Two wild cards at the Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem have marked significant national milestones with their first-round victories.
Kabbaj’s Landmark Victory
Home hope Yasmine Kabbaj became the first Moroccan player to win a match on the WTA Tour since 2011, beating Berfu Cengiz 7-6(4), 6-3. Ranked No. 334, Kabbaj is the fourth Moroccan woman to win a tour-level match in the Open Era. She follows Habiba Ifrakh, Bahia Mouhtassine and Nadia Lalami, who reached the Fès quarterfinals in 2011.
The 22-year-old San Diego State alumna made her WTA main-draw debut as a wild card at Rabat 2024. Last month, she scored her first career Top 100 victory over Diane Parry in the Saint-Malo WTA 125 first round.
Kabbaj is already the third-highest ranked Moroccan woman in WTA history. Mouhtassine peaked at No. 139 in 2002, and Lalami reached No. 322 in 2011.
Nahimana Makes History for Burundi
Sada Nahimana became the first Burundian to score a victory over an opponent ranked in the Top 100 by defeating Ajla Tomljanovic 6-3, 7-5. Nahimana is familiar with making history for Burundi in Rabat.
She became the first player from her country to compete in a WTA main draw here in 2023. In 2025 she became the first Burundian to win a tour-level match after she defeated Aya El Aouni to make the second round.
The 25-year-old is currently ranked No. 231 after strong performances over the past two months. Across Nahimana’s four prior tournaments, she had reached the finals of the Bujumbura W50 and Platja d’Aro W35, then the semifinals of the Zagreb W75 last week.
Kotliar Completes the Set
A third wild card, 19-year-old Ukrainian Yelyzaveta Kotliar, also claimed her first tour-level win with a remarkable comeback. The No. 528-ranked teenager trailed Francesca Jones 4-0 in the third set, but roared back to seal a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory in 2 hours and 20 minutes.
Nahimana’s upset of three-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist Tomljanovic saw her show off impressive prowess with the drop shot and marks a career-best performance.