18-Year-Old French-Moroccan Tennis Player Dreams of Winning the US Open
At 18, Adelia Da Costa is already aiming high. The young French player of Moroccan and Portuguese descent dreams of winning the US Open, one of the most prestigious tournaments in world tennis. First, she faces the challenge of making her mark on the professional circuit.
“My dream is to win the US Open.” Adelia Da Costa is certainly ambitious. With just a few weeks left before she leaves junior competitions, the young French-Moroccan player is preparing to join the professional ranks, a move planned for December. It will be a step up for the player, born in Montpellier in 2008, who now trains at the Ermont tennis academy in the Paris region.
Her role model? Serena Williams, of course. Not only for her 23 Grand Slam titles. “She is also an example of how you can start with nothing and succeed,” Adelia explains in an interview with Tennis Papers, published Thursday, October 8.
The young woman discovered tennis at around the age of ten. No one in her family played, although sports have an important place in the family. Since then, she has competed in numerous tournaments, traveling to Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Belgium, as well as Morocco and Tunisia. Among her best memories is competing with a national team at a tournament in Portugal.
The professional circuit, a whole new challenge
Adelia knows her strengths, as well as what she still needs to work on. She considers her reading of the game her main asset. She now wants to build her stamina and consistency, particularly when rallies drag on. These are essential qualities if she hopes to compete with more experienced opponents.
In Ermont, she works with several coaches, including a fitness trainer. Her immediate goal is clear: to establish herself on the professional circuit and, eventually, win major titles. The player’s profile is also listed in the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) official database under the French flag.
Her Moroccan and Portuguese roots are part of her identity. Based in Paris, she speaks four languages: French, Arabic, Portuguese and English. This international outlook goes hand in hand with her travels to competitions around the world.
When she is away from the courts, Adelia enjoys drawing, taking photographs and making the most of her free time. And when asked who she would like to dedicate her interview to, her answer is just two words: “My parents.”
