Miami Open sponsor Itaú Hosts Inaugural “First Serve”
Miami Open sponsor Itaú hosted the inaugural “First Serve” with Brazilian Rafael Padilha, who is creating new opportunities for his future through tennis.
Born in the city of Porto Alegre, Padilha took up tennis at just nine years of age and had his first contact with the sport through this initiative. The eldest of seven siblings, Padilha was the top player in the state ranking for two successive years in the under 12, 14, 16 and 18 categories, playing in Brazilian and ITF Juniors tournaments, such as the Banana Bowl and the Brazil Juniors Cup. Still through the project, in 2023 he went into the backstage of the Miami Open tournament, practiced on its courts, and met some of his main idols - among them, Carlos Alcaraz, currently the world’s number 2, and Brazilians Bia Haddad and Thiago Monteiro.