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 on April 16, 1972) is a famous Spanish former professional tennis player and coach. She made history by becoming the first Spanish woman to win the singles title at Wimbledon in 1994.

Conchita also reached the finals at the 1998 Australian Open and the 2000 French Open. Her highest ranking was world No. 2 in October 1995. She stayed in the top 10 for nine years! During her 18-year career, Conchita won 33 singles titles and 13 doubles titles. She also earned three Olympic medals for Spain. 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, helping them get back into the top World Group. She coached Garbiñe Muguruza to win the 2017 Wimbledon Championships. She also coached Karolína Plíšková and later returned to coach Muguruza full-time. In 2021, Conchita won the WTA Coach of the Year award. She currently coaches Mirra Andreeva.

Conchita's Tennis Journey

Early Career and Rise to Top 10 (1988–1992)

Conchita Martínez was born in Monzón, Spain. She started her professional tennis career in 1988. At just 16 years old, she reached the fourth round at the French Open. This was only her third professional tournament!

In 1989, she had a breakthrough year. She won her first big title in Tampa. She also won two other tournaments in Wellington and Phoenix. That year, she reached the quarterfinals of the French Open and finished the year ranked world No. 7. Over the next two years, in 1990 and 1991, Conchita won six more titles. She also reached the French Open quarterfinals again in both years.

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.

Becoming a Wimbledon Champion (1993–1996)

In 1993, Conchita made history at Wimbledon. She became the first Spanish woman since 1928 to reach the semifinals. Later that year, she achieved a big win by defeating Steffi Graf for the first and only time in her career. This happened in the final of a tournament in Philadelphia. She also won the Italian Open, becoming the first Spanish woman to do so since 1930.

The biggest moment of her career came in 1994. Conchita reached the Wimbledon singles final. She played against the legendary Martina Navratilova, who had won Wimbledon nine times. Many people thought Navratilova would win because she was so good on grass courts. However, Conchita, who was known for playing well on clay courts, surprised everyone. She won the match in three sets, becoming the first Spanish woman ever to win Wimbledon!

In 1995, Conchita had an amazing year. She reached the semifinals at all four Grand Slam tournaments. This helped her reach her highest singles ranking of World No. 2. In 1996, she won the Italian Open for the fourth year in a row. She also won an Olympic bronze medal in women's doubles in Atlanta with 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 but lost in two sets. That same year, she helped Spain win the Fed Cup team competition. She won a very long and tough match against Patty Schnyder.

In 2000, Conchita reached the final of the French Open. She lost to Mary Pierce in the final. She also won the German Open that year. 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. This was at the Athens Olympics, where she partnered with Virginia Ruano Pascual. In 2005, she won her last singles title in Thailand. This brought her total to 33 singles titles and 13 doubles titles. On April 15, 2006, after 18 years, Conchita Martínez announced her retirement from professional tennis. She still holds the record for the most singles titles by a Spanish female player.

Post-Retirement Appearances (2008–2010)

After retiring, Conchita still enjoyed playing tennis. From 2008 to 2010, she played in the Ladies Invitations Doubles at Wimbledon. In 2010, her partner was Nathalie Tauziat.

Conchita's Playing Style

Conchita Martínez was known as "Senorita Topspin." She was a patient player who stayed at the back of the court. She won matches by changing how she hit the ball. She used different spins, speeds, and angles to confuse her opponents.

She had a strong one-handed backhand. She used a lot of topspin on her forehand shots. A special shot she often used was a deep, looping forehand with heavy topspin. This would push her opponent to the very back of the court. It made them hit the ball at an awkward shoulder height.