Resurgent Machac captures Adelaide title and signals return to elite form
Tomas Machac won the title on Saturday night against Ugo Humbert
Tomas Machac, Adelaide 2026 | © Tennis Australia
Tomas Machac cemented his status as a legitimate force in the men’s game on Saturday night, capturing the Adelaide International title with a hard-fought 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-2 victory over Frenchman Ugo Humbert. The world number 35 displayed a level of tactical maturity and mental fortitude that has become his trademark over the past twelve months.
“I was very happy with the performance what I was playing the whole week,” Machac said after the match. “I think the level of the tennis was pretty high. I’m so glad that I could hold it all the week.”
After Acapulco and Guadalajara
The victory marks Machac’s second official ATP singles title, following his high-profile breakthrough at the ATP 500 in Acapulco in early 2025. When including his triumph at the UTS event in Guadalajara last February, this trophy represents the third major professional milestone for the 25-year-old Czech. His rise mirrors a broader resurgence in Czech men’s tennis, as he joins the likes of Jiri Lehecka and Jakub Mensik in reshaping the nation’s presence in the top flight.
Facing the 36th-ranked Humbert in a final is a daunting prospect, given the Frenchman’s historic efficiency when a trophy is on the line. Machac was well aware of the challenge, stating, “Especially today, Ugo was playing great tennis as always. In the end of the tournaments he’s playing always great, so I prepared for that very well.”
The match proved to be a grueling battle of baseline aggression, with Machac taking the opening set before Humbert’s trademark resilience forced a third. “In the third set I bring a great level of the tennis, and I manage to break him first time in the third set, and I just keep the strong level, yeah,” Machac explained.
Machac : “Better emotions”
A critical element of the win was Machac’s ability to recalibrate his emotions after a frustrating second set. Despite his technical prowess, the Czech admitted that his temperament remained a work in progress during the heat of the tiebreak. “I had to put a lot of, how you do you say, better emotions out there the second set to my team,” Machac added.
This reset allowed him to regain the initiative in the decider. “I just keep the focus in the third set. I manage to keep the level of the tennis pretty high from the beginning of the third set, so that was great key in the game. Yeah, I just started to play even a little bit more aggressive. Then I was keeping the serve also very well. So it was a very difficult match today.”
Machac’s road to the title featured a significant quarterfinal upset over second-seeded Tommy Paul, alongside straight-set wins over Jaume Munar, Quentin Halys, and James Duckworth. Humbert’s journey was equally impressive, highlighted by a victory over top seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
