Monica Puig facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Monica Puig

Puig at the 2019 French Open
Full name	Monica Puig Marchán
Country (sports)	Puerto Rico
Residence	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Born	(1993-09-27) September 27, 1993 (age 31) San Juan, Puerto Rico
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Turned pro	2010
Retired	2022
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Dorian Descloix
Prize money	$3,570,823
Singles
Career record	303–215 (58.49%)
Career titles	2
Highest ranking	No. 27 (26 September 2016)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	3R (2016)
French Open	3R (2013, 2016, 2019)
Wimbledon	4R (2013)
US Open	2R (2014, 2018)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games	W (2016)
Doubles
Career record	18–36 (33.33%)
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 210 (25 May 2015)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	2R (2018)
French Open	1R (2014, 2015, 2016)
Wimbledon	2R (2016)
US Open	1R (2013, 2014, 2016)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	27–12 (69.23%)
Medal record Women's tennis Representing  Puerto Rico Olympic Games Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Singles

Monica Puig Marchán (born September 27, 1993) is a former professional tennis player from Puerto Rico. She made history by becoming the first Puerto Rican to win a gold medal at the Olympics. This amazing win happened in 2016 during the women's singles tennis event.

Monica also won a championship at the Central American and Caribbean Games. She earned a silver medal at the Pan American Games. She became a professional tennis player in 2010. During her career, she won two major WTA Tour titles. She also won six titles in smaller ITF tournaments.

Her highest singles ranking was world No. 27 in September 2016. She also reached No. 210 in doubles in May 2015. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Monica won the gold medal. This was Puerto Rico's ninth overall medal at the Olympic Games. She was also the first Latin American woman to win gold in singles tennis. She is the only unseeded female player to win an Olympic gold medal since tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988.

Monica Puig defeated many top-ten players during her career. These include famous names like Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki. She stopped playing professional tennis on June 13, 2022.

Early Life and Family Background

Monica Puig Marchán was born to José Puig and Astrid Marchán. Her father is Cuban American. Her mother is Puerto Rican. Monica has shared that her grandparents on her father's side are from Catalonia, a region in Spain.

Monica's Tennis Journey

Starting Out in Junior Tennis

Monica began her tennis journey in 2007. She played her first tournament at the Prince Cup. In 2008, she reached the final of the Costa Rica Bowl. She won two out of three tournaments that year. She continued to get good results in smaller tournaments.

In 2009, Monica started doing much better in bigger tournaments. She reached her first major junior final in Casablanca. She also made it to the semifinals at a tournament in Tulsa. She even won a doubles title that year.

In 2010, Monica continued her success at a higher level. She reached two more finals early in the year. She then won a big Grade-A title at the Copa Gerdau. She also reached the quarterfinals of the French Open. In July, Monica won a gold medal in singles at the Central American and Caribbean Games.

Junior Grand Slam Finals in 2011

In January 2011, Monica won the Traralgon International tournament. She also reached the final of the junior event at the Australian Open. Later that year, she won a singles title in Surprise, Arizona.

Monica also made it to the final of the junior event at the French Open. She won a silver medal at the Pan American Games. She defeated Christina McHale to reach the final.

Climbing the Ranks: 2012-2015

In 2012, Monica started to climb the world rankings. She reached the final of a $25k tournament in Poza Rica. She also won her first $50k event in France. This helped her move closer to the top 100 players.

By 2013, Monica was entering the top 100. She started her season at the Brisbane International. She reached the second round there. She also made it to the semifinals of the Midland Tennis Classic.

In May 2014, Monica won her first WTA final in Strasbourg. This big win helped her reach her highest WTA ranking of 41st. In October 2014, she won the WTA Rising Stars Invitational in Singapore. She also won a gold medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mexico.

2016: Olympic Gold and Top 30 Ranking

Monica started 2016 very strongly. She reached her second WTA Tour final in Sydney. She defeated several strong players before losing in the final. At the 2016 Australian Open, she reached the third round. She also made it to the third round of the 2016 French Open.

Her biggest moment came at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Monica won the gold medal in women's singles. She defeated many tough opponents, including Angelique Kerber in the final. This made her the first athlete from Puerto Rico to win an Olympic gold medal in any sport. She was also the first unseeded player to win gold in Olympic tennis.

Later Career and Retirement

In 2017, Monica had a tougher year. She struggled to repeat her previous success. She did reach her fourth WTA-level final at the Luxembourg Open. In 2018, she had some good matches, including beating Caroline Wozniacki at the Miami Open. However, injuries started to affect her play.

She missed parts of 2018 and 2019 due to injuries. In 2020, she missed tournaments like the Australian Open because of elbow surgery. She returned to play later that year. Monica made a comeback in 2022 at the Madrid Open. However, due to ongoing injuries, she decided to retire from professional tennis in June 2022.

Coaching Her Game

Throughout her career, Monica worked with several coaches. These included Alain De Vos, Ricardo Sánchez, and Juan Todero. She also trained with Kamau Murray and Othmane Garma. Later, Philippe DeHaes and Diego Veronelli coached her. In 2021, Dorian Descloix became her new coach.

World TeamTennis Experience

Monica Puig played one season in World TeamTennis. She joined the Vegas Rollers team in 2019 for their first season. She had planned to return to the Vegas Rollers for the 2020 season as well.

Personal Life and New Passions

Monica Puig was in a relationship with baseball player Derek Dietrich. They met when she was invited to throw the first pitch at a Miami Marlins game. They started dating in 2017. In 2019, she even served a first pitch using a tennis racket!

Monica became engaged to fellow tennis player Nathan Rakitt in 2021. They got married on November 11, 2022.

Running Marathons

After retiring from tennis, Monica found a new love: marathon running. She went for a run with her fiancé, Nathan Rakitt, who is an avid runner. She enjoyed it so much that they decided to sign up for the 2022 New York City Marathon. Monica finished the marathon in just over 4 and a half hours.

She was cheered on by many Puerto Ricans during the race. After getting married, Monica and Nathan planned to run the six major marathons by 2024. This goal would earn them the special Six Star medal. Monica now trains with COROS and coach Derek Dalzell. She also works with ESPN and the Tennis Channel, doing live commentary in Spanish.

Career Highlights

Olympic Final Win

Singles: 1 (Gold Medal)

Result	Year	Location	Surface	Opponent	Score
Gold	2016	Rio de Janeiro	Hard	Angelique Kerber	6–4, 4–6, 6–1

Images for kids

• 

  Monica Puig at the 2013 French Open.

• 

  Monica Puig at Wimbledon in 2018.

See also

In Spanish: Mónica Puig para niños

• List of Puerto Ricans
• Sports in Puerto Rico
• Puerto Rico at the Olympics
• History of women in Puerto Rico