RIO CLARO/STARNBERG, July 13, 2026
France’s Oceane Babel captured the ITF W15 Rio Claro title on Sunday, coming from a set down to defeat Brazil’s Marjorie Souza 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in an entertaining final at the Clube de Campo de Rio Claro in Sao Paulo. Played in front of packed stands, the championship match brought the tournament to a fitting conclusion with high-quality tennis.
The 22-year-old Frenchwoman secured the second professional title of her career after producing an impressive comeback. After dropping the opening set, Babel raised her level, dictating play with aggressive baseline tennis before pulling away in the deciding set to complete victory after two hours and 32 minutes.
“I’m very happy with my result here,” Babel said after the final. “It was a great week in which I played at a high level. I’d like to thank everyone who made this tournament possible, as well as my coaches and my family.”
Souza made a strong start, feeding off the energy of the home crowd to take the opening set. However, Babel responded by increasing the tempo and gradually took control of the match, eventually sealing the title in three sets.
Despite the defeat, Souza was pleased with her performance after reaching the second professional final of her career.
“I started well, playing aggressively and executing my game, but my level dropped a little in the second set and she played really well,” the Brazilian said. “I’m leaving happy with the week because I improved with every match and pushed myself throughout the tournament. I used to play tournaments here as a child, so it was very special to return for a professional event and reach my second career final. Having my family here and so many people cheering for me made it even more special.”
Runner-up Souza earned 10 WTA Ranking points, continuing her encouraging first full season on the professional circuit after completing her college tennis career in the United States. She will remain in Brazil to compete at next week’s ITF W35 Sao Paulo tournament.
The ITF W15 Rio Claro was held at the Clube de Campo de Rio Claro as part of the ITF World Tennis Tour, with support from Engie, Colegio Objetivo de Rio Claro, Caprem Construtora and Inni, under the sanction of the São Paulo Tennis Federation and the Brazilian Tennis Confederation.
