Paola Longoria facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Paola Longoria

Longoria in 2014
Personal information
Born	(1989-07-20) 20 July 1989 (age 36) San Luis Potosí, Mexico
Sport
Sport	Racquetball
Coached by	Fran Davis
Medal record Women's Racquetball Representing Mexico Event 1st 2nd 3rd Pan American Games 11 0 1 World Championships 14 2 4 World Games 3 0 0 Central American and Caribbean Games 13 0 0 Pan American Championships 15 4 3 Total 56 6 8 Pan American Games Gold 2023 Santiago Women's team Gold 2023 Santiago Women's singles Bronze 2023 Santiago Mixed doubles Gold 2019 Lima Women's singles Gold 2019 Lima Women's doubles Gold 2019 Lima Women's team Gold 2015 Toronto Women's singles Gold 2015 Toronto Women's doubles Gold 2015 Toronto Women's team Gold 2011 Guadalajara Women's singles Gold 2011 Guadalajara Women's doubles Gold 2011 Guadalajara Women's team Central American and Caribbean Games Gold 2023 San Salvador Women's singles Gold 2023 San Salvador Mixed doubles Gold 2023 San Salvador Women's team Gold 2018 Barranquilla Women's singles Gold 2018 Barranquilla Women's doubles Gold 2018 Barranquilla Women's team Gold 2014 Veracruz Women's singles Gold 2014 Veracruz Women's doubles Gold 2014 Veracruz Women's team Gold 2010 Mayagüez Women's singles Gold 2010 Mayagüez Women's team Gold 2006 Cartagena Women's singles Gold 2006 Cartagena Women's team World Championships Gold 2024 San Antonio Singles Gold 2024 San Antonio Team Gold 2022 San Luis Potosi Singles Gold 2022 San Luis Potosi Doubles Gold 2022 San Luis Potosi Team Gold 2021 Guatemala City Singles Gold 2021 Guatemala City Doubles Silver 2018 San José Singles Gold 2016 Cali Singles Silver 2016 Cali Doubles Gold 2014 Burlington Singles Gold 2014 Burlington Doubles Gold 2012 Santo Domingo Singles Gold 2012 Santo Domingo Doubles Gold 2012 Santo Domingo Team Gold 2010 Seoul Doubles Bronze 2010 Seoul Singles Bronze 2010 Seoul Team Bronze 2008 Kingscourt Singles Bronze 2008 Kingscourt Doubles Pan Am Championships Silver 2023 Guatemala City Mixed Doubles Gold 2019 Barranquilla Singles Gold 2019 Barranquilla Doubles Silver 2018 Temuco Singles Gold 2018 Temuco Doubles Silver 2017 San Jose Singles Gold 2017 San Jose Doubles Gold 2016 San Luis Potosi Singles Gold 2016 San Luis Potosi Doubles Gold 2015 Santo Domingo Singles Gold 2015 Santo Domingo Doubles Gold 2013 Cali Singles Gold 2012 Temuco Singles Gold 2012 Temuco Doubles Bronze 2011 Managua Singles Gold 2011 Managua Doubles Gold 2010 San Pedro Sula Singles Bronze 2009 Cali Singles Silver 2009 Cali Doubles Gold 2008 San Jose Singles Bronze 2007 Santiago Singles Gold 2006 Guatemala City Singles World Games Gold 2022 Birminghan Singles Gold 2013 Cali Singles Gold 2009 Kaohsiung Singles

Paola Michelle Longoria López (born July 20, 1989) is a famous Mexican racquetball player. She is currently the Women's World Champion in both Singles and Team events. She won these titles at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) 2024 World Championships in San Antonio, Texas.

Paola Longoria has won more titles than any other player in IRF World Championship history. She is also the only woman to win both singles and doubles at the World Championships. She is the top player on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT). Paola was the first Mexican woman to become the #1 professional player, which she achieved at the end of the 2008–09 season. She held the #1 spot for ten years in a row! Paola uses a special way of holding her racquet, called a semi-western grip, which is very unusual in racquetball.

In the 2024 general election, Paola was chosen to be a member of the Chamber of Deputies for the Citizens' Movement political party. This means she helps make laws for Mexico.

Paola's Early Racquetball Journey

Paola Longoria started playing racquetball when she was eight years old. She found the sport at a summer camp and immediately loved it. She decided to put all her energy into becoming a great player.

Junior World Champion

Paola won eight straight International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Championships from 2001 to 2008. She won twice in each age group: 12 and under, 14 and under, 16 and under, and 18 and under. She also won six Girl's Doubles titles at the World Juniors. She often played with partners like Eleni Guzman, Luisa Aldrete, and Arantza Loredo.

Starting on the Pro Tour

In 2004, when Paola was just 15, she played in the US Open Racquetball Championships. She reached the quarterfinals, which is a big achievement for someone so young. Even the defending champion, Rhonda Rajsich, was impressed by Paola's tough play. Paola said she wasn't scared to play against top players.

At 16, Paola joined the Mexico National Team. She won a gold medal at the 2006 Pan American Racquetball Championships in Guatemala City. She also won gold in singles and team events at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Paola played in her first IRF World Championships in 2006. She reached the quarterfinals and helped Mexico win a bronze medal in the Women's Team event. In May 2007, she reached her first professional final at a tournament in New Orleans. She was ranked 14th but beat many higher-ranked players.

A few months later, in September 2007, Paola won her first professional tournament in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She beat top player Rhonda Rajsich in the final.

Becoming World #1

Paola won her second Pan American Championship in 2008. She beat Rhonda Rajsich in the final. She finished the 2007-08 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) season ranked #6, which was her first time in the top 10.

First US Open Title

In 2008, Paola won her first US Open title. She was the 5th seed and beat Cheryl Gudinas in the final. This was a historic win, as it was the first US Open title for a Mexican player. She won three more tournaments that season and became the #1 player on the LPRT for the first time.

World Games Gold

Paola competed at the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She won the gold medal in the women's singles event. This was a special win because racquetball had not been in the World Games since 1995.

She continued to dominate, winning five tournaments in the 2009–10 season and finishing #1 again. She also won her third Pan American Championship in 2010.

More Gold Medals for Mexico

Paola successfully defended her Central American and Caribbean Games title in 2010. She won gold in both Women's Singles and the Women's Team event.

At the 2010 Racquetball World Championships in South Korea, Paola won three medals. She won Women's Doubles with her partner Samantha Salas, which was Mexico's first women's World Championship title. She also earned bronze medals in Women's Singles and the Women's Team event.

In 2011, Paola won gold in Women's Doubles with Samantha Salas at the Pan American Championships. She also won three gold medals for Mexico at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. She won Women's Singles, Women's Doubles, and the Women's Team event.

She won her second US Open title in October 2011. This was one of seven LPRT wins that season, making her the #1 player for the third time.

Paola's Amazing Winning Streak

Paola Longoria started an incredible winning streak on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour in 2011. She did not lose an LPRT match from May 2011 to October 2014. This means she was undefeated for three and a half years!

More World and Pan American Titles

In 2012, Paola won two gold medals at the Pan American Championships in Chile. She won both Women's Singles and Doubles.

She was a triple gold medalist at the 2012 World Championships. She won Women's Singles, Doubles (with Samantha Salas), and the Team event. Her singles win was the first for a Mexican woman at the Worlds.

Paola won her third US Open title in October 2012. This was one of 11 LPRT wins that season, making her #1 for the fourth time.

In 2013, she won Women's Singles at the Pan American Championships. She also won gold in Women's Singles at the 2013 World Games in Colombia.

She won her fourth US Open title in October 2013. This was one of 12 LPRT wins that season, earning her a fifth #1 ranking.

Continuing Her Dominance

Paola won two gold medals at the 2014 World Championships. She won Women's Singles and Doubles (with Samantha Salas). This was their third straight doubles title.

She won her fifth US Open title in October 2014. She also won the US Open LPRT doubles title with Veronica Sotomayor.

Her amazing LPRT winning streak ended in October 2014. But she still won 10 tournaments in the 2014-15 season and was the #1 LPRT player for the sixth time.

Paola won two gold medals at the 2015 Pan American Championships. She won both Women's Singles and Women's Doubles.

She won three gold medals for Mexico at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. She won Women's Singles, Women's Doubles (with Samantha Salas), and the Women's Team event.

Paola won the 2015 US Open, marking her fourth undefeated LPRT season. She finished the 2015–16 season at #1 for the seventh time.

In 2016, Paola won gold in both Women's Singles and Women's Doubles at the Pan American Championships in Mexico. She also won her third Women's Singles World title at the 2016 World Championships.

Paola and Samantha Salas faced each other in the 2016 US Open final, with Paola winning. She also won the US Open LPRT Doubles title with Salas. She won 10 of 11 LPRT events in the 2016–17 season, finishing #1 for an eighth time.

In 2017, Paola won Women's Doubles at the Pan American Championships with Samantha Salas. She also won her eighth US Open title. She won LPRT Doubles at the US Open with Gabriela Martinez. She finished #1 for a ninth time at the end of the 2017–18 season.

World Championships: Challenges and Triumphs

In 2018, Paola lost a match at the Pan American Championships in Chile. This was unusual for her. She still reached the final but lost to Rhonda Rajsich. However, she won gold in Women's Doubles with Alexandra Herrera.

At the 2018 World Championships, Paola was aiming for her fourth singles title. She reached the final but was upset by Gabriela Martinez of Guatemala. This was her first loss at the World Championships since 2010.

She won her ninth US Open in 2018, beating Gabriela Martinez in the semi-finals. She also defeated Samantha Salas in the final. Paola and Salas won the doubles title together. This was her fifth undefeated LPRT season, and she finished #1 for the tenth time.

More Pan American Games Success

Paola won two gold medals at the 2019 Pan American Racquetball Championships in Colombia. She won Women's Singles and Women's Doubles (with Samantha Salas).

For the third time, Paola won three gold medals for Mexico at a Pan American Games. She swept gold in Women's Singles, Women's Doubles, and the Women's Team event at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Her amazing performance led the World Games organization to name her Athlete of the Month for August 2019.

Paola won her tenth US Open in 2019. However, she lost in the US Open doubles final, which was the first time she hadn't won LPRT doubles at the US Open.

Despite some challenges, Paola continued to be a top player. She won 9 of 11 tournaments during the 2019–20 and 2020-21 LPRT seasons, finishing #1 both seasons.

She won her eleventh US Open in 2021. She also won doubles at the US Open with Samantha Salas.

Regaining World Titles

Paola won both the Women's Singles and Women's Doubles World Championships at the 2021 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in Guatemala City. These wins made her the player with the most titles in IRF World Championships history. She is also the only woman to have won both singles and doubles at Worlds.

Her success at the 2021 World Championships qualified Paola for the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama. She won gold in women's singles. This was Paola's third World Games gold medal, making her the winningest racquetball player in World Games history.

Paola won gold in Women's Singles, Women's Doubles, and the Women's Team event at the 2022 IRF World Championships. She has now won 10 gold medals at Worlds: 5 in Women's Singles and 5 in Women's Doubles (all with Samantha Salas). This further extends her lead as the winningest player in IRF World Championship history.

In the 2022-23 season, Paola won three LPRT events. She finished 2nd in the season-ending rankings, behind Montserrat Mejia. This was the first time she hadn't been #1 at the end of a season since 2010-11.

Paola's Achievements and Honors

Paola Longoria has received many awards for her incredible career.

• In 2010, she received the National Sports Award from the Mexican government. The President of Mexico, Felipe Calderón, presented her with the award.
• In 2013, Forbes Magazine's Mexico edition named Paola as one of the 50 most influential women in Mexico.
• Paola was Mexico's flag bearer during the opening ceremony of the 2015 Pan American Games. This is a great honor, as she led her country's athletes.
• In 2021, Mattel announced that Paola Longoria would be one of three new Barbie dolls. These dolls were created to celebrate Latin American athletes.

Paola's Career Highlights

Paola Longoria is the most successful player in both women's professional racquetball history and international competitions.

• She has won over 100 tournaments on the professional tour.
• She holds a record of 11 victories at the US Open Racquetball Championships, which is the most important professional racquetball event.
• Internationally, she has won five IRF World Championships in both Women's Singles and Doubles.
• She has also won nine gold medals at the Pan American Games.

Career Record Summary

This table shows Paola Longoria's results at major annual events.

Note: W = winner, F = finalist, SF = semi-finalist, QF = quarterfinalist, 16 = Round of 16, 32 = Round of 32, 64 = Round of 64, 128 = Round of 128. P = Cancelled due to COVID pandemic.

See also

In Spanish: Paola Longoria para niños

• List of racquetball players