Louise Stefani’s unprecedented qualification to the Wimbledon women’s doubles final is the result of work that goes well beyond her hours on the court. Physiotherapist Ricardo Takahashi, who has been responsible for monitoring the Brazilian since 2022, says the tennis player’s discipline is one of the pillars of her historic Grand Slam campaign in Great Britain.
“Louise is very professional. She is one of the athletes I have worked with who is the most dedicated not only to training, but also to rest, nutrition and investing in a complete team. She deserves everything she achieves,” says Takahashi.
According to the expert, the daily routine at tournaments involves detailed planning before and after each training session or match.
“When we accompany Louise, we do mobility and muscle activation work before she goes onto the court, always combined with physical training. After practices and games, we begin the entire recovery process with joint mobilization, muscle relaxation and other resources to ensure she is in the best condition to perform again the next day,” he explains.
Takahashi was also involved in Stephanie’s recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her right knee suffered during the 2021 US Open. According to him, her return to court became possible only because all stages of rehabilitation were followed.
“From the very beginning, I made it clear that we needed to trust the process. The protocol included about a year of recovery from surgery, without waiting for her to return to the court. We knew how important it was to respect this deadline so that she could return to competition at a high level,” she recalls.
The planning paid off. Returning to the sporting scene, Louise Stefani won the mixed doubles title at the 2023 Australian Open, and in 2026 alone she has already won three tournaments alongside Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski. Now she is participating in the Wimbledon final for the first time and has already taken fourth place in the world doubles rankings, maintaining her chances of leading the rankings along with her partner.