Liezel Huber facts for kids
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Liezel Huber in action at Wimbledon 2013
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| Country (sports) |  South Africa (until 12 August 2007) United States (since 13 August 2007) |
|---|---|
| Residence | New York, U.S. |
| Born | 21 August 1976 Durban, South Africa |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Turned pro | 1993 |
| Retired | 2017 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $6,287,881 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 175–159 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 131 (29 March 1999) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | Q3 (2002) |
| French Open | 2R (1998) |
| Wimbledon | Q2 (2002) |
| US Open | 1R (1998) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 790-395 |
| Career titles | 53 WTA, 11 ITF |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (12 November 2007) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | W (2007) |
| French Open | F (2005) |
| Wimbledon | W (2005, 2007) |
| US Open | W (2008, 2011) |
| Other doubles tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | W (2007, 2008, 2011) |
| Olympic Games | SF – 4th (2012) |
| Mixed doubles | |
| Career titles | 2 |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Australian Open | F (2005) |
| French Open | W (2009) |
| Wimbledon | F (2001) |
| US Open | W (2010) |
| Other mixed doubles tournaments | |
| Olympic Games | 1R (2012) |
Liezel Huber (born 21 August 1976) is a retired tennis player. She was born in South Africa and later became an American citizen. Liezel is famous for her amazing skills in tennis doubles matches.
She won four Grand Slam titles in women's doubles. She won these with her partners Cara Black and Lisa Raymond. Liezel also won two mixed doubles titles with Bob Bryan. On 12 November 2007, she became the world's number one doubles player alongside Cara Black. Later, on 19 April 2010, she became the sole number one doubles player for the first time.
Contents
Liezel's Early Life and Family
When Liezel was 15, she moved from South Africa to the United States. She went to the Van Der Meer Tennis Academy in Hilton Head, South Carolina in 1992. Since then, Liezel has lived in the U.S. She became an American citizen in July 2007.
In February 2000, she married Tony Huber, who is American. Liezel is also very kind-hearted. In 2005, she started a charity called Liezel's Cause. This foundation helped people affected by Hurricane Katrina. It raised money and collected important supplies for them.
Liezel's Olympic Journey
Liezel Huber proudly represented the United States in the Olympic Games.
- At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she played doubles with Lindsay Davenport. They reached the quarterfinals.
- At the 2012 London Olympics, she teamed up with Lisa Raymond. They made it to the semi-finals but lost to a team from the Czech Republic. They then played for the bronze medal but lost to a Russian team.
- In mixed doubles at the 2012 London Olympics, she played with Bob Bryan. They lost in the first round.
Liezel's Professional Tennis Career
Liezel Huber is best known for being a doubles tennis specialist. This means she was especially good at playing tennis with a partner. She won 64 women's doubles titles during her career. Out of these, 53 were on the main WTA Tour and 11 on the ITF Women's Circuit.
Her highest singles ranking was world number 131 in March 1999. She mostly played on the ITF Circuit during her first eight years as a professional.
Successful Partnerships
Liezel had many successful partners in women's doubles. Some of her well-known partners include Magdalena Maleeva, Ai Sugiyama, Martina Navratilova, Lindsay Davenport, Cara Black, Sania Mirza, Nadia Petrova, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, María José Martínez Sánchez, and Lisa Raymond.
She reached the finals of all four Grand Slams in women's doubles. She won titles at three of them, missing only the French Open. She also won two mixed doubles titles out of five finals she played.
The Cara Black Partnership
Liezel Huber and her partner from Zimbabwe, Cara Black, were a very strong team. Many tennis experts consider them one of the best women's doubles teams ever. They played together from mid-2005 to early 2010. During this time, they reached seven Grand Slam women's doubles finals and won four of them. They won a total of 29 titles together on the WTA Tour. Their partnership ended in April 2010.
Mixed Doubles Success
Liezel also did very well in mixed doubles, where a male and female player team up. She won two titles with the famous American men's doubles player Bob Bryan. These wins were at the 2009 French Open and the 2010 US Open. She also reached other mixed doubles finals with different partners.
Playing for Her Country
Liezel Huber has also had great success playing for her country in the Fed Cup. She had a strong record of 9 wins and 3 losses for the South Africa Fed Cup team. Most of these matches were in doubles. After becoming an American citizen, she became an important part of the United States Fed Cup team. She has a record of 6 wins and 2 losses in doubles for the U.S. team.
Liezel's Life After Tennis
After retiring from professional tennis, Liezel Huber continued to be involved in the sport. She served as the executive director of Tennis at the New York Junior Tennis & Learning Cary Leeds Center in Bronx Crotona Park. As of 4 January 2021, she is the Director of Tennis and Racquets at The River Club of New York.
Grand Slam Finals
Liezel Huber has played in many Grand Slam finals, showing her incredible skill in doubles tennis.
Women's Doubles: 10 Finals (5 Wins, 5 Losses)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 2004 | Wimbledon | Grass |  Ai Sugiyama |
|
6–3, 7–6(7–5) |
| Loss | 2005 | French Open | Clay |  Cara Black |
|
4–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
| Win | 2005 | Wimbledon | Grass | Cara Black |
6–2, 6–1 | |
| Win | 2007 | Australian Open | Hard | Cara Black |
|
6–4, 6–7(4–7), 6–1 |
| Win | 2007 | Wimbledon | Grass | Cara Black |
 Katarina Srebotnik Ai Sugiyama |
3–6, 6–3, 6–2 |
| Win | 2008 | US Open | Hard | Cara Black |
|
6–3, 7–6(10–8) |
| Loss | 2009 | US Open | Hard | Cara Black |
6–2, 6–2 | |
| Loss | 2010 | Australian Open | Hard | Cara Black |
Serena Williams Venus Williams |
6–4, 6–3 |
| Loss | 2010 | US Open | Hard | Vania King
|
2–6, 6–4, 7–6(7–4) | |
| Win | 2011 | US Open | Hard | Lisa Raymond |
Vania King Yaroslava Shvedova |
4–6, 7–6(7–5), 7–6(7–3) |
Mixed Doubles: 5 Finals (2 Wins, 3 Losses)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 2001 | Wimbledon | Grass |
|
 Leoš Friedl
|
4-6, 6-3, 6-2 |
| Loss | 2005 | Australian Open | Hard |  Scott Draper
|
6–2, 2–6, [10–6] | |
| Loss | 2008 | US Open | Hard |  Leander Paes
|
7–6(8–6), 6–4 | |
| Win | 2009 | French Open | Clay | Vania King
|
5–7, 7–6(7–5), [10–7] | |
| Win | 2010 | US Open | Hard | Bob Bryan |
|
6–4, 6–4 |
Olympics
Liezel Huber competed in the Olympics, aiming for a medal for her country.
Doubles: 1 Bronze Medal Match (0–1)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th place | 2012 | London Olympics | Grass |
|
 Maria Kirilenko
|
6-4, 4-6, 1-6 |
Images for kids
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Liezel Huber in action at Wimbledon 2013
See also
In Spanish: Liezel Huber para niños
