Stefanos Sakellaridis fulfills clay-court season goal with Chisinau Challenger title

Stefanos Sakellaridis capped a breakthrough week in Chisinau by capturing the title at the second edition of the Moldova Open, held at the brand-new National Tennis Center. The 21-year-old Greek defeated Romanian qualifier Cezar Cretu 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-3 in Sunday’s final to lift the second ATP Challenger Tour trophy of his career.

On a mostly sunny but windy afternoon in the capital city of Moldova, Sakellaridis showed composure and resilience after dropping the opening set. The Athens native struck three aces, won 68% of his first-service points and claimed 52% of the total points played to secure victory after two hours and 39 minutes.

“I am very happy winning this title,” Sakellaridis said. “My goal at the beginning of the clay-court season was to win a title on this surface and this is my last tournament on clay before the start of the grass swing. I was very focused this week and managed to turn this match around today.”

Sakellaridis finding his rhythm on the Challenger Tour

The triumph follows Sakellaridis’ maiden Challenger title in New Delhi, India earlier this year and underlines the impressive progress he has made over the past two seasons.

“That was great,” he said. “It was unexpected because I did not feel great about my game before the tournament. The day before it started, I changed my racquet and it clicked from the very first ball. I also had a good feeling during my first match. I managed to keep the momentum throughout the whole tournament. The support was also great and eventually winning the title was amazing, especially after coming back from 5-2 down in the final. It was very dramatic but created amazing memories for me.”

Arriving in Chisinau at a career-high ranking of world No. 197, the Greek had already enjoyed a strong 2026 campaign after winning three ITF World Tennis Tour titles in 2025. With the title in Moldova, he earns €23,750 in prize money and 100 ATP ranking points, which will propel him to a new career-high ranking of world No. 153.

Throughout the week, Sakellaridis demonstrated the confidence and maturity that have become hallmarks of his game. During the tournament, he spoke about the steady work behind his rise.

“It has been good work over the last couple of years. I have been working on my game, and it has started to pay off. But there is still a long way ahead, and I hope that I can keep going and stay hungry for more. I would really like to continue moving up the rankings and playing bigger events.”

Based in Italy, windy conditions in Chisinau

One of the key factors in his development has been his training base at the Piatti Tennis Academy in Bordighera, where he works alongside renowned coach Riccardo Piatti.

My goal at the beginning of the clay-court season was to win a title on this surface and this is my last tournament on clay before the start of the grass swing. Stefanos Sakellaridis

“It is a great experience there, especially with Riccardo Piatti, who has worked with so many top players. He is helping me a lot,” he said.

The windy conditions in Chisinau proved challenging throughout the week, but Sakellaridis adapted better than most.

“The wind is very unpredictable here. Everything is new, but it is a nice complex with great potential for Moldovan tennis. They want to grow a lot here. They have done a good job.”

The Greek was also impressed by the host city during his first visit to Moldova.

“It’s my first time here. I went to the city center and it is very beautiful. I am happy to be here," he stated.

Asked to describe his game, Sakellaridis highlighted both his strengths and the areas he continues to work on.

“I believe a lot in my game. I can do many different things on the court. I can create a lot of opportunities and be dangerous during matches. But there is still a lot of work to do. I need to bring more spin into my shots, be more aggressive and also become more consistent on my serve. There is still a bit of fine-tuning to do, and then we will see what I can achieve in the future.”

Tennis in Greece is on the rise

Sakellaridis also believes the recent success of his compatriots Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari has helped create momentum for tennis in Greece.

“Tennis in Greece has grown a lot, especially over the last few years. We had the success of Tsitsipas and Sakkari, which led to more people playing tennis. The sport is growing. New players and tournaments are emerging. It is nice to see this development.”

With two Challenger titles already to his name in 2026 and a career-high ranking on the horizon, Sakellaridis leaves Chisinau as the Moldova Open champion and one of the rising players on the ATP Challenger Tour.