Tennis: Fiona Ferro wins ITF title in Saint-Palais-sur-Mer

Less than two weeks after her early elimination in the first round of US Open qualifying, Fiona Ferro has bounced back well. The Valbonnaise won the title at the Saint-Palais-sur-Mer challenger by defeating fellow French player Clara Burel in the final.

And that makes ten! That’s the number of singles titles won on the professional circuit by Fiona Ferro. After the slight disappointment across the Atlantic following her elimination from the qualifying tournament for the US Open, the Valbonnaise returned to France to compete in an ITF tournament (2nd division, editor’s note) in Saint-Palais-sur-Mer. A return to the clay court that she loves so much and which served her well this week.

First facing a young French player in the first round, Astrid Cirotte (22 years old, 651st in the world), Fiona Ferro wasted no time in winning in just over an hour and two straight sets (6-2/6-1).

In the next round, the tournament’s top seed faced an Italian player who is a clay court specialist, Aurora Zantedeschi (25 years old, 296th in the world). A match that was much more competitive despite a low number of games played across three sets (6-2/2-6/6-1). After this victory secured in 2h45, the player from the Côte d’Azur cruised through to the final.

Winner over two other Italian players, Diletta Cherubini (24 years old, 378th in the world) in the quarterfinals and then Francesca Pace (21 years old, 324th in the world) in the semifinals.

An all-French final for Fiona Ferro

This Sunday in the final, Fiona Ferro faced another French player in Clara Burel. Before this meeting, the two players had already faced each other three times since 2019, with two victories in favor of Fiona Ferro, a record that gave the Valbonnaise a slight psychological advantage. Struggling for nearly a year, the French player with whom she has often been teammates in national competition is struggling to climb back up the rankings. Currently 416th in the world, the Breton seems to be experiencing a similar path to that of the player from the Côte d’Azur when it comes to physical ailments.

This final therefore pitted two former top 50 players in search of a return to the best world rankings. And in a match that lived up to expectations, it was Fiona Ferro who claimed the title in three sets (2-6/6-3/7-5) after 2h21 of play.

A success that will be good for the morale of the Valbonnaise. In a year interrupted by injuries, Fiona Ferro will have already made her season a success by winning her second title in 2026 after her success in April at the WTA 125 in Oeiras. Added to that two finals in Palermo and Hechingen this summer, still on clay court, and here’s the adopted Maralpine player at the gates of the top 100.

This Monday, as she is competing in the WTA 125 in Montreux, Fiona Ferro should find herself at the 130th place in the world when she faces Mona Barthel. A player she knows well since they have faced each other four times since 2019 (2-2 overall). With good performances in the coming weeks, there is no doubt that the path to direct qualification for the Grand Slams could open up in 2027. And perhaps even a call-up from her friend and national team coach for the French Billie Jean King Cup team, Alizé Cornet, in November to face Australia.