Conchita Martínez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Conchita Martínez

Conchita Martínez at the 2010 US Open
Full name	Inmaculada Concepción Martínez Bernat
Country (sports)	Spain
Residence	Barcelona, Spain
Born	(1972-04-16) 16 April 1972 (age 53) Monzón, Huesca, Spain
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Turned pro	February 1988
Retired	15 April 2006
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize money	$11,527,977
Int. Tennis HoF	2020 (member page)
Singles
Career record	739–297 (71.33%)
Career titles	33
Highest ranking	No. 2 (30 October 1995)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	F (1998)
French Open	F (2000)
Wimbledon	W (1994)
US Open	SF (1995, 1996)
Other tournaments
Grand Slam Cup	QF (1998)
Doubles
Career record	414–232 (64.09%)
Career titles	13
Highest ranking	No. 7 (11 January 1993)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	SF (1998, 2002)
French Open	F (1992, 2001)
Wimbledon	QF (1995, 2003)
US Open	SF (2005)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	W (1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998)
Medal record Olympic Games Silver 1992 Barcelona Women's Doubles Silver 2004 Athens Women's Doubles Bronze 1996 Atlanta Women's Doubles Mediterranean Games Gold 1987 Latakia Women's Singles

Conchita Martínez Bernat (born 16 April 1972) is a famous Spanish former tennis player and a coach. She made history by becoming the first Spanish woman to win the singles title at Wimbledon in 1994. Wimbledon is one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world.

Conchita also reached the finals at the Australian Open in 1998 and the French Open in 2000. She was ranked as high as world No. 2 in October 1995. During her 18-year career, she won 33 singles titles and 13 doubles titles. She also earned three Olympic medals for her country. In 2020, she was honored by being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

After retiring as a player, Conchita became a successful coach. She was the captain for the Spanish Fed Cup team from 2013 to 2017. She also led the Spanish Davis Cup team from 2015 to 2017. She helped coach Garbiñe Muguruza to win the Wimbledon title in 2017. She also coached Karolína Plíšková and currently coaches Mirra Andreeva. In 2021, she won the WTA Coach of the Year award.

Conchita's Tennis Journey

Starting Out: 1988–1992

Conchita Martínez was born in Monzón, Spain. She became a professional tennis player in 1988 when she was just 16 years old. In only her third professional tournament, she reached the fourth round of the French Open. This was a great start for a young player!

In 1989, she had a breakthrough year. She won her first big title in Tampa, defeating Gabriela Sabatini. She also won two other tournaments and reached the quarterfinals of the French Open. She finished that year ranked No. 7 in the world. Over the next two years, she won six more titles and continued to reach the French Open quarterfinals.

In 1992, Conchita won a silver medal in doubles at the Olympic Games in Barcelona. She played with her partner Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. She also reached the doubles final at the French Open that year.

Reaching the Top: 1993–1996

In 1993, Conchita made it to the semifinals at Wimbledon. She was the first Spanish woman to do so since 1928. Later that year, she beat Steffi Graf for the only time in her career at a tournament in Philadelphia. She also won the Italian Open, becoming the first Spanish woman to win it since 1930.

The year 1994 was very special for Conchita. She reached the Wimbledon singles final. There, she played against the legendary Martina Navratilova, who had won Wimbledon nine times. Even though many thought Navratilova would win, Conchita won the match! She became the first Spanish woman ever to win the Wimbledon singles title.

In 1995, Conchita had an amazing year. She reached the semifinals at all four major Grand Slam tournaments. These are the biggest events in tennis. She also reached her highest singles ranking, becoming World No. 2.

In 1996, Conchita won the Italian Open for the fourth year in a row. This was a unique achievement. She also won an Olympic bronze medal in women's doubles in Atlanta with her partner Arantxa Sánchez Vicario.

Later Career and Retirement: 1997–2006

In 1998, Conchita reached her second Grand Slam singles final at the Australian Open. She played against Martina Hingis in the final. She also helped Spain win the Fed Cup that year, which is a big team competition.

In 2000, Conchita reached the final of the French Open. She also won the German Open again. In 2001, she was a runner-up in women's doubles at the French Open.

Conchita won her second Olympic silver medal in women's doubles in 2004 in Athens, Greece. Her partner was Virginia Ruano Pascual. In 2005, she won her last singles title in Pattaya, Thailand. This brought her total to 33 singles titles and 13 doubles titles.

On 15 April 2006, after 18 years of playing professionally, Conchita announced her retirement. She was 33 years old. As of 2025, she still holds the record for the most singles titles won by a Spanish female player.

Playing After Retirement: 2008–2010

Even after retiring from professional tennis, Conchita still played at Wimbledon. From 2008 to 2010, she participated in the Ladies Invitations Doubles matches.

Conchita's Playing Style

Conchita Martínez was known as "Señorita Topspin." She was a very patient player who played from the back of the court. She used different spins, speeds, and angles to make it hard for her opponents to get into a rhythm.

She had a strong backhand, which she hit with one hand. She used a lot of topspin on her forehand shots. A common move for her was to hit a deep, high-bouncing forehand. This would push her opponent to the very back of the court.

Conchita was also known for wanting to use the same ball she had won the previous point with. This sometimes annoyed her opponents!

Images for kids

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  Conchita Martínez at the 2010 US Open

See also

In Spanish: Conchita Martínez para niños