Beatriz Haddad Maia became the first Brazilian woman to reach the top 10 of the WTA rankings on Monday following her dream run to the semi-finals of the French Open.The 27-yaer-old beat Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the last eight in Paris to become the first Brazilian woman in 55 years to reach a Grand Slam semi-final.She was beaten by eventual champion Iga Swiatek.Brazilian women’s has had precious little success since the days of Maria Bueno who claimed seven Grand Slam titles between 1959 and 1966 – long before the advent of the WTA rankings which were introduced in 1975.Three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten reached number one in the men’s ATP rankings in 2000.Haddad Maia will take a ranking of 10 into the grasscourt season in which she impressed last year and will feature in this week’s Nottingham Open as build-up to Wimbledon begins.
June 12, 2023 | 11:55 PM