- Victorious Score: 6-3, 3-6, 10-8
- Match Duration: 85 minutes
- Opponent Rankings: Glasspool (1), Cash (2)
- Event: ATP 250 Brisbane
Cabral’s Reflections
After the win, Cabral thanked his coaching team, led by Luís Faria, for their hard work over the past eleven months. He is motivated to aim for greater accomplishments this year.
Goals for 2026
Cabral’s success in Brisbane marks his sixth title on the ATP Tour and his fourth with Miedler, who he has partnered with for less than a year. He has set high expectations for Grand Slam events, having reached the quarter-finals last year with Nuno Borges.
- Sixth ATP Title
- Fourth Title with Miedler
- Last Year’s Best Result: Quarter-finals in Grand Slam
Aspiring for the Masters
Cabral aims to compete in all Masters 1000 tournaments this year, hoping to perform well in Grand Slams. He also expressed a desire to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin.
Portuguese Players at the Australian Open
In Melbourne, fellow Portuguese players Jaime Faria and Henrique Rocha advanced past the first round of the Australian Open qualifiers. They celebrated their victories within minutes of each other.
- Faria’s Match: Defeated Luka Mikrut (7-6, 7-5)
- Next Opponent: Benjamin Hassan
- Rocha’s Match: Defeated João Reis da Silva (6-2, 6-4)
- Next Opponent: Marco Trungelliti
Both players began their year at the Canberra challenger, where Faria won one match. A potential second-round victory could lead to a face-off between Faria and Rocha for a place in the main draw, where Nuno Borges is already competing.
Borges’ Performance
Nuno Borges, ranked 46th, recently played at the ATP 250 in Hong Kong, where he defeated notable players before losing in the quarter-finals to Andrey Rublev. Borges will commence his campaign at the ATP 250 in Auckland against Tomas Etcheverry.
