Carla Suárez Navarro facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Carla Suárez Navarro

Suárez Navarro at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships
Country (sports)	Spain
Residence	Barcelona
Born	(1988-09-03) 3 September 1988 (age 36) Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Height	1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)
Turned pro	2003
Retired	2021
Plays	Right (one-handed backhand)
Coach	Marc Casabo Oscar Serrano
Prize money	US$ 11,920,116
Singles
Career record	516–345 (59.93%)
Career titles	2
Highest ranking	No. 6 (29 February 2016)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	QF (2009, 2016, 2018)
French Open	QF (2008, 2014)
Wimbledon	4R (2013, 2016, 2019)
US Open	QF (2013, 2018)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games	3R (2016)
Doubles
Career record	138–122 (53.08%)
Career titles	3
Highest ranking	No. 11 (27 April 2015)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	QF (2013)
French Open	SF (2014)
Wimbledon	3R (2013, 2014)
US Open	3R (2014)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals	F (2015)
Olympic Games	QF (2016)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	19–12

Carla Suárez Navarro (born on September 3, 1988) is a Spanish former professional tennis player. She was once ranked among the top 10 singles players in the world. Her highest singles ranking was world No. 6, which she reached on February 29, 2016. She also achieved a best doubles ranking of No. 11 on April 27, 2015. Throughout her career, Carla won two singles titles and three doubles titles on the WTA Tour.

Carla first became well-known when she reached the quarterfinals of the 2008 French Open. This was amazing because it was her very first time playing in the main part of a Grand Slam tournament. That same year, she also started playing for Spain in the 2008 Fed Cup. She went on to reach six more Grand Slam quarterfinals in her career. These included the 2009 Australian Open, where she beat Venus Williams. She also reached the quarterfinals at the 2013 US Open, the 2014 French Open, the 2016 Australian Open, the 2018 Australian Open, and the 2018 US Open.

In September 2020, Carla was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer. This news came just a few months after she had announced her plans to retire from tennis. The following year, she was declared cancer-free and made a brave return to the tennis tour.

Carla's Personal Life and Background

Carla Suárez Navarro was born in the Canary Islands, a part of Spain. Her father, José Luís Suárez, was a handball player, and her mother, Lali Navarro, was a gymnast. Carla started playing tennis when she was 9 years old. In 2007, she moved to Barcelona to train at the Pro-Ab Team Tennis Academy. She has always looked up to famous athletes like Steffi Graf, Lleyton Hewitt, Justine Henin, and Michael Jordan.

Carla is in a relationship with Spanish football player Olga García. On June 2, 2023, they welcomed twin daughters into their family.

Carla's Tennis Journey and Achievements

Early Career Highlights: 2008–2009

Carla Suárez Navarro playing at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships

At the French Open, Carla Suárez Navarro made it to the quarterfinals. This was her first time in the main part of a Grand Slam tournament. She won three qualifying matches first. Then, she beat famous players like former world No. 1, Amélie Mauresmo. She also defeated Australian Casey Dellacqua and Italian Flavia Pennetta. Carla then lost to the third-seeded player, Jelena Janković, in the quarterfinals. At Wimbledon that year, she also lost to Janković in the second round.

Carla reached her second Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 2009 Australian Open. She was defeated by Elena Dementieva. However, she caused a big upset in the second round by beating Venus Williams. This was her first victory against a top-10 player.

In March, Carla reached her first final on the WTA Tour. This happened at the Andalucia Tennis Experience in Spain, which is a clay court event. She lost to Jelena Janković in the final match.

At Roland Garros in 2009, Carla was seeded 22nd. She won her first two matches but then lost to Victoria Azarenka in the third round. At Wimbledon, she beat Kaia Kanepi and Ekaterina Makarova. She then faced Venus Williams again but was unable to win this time.

2010 Season: Big Wins and Injuries

Carla started 2010 well. She reached the second round of the Auckland Open and the quarterfinals of the Hobart International. At the Australian Open, Carla made it to the third round. She lost to the top seed and eventual champion, Serena Williams.

She then reached the semifinals of the Mexican Open in Acapulco. At the Indian Wells Open, Carla reached the fourth round. She achieved one of her biggest wins there by defeating world No. 3, Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Carla reached the final of the Andalucia Tennis Experience in Marbella for the second year in a row. She lost to Flavia Pennetta in a close match. Later, she suffered an ankle injury. This injury kept her from playing until the US Open.

2011 Season: Comeback and US Open Run

Carla's 2011 season started with early losses in Auckland and Hobart. At the Australian Open, she won her first match but then lost to the eventual champion, Kim Clijsters. She also played for Spain in the Fed Cup.

An elbow injury caused Carla to stop playing for two and a half months. She had to withdraw from the French Open. She returned to competition at the Open de Marseille, reaching the quarterfinals.

In early September, Carla reached the fourth round of the US Open for the first time. She defeated Mathilde Johansson, Simona Halep, and Sílvia Soler Espinosa. Her great run ended when she lost to Andrea Petkovic.

2012: Olympic Debut and Grand Slam Progress

Carla Suárez Navarro played well at the French Open, reaching the third round. She beat Tamarine Tanasugarn and Sesil Karatantcheva. She then lost to Yaroslava Shvedova. At Wimbledon, she lost in the first round to Samantha Stosur.

At the London Olympics, Carla had an exciting first-round match. She beat Samantha Stosur, getting revenge for her Wimbledon loss to the Australian player.

2015: Reaching the Top 10 Ranking

At the Australian Open, Carla lost in the first round. However, she showed strong form at the Indian Wells Open, reaching the quarterfinals. Her good play continued at the Miami Open, where she reached her first big final. She defeated Agnieszka Radwańska, Venus Williams, and Andrea Petkovic. She lost in the final to Serena Williams. Despite the loss, she entered the top ten world rankings for the first time in her career.

Carla also had a good run at the Madrid Open, reaching the quarterfinals. At the Italian Open in Rome, she reached her first final at the Premier 5 level. She beat three top-ten players in that event: Eugenie Bouchard, Petra Kvitová, and Simona Halep. She then lost to Maria Sharapova in the final. Carla ended the year ranked 13th in the world.

2016: Career-High Ranking and First Premier Title

Carla started 2016 strongly. She reached the semifinals at Brisbane and the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Because of these results, she moved back up to world No. 8 on February 1.

At the Qatar Open, she had an amazing tournament. She defeated Donna Vekić, Timea Bacsinszky, Elena Vesnina, and Agnieszka Radwańska to reach the final. This guaranteed her a new career-high ranking of world No. 6. She then won the final against Jeļena Ostapenko. This was her first Premier title and her biggest title so far. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, she reached the third round.

2021: Inspiring Comeback and Retirement

In April 2021, Carla Suárez Navarro shared wonderful news: her cancer was completely gone! She announced that she would play a farewell tour. This tour started at the French Open and ended with her final appearance at the US Open.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (which were held in 2021), she reached the second round. She was defeated by Karolina Plíšková. Carla Suárez Navarro officially retired after Spain was eliminated from the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. Her last matches in singles and doubles were during Spain's tie against Slovakia.

Life After Retirement

In January 2025, Carla Suárez Navarro was named the captain of the Spanish Billie Jean King Cup team. This shows she is still very involved in tennis.

Carla's Playing Style

Carla Suárez Navarro is known for her single-handed backhand. This is quite unique because most female tennis players today use a two-handed backhand. She has mentioned that her favorite shot is her cross-court backhand. She also likes playing on clay and hard surfaces the most. Tennis expert Frew McMillan once said that Carla's game reminds him of Justine Henin because she has a wide variety of shots.

Equipment and Clothing

Carla Suárez Navarro wears Lotto brand clothing and shoes. She uses Wilson racquets when she plays.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Performance in Singles

Grand Slam Performance in Doubles

See also

In Spanish: Carla Suárez para niños