Before Jaime Faria and Nuno Borges competed on the big stage, they were racing through the gates with tickets in hand, imagining what it might one day feel like to hear their own names announced at the Millennium Estoril Open.
Perched on Portugal's Riviera with the Atlantic Ocean stretching beyond the clay, the ATP 250 event has become one of the Tour's most distinctive stops. Although this year marks its 11th edition in Estoril, the event's roots stretch back more than 35 years through its previous home at the nearby Estadio Nacional, giving generations of Portuguese players a tournament to grow up watching before eventually competing in.
“I used to live five minutes from here — literally — by car,” Faria, who was born and raised in Lisbon, told ATPTour.com. “Sometimes I would walk here if my parents were working. All the time [I would] run to the stores to buy tickets… This tournament means a lot to me. It's also a place where I've grown up playing when I was little: under 16, under 14, under 12.
“It's a special place and also the only ATP we have at home. So it's good, when you are playing, to look at the stands and see so many familiar faces. When [the fans] say your name when you enter the court… I lived that all the time as a fan and now to live it as a player, it's amazing.”
Competing in Estoril has become a full-circle story for Faria, who made his ATP Tour debut here in 2024 after qualifying for the main draw. This year, the 22-year-old returned as Portugal’s No. 2, carrying greater expectations, but also a deeper appreciation of what competing in front of his home fans means.
“Normally I like to play with a good atmosphere, with a lively one,” Faria explained. “It's what I've always been practising for and what I've always dreamed of: to play in a full stadium, to feel the energy that people are chanting for me. It gives me a lot of motivation, but also sometimes some pressure. I could feel that when I came to watch some Portuguese players."
Jaime Faria in action during his first-round win over Botic van de Zandschulp on Tuesday. Photo: Millenium Estoril Open.
Faria is not the only home hope with a special connection to Estoril. Since qualifying for his tournament debut in 2021, Portuguese No. 1 Borges has become a familiar face at the event and believes it is one of the ATP Tour's standout stops.
“I've always been very biased, obviously, but I do think it's one of the best 250s of the year,” Borges, the No. 48 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, said. “Firstly, it’s a very nice place. If you ask the players, I think they're all very happy, not just with the city, but with the tournament, the environment.”
The setting may be among the most picturesque on the ATP Tour, but it is the atmosphere that often leaves the biggest impression. Packed qualifying days and lively crowds throughout the week have become part of the tournament's identity, and this year a record six Portuguese men featured in the singles main draw, giving local supporters more reasons than ever to fill the stands.
“It's not every tournament that you get this kind of attendance on almost every single day,” Borges added. “The food is great, the people are nice. The beach is close. I think the players are all very happy, and that's my way of showing that I'm not just being biased. It is actually a very nice tournament, and I think a lot of players make a little effort just to make sure they stop by here and do their best.”
Alongside its intimate setting and ocean backdrop, Estoril has developed a reputation among players for its hospitality and organisation, while continuing to attract some of the sport's biggest names. Carlos Alcaraz qualified here as a teenager in 2021 before his breakthrough to the top of the game, while former champions include Stefanos Tsitsipas (2019) and Casper Ruud (2023).
That reputation is no incident.
Tournament Director Joao Zilhao has overseen the event since its move to Estoril in 2015, but his connection to the tournament began long before that. At its former home at the Estadio Nacional, just a short drive away, he worked in almost every role imaginable, from ball boy and line judge to press conference translator and assistant tournament director. Few people have witnessed the tournament's evolution more closely.
“This is a lot more than just a tennis event. It's one of the biggest social happenings in Portugal,” Zilhao told ATPTour.com while overlooking the 3,500-seater Estadio Millenium. “Tennis is one of the elements of this project. But then you have gastronomy, wines, great food, music, art, and so much more. We have some of the best chefs in Portugal cooking here in a wonderful restaurant.
“We also have a heritage of over 35 years, with 25 years down the road in the former location and since 2015 here, we have created a very intimate, very boutique event with lots of ingredients that make it really special.”
Stan Wawrinka is presented with a gift by Joao Zilhao after the Swiss played his final tour-level match on clay in Estoril on Tuesday. Photo: Millenium Estoril Open.
That boutique identity has never come at the expense of the tennis. Year after year, Estoril continues to attract one of the strongest ATP 250 fields on the calendar, a balance Zilhao believes comes from creating an experience that players genuinely enjoy returning to.
“We've always had a great field,” Zilhao said. “I think players enjoy the atmosphere of the event, they enjoy the Portuguese hospitality, they enjoy our gastronomy, our hotels, the weather. So overall, I think we are able to provide a tournament for them that's very special and that ticks a lot of boxes.
“We do a lot of work year round to get this one week right. It's like a Swiss watch when it comes to putting it into working. We're building a puzzle here. There's nothing here during the year. Everything you see around you is temporary, it's just the centre court that stays.”
For Zilhao, the goal has always been to create an event that reflects Portugal. For Borges, it is one of the ATP Tour's standout stops. And for Faria, it remains the tournament where a childhood dream became reality.
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