Ahead of Australian Open main-draw debut, Sierra's poised to take next step in 2026

PERTH, Australia -- Solana Sierra remembers a difficult few weeks in February 2025.

She won an ITF WTT W75 title in Vero Beach, Florida, in late January, but her momentum halted. Sierra was ousted in the Round of 16 at a W75 in Rome, Georgia, fell to Maya Joint in the quarterfinals at the WTA 125 in Cancún, and lost in the second round to Joint again in the second round qualifying at the WTA 500 Merida Open.

A month off and a change of scenery later, Sierra rejuvenated her season with her first career WTA 125 title at the Megasaray Hotels Open in Antalya, Türkiye. That kickstarted a 2025 season on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz that propelled 21-year-old to the Argentinian No. 1, improved her ranking 100 spots to No. 66 and captured two 125 titles.

"It was very special. I remember I didn’t have a very good few weeks prior, I wasn't in a very good mood," Sierra said in Spanish to wtatennis.com in Perth at the United Cup. "To take that step and win, it was very special."

Fresh off an offseason full of training and time at home with her family and dog on the coastal city of Mar del Plata, Sierra’s back, ready to make her name even more known.

"I always have confidence in myself that I can do good things, but yes, I was quite surprised by the level of the last year,” Sierra said. "I'm super happy with how much I was able to improve in many aspects. I made a lot of progress and achieved many goals that I had been wanting to reach."

For 2026, Sierra’s vying another significant ranking increase and frequent matches the world’s best. At the United Cup, she defeated No. 42 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 5-7, 6-0 -- her best career win by rank -- and faced No. 4 Coco Gauff and No. 11 Belinda Bencic, though losing in straight sets.

A self-described "aggressive player," Sierra wants to display new variations to her game and placed a specific focus on her serve and return this offseason to strengthen her arsenal as she enters more tour-level events.

She’s slated to make her main-draw debut at the Australian Open with direct entry, marking her second direct entry at a Grand Slam (2025 US Open). Prior, she’s had to go through qualifiers.

"It's my first main draw at the Australian Open, a new experience, and I’m happy to be able to start the year there in the main draw. It's a great tournament and I can't wait to play," Sierra said.

A dream come true

Tennis fans might know Sierra from her Round of 16 run at Wimbledon, where she received entry at the final minute -- literally. Sierra had lost her third qualifier match to Talia Gibson, but she was first in line for a lucky loser berth.

Dining at the player’s restaurant at the time, Sierra learned that Greet Minnen withdrew because of a back injury. Her chance had come – with 15 minutes notice -- and she was ready to make the most of her Wimbledon main-draw debut.

A change into match clothes and a five-minute warm-up later, Sierra then started a magical and historic run. She was the first lucky loser in the Open Era to reach the women’s singles Round of 16 at Wimbledon, and the first Argentine in 20 years to advance that far in the tournament. She had to change her accommodations multiple times because she wasn’t expecting to go as far as she did.

"It was very crazy, honestly, all of those days," Sierra said. "What I take away most from that week was that, even though I lost in the last qualifying round, I kept training, remained focused in case the opportunity came. It came, and I was prepared, motivated and well-trained."

The memories -- such as defeating Great Britain’s Katie Boulter on Court No. 1 and taking Laura Siegemund to three sets on Court No. 2 -- is what she cherishes the most.

"It was a dream come true for me, and it was a complete gift because I had already lost," Sierra said. "It was very incredible."

Entering the spotlight

Sierra’s name was now on notice. She had slowly been building momentum up until the Championships, winning the aforementioned title in Antalya, followed by a W75 title in Bellinzona, Switzerland in April, but the Wimbledon run put her in the spotlight.

She entered the grass-court Slam ranked just outside the top 100, but jumped to No. 72 ahead of the Cincinnati Open, where she advanced through qualifiers and made her main draw debut at a WTA 1000.

Sierra ended her season with three WTA 125 events, winning another 125 title at the inaugural Mallorca Women’s Championships, one that was particularly special. Not only did she train at Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, but she also received the trophy from one or her biggest inspirations and Argentinian legend, Gabriela Sabatini, who won the 1990 US Open.

"It was very special to have her there all week," Sierra said. "She came to all my matches, and it's incredible what she represents for us Argentinian women.

"She’s a legend, an idol for us. I didn't have the chance to see her [play], but I know how much she meant to many. She had a huge influence on tennis."

At 21, Sierra’s still young, but she’s progressing consistently and will be featured in more tour level events. At the United Cup, she played her first two top 15 opponents back-to-back in Gauff and Bencic, and is currently in the second round at the WTA 250 Hobart International. It marked the first time that Sierra played two tour-level events in the Australian swing to begin the year -- a small statistic, but one that represents her rise.

"I couldn’t play many tournaments of that level because of my ranking, but now… I have the chance to be in the main draw in Grand Slams, 250s and 500s," Sierra said. "It’s very good and positive for -- more than anything -- the level that’s there and playing those matches against strong players."

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