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Nobody ever really leaves the Championship Tour, it seems. Just a week after Kelly Slater was unceremoniously eliminated from the Trestles Pro as an event wildcard, the WSL has announced that Tatiana Weston-Webb will return to competition as an event wildcard for the upcoming Rio Pro.
The development comes hot on the heels of Weston-Webb dropping out of the remainder of the 2025 Championship Tour season at the end of March, with the accompanying WSL press release citing a need to “prioritize her well-being.” The move brought an early close to a disappointing 2025 season for the Kauai surfer. Early eliminations at the Pipe Pro, Abu Dhabi Pro, and Pro Portugal placed her in the second-to-last spot in the rankings, with the mid-season cut approaching fast.
“This has not been an easy time for me,” said Weston-Webb at the time. “I am incredibly grateful for everything I have achieved in surfing so far, and for the support I have always received from my sponsors, team, and fans. Every achievement has been the result of intense and collective effort. Recently, I realized that I needed to pay closer attention to my emotional health. As an athlete, I have always been passionate about what I do, but I also know that taking care of my well-being is essential to honoring my passion and continuing to compete at a high level. The emotional and physical exhaustion I have felt lately were clear signs that it was time to pause and reconnect with myself.”
Weston-Webb is one of four wildcards announced for the upcoming event. The others are Gabriel Klaussner, a Brazilian surfer on the QS, and Arena Rodriguez and Peterson Crisanto, the highest-ranked surfers from LATAM on the Challenger Series Rankings.
The announcement prompted some choice words from Brazilian surfers on social media. Filipe Toledo commented a terse “No locals?” Meanwhile, Joao Chianca was much more blunt in his evaluation of the WSL’s choices, writing, “Bored by Peterson and Tati, but meritocracy went to space.”
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