Australian tennis player Ajla Tomljanovic has finally won her first singles title, snapping a four-match finals losing streak that spanned all the way back to 2015.
Tomljanovic returned after a knee injury restricted her to just five matches so far in 2023, defeating Argentina’s Martina Capurro Taborda 6-1, 7-5 to win the WTA 125 tournament in Brazil.
The title is Tomljanovic’s first singles title since she turned pro in 2009, and comes over four years since she last appeared in a tournament final.
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The 30-year-old had lost four previous singles finals, beginning with the Pattaya Open in 2015 in Thailand, where she was beaten by Daniela Hantuchova in three sets. Her most recent finals appearance was at the Hua Hin Championships in February 2019, where she was beaten in three sets by Dayana Yastremska.
Tomljanovic cruised through the opening set 6-1, but was challenged in the second, before managing to come out on top 7-5.
Currently ranked 543rd in the world, the victory – the biggest in her career to date – could see her jump up to 282nd, in hopes of reaching her best ever ranking of 32 again someday.
Tomljanovic ended 2022 reaching grand slam quarter finals at Wimbledon and the US Open, most notably beating Serena Williams in the 23-time grand slam winner’s final career match, but succumbed to her knee troubles.
She was forced to withdraw from all Australian events, including the 2023 Australian Open, not making her return until July to play just one match of the US Open.
https://twitter.com/Daria_gav/status/1728937618220667349
Despite withdrawing from her round two US Open match, her tournament in Brazil proved she is ready to attack the Australian summer of tennis.
Tomljanovic received a very unique trophy for her victory – a blue cat holding a tennis racquet.
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Australian teammate and friend Daria Saville also found the humour in the bizarre piece awarded to Tomljanovic.
“Hahahaha love this trophy!” Saville said on X.
Tomljanovic has never made it past the quarter final of a grand slam tournament, having been eliminated at the same stage on three separate occasions.