In a dramatic finish at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex, Rafael Matos and Marcelo Melo claimed the 2025 Winston-Salem Open doubles title on Saturday afternoon, rallying from a set down to defeat Portugal’s Francisco Cabral and Austria’s Lucas Miedler, 4-6, 6-4, [10-8].

The all-Brazilian duo delivered a clutch performance when it mattered most, recovering from an opening-set loss and fending off late-match pressure to capture the title.

This triumph marks the third ATP Tour-level title for the Matos/Melo partnership, following their Stuttgart victory in 2024 and their historic Rio Open win earlier this year, where they became the first all-Brazilian team to lift the ATP 500 trophy on home soil.

For Melo, 41, this is another milestone in a storied doubles career: he now owns 40 ATP doubles titles, including Grand Slam triumphs at the 2015 French Open and 2017 Wimbledon.

Matos, 29, continues his rapid rise as one of Brazil’s top doubles players, adding to an impressive résumé that includes the 2023 Australian Open mixed doubles title and a growing collection of ATP trophies.

Their run in Winston-Salem was anything but straightforward. In the semifinals, Matos and Melo survived a nail-biting super-tiebreak against No. 2 seeds Yuki Bhambri and Michael Venus, saving multiple match points before prevailing 6-7(4), 6-2, [13-11].