The sands of Matosinhos recently settled, marking the end of a thrilling beach tennis showdown. This event, the Sand Series Matosinhos, was a major Grand Slam-level competition. It was a first for Portugal, hosting such a high-stakes tournament. The Portuguese Tennis Federation organized the event. It offered a hefty $104,000 in prize money. And the men’s title? It went exactly where most expected: to the best in the business.
Nicolas Gianotti, ranked second, and Mattia Spoto, the world’s number one, faced a tricky test. They went up against Brazil’s Giovanni Cariani, ranked sixth, and Daniel Mola, ranked seventh. But the top seeds showed their class. They claimed the title in straight sets. The final score was 6-3, 6-4. They truly lived up to their top billing.
Gianotti, 27 years old, has been a force on the sand since he was 16. This latest win marks his 54th career title. A remarkable 32 of those trophies came alongside his partner, Spoto. Spoto, the Italian half of the pair, isn’t far behind. He now boasts 53 career titles. Seven of those have come just this year, 2025. Spoto’s journey to the top is interesting. He started with beach tennis, then tried court tennis until he was 14. But by 15, the beach called him back. This latest victory clearly shows that decision was the right one.