MALIBU, California – Luisa Stefani, one of the most decorated women's tennis players in Pepperdine history, will play in the mixed doubles title at the 2023 Australian Open. The final is set for 5 p.m. Pacific time on Thursday night.
 
"We are excited for Luisa to play in a Grand Slam final and it's just the first of many," Stefani's college head coach and current Pepperdine women's tennis head coach Per Nilsson said. "It is great to see passion and hard work pay off."
 
One of five players in Waves' history to be named an All-American three times, Stefani – ranked 34th in the WTA doubles rankings – was unseeded in the Australian Open, but her and fellow Brazilian Rafael Matos have won four consecutive matches to reach the final. They will play India's Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna in Saturday's championship. Stefani is looking for her seventh career doubles title, and first at a Grand Slam.
 
Stefani was a bronze medalist in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first Wave to win a tennis Olympic medal as just the second Wave to compete in the Olympics (Mayar Sherif, Egypt, was the other also in 2021).
 
While at Pepperdine from 2015-18, Stefani was the ITA National Rookie of the Year in 2016, finishing that season as the #3 singles player in the country after tying a Pepperdine school record for single-season career wins at the #1 spot with 22. She advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Singles Championship, falling to Danielle Collins – currently the 11th-ranked singles player in the world. She also finished the 2016 season ranked #17 in doubles with Apichaya Runglerdkriangkrai. Stefani was a two-time WCC Player of the Year (2016,17) and is #4 in the Pepperdine record books for overall career singles winning percentage (.804) and career wins at the #1 spot (50).