Colombia’s Camila Osorio is no stranger to success, but nothing beats becoming a part of history by winning the first-ever Philippine Women's Open.
Camila Osorio had multiple reasons to celebrate as she claimed the first-ever Philippine Women’s Open title, beating Donna Vekic in the singles Finals on Saturday, January 31.
While she’s not new to winning on the WTA Tour with three titles already to her name, there’s something about making history in Manila that enamored the 24-year-old Colombian.
[RELATED: Camila Osorio denies Donna Vekic to claim maiden Philippine Women’s Open title]
“It's really important to me because it's the first time I win a tournament in hard court and outside of my home and stuff. So it's very, very important,” said Osorio.
“And obviously, I had a tough start of the year. So winning this match means a lot to me. And obviously, also being first time here, it's unreal and basically a fairy tale for me.”
Home away from home
Despite going up against a Manila crowd favorite in Vekic, Osorio also felt the love from the Filipino fans even if she was the one to eliminate hometown darling Alex Eala in the quarterfinals.
Seeing similarities between the Philippines and her home country of Colombia, it was an added bonus for Osorio to win in front of a sold out crowd at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
[RELATED: Camila Osorio raves over crowd after ruling inaugural Philippine Women’s Open]
“I think besides Colombia, this is my top one. I mean, it's just, as I said, they're very kind, very loving, and you can feel the passion, so it's very nice to see their energy. And yeah, I think it's in the top 3 for sure,” admitted Osorio.
“I really enjoyed the environment,” she added.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.