Before this unexpected double, "Bia", as she is known in her country, had not won a single title on the WTA circuit, since her best result was a final, lost, in 2017 in Seoul.

Thanks to the trophies raised in Nottingham on June 12, then last Sunday in Birmingham, the Brazilian climbed for the first time into the top 30 (29th) and will be seeded number 23 at Wimbledon.

Before going to the All England Club next week where she will face Slovenian Kaja Juvan (60th) in the first round, this slender left-hander fell on Friday in the semi-finals of the Eastbourne tournament, beaten 7-6 (7/5), 6 -4 by the Czech Petra Kvitova.

Until this setback, she had chained thirteen consecutive victories on grass, unheard of in women's tennis since Serena Williams' 20 successes between 2015 and 2018.

Beatriz Haddad Maia during her loss to the Czech Petra Kvitova on June 24, 2022 in the semi-final at Eastbourne.

The Brazilian remained on 13 rank victories on grass Glyn KIRK AFP / Archives

"No one knows how hard we've worked for the past two years. It took a lot of determination, and all the hardships I've been through in my life have given me more strength," she said. declared after his victory in Birmingham.

"Above the Lot"

Its advent is a new breath for Brazilian tennis, orphan since the retirement in 2008 of Gustavo Kuerten, triple winner of the Roland-Garros tournament.

"+Bia+ can be dangerous in any tournament, it is well above the rest in Brazilian tennis", explains to AFP Renan Nabeshima, of the specialized site A Voz do Tênis (the Voice of tennis).

Born in Sao Paulo, the daughter of a former basketball player and a tennis teacher, "Bia" is a precocious talent.

"From an early age, everyone saw in her the potential of a great player," Sheila Vieira, a Brazilian journalist specializing in tennis, told AFP.

But his career was strewn with pitfalls.

The physical glitches began in 2013, with shoulder problems and herniated discs.

In 2017, a fracture of three vertebrae during a domestic accident slowed her rise to the highest level, but she still managed to gradually climb to 59th in the world, thanks in particular to her final in Seoul.

Beatriz Haddad Maia against Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko in the final of the Seoul tournament on September 24, 2017, her only final before her enchanting spring 2022 turf JUNG Yeon-Je AFP/Archives

The "worst moment" of his career came in July 2019 with a positive doping test for anabolics.

Ten month suspension

She served a ten-month suspension, despite her lawyers proving it was "human error" by the pharmacy that supplied her with dietary supplements.

"I always try to surpass myself, day after day. In life, there are ups and downs and you can't control everything," she said in an interview with Voz do Tênis.

After her suspension, her return was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic and she failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, where her compatriots Luisa Stefani and Laura Pigossi won the bronze medal in doubles.

She did not play again until September 2020. Starting from 1,342nd in the world, she has continued to climb the ladder since.

"Bia finally managed to put the problems of injury and suspension behind her. Here in Brazil, we knew she could regain the upper hand by chaining matches," insists Sheila Vieira.

Beatriz Haddad Maia (right) with her Kazakh partner Anna Danilina in the lost doubles final at the Australian Open on January 30, 2022 Paul Crock AFP/Archives

A doubles finalist at the Australian Open in January, she has made great strides in return and footwork, while building on her lifelong forte: a powerful, high-performance serve.

"The Top 30 is not an end in itself for Bia. She will continue to progress and surprise," predicts Renan Nabeshima.

© 2022 AFP