Diane Parry Lifts Maiden WTA Title in Monterrey

Aug 29, 2022; Flushing, NY, USA; Diane Parry of France during her match against Xiyu Wang of China on day one of the 2022 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports | Source: Lastwordonsports.com - Yesh Ginsburg

Diane Parry never expected to be the champion of WTA Monterrey, but after a grueling battle with Elise Mertens in the final, it's the Frenchwoman who emerged as champion in Mexico's Sultan of the North.

Diane Parry A Surprise Champion at WTA Monterrey

After a 6-4 0-6 6-3 win over Elise Mertens in the final, Diane Parry spoke on court about how she didn't have the highest of expectations entering the Abierto GNP Seguros, WTA Monterrey, saying"I came here last minute with almost nothing and didn't know what to expect" 

Parry's ability to strike the ball from the baseline and work out of difficult situations showed the 23-year-old can win matches anywhere, as she bounced back from being bageled in the second set to focus in and get past the veteran Mertens. Parry also showcased a great one-handed backhand. Some of her best shotmaking came after she took a medical timeout in the second set and needed medical attention to her lower back.

Mertens weakness in the final? Break point conversion, as Parry saved 12 of the 17 she faced,

Parry's First TitleDiane Parry WTA Cincinnati Photo Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This week in Monterrey, Parry secured her first WTA Tour title. After finding form with three match wins at WTA Cincinnati, including a win against Mertens, her eventual opponent in the Monterrey final, Parry began the week in Monterrey with an upset over the seeded Donna Vekic.

Oleksandra Oliynykova, Clara Tauson, and Ann Li were the other players she vanquished on the week, improving to 17-10 at WTA level in 2026, her best record on tour since 2024.

The Last Word

After tough wins over Li and Mertens in the hot conditions of Monterrey, Parry will fly to New York and take the court Monday at the 2026 US Open. Her first round opponent is Viktorija Golubic, a Swiss veteran who won a pair of matches in Toronto, before losing her second match in Cincinnati. While the ranking points and a WTA Trophy are always valuable, it will be physically difficult for Parry to recover in time for Grand Slam action .

Parry is defending third round points from her result at the 2025 US Open, and reached the 4th round of this year's French Open, her home Grand Slam.

Main Photo Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports