Samantha Stosur Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Samantha Stosur
Singles
Stosur at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships
Country (sports)	Australia
Residence	Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Born	(1984-03-30) 30 March 1984 (age 41) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Turned pro	1999
Retired	May 2022 (singles) January 2023 (doubles)
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money	US$20,069,776 25th in all-time rankings
Official website	samstosur.com
Career record	607–457 (57.05%)
Career titles	9
Highest ranking	No. 4 (21 February 2011)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	4R (2006, 2010)
French Open	F (2010)
Wimbledon	3R (2009, 2013, 2015)
US Open	W (2011)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	SF (2010, 2011)
Olympic Games	3R (2016)
Doubles
Career record	450–258 (63.56%)
Career titles	28
Highest ranking	No. 1 (6 February 2006)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	W (2019)
French Open	W (2006)
Wimbledon	F (2008, 2009, 2011)
US Open	W (2005, 2021)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals	W (2005, 2006)
Olympic Games	QF (2021)
Mixed doubles
Career titles	3
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	W (2005)
French Open	SF (2005)
Wimbledon	W (2008, 2014)
US Open	SF (2019)
Other mixed doubles tournaments
Olympic Games	QF (2012)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	F (2019, 2022) Record: 39–21 (65%)
Hopman Cup	RR (2006, 2010, 2014)

Samantha Jane Stosur (born 30 March 1984) is a retired Australian professional tennis player. She was a former world No. 1 in doubles, a rank she first reached on 6 February 2006. Stosur was also a top ten singles player, reaching a career-high ranking of world No. 4 in 2011.

Stosur was the top-ranked Australian singles player for 452 weeks in a row, from 2008 to 2017. During her career, she won 40 titles in total. This included 9 in singles, 28 in doubles, and 3 in mixed doubles. She won more than $20 million in prize money.

Her biggest singles victory was winning the 2011 US Open. In the final, she defeated the famous player Serena Williams. Stosur was the first Australian woman to win a Grand Slam singles tournament since 1980.

Stosur was also a four-time Grand Slam champion in women's doubles. She won titles with partners Lisa Raymond and Zhang Shuai. She also won three Grand Slam titles in mixed doubles, playing with partners Scott Draper, Bob Bryan, and Nenad Zimonjić.

Early life and start in tennis
Professional tennis career
Personal life
Images for kids
See also

Early life and start in tennis

Samantha Stosur was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. When she was six, her family's home and business were destroyed by a flood. They moved to Adelaide, where she started playing tennis at age eight after getting a racquet for Christmas.

Her older brother, Daniel, encouraged her to take lessons. When she was 11, her family moved back to the Gold Coast. At age 14, Stosur joined the Queensland Academy of Sport to train with professional coaches. In 2001, she joined the Australian Institute of Sport tennis program.

Professional tennis career

Early years and doubles success

Stosur started playing professional tennis in 1999. In 2003, she won her first main tour singles matches at the Australian Open. By 2005, she began to have great success in doubles. She teamed up with American player Lisa Raymond and they won seven doubles titles together. These included the US Open and the WTA Championships.

Stosur during the 2006 Hopman Cup

In 2006, Stosur and Raymond continued to win, including the French Open. Their success made Stosur the world No. 1 ranked doubles player. In singles, she reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and achieved a top-30 ranking.

Illness and comeback

In 2007, Stosur began feeling unwell. She was later diagnosed with Lyme disease, an illness from a tick bite. This caused her to miss many tournaments.

She returned to tennis in 2008. At Wimbledon, she reached the finals in both women's doubles and mixed doubles. She won the mixed doubles title with her partner Bob Bryan. This was a major step in her comeback.

Singles breakthrough

Stosur (left) with doubles partner Rennae Stubbs at the 2009 Australian Open

In 2009, Stosur's singles career took off. She defeated top players like Dinara Safina and Amélie Mauresmo. At the French Open, she reached her first Grand Slam semifinal. This amazing run helped her break into the world's top 20 rankings for the first time.

Later that year, she won her first ever WTA singles title at the HP Open in Osaka, Japan.

Reaching the top ten

Stosur reached her first singles Grand Slam final at Roland Garros

The year 2010 was even better for Stosur. She won the tournament in Charleston, which helped her enter the world's top ten. At the French Open, she had an incredible run to the final. She defeated champions like Justine Henin, Serena Williams, and Jelena Janković. Although she lost the final to Francesca Schiavone, she proved she was one of the best players in the world.

By the end of 2010, Stosur was ranked No. 6 in the world. She was the only player that year to beat both Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki while they were ranked No. 1.

Winning the US Open

Stosur at Wimbledon, 2011

The biggest moment of Stosur's career came at the 2011 US Open. She played amazing tennis throughout the tournament. In the final, she faced three-time champion Serena Williams. Stosur played a nearly perfect match and won in straight sets.

This victory made her a Grand Slam singles champion. She was the first Australian woman to win a major singles title since 1980. Earlier that year, she had also reached her career-high singles ranking of world No. 4.

Later career and more titles

Stosur wins the Southern California Open in 2013

Stosur continued to be a top player for many years. In 2012, she reached the semifinals of the French Open again. She also won more WTA titles, including in Carlsbad in 2013 and Strasbourg in 2015 and 2017.

She also continued her success in doubles. She won a second Wimbledon mixed doubles title in 2014. In 2019, she teamed up with Zhang Shuai to win the Australian Open women's doubles title. It was a very special win for her in her home country.

In 2021, Stosur and Zhang won two more big doubles titles: the Cincinnati Open and the US Open.

Retirement

Stosur announced that the 2022 Australian Open would be her last singles tournament. She played her final professional match at the 2023 Australian Open in the doubles event, ending a long and successful career.