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Pro surfer Gabriel Medina hangs loose in San Diego to support Beatriz Haddad Maia

Two of Brazil's top sporting stars crossed paths in a late-night win for the lefty at the WTA 500 event.

ByBaseline Staff

Published Sep 13, 2023

MATCH POINT: S. Stephens def. E. Mertens; San Diego 1R
ALSO IN SAN DIEGO: Sloane Stephens rolled past Elise Mertens in other first-round action.

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First he catches waves, then he catches winners.

Pro surfer Gabriel Medina was on hand at the Cymbiotika San Diego Open on Tuesday to watch countrywoman Beatriz Haddad Maia seal a berth in the second round.

Haddad Maia, seeded No. 7 at the WTA 500 event, outlasted Leylah Fernandez in three sets, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, to close out the day's order of play.

This spring, Haddad Maia became the first Brazilian woman to crack the WTA's Top 10 in singles after a semifinal showing at Roland Garros. But the 29-year-old Medina is also a national hero in Brazil as a three-time world champion, and boasts 18 World Surf League Championship Tour wins, second only to American Kelly Slater on the men's circuit.

Afterwards, Medina congratulated Hadda Maia for her win on Instagram, calling her "our golden Brazilian girl."

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Pro surfer Gabriel Medina was in San Diego to support Beatriz Haddad Maia.

Pro surfer Gabriel Medina was in San Diego to support Beatriz Haddad Maia.

The two-hour, 36-minute win over Fernandez in front of her countryman was a measure of revenge for Haddad Maia, who lost to Fernandez in Montreal ahead of the US Open.

She takes on Marta Kostyuk in Wednesday's second round, bidding for back-to-back singles wins for the first time since Wimbledon.