Rafael Pagonis at the Europe Tennis Junior Tour 2025. Credit: Instagram / Rafael_Pagonis
13-year-old Greek tennis sensation Rafael Pagonis on Saturday became the first Greek player to win a Tennis Europe Junior Masters title, competing against Slovakia’s Max Lorincik in the tournament’s finals in Monte Carlo.
Past champions of the prestigious junior tennis tournament have included Rafa Nadal, Kim Clijsters, Alexander Zverev, and Belinda Bencic.
“I feel very proud of myself and of my team. I’m happy with this win… my team cried!,” Pagonis told Tennis Europe after the thrilling three-set battle.
Thrilling Junior Masters final
Though it was the Slovakian who drew first blood, testing the Pagonis serve throughout the first set, and converting three of the eight break points that came his way to take a 6-4 lead.
Set 2 saw the Greek improving his first serve from 53 to 85 percent, enabling him to wrest back the initiative. Having traded breaks early in the set, he secured another in game 9 before levelling at one set apiece.
The European top seed reeled off four more consecutive games to start the final set, including an immaculate run of eight points in a row to secure and consolidate his second break.
Lorincik showed his resilience at 0-4, chipping away at Pagonis’ lead and eventually recovering to 3-4 with some spectacular shot-making. As so often throughout this year though, Pagonis was able to raise his game when he most needed to, steeling himself for a final break and closing the match 6-3 in just under two hours of play.
“After the first set I was angry but I tried to stay calm and make him move, tire him out. It worked, so I’m very happy with the strategy,” Pagonis commented following his win.
Pagonis becomes best tennis player in his age group
Rafael Pagonis wraps up an outstanding Junior Tour season, in which he dominated his rivals and stands clear as the best player in his age group, Tennis Europe observes.
The Junior Masters is his eighth title of the season, including tournament wins on all four surfaces. He has picked up some of the Tour’s most prestigious crowns, such as the European Junior Championships and two Super Category events, in Maia and Barcelona, and ends his unforgettable season with a 51/5 win loss record in singles.
The 2025 Tennis Europe Junior Masters took place at the Monte-Carlo Country Club from 22–25 October, bringing together Europe’s top-performing boys and girls in the 14 & Under and 16 & Under categories to compete for one of junior tennis’s most prestigious titles.