Spain's Cristina Bucsa wins first WTA title of her career

Zoom

The tennis star defeated Magdalena Frech in a three-set final at the Mérida Open and later claimed the doubles crown, completing a remarkable turnaround after a difficult start to the season

Enric Gardiner

Madrid

Monday, 2 March 2026, 15:24

Cristina Bucsa secured the first WTA singles title of her career on Sunday after defeating Magdalena Frech in the final of the WTA 500 tournament in Mérida, Mexico.

The player from Torrelavega prevailed 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in a tense contest to lift the biggest trophy of her career and Spain’s first title in that category since Paula Badosa won in Washington in 2024.

After overcoming Frech in just over an hour and a half, Bucsa dedicated the victory to her father, who was present in the stands. The pair embraced on court at the end of the match.

"I want to thank my father for always setting my limits and working so hard with me. I’m very proud of what we’re achieving," she said.

Little more than an hour later, she returned to court to win the doubles final alongside Xinyu Jiang, beating the pair of Haverlag and Lumsden 6-4, 6-1 to complete a memorable week.

Turning point

The double victory in Mexico marked a dramatic shift in Bucsa's fortunes, who had managed just one win across her first five tournaments of the year.

Bucsa had never previously beaten a top-10 player and had lost all 20 sets she had contested against opponents of that level.

In Mérida, however, she dropped only one set on her way to the singles title and produced the finest win of her career in the semi-finals against top seed Jasmine Paolini.

During her run in Mexico, she also defeated Olympic silver medallist and Wimbledon semi-finalist Donna Vekic, as well as Marina Stakusic and Zeynep Sonmez.

The success will propel Bucsa up the rankings from world number 63 to a career-high 29, making her the top-ranked Spanish player ahead of Jessica Bouzas and Badosa, who has slipped outside the top 100.

In doubles, she climbs three places to number 17, securing her 13th career title in that discipline and her first alongside Jiang.