South African Surfer Knocks Italo Ferreira off Top WSL Tour Ranking

Throughout the 2025 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour, 31-year-old Italo Ferreira has remained atop the rankings, holding the position of No. 1 surfer globally. Maintaining the helm for so long was difficult, and it wasn't known when things would change. Many elite surfers were prepared and gunning for Ferreira when the pro surfers arrived at the Margaret River Pro Competition.

Ferreira's recent performances on the Tour were not as eye-catching as we have witnessed in the past. At Margaret River Pro, his most recent competition, Ferreira was defeated by a fairly large margin after Australian surfer Jacob Willcox earned a score of 15.00. At the same time, Ferreira fell behind with a score of 12.87.

This wasn't the first defeat he had experienced in recent months. During the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro, he encountered a similar situation after Aussie, with a score of 11.33, Ferreira landed an 8.00, which resulted in his elimination. Considering his recent performances and results, the Championship Tour rankings were bound to shift, which they recently did.

Smith Takes the Lead, Ferreira Drops Down in WSL Standings

Jordy Smith of South Africa has been a dominant force in the Tour this year. Claiming victory at Surf City El Salvador Pro alongside Gabriela Bryan, Smith has continued turning up the heat with every ounce of effort paying off. His recent performances have altered the standings and put the rest of the surfers on notice.

Now sitting at No. 1 in the rankings with a total of 32,215 points, Smith sent Ferreira down to No. 2 in the rankings. However, the pair isn't too far apart, as Ferreira has 31,290 points. In addition to Ferreira's rankings drop, Yago Dora of Brazil also moved down a spot.