María José Martínez Sánchez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
María José Martínez Sánchez

Martínez Sánchez at the 2018 French Open
Country (sports)	Spain
Residence	Barcelona, Spain
Born	(1982-08-12) 12 August 1982 (age 43) Yecla, Murcia, Spain
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Turned pro	1998
Retired	2020
Plays	Left-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money	US$ 4,409,022
Singles
Career record	361–246 (59.47%)
Career titles	5 WTA, 12 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 19 (10 May 2010)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	3R (2009)
French Open	3R (2009, 2012)
Wimbledon	3R (2008, 2011)
US Open	3R (2009)
Doubles
Career record	491–259 (65.47%)
Career titles	21 WTA, 22 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 4 (5 July 2010)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	QF (2009, 2019)
French Open	SF (2010, 2012)
Wimbledon	QF (2008, 2009, 2012)
US Open	SF (2012)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals	W (2009)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	SF (2018, 2019)
French Open	QF (2015, 2017, 2018)
Wimbledon	SF (2017)
US Open	2R (2009)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	10–7
Medal record Representing  Spain Mediterranean Games Silver 2001 Tunis Doubles

María José Martínez Sánchez, born on August 12, 1982, is a Spanish tennis player who used to play professionally. She played with her left hand and used a two-handed backhand. She won five big singles titles in her career. Her biggest win was at the 2010 Italian Open. There, she beat two former world number one players, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Janković. As a junior player, she won the Orange Bowl in 1999 and the French Open in 2000. Her highest singles ranking was world No. 19, which she reached on May 10, 2010.

In doubles, Martínez Sánchez won 21 major titles. She often played with her Spanish teammate Nuria Llagostera Vives, winning ten titles together. Some of their big wins include the 2009 WTA Tour Championships, the 2009 Rogers Cup, and the Dubai Tennis Championships in 2010 and 2011. She reached her highest doubles ranking of world No. 4 on July 5, 2010.

Her Tennis Journey

María José Martínez Sánchez started her tennis journey with great success as a junior. She won the Orange Bowl in 1999, which is a big tournament for young players. The next year, she became the champion in girls' doubles at the French Open. Her first time playing in a major tournament as a professional was at the 2001 Australian Open. She played against the third-ranked player, Venus Williams, and lost in a close three-set match.

Playing in 2008

At Wimbledon in 2008, María José made it to the third round. She lost to Venus Williams, who went on to win the tournament. At her next big event, the US Open, she lost in the first round. She finished 2008 ranked 87th in the world. This was only the second time in her career she ended the year in the top 100.

Highlights of 2009

Sánchez playing at the 2009 US Open

Martínez Sánchez started 2009 at the 2009 Australian Open. She surprised many by beating the 32nd seed, Tamarine Tanasugarn. She then won another match but lost in the third round to a fellow Spanish player, Carla Suárez Navarro. In doubles, she and Nuria Llagostera Vives had a strong run. They reached the quarterfinals but lost a very close match.

Next, María José played at the Copa Colsanitas. She was the seventh seed and played very well. She won several matches to reach the semifinals. In the final, she won her first singles title by beating Gisela Dulko. In doubles, she and Nuria Llagostera Vives were the top team. They won the doubles title there too, beating Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta.

At the French Open, she reached the third round. In her match against world No. 2, Serena Williams, there was a disagreement about a point. María José hit a drop shot, and Williams hit the ball back. The umpire ruled that María José won the point, but Williams believed the ball had hit María José's arm, not her racket. Even though replays later showed Williams was right, the umpire's decision stood. María José lost the match to Williams.

Martínez Sánchez won her second singles title of the year at the 2009 Swedish Open. She beat top players like Kaia Kanepi and Gisela Dulko. In the final, she defeated the world No. 9, Caroline Wozniacki.

María José and her partner Nuria Llagostera Vives had an amazing year in doubles. They won the year-end championships, which is a very important tournament. They beat famous players like Venus and Serena Williams. In the final, they won their biggest title against the world's top-ranked doubles team, Cara Black and Liezel Huber.

She also played in the 2009 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions in Bali. She won two group matches, including one where her opponent hit a world-record serve. She reached the semifinals but lost there.

Overall, 2009 was her best year. She won two singles titles and seven doubles titles. She ended the year ranked world No. 30 in singles and world No. 5 in doubles.

Success in 2010

María José started 2010 by winning the Hopman Cup with her partner Tommy Robredo. They reached the final without losing a match. Even though María José lost her singles match in the final, Spain still won the overall event.

At the 2010 Australian Open, she was seeded 24th but lost in the second round. At a tournament in Indian Wells, she played well, beating Victoria Azarenka and Yanina Wickmayer. She reached the quarterfinals but lost to Samantha Stosur.

Her biggest success came at the Italian Open in Rome. This was a very important tournament with many top players. She surprised everyone by beating world No. 17 Francesca Schiavone, world No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki, and then Lucie Šafářová. She also defeated Ana Ivanovic in the semifinals. In the final, she beat world No. 7 Jelena Janković to win the biggest title of her career. Because of this amazing win, she entered the top 20 players for the first time, reaching No. 19. However, she had to deal with a neck injury at the 2010 French Open, which affected her play.

Later in the year, she had more bad luck with injuries. She had to miss Wimbledon and most of the summer season because of a leg injury. She returned to play but struggled to find her form.

Playing in 2011

Martínez Sánchez began 2011 at the Sydney International. She won her first match but then lost in the second round. At the 2011 Australian Open, she won her first match but was defeated in the second round.

At Wimbledon, she had a great first-round win, coming back from a set down to beat 15th seed Jelena Janković. She then won her next match easily. She lost in the third round to Venus Williams, a five-time Wimbledon champion.

She won two more titles in 2011. In July, she won the Gastein Ladies tournament in Austria. In September, she won the Korea Open in South Korea.

Challenges in 2012

The year 2012 was tough for María José due to injuries. She fell out of the top 150 in singles rankings. She missed the 2012 Australian Open because of a knee injury. She didn't win a main-draw match until the 2012 French Open. There, she reached the third round but lost to Dominika Cibulková. In doubles, she and Nuria Llagostera Vives did very well, reaching the semifinals.

She continued to face challenges in singles, but in doubles, she and Nuria Llagostera Vives won a title in Eastbourne. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she won her first singles match but then lost to Victoria Azarenka. In doubles, she and Nuria Llagostera Vives won their first match easily but then lost in the second round.

Despite some tough losses, a good performance at the US Open helped her get back into the top 100 in singles and the top 15 in doubles. She had a tough first-round win and then played against Serena Williams, the eventual champion. In doubles, she and Nuria Llagostera Vives reached the semifinals.

Return to Tennis in 2015

After taking a break to have her daughter, Andrea, in November 2013, María José returned to play doubles in 2015. She played at the Miami Open with Vera Dushevina.

Playing in 2019

In 2019, María José played in the mixed doubles semifinals at the 2019 Australian Open with her partner Neal Skupski.

Team Events

María José Martínez Sánchez also played for Spain in team events.

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partnering	Opponents	Score
Win	1.	9 January 2010	Hopman Cup, Perth, Western Australia	Hard	Tommy Robredo	Andy Murray  Laura Robson	2–1

See also

In Spanish: María José Martínez para niños