by The Maltese tennis player’s impressive form during the year has led her to reach a new career high ranking of 299. Curmi has been having a successful season particularly on clay where she participated in her first WTA 250 event. This besides her triumphs in the Games of the Small States held in Malta last May.
Following a strong breakout year, the twenty-one year old continued rising to the challenge in tournaments this year. She lifted the trophy in the ITF W25 Tossa de Mar tournament on carpet in May before landing in Malta to compete in the Games of the Small States. Despite her young age she handled the pressure of the home crowd well, landing the gold medal in the Women’s Doubles alongside her compatriot Elaine Genovese, whilst capturing the silver in the Women’s Singles tournament.
She headed into the summer with a spring in her step where she made significant headway on clay. July saw Curmi making waves in W60 tournament held in Liepaja where she reached the quarter-finals, upsetting a number of top 200 players along the way. Following that, she landed in Palermo where she made her (and Malta’s) first appearance in the main draw of a WTA 250 tournament. She pushed then world number 81 Cristina Bucsa to a deciding set, only narrowly defeated by a single break at 7-5.
A return to hardcourt in the W100 tournament held in Figueira da Foz saw Curmi continue her rise. She won her two qualification matches to reach the main draw and progress until the round of sixteen. In doing so she collected valuable ranking points which have led her to break into the WTA top 300 in singles rankings for the first time.
There was a changing of the guard at the top of the WTA rankings too. Aryna Sabalenka dethroned Iga Swiatek from the world number one spot. The Polish player had held the position for seventy-five weeks, the third-longest in WTA history for a first-time number one.
Lead Image: FP Tennis
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