Luisa spent a year away from the courts due to a ruptured ligament in her right knee, diagnosed in September 2021. She has only played doubles since returning but says that she very much intends to compete in singles tournaments too going forward.

"After the injury, I thought it was more prudent to come back in the doubles to establish myself and get confidence back in my body, improve until I have a singles career again," explained the Sao Paulo native, who has been playing tennis since she was 10.

"Whenever possible I will try to play, and in the future, I will again set myself goals on the singles circuit. But for now, my focus is on doubles."

Fixed partnership on the radar

Stefani played with Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski (31) at the 'Sunshine Double', as the WTA 1000 tournaments of Indian Wells and Miami are known. The pair had a successful partnership in 2021, when they won the WTA 1000 in Toronto and finished runners-up in Cincinnati and San Jose.

The Brazilian and the Canadian were knocked out in the quarter-finals at Indian Wells and the first round in Miami, but Stefani is keen to establish continuity with Dabrowski.

"Having a fixed partnership and playing several times with the same tennis player, with Gabi for example... We have more time to build and train together," she said.

"With that, we adapt and learn from the victories and defeats. Also, obviously, (we can) focus on a more long-term goal, which is to play the WTA Finals at the end of the year."

Golden focus

After winning the bronze medal playing alongside Laura Pigossi in Tokyo, Stefani naturally entered the Olympic radar of Brazil for the Paris Games in 2024.

She doesn't shy away from the responsibility and, without revealing possible partnerships, says she intends to play both in the doubles and in the mixed doubles next summer.

"(I'm) already aiming for Paris 2024. The singles bracket is unfeasible, but I intend to be in the women's doubles and mixed doubles," said the first Olympic medalist in the history of Brazilian tennis.

"For sure, our goal there will be to seek more medals and gold for Brazil. It is always like this when we compete for our country, especially after our experience in Tokyo."

Brazilian women's tennis surging forward

It's a good time for Brazilian women's tennis with Beatriz Haddad Maia (26) also impressing, being a frequent presence in the main singles and doubles events - recently, she claimed the highest position of a Brazilian in the history of the WTA singles rankings.

There was a moment Stefani remembers from Indian Wells that made it clear just how well things are going.

"There was a funny situation in Indian Wells when Bia, Laura and I met in the physio's room and said: 'What a moment!' How long has it been since we have had three Brazilian women in the physio room of a WTA 1000 and living together in one of the biggest tournaments in the world?

"It was a very nice moment and it shows how important this phase of Brazilian women's tennis is."

Stefani will be representing her country at her next tournament. On April 14 and 15, she will play for Brazil at the Billie Jean King Cup, against Germany in Stuttgart. After that, she will continue her partnership with Dabrowski for the clay season.