The 22-year-old celebrated her victory with an emotional moment, accidentally hitting a friend while being carried off the beach.

In the men's competition, Cole Houshmand emerged victorious, defeating Griffin Colapinto in the final after Colapinto eliminated Australian Ethan Ewing in the semi-finals.

Luana Silva, who advanced to the finals after defeating 2023 World Champion Caroline Marks in the semifinals, scored a best two-wave total of 9.23, which was not enough to challenge Picklum.

Australian surfer Molly Picklum clinched her first event of the 2025 World Surfing League season at the Vivo Rio Pro in Saquarema, Brazil, solidifying her position as the top-ranked woman in the standings.

This victory marks Picklum's first Championship Tour win of the year, positioning her as the new number one ranked surfer.

In the final, she defeated Brazil's Luana Silva, scoring 6.83 and achieving the highest single wave score of the event at 8.17, totaling 15.00.

Throughout the season, Picklum has demonstrated consistent performance, finishing in the top three in six out of nine events, and currently holds a significant 5000-point lead over world No. 2 Gabriela Bryan.

With only two regular-season events remaining, she has reached the quarter-finals in eight of the nine events this season, including three finals.

Expressing her excitement about the win, Picklum acknowledged Silva's competitive spirit and thanked her supporters back home.

Other notable Australian surfers, Isabella Nicholls and Tyler Wright, are also in contention, currently ranked fifth and seventh respectively.

The World Surf League finals format favors the reigning No. 1, allowing them to avoid early elimination in the knockout rounds.