Sam Stosur

Samantha Stosur is a distinguished Australian former professional tennis player whose career accomplishments have left a significant mark on the sport. Stosur made history in 2011 when she won her first Grand Slam singles title at the US Open, where she defeated Serena Williams in the final. This victory made her the first Australian woman to claim a Grand Slam singles title since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980.

Stosur’s rise to prominence began at a young age, having started playing tennis in Adelaide at only 8 years old, and competing in the World Youth Cup in Jakarta by 13. Under the mentorship of Geoff Masters, she joined the Queensland Academy of Sport at the age of 14 and the Australian Institute of Sport's prestigious tennis program at 16.

As a highly versatile player, Stosur achieved remarkable success in both singles and doubles. In singles, she reached a career-high world No. 4 ranking in 2011 and spent a total of 165 weeks in the top ten from 2010 to 2013. Notable achievements in her singles career include reaching the finals of the 2010 French Open, where she defeated former world No. 1 Justine Henin and Serena Williams, as well as making the semifinals at the French Open in 2009, 2012, and 2016, and the US Open quarterfinals in 2010 and 2012.

In doubles, Stosur was a formidable force, holding the world No. 1 ranking for 61 consecutive weeks starting in 2006. She won a total of four Grand Slam doubles titles: the 2005 US Open and the 2006 French Open with Lisa Raymond, as well as the 2019 Australian Open and 2021 US Open with Zhang Shuai. Stosur also triumphed in three mixed doubles Grand Slam events: the 2005 Australian Open with Scott Draper, the 2008 Wimbledon Championships with Bob Bryan, and the 2014 Wimbledon Championships with Nenad Zimonjić. She secured back-to-back WTA Tour Championships doubles titles in 2005 and 2006 with Raymond.

Despite facing health challenges, including Lyme disease and viral meningitis in 2007, Stosur made a remarkable comeback, continuing to perform at high levels. She concluded her singles career with a final tournament appearance at the 2022 Australian Open, where she reached the second round. Stosur then played her last professional doubles matches at Indian Wells and the Miami Open, and her final singles event at the Internationaux de Strasbourg, where she was defeated in the first round.

Off the court, Stosur has been an integral member of the Optus Australian Fed Cup team since 2003 and was honoured with the WTA's Diamond ACES Award in 2010 for her contributions to tennis promotion. Stosur announced that the 2023 Australian Open would be her final tournament, marking the end of an illustrious career.

With a total of 40 career titles - 9 in singles, 28 in doubles, and 3 in mixed doubles, along with over $20 million in prize money, Stosur's legacy in tennis is both remarkable and inspiring.