Tatiana Weston-Webb & Jesse Mendes Are Expecting
+ Tati’s plotting a full-time return to the CT in 2026.
Back in March, Tatiana Weston-Webb, Olympic silver medalist and WSL veteran, took to Instagram to announce her break from the Championship Tour.
After a decade of orbiting the tour, she revealed that burnout, mental health, and what she described as an “unhealthy relationship” pushed her to hit pause, something she realised after a long sit-down with her psychologist.
“My team and I had to make a decision, which was not easy,” she wrote. “It was really hard for me because it feels like I’m almost breaking up with the only version of myself that I know. We made a decision to step away from the CT for the rest of the year.”
It came after the most successful year of her career: an Olympic silver medal, a 3rd place finish in the CT season, and a historic 10-point death reaper at Teahupo’o. But, as life often goes, the highs were followed by a low, and at the time of her departure, she was dead last in the rankings. It was time for a quick sabbatical to clear the mental cobwebs.
Her time away, as revealed today on Instagram, hasn’t been without purpose. She and former WSL competitor Jesse Mendes, now perhaps more famous for his commentary and the time he ferociously slapped Mikey Wright with his surfboard after a North Point spat, are preparing to welcome a baby.
“We are so excited to share that we are expecting one of the best gifts God has given us! A baby girl,” the couple wrote in a joint Instagram post.
Cue the confetti. Along with the happy news, Tati’s also plotting a return to the CT in 2026. Still only 29, she’ll likely disrupt the Woz again for years to come.
“My goal is to try to return to the WSL Championship Tour full-time in 2026, even stronger and more inspired,” she wrote. “This is just the first step of a new journey, and I hope it shows other women that we don’t have to choose between our dreams and motherhood.”
Congratulations, Tati and Jesse.
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