Junior French Open champion Guto Miguel replaces Humbert at UTS Rio presented by XP
Guto Miguel, the 17-year-old Brazilian who made history at Roland-Garros this year, has been added to the UTS Rio presented by XP line-up, stepping in for Ugo Humbert, who has withdrawn for personal reasons.
The teenager, who competes under the nickname GUTO, takes Humbert’s place directly in the draw. That means a daunting but thrilling introduction to the fast-format arena: he will face Nick Kyrgios on Thursday July 16, then Brandon Nakashima on Friday July 17, in front of a home crowd at the Maracanazinho.
Miguel’s arrival means Brazil will have two players in the UTS Rio presented by XP field, joining compatriot João Fonseca.
“I am very happy and honored by the invitation to participate in UTS Rio”, Miguel said. “It will be a very special experience to play in front of the Brazilian crowd again, feel their support up close, and share the court with some of the best players in the world in Rio de Janeiro. I am sure it will be a great event and I can’t wait to experience this moment with the fans.”
Few players arrive on debut with momentum quite like Miguel’s. At Roland-Garros in 2026 he became the first Brazilian-born player to win the boys’ singles title, beating American Michael Antonius 6-3, 6-4 in the final, and, in doing so, the first Brazilian ever to lift a junior singles French Open trophy.
It is the kind of breakthrough that has made him one of the most talked-about prospects to emerge from a country riding a wave of tennis optimism.
Born in Goiânia and coached at the Fly Sports Academy, with additional training at the Mouratoglou Academy in France, Miguel is a right-hander who leans on a favourite forehand and thrives on atmosphere – an ideal temperament for UTS. He has spoken of feeding off crowd energy, noting that Brazilian fans bring a football-style passion few other sporting cultures can match. In Rio, that energy will be squarely behind him.
Miguel has named Novak Djokovic as his idol, and cited compatriot João Fonseca’s recent French Open meeting with the Serb as a spur to his own dreams. Now he gets his own stage, on home soil, against two of the tour’s most established names.
