Third-youngest Umag champion this decade, behind Alcaraz and Sinner
Right-handed, two-handed backhand — the 21-year-old from Madrid went from Challenger titlist to first-time ATP finalist and then ATP champion inside six months of 2026.
Career-High Rank
No. 59
20 JUL 2026
Current Rank
No. 101
20 APR 2026
Age
21
B. 26 SEP 2004
ATP Titles
1
MADRID, ESP
Birthplace
Madrid, Spain
Coaches
Israel Sevilla & Guillermo Martínez
Height
188 cm (6'2")
Plays
Right-handed
Backhand
Two-handed
Best Slam
Wimbledon 2R (2026)
Mérida arrived at the 2026 Tiriac Open in Bucharest ranked outside the top 130 and had to qualify just to make the draw. He then rallied from a set down three times, saved three match points in the semifinals, and took eventual champion Mariano Navone to 7-5 in the third set of his first ATP final. The run lifted him roughly 35 places to No. 101 — a new career high at the time — and set the tone for a spring in which he beat Marco Trungelliti for a first Masters 1000 match win in Madrid, upset seeds Adrian Mannarino and Fábián Marozsán to reach the third round there, and made his Grand Slam main-draw debut at Roland Garros.
"It's incredible. Winning an ATP title is something different." — After winning Umag 2026 · Puntodebreak.com
The payoff came in July. In Umag — where Alcaraz and Sinner won early-career titles — Mérida beat Damir Dzumhur in three sets for his first ATP trophy, becoming the tournament's third-youngest champion this decade and jumping inside the world's top 60, barely a year after he was still grinding for a first Challenger title in Pozoblanco.
"I'm super happy with my level this week and for my first title."
AFTER THE UMAG 2026 FINAL · ATPTOUR.COM"It's amazing to be in this group of players."
ON JOINING ALCARAZ AND SINNER AS UMAG CHAMPIONS · ATPTOUR.COM"I like hitting the ball as hard as I can."
ON HIS PLAYING STYLE · PUNTODEBREAK.COM