Yolanda Hopkins has made history as the first Portuguese woman to qualify for the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour, securing her spot for the 2026 season.
Gonçalo Saldanha, President of the Portuguese Surfing Federation (FPS), praised the achievement on Thursday, calling it a significant milestone for the nation. He emphasized that reaching the Championship Tour, the sport’s elite circuit, is the ultimate goal for surfers.
Hopkins, 27, clinched her qualification during the Saquarema Pro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She advanced to the semifinals of the Challenger Series (CS) event by defeating Australia’s Ellie Harrison, securing one of the seven coveted spots for the 2026 tour.
Saldanha highlighted Hopkins’ consistent performance throughout the current season as a key factor in her success. He noted that other Portuguese surfers, Francisca Veselko and Teresa Bonvalot, still have opportunities to qualify.
“Portuguese women’s surfing is, and has been, to be congratulated, because it has been a remarkable season for our athletes,” Saldanha stated, attributing their success to hard work.
Hopkins is currently facing former world No. 1 Sally Fitzgibbons of Australia in the Saquarema Pro semifinals. This event is the fifth of seven stops in the Challenger Series.
Her path to qualification included a runner-up finish in Ballito, South Africa, and a third-place podium finish in Ericeira. She also placed fifth in Newcastle Beach, Australia, and Huntington Beach, United States, earlier in the season.
The FPS president suggested that this achievement could significantly motivate Hopkins for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, an event the federation is targeting for her third consecutive Olympic appearance. Hopkins competed in the Tokyo 2020 Games, reaching the quarterfinals, and the Paris 2024 Games, where she was eliminated in the round of 16.
Hopkins’ qualification mirrors the pioneering efforts of Portuguese male surfers Tiago Pires, who competed for seven seasons (2008-2014), and Frederico Morais, with five seasons (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2024).
Saldanha, who assumed the FPS presidency in March, views Hopkins’ success as a boon for the broader development of women’s surfing in Portugal. He hopes it will inspire more young athletes, although he also noted a concern about declining competitor numbers in some youth categories.