It was the 2011 French Open. The then World Number 2, Kim Clijsters was one of the favorites to win the tournament that year. She had an effortless first-round victory and was up against Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands in the second round. However, the latter caused the upset of the tournament as she knocked out Clijsters in an epic three-set match 3-6, 7-5, 6-1. With this, the Dutch star announced herself on the big stage.

Twelve years after, the 32-year-old has tasted her biggest success yet. Hours ago, the Dutch star clinched her first-ever WTA title. Following that, she had an emotional moment as she lifted the trophy.

Arantxa Rus dedicates the trophy to her late dad

Earlier this year, Rus went through a difficult time as her father passed away. However, the 32-year-old had the perfect way to honor her late father. During the presentation ceremony following her victory in the WTA 250 Hamburg European Open in Hamburg, Germany the Dutch star thanked everyone for their support.

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Further, paying tribute to her late father, she said, “I really hope to come back here next year and I would like to give the trophy to my dad.”

Following the statement, Rus got emotional as she went on to collect her trophy. Meanwhile, the crowd erupted in cheer for her and gave her a standing ovation, acknowledging her efforts.

Coming to her summit clash victory, it was a dominating performance against a lesser-known rival. She defeated local star, Noma Noha Akugue in straight sets 6-0, 7-6 (3). In a match lasting for an hour and 45 minutes, Rus was dominant from start to end as she gave her opponent hardly any breathing space. The momentum continued till the very end, handing the Dutch star her first-ever WTA title.

Rus is having one of the best seasons of her tennis career. Earlier this year, she clinched a couple of WTA 125 titles and ITF titles. Additionally, she is on the rise in the WTA rankings chart. She is placed at the 60th position and is expected to break into the top 50 with her maiden WTA title. With the US Open in sight, Rus will be looking to replicate her form on the hard courts. It’ll be interesting to see how she performs in the year-ending Grand Slam tournament.