Spain’s Kaitlin Quevedo had never been to a WTA quarterfinal prior to this week in Sao Paulo. Now the 20-year-old is a WTA titlist.
No. 7-seeded Quevedo took out Nadia Podoroska, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, on Monday in Brazil, winning the championship in her first event as a seed.
Quevedo, who had never won consecutive matches at a tour-level event, rallied past Podoroska in a final that was delayed by a full day due to rain.
On a bright, sunny day, she flipped the script on Podoroska and engineered five breaks of serve across the final two sets to clinch the title.
Podoroska was also into her maiden WTA final after going 0-4 in semifinals, including a final-four appearance at Roland Garros in 2020.
Quevedo is up to No. 90 in the WTA live rankings as a result of her triumph, headed for a Top 100 debut. Earlier this season, she made her debut at two Grand Slams, winning a round at Roland Garros and losing in the first round at the US Open.
Luisa Stefani and Gabriela Dabrowski took the doubles title, defeating Anna Rogers and Allura Zamarripa, 6-3, 3-6, 10-7.
Afterwards, both players gave emotional speeches that were full of tears. Quevedo summed up her joy in an emotional, wide-ranging speech.
“I feel that it’s a privilege to have this job, to do what we do every day – to travel to so many countries, meet so many people and experience different cultures,” she said in Spanish. “And honestly, sometimes I feel like we all forget how important it is to recognize the opportunity that we have. That’s why I’m super grateful.
“I know that there are a lot of inequalities in the world. There’s a lot of conflict, and sometimes there’s a lot of hate. And I think it’s incredible how sports can bring together so many people, so many countries and so many cultures, and how we can come together and make a difference in the world.
“I think that, as athletes – not just me, but all of us – we can raise our voices and have this responsibility to make the world a better place. I think using sports as a platform is super important, and it’s a way to achieve peace.”
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