Bernal becomes first Colombian to win a Paralympic singles match
It has been quite a few hours for Colombia’s Angelica Bernal. Last night she and Zuleinny Rodriguez Trujillo made their Paris 2024 mark by defeating home favourites Pauline Deroulede and Ksenia Chasteau in the women’s doubles.
This morning, bright and early, she was back on Court Philippe Chatrier and made history for her nation by beating Deroulede 6-3 6-1 to become the first Colombian player in Paralympic history to win a wheelchair tennis singles match.
Heading into today, she was one of three Colombian players – alongside Johana Martinez and Eliecer Oquendo Barrios – to have contested a wheelchair tennis singles match at a Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Event.
In fact, all three had made three singles appearances prior to Paris 2024, losing on all three occasions. Bernal, however, already holds a Colombian Paralympic record having won in doubles alongside Martinez at London 2012.
That was Colombia’s first ever Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis victory, but now they have a singles success to cherish following the heroics of Bernal, who advances to the second round where either Saki Takamuro or Maria Florencia Moreno lie in wait.
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“Wow! I did not know that I made history and that I am the first Colombian to win a wheelchair tennis singles match at a Paralympics,” said Bernal, who has phocomelia and was born without her right leg, resulting in her using a prosthetic from the age of two.
“But while I may the first, I hope that many men and women who play wheelchair tennis will come to the Paralympic Games in the coming years. I want to open opportunities for people – men, women and juniors – in Colombia to play wheelchair tennis.
“Yesterday was an amazing day and I didn’t want to go to sleep but I knew that I had a tough match against a good, local player today. I have been working with my team for many years for this.
“It is just amazing to play here – to play on Court Philippe Chatrier – with all it’s history and I am really honoured to compete here, win here and continue to work towards a medal. We have to keep calm, however, as there are more matches to come.”
Bernal, who is ranked No. 6 in the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour Rankings, is certainly making her presence felt in the French capital. Judging by her rhetoric, she has every intention of riding her wave of Roland Garros momentum.