The 19-year-old celebrated his birthday on 28 September, just days after capturing the Tiburon Challenger title in California, the biggest achievement of his young professional career.
But Blanch’s journey began far from the spotlight of professional tennis.
A childhood shaped by Thailand
When Blanch was just one week old, his family left Boca Raton, Florida, and moved to Thailand after his father, Ernesto, accepted a business opportunity in Southeast Asia.
The family settled in Sam Roi Yot, around four hours by car from Bangkok, where Ernesto built a tennis court in their backyard and hired an Argentine coach to teach the sport to his four children.
Blanch grew up playing on the court surrounded by trees and jungle, alongside his older siblings Ulises, Dali and Krystal, who also pursued tennis.
“We had our house and then in the backyard, we had a tennis court. It was literally just the court and just a jungle around it, basically,” Blanch told ATPTour.com.
The backyard court became the foundation of his tennis development, providing a place where the siblings could practise and compete together.
Blanch has particularly fond memories of playing tennis with his grandfather during his childhood in Thailand.
A life across continents
Thailand was only the beginning of Blanch’s international upbringing.
He later spent time in Argentina and trained at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Tennis Academy in Spain before returning to the United States. He is now based in Orlando, Florida.
The experience of living in different countries has helped shape his outlook on travel and life beyond tennis.
The 6ft 4in left-hander speaks English, Spanish and Chinese. Although he once spoke Thai, he has largely forgotten the language after spending years away from Asia.
Blanch frequently switches between English and Spanish on court, influenced in part by his Argentine coaches, Mariano Monachesi and Juan Ignacio Chela.
He believes growing up around different cultures has made travelling for professional tennis easier.
“I’ve seen so many different cultures and lived in so many areas, that it’s definitely helped me travel,” he said.
Five match points saved on the way to his first title
Blanch’s latest breakthrough came at the Tiburon Challenger in California, where he produced a remarkable comeback in the opening round.
Facing Stefan Kozlov, the American saved five match points to remain in the tournament.
Rather than allowing that escape to be a one-off moment, Blanch built on it throughout the week, eventually defeating defending champion Michael Zheng in the semi-finals before going on to lift the trophy.
The triumph marked his first ATP Challenger title and made him the youngest American to win an ATP Challenger 125 event.
He also joined compatriots Learner Tien and Alex Michelsen as the only American players aged 18 or younger to win a Challenger title in the past decade.
Tien and Michelsen have since established themselves among the leading young players on the ATP Tour, offering Blanch examples of what can follow an early breakthrough.
Next Gen ATP Finals in his sights
Blanch’s Tiburon success has also strengthened his hopes of qualifying for the Next Gen ATP Finals, the season-ending tournament for the leading players aged 20 and under.
He moved to sixth in the PIF ATP Live Next Gen Race to Reggio Calabria following his title run.
The tournament is scheduled to take place in Reggio Calabria, Italy, from 9 to 13 December.
Blanch acknowledged that qualifying would be a major achievement but said he was prepared to keep working if he falls short this year.
“It's definitely a big goal for us and it's something we're aiming for,” he said. “If I qualify, obviously that's fantastic, and if not, we will work and try to get there next year.”
From a backyard tennis court in Thailand to a breakthrough title in California, Blanch’s journey has already taken him across continents. His next challenge is to turn that promise into sustained success on the professional circuit.