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Conchita Martinez: For the Love of the Game
Manage episode 418481624 series 3513550
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Many tennis players start by hitting a ball against a wall - but Conchita Martinez took that early pastime to a new level. Watching her brothers and father play on the courts outside of her apartment as a child gave her spark to try, and she "loved it from the very beginning".
Her imaginary matches against her heroes caught the eye of local coaches, and soon Martinez moved full-time to Barcelona at age 12 to train. Despite dealing with homesickness, the payoff was quick as she captured her first WTA title at age 16 and reached the fourth round of Roland-Garros. She details her mindset in big moments on court, and how her naturally relaxed personality paid dividends. She shares her love for playing for her country in Fed Cup and the Olympics, why clay gave her more time to "express herself" and how it came to be that a grass tournament - Wimbledon - gave her a career triumph.
Conchita Martinez won Wimbledon in singles in 1994 and reached the finals of the Australian Open and Roland-Garros. She captured 33 WTA singles titles, and is one of Spain's most successful players on the team stage with three Olympic medals and five Fed Cup titles. Martinez has captained Spain's Fed Cup and Davis Cup teams, and currently serves as the Tournament Director for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.
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