Grabher makes history for Austria with ITF W100 win in Gran Canaria
Julia Grabher achieved a milestone for her nation on the ITF World Tennis Tour, becoming the first Austrian to win a title at the $100,000 prize money level after triumphing at W100 Maspalomas Gran Canaria.
The 27-year-old rose to the occasion in front of a sold-out crowd at Club Conde Jackson Tennis Maspalomas, defeating home favourite Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4 6-4 in the final.
“I love playing here in Gran Canaria and I am very happy for this victory,” beamed Grabher, who also won the title when the event was held as a W60 last year.
Grabher’s triumph was her first of the year, the 12th of her career on the ITF World Tennis Tour, and comes almost a year after her most significant title to date – at WTA 125 Bari.
It also ended a run of six defeats in her last seven matches since her second round loss to Coco Gauff at Roland Garros.
Grabher, who climbs nine places to a career-high No. 54 in the world this week, is the first Austrian woman to have competed in a W100 final on the ITF World Tennis Tour since Patricia Mayr-Achleitner at 2012 $100,000 Cagnes-Sur-Mer.
Barbara Schwartz had previously won the most significant title on the ITF World Tennis Tour by an Austrian woman, claiming the crown at the $75,000 Estoril event in 1998.
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Grabher was one of two W100 champions on the ITF World Tennis Tour this weekend along with Xinyu Wang, who won her second tournament of this stature after triumphing at W100 Landisville.
Wang defeated Madison Brengle 6-2 6-3 in the final for her seventh ITF singles crown overall - and her most significant since she won at W100+H La Bisbal D'Emporda in May 2022.
There was also a big win for 22-year-old Swiss Lulu Sun, who won her fifth professional singles title - and first above W25 level - after beating Leolia Jeanjean 6-4 4-6 6-2 to reign supreme at W80 Brasilia.
Click here to discover all the weekend’s results on the ITF World Tennis Tour