Jarry and Tabilo make history for Chilean tennis in Rome | ATP Tour

Roma

Jarry and Tabilo make history for Chilean tennis in Rome

For the first time, there are two Chilean tennis players in the semis of the same ATP Masters 1000 event

May 16, 2024

Chilean tennis is celebrating at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia and Nicolas Jarry and Alejandro Tabilo have captured the attention as absolute protagonists in Rome.

To begin with, they have already managed to achieve an unprecedented achievement: they became the first Chilean duo to reach the semifinals in the same ATP Masters 1000 event, and it is also the first time that multiple Chileans have been in the semifinals of a tour-level event since 2006. in Viña del Mar and the first time outside Chile since the 2004 Athens Olympic Games (González and Massú).

However, long before rubbing shoulders with the most select of world tennis and being part of that small group that can liven up any tournament, there is a very particular point of connection between both compatriots.

It happens that Tabilo, back in 2016, made the transcendent decision to represent Chile, when he could have accompanied his name with the flag of Canada, the country in which he was born, and he did so after, precisely, a match against Jarry. Alejandro’s father, Ricardo, had told his son that when he got into the top 400 of the PIF ATP Rankings, he was going to play for Chile if he wanted to. That milestone that forced determination was after Tabilo’s victory over Jarry in a Future in Halifax in 2016, in hard indoor.

At that moment, Tabilo Sr. told his son, to motivate him, that if he beat him they would do the paperwork and he would play for Chile. The result was 7-6 (6) and 6-4 for the left-handed player, who at that time was ranked No. 856, while his rival was already close to the 400 best tennis players in the world.

The next day, his mother contacted the Chilean consulate in Canada to begin arranging for Alejandro’s nationality. Eight years later, his parents traveled to Rome this Thursday to accompany him in his first ATP Masters 1000 semifinals, the same week in which Jarry achieved the same outstanding result.

While they dream of a final together, if this Friday they manage to pass Jarry to Tommy Paul and Tabilo to Alexander Zverev, at 28 and 26 years old, respectively, they are already dreaming big and want to continue making noise in the Italian capital.

Did you know…?
Jarry equals his best position of No. 18 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, while Tabilo made sure to climb to at least the Top25 of the world list. And he could keep going up.