Three-time world champion Gabriel Medina has announced he’s going to be a dad. The Brazilian surfer shared a caption-less Instagram post featuring an ultrasound image of a baby on a surfboard in what appears to be a pregnancy announcement.
The post quickly drew congratulations from across the surfing world, with Mick Fanning, Jack Robinson, João Chianca, and Leonardo Fioravanti among those celebrating the news. Medina is expecting the child with his girlfriend, Isabella Arantes, a 28-year-old Brazilian model, dancer, and television personality.
Medina, 31, didn’t share a due date. The baby is expected to arrive during the 2026 Championship Tour season — when he’ll also be making his comeback from a pectoral injury suffered in January 2025.
By the time the 2026 season opens at Bells Beach in April, Medina will have been away from CT competition for 18 months — his last event was the 2024 Fiji Pro. He attempted to make a brief return in 2025, asking the WSL for a wildcard into the Tahiti Pro, but the league denied his request. When the WSL later offered an injury replacement spot, Medina declined, having already made clear he wouldn’t accept a last-minute invitation.
Medina joins Tatiana Weston-Webb as CT surfers expecting children in 2026 — marking a new chapter for both athletes on tour and off.