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)
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 former professional tennis player from Russia. She was once ranked the world's number one female tennis player. Dinara reached the finals of three major tournaments: the French Open in 2008 and 2009, and the Australian Open in 2009.

She also had great success in doubles at major events. She won the 2007 US Open with her partner Nathalie Dechy. Dinara also earned an Olympic silver medal in women's singles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She officially stopped playing in 2014 because of a long-term back injury. Dinara is the younger sister of Marat Safin, who was also a world No. 1 men's player. They are the first brother and sister to both reach the top singles ranking in tennis.

About Dinara Safina

Her Early Life

Dinara Safina was born in Moscow, Russia. Her parents were both involved in tennis. Her mother, Rauza Islanova, was her first tennis coach. Her father was the director of a tennis club in Moscow. Dinara's older brother, Marat Safin, also became a world No. 1 tennis player.

Growing up in a family of successful tennis players wasn't always easy for Dinara. She wanted to prove herself and become a great player on her own. When she was eight years old, Dinara and her family moved to Valencia, Spain. Because of this, she can speak Spanish fluently, along with Russian and English.

How She Played Tennis

Dinara Safina worked with several coaches during her career. These included Glen Schaap and Željko Krajan, who helped her reach the No. 1 ranking in 2009. She was known for her powerful game.

Dinara's Tennis Journey

Starting Her Career (2002–2005)

Dinara Safina played her first main WTA Tour tournament in May 2002. She won her first title in Sopot, Poland, becoming the youngest player to win a tour title in four years. This win helped her enter the top 100 players in the world. Later that year, she played in her first US Open.

In 2003, Dinara won her second title in Palermo, Italy. She reached the fourth round of the US Open that year. By the end of 2004, she finished in the world's top 50 for the first time.

Safina at the 2006 Australian Open

In 2005, Dinara continued to improve. She won her third career title in Paris, France, defeating a top 5 player for the first time. She also won a tournament in Prague, Czech Republic. That year, she played an important part in Russia winning the Fed Cup team competition. She finished 2005 ranked No. 20 in the world, her highest ranking yet.

Reaching the Top (2006–2008)

In 2006, Dinara Safina made it to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the French Open. She had a memorable match where she came back from being down 1–5 in the third set to win. She also reached her first final on grass courts. By the fall of 2006, she entered the top ten in the singles rankings.

Safina at the 2007 Australian Open

Dinara started 2007 by winning a tournament in Gold Coast, Australia. She also won the doubles title there. In May, she reached a career-high ranking of world No. 9. At the US Open, she won her first Grand Slam title in women's doubles with her partner Nathalie Dechy. This was a huge achievement in her career.

The year 2008 was a breakthrough for Dinara. She won her first major Tier I title in Berlin, Germany. She defeated the world No. 1 player, Justine Henin, and Serena Williams in that tournament. At the French Open, she reached her first Grand Slam final. She saved match points in two different matches to reach the final, but lost to Ana Ivanovic.

Safina at the German Open (Berlin)

Later in 2008, Dinara won two more titles back-to-back in Los Angeles and Montreal. These wins moved her up to world No. 6. At the Beijing Olympics, she won a silver medal in singles. She defeated the world No. 1 Jelena Janković in the quarterfinals. This made her the first player to beat three different reigning world No. 1 players in the same year. She finished 2008 ranked No. 3 in the world.

World No. 1 and Grand Slam Finals (2009)

Dinara Safina started 2009 by playing with her brother Marat Safin in the Hopman Cup team event. They reached the final. She then reached the final of the Sydney tournament.

At the Australian Open, Dinara reached her second Grand Slam final. She lost to Serena Williams in the final. On April 20, 2009, Dinara Safina became the 19th player to be ranked world No. 1 by the WTA. She and her brother Marat Safin became the first brother-sister pair to both be world No. 1 in singles.

As the world No. 1, Dinara won two more titles on clay courts in Rome and Madrid. At the French Open, she reached her third Grand Slam final and second straight French Open final. However, she lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova. At Wimbledon, she reached the semifinals for the first time. She lost the No. 1 ranking to Serena Williams later in the year but regained it briefly. She had to retire from the WTA Championships due to a back injury that had been bothering her.

Career Challenges and Retirement (2010–2014)

In 2010, Dinara's career began to face challenges. She retired from the Australian Open with a back injury. This injury forced her to miss several tournaments. Her ranking started to drop. She continued to struggle with her back throughout 2010 and 2011.

In 2011, she played her last professional match. On October 7, 2011, her brother Marat Safin announced that Dinara had decided to end her career due to her chronic back injury. Dinara herself later said she needed more time to decide. However, in 2014, Dinara Safina officially retired from tennis after years of dealing with injuries.

Key Rivalries

Safina vs. Kuznetsova

Dinara Safina and fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova played each other 14 times. Dinara won 8 of these matches, while Svetlana won 6. Svetlana had a better record on clay courts, but Dinara was stronger on hard courts. They never played on grass. Their last match was in the final of the 2009 French Open, which Svetlana won.

Safina vs. Dementieva

Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva played each other 10 times. Elena won 6 matches, and Dinara won 4. Their most important match was in the final of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Elena won that match, earning a gold medal for Russia. At the 2008 French Open quarterfinals, Dinara made an amazing comeback. She was down a set and almost lost the match, but she fought back to win.

Grand Slam Performance

Singles

Doubles

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Finals

Singles: 3 (0–3)

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 (1–1)

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