Crowned in São Paulo, Sarah Rakotomanga pays tribute to Neymar and Mbappé

With bold tennis and a fighting spirit, young French player Sarah Rakotomanga has won her first WTA tournament in São Paulo. The journey was marked by a magical lob, a heroic comeback, and an unexpected dedication to Neymar and Mbappé.

On Sunday in São Paulo, Sarah Rakotomanga achieved more than just a trophy: she made history. In her third tournament on the WTA circuit, the 19-year-old Frenchwoman triumphed in the WTA 250 final, dominating Indonesian Janice Tjen in two sets (6-3, 6-4).

Ranked 214th in the world before the tournament, she makes a spectacular leap to 131st place, crossing a symbolic and psychological threshold. "I can't believe it," she admitted, still emotional two hours after her triumph.

An Unexpected Dedication to Neymar and Mbappé

"I was so stressed about this speech that I prepared something with the help of my best friend, Thomas. Since he's a soccer fan and a PSG supporter, we wanted to make a reference to the famous Mbappé phrase: 'football has changed.' It was a dedication to him.

Regarding Brazil, I said that this country now has a special place in my heart. Like Neymar. Because when I think of Brazil, I think of him. I'm a supporter of Neymar. I find him very handsome. My mother does too. By the way, I have to go. I need to call my parents to celebrate all this…," she told our colleagues at L'Équipe.

After this great performance and amusing speech, the young Frenchwoman will fly today (09/15/2025) to Portugal to compete in a WTA 125.