Portuguese surfer Yolanda Hopkins has made history by securing a place on the 2026 World Surf League (WSL) Women’s World Tour, becoming the first Portuguese woman ever to qualify for the sport’s elite circuit.
The 27-year-old from the Algarve sealed her qualification today (October 16) after advancing to the semi-finals of the Saquarema Pro in Brazil, the fifth of seven events on the 2025 Challenger Series.
Hopkins knew that victory over Australia’s Ellie Harrison in the quarter-finals would guarantee her place among the world’s best – and she delivered. The Faro-born athlete edged Harrison by 10.67 points to 10.07, mathematically confirming her spot on next year’s World Tour.
Currently ranked second in the Challenger Series standings with 29,460 points, Hopkins sits fewer than 4,000 points behind leader Tya Zebrowski of France. Her qualification comes early, with two events still remaining in the season – a remarkable turnaround after narrowly missing out last year at this same stage in Saquarema.
Hopkins will now face Australian veteran Sally Fitzgibbons, the current world No. 3 with nearly two decades of top-tier experience, in the semi-finals. A win in Brazil could see the Portuguese surfer draw level with Zebrowski in the overall rankings, keeping her in contention for the 2025 Challenger Series title.
Her breakthrough also opens the door for more Portuguese representation on the 2026 World Tour, the National Association of Surfers (ANS) says in a statement. Francisca Veselko, ranked fourth, remains well positioned within the top seven qualification spots, while Teresa Bonvalot, currently 11th, is still within striking distance of the cut line with two events remaining – at Pipeline (Hawaii) and Newcastle (Australia), where Veselko began the season with a win.
Yolanda, born in Faro in 1998 to English and Portuguese parents, is a two-time European champion and has also represented Portugal at the Olympics.
