Gabriel Medina has been on sabbatical, this year, at least from pro surfing.
The three-time world champion, who, according to some Brazilian media friends is “like Justin Bieber status” when it comes to fame in his home country, injured his pectoral before the 2025 World Surf League season kicked off. And he never returned.
It appears, however, Gabs is not on pause when it comes to his love life. According to his social media postings, he’s found a new partner, Isabella Arantes.
The couple posted concurrent images, announcing their pairing, with the appropriate heart and hear-adjacent emojis. Gabe’s shot shows the couple caressing, beneath palm trees, with a heart-shaped fixture as the backdrop. Arantes’ features the duo riding an e-bike together on the sand. And you know da rulez: It’s not official until it’s on Instagram.
And now it is.
So, who is Isabella Arantes?
According to her Instagram, she’s the owner of Bella Bikinis. The 28-year-old is also a model, dancer, and influencer. She also works on a Brazilian gameshow, called Domingo Legal, which is billed as a “long running Sunday TV show famous for the controversial Gugu’s Bathtub and lots of giveaways. Those worth mention are Microlins courses and one-way trips for people who can’t afford to get back to their hometown.”
Related: Gabriel Medina Surfs “World’s Largest” Wave Pool After Injury (Video)
Fans will know that Medina, prior to this new fling with Arantes, was married to model Yasmin Brunet. That union only lasted two years, from 2020 to 2022, before ending in divorce. And it took its toll on Medina’s mindset when it came to competing.
Post divorce, Medina took some time off. In an interview with Globo, he said:
“This time [away] was good for me. It’s not a secret, it’s even interesting to talk about mental health. I had depression, I started treating myself with a psychologist. I never imagined being in this situation. It’s scary, things stop making sense for you. I’m better, happy to be finding myself again. I learned a lot during this time.”
Now, he’s back in the saddle.
But no word on his status for the 2026 Championship Tour…yet.
Related: Gabriel Medina Rocks Doo-Rag, Goes Foil Surfing (Video)