Conchita Martinez is that one single name on the tennis court that won’t age at any time. As a tennis’ fan, you won’t be any less familiar with the name as she has imprinted one of the greatest games on display.
As she commenced the games in the late 80s, she devoted nearly two decades in the court representing her homeland, Spain.
Altogether, Martinez has implanted herself as the first Spanish player to win the women’s singles title at Wimbledon.
She has also collected three Olympic medals during her tenure and is a five-time winner of the Fed Cup.
After her retirement, Martinez found her way back to the sport as a captain for the Spanish Fed Cup team and the Spanish Davis Cup team.
Following it, she starred as the coach for players, which she does to date. Not to mention, Martinez has described her bonding with the sport as simple; “Love at first sight.”
If you would love to know more about the professional tennis player, then take a glimpse at her quick facts below.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Inmaculada Concepción “Conchita” Martínez Bernat |
| Date of Birth | April 16, 1972 |
| Birth Place | Monzón, Huesca, Spain |
| Nick Name | Senorita Topspin |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Zodiac Sign | Aries |
| Age | 50 Years Old |
| Height | 5 feet 6 inches (1.7 meters) |
| Weight | 59 kg (130 pounds) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Light Brown |
| Build | Athletic |
| Father’s Name | Cecilio |
| Mother’s Name | Conchita |
| Siblings | Two older brothers, Fernando and Roberto |
| Education | Unknown |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Gigi Fernandez (Ex-girlfriend) |
| Kids | None |
| Profession | Tennis player |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Professional since | February 1988 |
| Retirement | April 15, 2006 |
| Net Worth | $20 million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | The Book of Conchita Martinez |
| Last Update | August, 2022 |
Conchita Martnez | Early Life and Family
Martinez was born on April 16, 1972, with the sun sign of Aries. Her full name is Inmaculada Concepción “Conchita” Martnez Bernat.
Her father, Cecilio, was born in Monzón, Huesca, Spain, and is now a retired accountant. Conchita, her mother, is a stay-at-home mom as well.Martinez also has two older brothers, Fernando and Roberto, and is the youngest of three children.
Overview of Tennis
She also developed a fondness for tennis at the young age of nine. Martinez remembers that she used to play for hours by herself, reaching a wall as she visualized herself playing point after point.
Martinez began to blossom along with her enthusiasm at the age of twelve.
Three years after moving to Barcelona for additional instruction, Martinez headed to Switzerland for further honing.
Also Read Michael Redd Career
Professional Career of Conchita Martnez
At the age of 16, Martinez began playing tennis competitively in 1988. Martinez won Sofia, her sole WTA singles championship, during the summer of that year.
She had advanced to the fourth round of the French Open.
Breakthrough
Early career success for Martinez led to her breaking through when she defeated world no. 3 Gabriela Sabatini.
The 17-year-old won the championship match in a $200,000 WTA tournament held in Tampa.
Following that, she won two events in Tier V. (Wellington, Phoenix). She began the year with a global ranking of 39, but she finished the year at No. 7.
She also won six titles in the years that followed. After competing in women’s doubles at the French Open with Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, she won her first Olympic medal in Barcelona.
Wimbledon Singles Championship
Martinez could only go to the semifinals of Wimbledon’s singles competition, where she fell to Steffi Graf.
However, she defeated Graf for the first and final time later in the November event.
She also won the Italian Open, making history by becoming the first Spaniard to claim the title.
Martinez won the Wimbledon singles championship for the first time in 1994, and she did it by defeating the opponent who had been her idol since childhood.
Rene Simpson, Nana Smith, Nathalie Tauziat, Kristine Kunce, and Lindsay Davenport had all been defeated by her in the past.
When she finally faced Martina Navratilova, a nine-time Wimbledon winner, she flipped the script.
She was the first Spanish woman to win the title overall, and that same year, she also signed Carlos Kirmayr as her new coach.
She was the only person to win the Italian Open four years in a row after that.
a Protracted Career in a Condensed Story
Throughout her career, Martinez has accomplished a great deal and created a lot of fond experiences on the court.
However, she continued on and reached the French Open and Australian Open quarterfinals or finals.
Martinez reportedly did perfectly fine up until 2004, when she won her second Olympic medal in Athens, Greece. She also won a singles title in Pattaya, Thailand, in 2005 after a five-year absence.
Together, she dedicated 18 years to the sport before hanging up her racquet in 2006. She had nearly spent her whole life playing tennis at that point, winning 33 singles titles and 13 doubles titles overall.
Additionally, she amassed five championship Fed Cup teams in addition to her more than 700 singles victories (1991, 1993-95, 1998).
“Because tennis has been my life, the decision is not simple. But I didn’t make this choice out of heart. Since I can now devote my time to other activities, I believe I should be happy.
— Conchita Martinez
Coach, Captain, and Commentator
Martinez started working as a sports analyst for Eurosport in Spain after retiring in April 2006.
She covered the French Open and provided commentary on several Spanish television channels throughout her time there.
She worked with several television networks, including Marca TV, Direct TV Sports, and Canal + for Wimbledon.
Martinez became the captain of Spain’s Fed Cup squad after spending a few years behind the microphone and showcasing her tactical philosophy to the public.
Martinez was chosen for the position in 2013, following the resignation of Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, and she held it for two years. Later, in 2017, she received a call to serve as the Davis Cup team’s captain.
She also took the place of Gala Leon and was a star in it. She has also earned a reputation as a noteworthy coach in the field.
The number one player in the world, Karolina Pliskova, and fellow Spaniard Garbine Muguruza, a two-time Grand Slam champion, are among the athletes she has coached.
A place of honor
Martinez is ready to reap the benefits of the seeds she displayed in the field for a very long time.
They declared Goran Ivanievi and Conchita Martinez to be members of the Tennis Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020 during the 2020 Australian Open.
The global epidemic in 2020, however, caused the Hall of Fame to be pushed back to July 2021. Martinez achieved great success during her career, though, and she ultimately received the highest prize.
Did Conchita Martinez compete in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo?
No, because she retired in 2006, the tennis Hall of Famer did not compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
However, she was in Japan for the Olympics where she was teaching Garbie Muguruza, who was taking part in the singles and doubles competition.
The three-time Olympic medalist boarded an aircraft for Japan soon after being inducted. Martinez thought that Garbie would help Spain win the gold medal even though she did not bring home a medal as a player.
Muguruza will compete in her second straight Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020 after competing for Spain in the Rio Olympics in 2016. She failed to bring home any medals for her nation at the time, though.
She also didn’t make it to the singles or doubles finals. Muguruza, however, won her first Tokyo 2020 singles match while being coached by Conchita, defeating Veronika Kudermetova of Russia.
She also triumphed in the doubles, defeating Belgium when playing with Carla Suárez Navarro.
Now, Martinez’s athlete will compete against Swiss tennis players in the pairs division and Chinese tennis star Wang Qiang in the singles category.
Therefore, even if she won’t be participating in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Conchita will have a lot of duties.
Conchita Martinez: Playing Technique and Career Highlights
Martinez has revolutionized the industry so far with her skilled gameplay. However, Martinez emphasizes that overall, her perseverance and sense of rhythm throughout the game were the keys to her success.
She is a right-handed baseline player who plays alone, as we are all aware.
Also, she required a powerful grip and backhand for it. She uses sluggish topspin and a slice on her backhand in addition to heavy topspin on her forehand.
Most essential, Martinez keeps changing the tempo, spin, depth, or angle of her play. She frequently plays the annoying foe.
Martinez has a single career record of 739-297 (71.3%) and a top world ranking of No. 2, according to her statistics.
The same goes for her doubles career record, which is 414-232 (64.1%), with a top world ranking of 7.
Some of her achievements to date are listed below.
- 1987 Mediterranean Games in Latakia; Singles (Gold medal)
- 1990 Paris [Indoors], Scottsdale and Indianapolis (winner)
- 1992 Olympic in Barcelona; Doubles (Silver medal)
- 1994 Wimbledon singles title (first Spanish to gain the title)
- 1996 Olympics in Atlanta; Doubles (Bronze medal)
- Five-time winner of the Fed Cup (1991, 1993, 1994, 1995 & 1998)
- 2004 Olympics in Athens; Doubles (Silver medal)
Injury
Martinez has experienced injuries while competing professionally, forcing her to withdraw in the end.
Martinez hasn’t experienced any serious injuries that have prevented her from playing or significantly limited her.
Her modest ailments were wrist and ankle sprains, which improved after a few weeks of rest. Towards conclusion, both of her wounds occurred in the beginning of 2000.
Conchita Martinez | Disputation
Things appeared to be going smoothly when Conchita Martinez first assumed the role of Davis Cup and Fed Cup team captain. But over time, she was surrounded with debatable choices.
The Spanish Tennis Federation publicly expressed their desire to remove Martinez from his position as captain. To be more specific, they demanded a leadership change, which made Martinez angry.
She was fortunate to have renowned Spanish athletes by her side, expressing disappointment, including Rafael Nadal, Garbine Muguruza, Feliciano Lopez, and Carla Suarez Navarro.
How much is Conchita Martinez’s House, Sponsors, and Net Worth?
The long tennis career of the Spanish tennis player has brought her fame and wealth.
Conchita Martinez’s current net worth is $20 million. Unfortunately, the tennis player’s current pay is not known, although we anticipate it to be in the millions.
Ellesse International was also her clothing sponsor, and she neglected to receive a $550,000 incentive from them in 1999.
She was also sponsored by Kelme, as shown by the green racquet she was using, which bore the Kelme “paw” emblem.
Martinez also has two homes, one in San Diego, California, and the other in Barcelona, Spain.
Also Read Michael Redd Career
Personal Life of Conchita Martinez
Martinez doesn’t currently have a husband because she isn’t engaged to anyone. She did, however, formerly have a love relationship with Gigi Fernandez.
The two were dating at the time, but they later broke up and moved on with their lives.
Sadly, they haven’t yet made their separation reasons public.
The report claims that their love story began when they were coworkers and a fellow tennis player. So, after a few conversations and everything, they eventually began dating.
Who is Gigi Fernandez, Martinez’s ex-girlfriend?
Tennis player Gigi Fernandez was born on February 22, 1964, and she played professionally for a while. She is the first Puerto Rican to be admitted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and was born there.
Her parents are Tuto Fernandez Pla and Beatriz Ferrer Calderon, and she is their daughter. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of South Florida in addition to her tennis skills.
She also holds a Master of Business Administration from the Crummer School of Business at Rollins College. Fernandez has won two Olympic gold medals and seven Grand Slam doubles championships.
She is also an entrepreneur and runs a business called Baby Goes Pro. And She oversees adult tennis at Chelsea Piers in Connecticut and manages The Long Ridge Tennis Club during the summer.
She now has a twin, Karson Xavier and Madison Jane, and is married to former LPGA and WWE executive Jane Geddes.
Conchita Martinez | Social Media Presence
Instagram: 13.1k Followers
Twitter: 43.8k Followers
Additional Facts on Conchita Martinez
- Favorite actors: Harrison Ford and Antonio Banderas
- Hobbies: horseback riding, playing golf, soccer, shopping, beach volleyball in San Diego, and skiing
- Vehicles owned: Honda Shadow 750 motorcycle and a Harley-Davidson Heritage Springer 1300
- Pets: Two cocker spaniel dogs, Tremi and Yuca
Another dog named Luna - Wine Collection: Red wine Bordeaux, Spanish Vega Sicilia, and Rioja
- Languages: English and German
Conchita Martinez | FAQs
Who does Conchita Martinez coach now?
As of 2022, Conchita Martinez started coaching Garbiñe Muguruza full-time.
How much is Conchita Martinez’s prize money?
Conchita Martinez has the prize money of $11,527,977.
Is Conchita Martinez gay?
Many people have been wondering if Martinez is gay. However, she is openly a lesbian.
How many Grand Slams did Conchita Martinez win?
Martinez has won 1 Grand Slams to date. She won the title in 1994 and became the first Spanish woman to win Wimbledon. To get the Grand Slam title, she beat the nine-time champion, Martina Navratilova.