Renata Zarazúa Upsets Beatriz Haddad Maia at WTA São Paulo, Reaches Semifinals
São Paulo, Brazil – In a stunning upset at the WTA 250 event in São Paulo, renata zarazúa of Mexico defeated top seed and home favorite Beatriz Haddad maia 7-6(5), 6-3 in the quarterfinals. The victory marks a significant turning point for Zarazúa, propelling her into her first WTA semifinal of the 2025 season and giving her a chance to compete for her maiden tour-level title.
Haddad Maia, currently ranked 27th in the world and a former top-10 player, arrived in São Paulo with a struggling 13-24 record this season. Despite her recent form, the Brazilian was seen as the clear frontrunner in the tournament, being the only player in the top 70 participating. This loss represents a missed chance to secure her first title in over a year.
The match began promisingly for Haddad maia, who quickly established a 3-0 lead. Though, Zarazúa, ranked 84th, battled back, ultimately taking the closely contested first set 7-5 in a tiebreak after 78 minutes of play.
The second set proved equally challenging for the Brazilian. Haddad Maia was unable to convert her single break point opportunity, while Zarazúa capitalized on her lone chance, securing a crucial break that shifted the momentum. After two hours and fifteen minutes, Zarazúa closed out the match, sending the home crowd into disappointment.
“Down goes the Top Seed!” the WTA announced on X (formerly Twitter), celebrating Zarazúa’s impressive win.
Down goes the Top seed 💥
Renata Zarazua is headed to her first semifinal of the 2025 season after defeating Haddad Maia in straight