On October 1st, 2022, Egypt’s Mayar Sherif, a tennis champion, nailed Egypt’s first ever win in a WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) event at the Parma Ladies Open after defeating her Greek opponent Maria Sakkari with a 7-5, 6-3 win. Her big win earned her 200 points advancing her previous WTA ranking up by 25 spots. She now holds the 49th position worldwide. This was the first time that Sherif won such a title. The significance of the win lies in her ability to defeat a top-tier tennis champion like Sakkari, ranked 7th among WTA’s players.
Get To Know The Rising Champion
Sherif always had a love and passion for the sport. She dove into her tennis career right in her early twenties after she graduated from Pepperdine University in 2018. Sherif wanted to pave the same path as her sister, Rana Sherif, previous tennis champion who achieved a 1100 ranking. Starting off strong, in 2019, Sherif managed to reach the Olympic Games in Tokyo after she bagged a gold medal at the African games in Morocco.
Her WTA win is among a growing list of other crowning achievements. In the world of tennis and among the Egyptian community, the 26-year-old player is considered a trailblazer as she was able to get into two of the biggest Grand Slam events. She not only was the first Egyptian woman to reach the Roland-Garros Main Draw in 2020, but she also managed to be Egypt’s first female player to compete in the Australian Open Main Draw one year after.
Sherif’s talent is also representative through her WTA ranking as she currently holds the 49th position, considered the 2nd highest female Arab WTA ranking. Tunis’ Jabeur Ons bagged the 2nd position, making her the highest-ranking Arab tennis player in the WTA. The Tunisian athlete is yet again another Arab trailblazer especially when she made history by being the first Arab woman to reach Wimbledon’s quarter finals.
How Arab Women Are Changing The Sports Narrative
Arab female representation in the world of tennis is increasing as more female athletes like Sherif and Ons are joining a growing league of Arab legends, including Egyptian swimmer Farida Osman and Saudi track and field champion Sarah Attar, who are making it big in the world of sports. These women are paving a path of inspiration for younger Arab girls to pursue their athletic aspirations so they too can be their very own trailblazers in the future.