Vitória Miranda, 17, from Minas Gerais, advanced to the final of the Australian Open singles group in a wheelchair in the junior category. This Thursday (23), the 17-year-old Brazilian, number 1 in the junior world rankings, overcame Belgian Luna Gryp, winning by 2 sets to 0, with splits of 6/3 and 6/1. A debutant in the Australian Grand Slam, the Brazilian will be looking for the singles title on Friday (24), at a time yet to be defined by the organizers.
Before that, starting at 10pm (Brasília time), the Minas Gerais native will compete in the doubles final, alongside Belgian Luna Gryp, an opponent she defeated earlier in the singles. The two will compete side by side against the partnership of North American Sabina Czauz and Latvian Ailina Mosko.
Young Vitória dreams of equaling the feat of Jade Lamal from Tocantins, who in 2022 became the first Brazilian among men and women to win a Grand Slam in wheelchair tennis, by winning the title in the junior singles and doubles bracket in the US Open. In 2023, Vitória was champion of Parapan de Jovens de Bogotá twice: in the singles and mixed doubles, alongside fellow countryman Luiz Calixto. The young tennis player from Minas Gerais was born prematurely and has only 10% strength in her legs.
Also making his debut in Melbourne, 17-year-old Calixto will take the court tonight, right after the final with Vitória Miranda, to also compete for the men’s doubles title. Number five in the world, Calixto will play alongside North American Charlie Cooper (leader of the rankings). They will face the partnership of Belgian Alexander Lantermann and Australian Benjamin Wenzel.
In June last year, in Houston (United States), Vitória Miranda and Luiz Calixto were champions of the Cruyff Foundation Americas Internationala competition that brings together the main youth tennis players from the American continent. In addition to the trophy, Luiz was also the tennis player who improved the most that season.
Born in Belo Horizonte, Luiz was diagnosed with tibial pseudarthrosis (failure of bone regeneration after fracture) in his right leg.
Other results
In the Quad division, for tennis players with at least one upper limb, Brazil was represented by Ymanitu Silva and Leandro Pena, who fell in the debut of the wheelchair tennis main draw, last Tuesday (21). Ymanitu – drawn to debut against the Dutch Sam Schroder, leader of the ranking – ended up being beaten in the first round by 2 sets to 0 (6/0 and 6/1). Leandro Pena was eliminated by Chilean Francisco Cayulef, after losing by 2 sets to 0, in partials of 7/6 (7-5) and 6/3.
