MASPALOMAS/STARNBERG, August 4, 2025
In front of packed stands and a euphoric home crowd, Kaitlin Quevedo wrote her name into the history books on Sunday by becoming the first Canarian player to win the ITF W100 DISA Gran Canaria-Maspalomas. The 19-year-old lifted the trophy after a thrilling 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 win over World No. 94 and top seed Arantxa Rus from the Netherlands at Club Conde Jackson Maspalomas.
For Quevedo, ranked No. 235 in the world and seeded fourth, the final was more than a milestone, it was a moment of breakthrough for one of Spain’s most promising young players, and a landmark moment for professional women’s tennis in the Canary Islands. The crowd responded in kind, packing the stands and creating a spectacular atmosphere at one of the most significant tennis events on the island of Gran Canaria.
The match unfolded as a gripping battle between experience and youth. Rus, a seasoned competitor with three previous titles in Gran Canaria to her name, entered as the firm favorite. But it was the local player who set the early tone. Quevedo raced to a 2-0 lead in the opening set, taking advantage of a slow start from the top seed. Rus eventually found her rhythm, stringing together a series of dominant games to lead 5-3, and despite Quevedo’s resistance, the Dutchwoman clinched the first set 6-4.
Refusing to be rattled, Quevedo responded with powerful baseline rallies and tactical brilliance in the second set. Again taking a 2-0 lead, she pushed the match into long, high-quality exchanges that thrilled the crowd. Her momentum built steadily, and she took the second set 6-2 with some of her best tennis of the tournament.
The decider was a rollercoaster. Rus struck first, jumping to a 3-0 lead after an early break. But Quevedo wasn’t done. Encouraged by a passionate home crowd, she clawed her way back into the match, leveling at 3-3. As the match surpassed two and a half hours, errors crept into Rus’s game. Quevedo capitalized to move up 5-3, and though Rus cut the lead to 5-4, the Canarian eventually closed it out on her fourth match point, sealing a memorable 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory.
The triumph was a landmark for Gran Canaria and the local tennis community, as the title remained on the island for the first time in the tournament’s history.
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“I am very pleased and proud to win the tournament against a very good opponent in a tough final,” Quevedo stated after the final. “Let’s continue like this and go for more!”
A vibrant trophy ceremony followed, attended by local dignitaries and key figures in Spanish tennis, including Alejandro Marichal (Deputy Mayor of San Bartolomé de Tirajana), Yilenia Vega (Tourism Councilor), Víctor Navarro (Advisor to the Gran Canaria Sports Department), José Sepúlveda (President of the Canary Islands Tennis Federation), and former WTA star Carla Suárez, now captain of the Spanish Billie Jean King Cup team and tournament ambassador.
Tournament Director Oti Santana and Club Manager Dominic Conde both hailed the final as a dream ending. “This was the final we had hoped for—a historic match between two generations of players,” said Santana. “Arantxa Rus has been a loyal presence in this event, and Kaitlin not only became the first Canarian finalist, but also a player with enormous potential.”
“We always wanted this tournament to be more than just about tennis,” added Conde. “We wanted players to want to come here, to be part of this event and feel at home. Judging by their smiles, I think we’ve achieved that.”
The ITF W100 DISA Gran Canaria-Maspalomas is organized by Club Deportivo Conde Jackson with support from the Cabildo de Gran Canaria through Turismo de Gran Canaria and the Instituto Insular de Deportes, along with Promotur Turismo de Canarias and the Ayuntamiento de San Bartolomé de Tirajana. The tournament’s principal private sponsor, Grupo DISA, backed the event for the eighth consecutive year, joined by co-sponsors eó Hotels, RFET, Martínez Cano, Loype, Aguas de Firgas, Audiovisuales Canarias, and Mapfre.
The event once again showcased Gran Canaria not only as a world-class tourist destination, but also as a rising stage for top-tier international sport. With Kaitlin Quevedo’s triumph, the island has a new sporting hero and a moment to remember.
