Camila Osorio is the first-ever champion of the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open, doing so after beating Croatia’s Donna Vekić, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, in the finals on Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
Afterward, the genial Colombian admitted that her championship run was akin to a fairy tale while also serving up nothing but praise for the country’s inaugural WTA hosting.
Camila Osorio Wins First Title on Hardcourt
Making things sweeter for the 24-year-old Colombian is the fact that her win on Saturday was her first title on hardcourt and on foreign soil. Her three other WTA championships were all won on the clay courts of the Copa Colsanitas (Bogotá), a WTA 250 tournament in her home country.
“It’s really important to me because it’s my first time to win a tournament on hardcourt and outside my home and stuff. So, it’s very, very important,” she said afterward. “I had a tough beginning at the start of the year, so winning this match means a lot to me.”
Osorio’s start to the championship match against the 2024 Olympic silver medalist was just as tough, as the world No. 84 lost the opening frame and looked out of sorts against her veteran counterpart. But Osorio eventually found her groove and rallied for the win to put a fitting end to what has been a fairy tale run.
“Obviously, being here for the first time, it’s unreal and basically a fairy tale for me,” Osorio added.
Staying Positive
Postmatch, Camila Osorio also admitted that she was speaking words of affirmation to herself, particularly in the waning moments of her title-clinching match.
“I was telling myself, ‘I like this, you enjoy this,’ things like that, trying to be very, very positive,” she recounted. “I don’t know if you noticed this, but in the last game, I was trying to smile and think, ‘Listen, this is what I’ve been working for. If I don’t enjoy it, what’s the point?’”
The self-affirmation and positive mindset ultimately worked in the end, with Osorio digging deep to overcome Vekić in a tough-fought final.
“There’s obviously pressure, and I think that was the key for me, just to stay very, very positive,” the Colombian pointed out. “It is what it is. It’s tennis, and I just enjoyed my final today.”
Nothing But Praise for the Philippine Women’s Open
Notably, Camila Osorio also had nothing but kind words for the overall conduct of the inaugural Philippine Women’s Open, describing it as “great” and “beautiful” and hoping for a bigger tournament next year.
“I said the whole week, the tournament has been great. It’s really, really good. I’ve got nothing to say other than congrats for hosting this beautiful tournament. Thank you for making it possible to every single person who organized it,” she said. “It was really nice. You can tell they made it with love, which is very nice to see. Also, to you guys for being here, you also made it very special. Thank you for that.”
To conclude, the 24-year-old Colombian expressed hope that the tournament will level up next year.
“If there’s something they can improve next year, it would be to make it bigger, I would say,” she said.
With the show Camila Osorio, Donna Vekić, and the rest of the field put on for a full week, and the enthusiastic crowds that flocked the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center, maybe that wish isn’t wishful thinking after all.
