The Rio Open presented by Claro confirmed another Brazilian player in the main draw of the carioca event this Tuesday. Pernambuco native João Lucas Reis has received the tournament’s second wildcard to compete in the biggest tennis event in South America, which takes place from February 14 to 22 at the Jockey Club Brasileiro, in Rio de Janeiro.
João Lucas is coming off the best season of his career, marked by significant progress and a rise of more than 200 positions in the ATP rankings. The Brazilian claimed titles at the Santa Fe Challenger in Argentina and the M25 Coquimbo in Chile, both played on clay, in addition to strong performances at the Challengers in Lima, Santa Cruz de la Sierra and Antofagasta. These results earned him a career-high ranking of world No. 187. His great season also led to his first Grand Slam appearance, competing in the US Open qualifying.
“It’s a great opportunity to be able to play the main draw of an ATP 500 at home, with my family, all my friends and my coaching team behind me — it’s going to be incredible. I’d like to thank Lui, Pardal and everyone involved in the organization for this wildcard. I’m extremely motivated. I’ve just arrived here with the Davis Cup team for the tie against Canada, and from here I’ll head straight back to Rio to train more and prepare in the best way possible to arrive at the tournament in top form. I’m very excited, motivated, and ready to go.”
The wildcard marks João Lucas’ first appearance in the main draw of ATP 500 in Rio. He has previously competed in the qualifying draw on three occasions, most notably in 2025, when he secured his place in the qualifiers after winning the Procopio Cup.
“João Lucas fully deserves this wildcard. He had a consistent 2025 season, achieving strong results on the Futures and Challenger circuits, and we are happy to give him the opportunity to play his first ATP main draw at home. We hope this chance helps his development on the Tour,” said Luiz Carvalho, Rio Open Tournament Director.
João Lucas Reis is the second Brazilian confirmed in the main draw, joining João Fonseca, and the second wildcard announced by the tournament organizers, who had previously awarded the first to French legend Gael Monfils. The third and final main-draw wildcard, as well as the wildcards for the qualifying draw and doubles, will be announced at a later date.
Rio Open qualifying ticket redemption date announced
The qualifying to the Rio Open will take place on February 14 and 15 at the Jockey Club Brasileiro, and will determine the final four spots in the tournament’s main draw. Admission to the qualifying matches is free, subject to ticket redemption.
To redeem tickets, fans must complete the ticket registration on February 10, starting at 11 a.m., at eventim.com.br/rioopenqualifying. Tickets are free of charge, limited, and subject to availability, with a maximum of two tickets per CPF, per day.
