Gabriel Medina Makes Comeback Following Surf Injury: 'Unfinished Business'

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Nov 20, 2025 9:50 AM ET

It’s raining world champions on the World Surf League’s Championship Tour, as yet another has announced their comeback for the upcoming 2026 season.

Gabriel Medina, three-time champ and Olympic surfing bronze medalist, has officially announced his return to the Tour next year, as he has been awarded the Season Wildcard. This golden ticket will grant him access to all events on the 2026 calendar, despite his absence from the Tour in 2025 due to a pectoral injury.

And Gabe is just one of many to return – more on that below.

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“UNFINISHED BUSINESS,” the WSL announced. “@gabrielmedina confirmed for 2026. 3x World Champ @gabrielmedina is officially in for the 2026 Championship Tour season. Rookie of the Year at 17, World Champ at 20, Pipe Master, 2x Tahiti champ, breaking the 45-year goofy drought at J-Bay, the 15-year goofy drought at Snapper, landed the first backflip ever in a jersey, owns some of the best barrels ever seen, and there’s much more history he’s set to write next year.”

Prior to the 2025 season, Medina suffered a pectoral injury from an alley-oop gone wrong. He underwent surgery, and it looked like he was only going to be out for a few events. However, that turned into the entire year, and the Brazilian Justin Bieber of surfing focused his efforts elsewhere – like backing a wave pool, finding love, and announcing a new line of surf products for the kiddos.

Medina joins a chorus of returning world champions to the Tour, for the 2026 season, including Stephanie Gilmore, Carissa Moore, and John John Florence.

While all had valid personal reasons to take the 2025 season off, it should be noted that their comebacks are aligned with a shift in format the Championship Tour – or, rather, a return. Tossing out the controversial, winner-take-all, Finals Day format, world champions will once again be decided based on year-long point accumulation. And to spice things up a little bit, the WSL has made the final event of the year – the Pipe Masters – worth 1.5x points more than a standard event, “making it the most consequential stop on Tour.”

Perhaps a JJF vs. Medina showdown on the sand at Pipeline for all the marbles, come December, 2026? TBD.

“With Medina’s return,” the WSL added regarding the announcement, “the 2026 field will feature one of the strongest lineups in history, combining established Champions and a new wave of rising stars all chasing the World Title.”

The 2026 Championship Tour kicks off April 1st-11th at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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