Dinara Safina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dinara Safina

Safina at the 2008 WTA Championships
Full name	Dinara Mubinovna Safina
Native name	Динара Мубиновна Сафина
Country (sports)	Russia
Residence	Monte Carlo, Monaco
Born	(1986-04-27) 27 April 1986 (age 39) Moscow, Soviet Union
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Turned pro	2000
Retired	2014 (last match 2011)
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money	$10,585,640
Singles
Career record	360–173 (67.5%)
Career titles	12
Highest ranking	No. 1 (20 April 2009)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	F (2009)
French Open	F (2008, 2009)
Wimbledon	SF (2009)
US Open	SF (2008)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	RR (2008, 2009)
Olympic Games	F (2008)
Doubles
Career record	181–91
Career titles	9
Highest ranking	No. 8 (12 May 2008)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	QF (2004, 2005)
French Open	3R (2006, 2007, 2008)
Wimbledon	3R (2005, 2008)
US Open	W (2007)
Other doubles tournaments
Olympic Games	QF (2008)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	W (2005, 2008)
Hopman Cup	F (2009)
Medal record Women's tennis Representing  RUS Olympic Games Silver 2008 Beijing Singles

Dinara Mubinovna Safina (born April 27, 1986) is a Russian former professional tennis player. She was once ranked world No. 1 in singles, the highest possible ranking in women's tennis. She held this top spot for 26 weeks.

Safina had a very successful career. She reached the final of three Grand Slam tournaments, which are the four most important events in tennis. These were the 2008 French Open, the 2009 Australian Open, and the 2009 French Open. She also won a silver medal in singles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

In doubles, she won the 2007 US Open title with her partner Nathalie Dechy. Her older brother, Marat Safin, was also a world No. 1 tennis player. They are the only brother and sister in history to both reach the No. 1 ranking. A serious back injury forced Safina to retire from tennis in 2014.

Early Life and Family

Dinara Safina was born in Moscow, Russia, to Tatar parents. Tennis was a big part of her family. Her mother, Rauza Islanova, was her first coach. Her father was the director of a tennis club.

Her brother, Marat Safin, was already a famous tennis star. Safina said it was not easy being the younger sister of a top player. She felt a lot of pressure to be successful on her own. "I wanted to find my identity," she said. "I wanted to be something by myself, like being a big player by myself."

When she was eight, her family moved to Valencia, Spain. Because of this, she can speak Spanish fluently, along with Russian and English.

Tennis Career

First Steps on Tour (2002–2004)

Safina started playing in professional WTA Tour tournaments in 2002. That same year, she won her first title in Sopot, Poland. She was the youngest player to win a tournament in four years. This victory helped her break into the top 100 world rankings.

In 2003, she won her second title in Palermo, Italy. She also reached the fourth round of the US Open, a great result for a young player. By the end of 2004, she had climbed to world No. 44.

Safina at the 2006 Australian Open

Rising Star (2005–2007)

In 2005, Safina's career took a big step forward. She won a major tournament in Paris, beating top-5 player Amélie Mauresmo in the final. "It's by far the best day of my career," she said after the win. Later that year, she helped Russia win the Fed Cup, a team competition for countries.

In 2006, she reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the French Open. In one amazing match against Maria Sharapova, she was losing 1–5 in the final set but came back to win. She finished the year ranked No. 11.

The biggest moment of 2007 for Safina was winning the women's doubles title at the US Open. She and her partner Nathalie Dechy became Grand Slam champions. This was Safina's first and only Grand Slam title.

Safina at the 2007 Australian Open

Reaching the Top (2008–2009)

The year 2008 was a breakout year for Safina. She won a big tournament in Berlin, beating three top players in a row, including world No. 1 Justine Henin and Serena Williams. This victory gave her a lot of confidence.

She then reached her first Grand Slam singles final at the French Open, where she lost to Ana Ivanovic. That summer, she won a silver medal for Russia at the Beijing Olympics. She finished the year ranked No. 3 in the world.

Safina at the German Open in Berlin

In 2009, Safina's dream came true. On April 20, she became the world No. 1 player. She and her brother Marat became the first brother and sister to both be ranked No. 1. That year, she reached two more Grand Slam finals: the Australian Open and the French Open. Although she lost both finals, she proved she was one of the best players in the world.

Injury and Retirement (2010–2014)

Sadly, Safina began to suffer from a serious back injury in late 2009. The injury caused her a lot of pain and made it hard to play. In 2010, she had to pull out of many tournaments, including Wimbledon. Her ranking started to fall.

She tried to make a comeback in 2011 and had a few good wins. However, the back injury was too severe. She played her last match in May 2011. After a few years of trying to recover, she officially announced her retirement from tennis in 2014.

Famous Rivalries

Safina vs. Kuznetsova

Safina played against fellow Russian player Svetlana Kuznetsova 14 times. Safina won 8 of their matches. Their most important match was the final of the 2009 French Open. Kuznetsova won that match to claim the Grand Slam title.

Safina vs. Dementieva

Safina also had a rivalry with another Russian, Elena Dementieva. They played 11 times, with Dementieva winning 6 matches. Their most famous match was in the final of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Dementieva won the gold medal after a tough three-set match.

Grand Slam Finals

Singles: 3 Finals

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2008	French Open	Clay	Ana Ivanovic	4–6, 3–6
Loss	2009	Australian Open	Hard	Serena Williams	0–6, 3–6
Loss	2009	French Open	Clay	Svetlana Kuznetsova	4–6, 2–6

Doubles: 2 Finals

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	2006	US Open	Hard	Katarina Srebotnik	Nathalie Dechy Vera Zvonareva	6–7, 5–7
Win	2007	US Open	Hard	Nathalie Dechy	Chan Yung-jan Chuang Chia-jung	6–4, 6–2

See also

In Spanish: Dinara Sáfina para niños