Corentin Moutet produced today one of the standout performances of his recent career, defeating No. 3 seed Alex Michelsen 6-4, 7-6(3) to book his place in the final of the Mallorca Championships presented by ecotrans Group. The Frenchman, who last contested an ATP final in Doha 2020, returns to a title match 1,994 days later after a tightly contested battle filled with variety, high-level shot-making, and momentum shifts.
In their first-ever meeting at tour level, the clash showcased a stark contrast of playing styles. Michelsen, one of the tour’s rising stars, relied on aggression and forward pressure, while Moutet responded with his trademark finesse — mixing drop shots, net approaches, and rhythm changes to disrupt the American’s game.
“I played against a great player today. He’s still young, but very, very good,” said Moutet. “I’m happy with the level of tennis we both produced. He played well at the net, so I was struggling a bit with my passing shots today.”
A particularly tense second set saw both players battle through tough service games, but it was the Frenchman who proved more clinical in the tiebreak. “I’m really happy to have won in straight sets because I was having a hard time holding serve in that second set,” admitted the current World No. 83.
The win marks a deeply emotional milestone for Moutet, who reaches an ATP final after a five-year wait. “I’ve been through a lot in these five years. After Covid I had quite a few physical injuries, which was really frustrating,” he shared, visibly moved. “My family, my friends, my team — they always believed in me. I’m lucky to have their support.”
With the result, Moutet becomes the second Frenchman to reach the Mallorca final following Adrian Mannarino’s appearance in 2023. He will now aim for his maiden ATP title against Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, who earlier ousted Felix Auger-Aliassime in the first semifinal. It will be their first ATP-level meeting, though Moutet recalled a distant memory from the lower circuits:
“I think I played him once, maybe twice. I remember one time I was really sick, but still decided to go on court — and he crushed me. Hopefully tomorrow it will be different. It’s a final — a different day,” he added. “I’ll try to play my best tennis, even better than today, although I’m already very happy with my level.”
The championship match is scheduled for Saturday, not before 3:00 PM, on Centre Court at the Mallorca Country Club. Prior to the singles final, the doubles title will be decided at 12:00 PM between the teams of Yuki Bhambri / Robert Galloway and Santiago González / Austin Krajicek.
