Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Luisa Stefani

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: July 14, 2026

Discover the career path of Luisa Stefani, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Luisa Stefani is a prominent Brazilian professional tennis player, specialized in doubles. She made history as the first Brazilian woman to break into the top 10 of the WTA doubles rankings and became the first Brazilian woman to win an Olympic medal in tennis since 1996, earning a bronze in doubles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics alongside Laura Pigossi. Stefani has secured multiple WTA titles throughout her career, including prestigious wins at the 1000-level tournaments. Additionally, she achieved a significant milestone by winning the 2023 Australian Open mixed doubles title with partner Rafael Matos, marking the first time a Brazilian duo won a Grand Slam title. Known for her powerful net play and tactical acumen, she is a cornerstone of the Brazilian Billie Jean King Cup team and continues to be a leading figure in contemporary professional tennis.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2014: Junior French Open Semifinalist

In 2014, Luisa Stefani achieved a significant career milestone by reaching the doubles semifinals of the French Open as a junior competitor.

2015: US Open Junior Semifinalist and ITA National Rookie of the Year

During 2015, Stefani reached the doubles semifinals at the junior US Open and was honored as the ITA National Rookie of the Year following an impressive 40-6 record in her freshman season at Pepperdine University.

2015: WTA Tour Main-Draw Debut

In 2015, Luisa Stefani made her debut in the main draw of a WTA Tour event after being granted a singles main-draw wildcard for the Brasil Tennis Cup.

2016: NCAA Singles Championships Semifinalist

In 2016, Stefani reached the semifinals of the NCAA Singles Championships, where she concluded her run after a match against Danielle Collins.

May 2019: Career Singles Ranking Milestone

On 20 May 2019, professional tennis player Luisa Stefani achieved a career-high singles ranking of No. 431.

October 2019: Career-High Doubles Ranking Milestone

On 21 October 2019, Luisa Stefani reached a significant career milestone by achieving a career-high doubles ranking of No. 75, following a successful stretch of tournaments in September where she reached a final and won her first career title.

2019: Transition to Full-Time Doubles Tennis

During 2019, Luisa Stefani made the strategic decision to shift her focus exclusively to doubles tennis after experiencing professional success at the Monterrey Open. This pivot, which occurred throughout 2019, enabled her to secure a spot in major tournaments, including her main-draw debut at the French Open alongside partner Astra Sharma.

2019: Bronze Medal Win at 2019 Pan American Games

In 2019, Luisa Stefani achieved a significant career milestone by winning a bronze medal in tennis alongside her partner Carolina Alves at the Pan American Games held in Lima.

2019: ITF Title Victories

In 2019, Luisa Stefani and Beatriz Haddad Maia achieved a significant milestone by winning two ITF titles together, laying the groundwork for their future doubles partnership.

2020: 2020 Tokyo Olympics Bronze Medal

During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, held in the summer of 2021, Luisa Stefani partnered with Laura Pigossi to earn a bronze medal in women's doubles, becoming one of the only two Brazilians to ever win an Olympic medal for tennis.

2020: Olympic Bronze Medal Victory

During the Tokyo Olympics held in 2020, Luisa Stefani and her partner Laura Pigossi made history by winning a bronze medal in tennis, becoming the first Brazilian tennis players to secure an Olympic medal. Despite only receiving their entry one week before the games and having limited experience as a pair, they overcame significant challenges, including saving multiple match points against top-tier opponents.

2020: Breakthrough Year for Stefani/Carter Duo

Throughout 2020, the tennis duo of Luisa Stefani and Hayley Carter achieved significant success, including reaching the third round of the Australian Open, winning the Challenger Series title in Newport, advancing to the Dubai quarterfinals in February, and securing victory at the Lexington Open in August. These accomplishments allowed them to break into the top 40 rankings for the first time in 2020.

November 2021: Reaching WTA Doubles Top 10

On 1 November 2021, Luisa Stefani achieved a major career milestone by reaching world No. 9 in the WTA doubles rankings, becoming the first Brazilian woman to break into the Top 10 in the Open Era.

2021: 2021 Season Milestones and Challenges for Luisa Stefani

During the 2021 tennis season, Luisa Stefani achieved a career milestone by reaching her first WTA 1000 final at the Miami Open alongside her partner Carter. However, her season was marked by significant challenges, including missing the French Open due to emergency appendicitis surgery and losing her partner to a season-ending injury at Wimbledon, which led her to pair with Gabriela Dabrowski for the remainder of the year.

2021: US Open Semifinal Run and Injury

In 2021, Luisa Stefani achieved her first major semifinal appearance at the US Open alongside partner Gabriela Dabrowski; however, she suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury during the match against Coco Gauff and Caty McNally, forcing her withdrawal and subsequent surgery. Later in November 2021, despite her injury, she reached a career-high doubles ranking of No. 9, becoming the first Brazilian woman since the Open era began to reach such a high position.

2023: 2023 Australian Open Withdrawal and Adelaide Victory

In 2023, Luisa Stefani initially planned to compete in the Australian Open alongside Caty McNally, but the pair was forced to withdraw after McNally sustained an injury during the singles competition. Prior to this, in 2023, Stefani partnered with Taylor Townsend at the WTA 500 tournament in Adelaide, where she secured a victory that propelled her to a world ranking of No. 34.

2023: 2023 Australian Open Mixed-Doubles Victory

In 2023, Luisa Stefani partnered with Rafael Matos to win the mixed-doubles competition at the Australian Open, marking the first time an all-Brazilian pair secured a major title in this category. This milestone also made Stefani the first Brazilian woman to win a mixed doubles title at this tournament and the second Brazilian woman to win any major title.

2023: Wimbledon Mixed Doubles Final and US Open Partnership

In 2023, Luisa Stefani reached the mixed doubles final at Wimbledon alongside Joe Salisbury, becoming the first Brazilian to achieve this feat since Maria Bueno 58 years earlier. Additionally, the pair competed together at the 2023 US Open, marking their only other tournament appearance as a team during that year.

2023: Pan American Games Success

In 2023, at the Pan American Games, Luisa Stefani secured a gold medal in doubles alongside Laura Pigossi and later earned a silver medal in mixed doubles with partner Marcelo Demoliner, despite the physical challenge of competing in two finals on the same day.

November 2024: Knee Surgery and Tournament Organization

In November 2024, Luisa Stefani underwent surgery on her knee and spent her recovery time co-organizing the "Torneio de Duplas Luisa Stefani e Carlos Omaki" in Cotia, São Paulo, an event dedicated to promoting doubles tennis in Brazil.

2024: 2024 Summer Olympics Preparation and Abu Dhabi Open

During 2024, Stefani and Haddad Maia competed in the Abu Dhabi Open as preparation for the 2024 Summer Olympics, reaching the semifinals before withdrawing due to an injury sustained by Haddad Maia.

2024: Doha Tournament Performance and Title Defense Attempt

During the 2024 Doha tournament, Luisa Stefani competed alongside partner Demi Schuurs but was unable to successfully defend her previous title. Additionally, in the same tournament, she participated with Peyton Stearns, advancing to the round of 16 before being defeated by the duo of Veronika Kudermetova and Chan Hao-ching in straight sets.

2024: Early End to 2024 Tennis Season

During the 2024 season, Luisa Stefani reached the quarterfinals of the US Open with partner Demi Schuurs, but following a first-round loss at the Wuhan Open in October 2024, she made the decision to prematurely end her season due to persistent knee pain, despite being in contention for the 2024 WTA Finals.

2024: Selection for Time Brasil BRB for BJK Cup

In 2024, Luisa Stefani was selected to represent the Time Brasil BRB, Brazil's national team, for the Billie Jean King Cup, marking her return to the squad for the first time since the tie against Germany earlier in the first semester of 2024.

January 2025: Return to Tennis Courts

Following a one-month recovery period from her knee surgery, Luisa Stefani was projected to make her professional return to the tennis courts in January 2025.

November 2025: Reunion with Dabrowski

In November 2025, Luisa Stefani officially announced her return to professional partnership with Gabriela Dabrowski. This decision marked their comeback after nearly three years of playing apart, with the pair setting their sights on competing at the Adelaide International tennis tournament.

2025: 2025 Indian Wells Open partnership debut

In 2025, Luisa Stefani partnered with Leylah Fernandez for the first time at the Indian Wells Open. The duo faced a first-round exit after being defeated by Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe in a decisive match.

2025: Return to Tennis at the 2025 Australian Open

In 2025, Luisa Stefani returned to professional tennis after a four-month hiatus to compete in the Australian Open doubles tournament alongside partner Peyton Stearns. The duo successfully defeated Ingrid Martins and Irina-Camelia Begu in straight sets during the first round of the 2025 competition.

2025: Return to Top 15 Doubles Ranking

In 2025, Luisa Stefani successfully concluded her season ranked as the No. 14 doubles player in the world, marking her return to the top 15.

2025: Upper Austria Ladies Linz Semifinal Victory

In 2025, during the Upper Austria Ladies Linz tournament, Luisa Stefani partnered with Tímea Babos for the first time after being forced to change partners. The new duo achieved a significant milestone by defeating the top-seeded team of Zhang Shuai and Kateřina Siniaková in their 2025 semifinal match.

2025: Luisa Stefani Sponsorship with Slyce

In 2025, tennis player Luisa Stefani entered the season with confidence following her recovery and signed a sponsorship agreement with the Brazilian sportswear brand Slyce. She subsequently debuted her new Slyce uniform while competing at the 2025 Australian Open.

July 2026: Reaching WTA Doubles Top 5

On 13 July 2026, Luisa Stefani reached world No. 4 in the WTA doubles rankings, marking the first time a Brazilian woman achieved a Top 5 ranking in the Open Era.