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Dinara Safina

Dinara Safina
Dinara Safina at the 2008 WTA Tour Championships3.jpg
Safina at the 2008 WTA Tour Championships
Full name Dinara Mubinovna Safina
Country (sports)  Russia
Residence Monte Carlo, Monaco
Born (1986-04-27) April 27, 1986 (age 30)
Moscow, Soviet Union
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Turned pro 2000
Retired May 11, 2014 (last match 2011)
Plays Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money US$ 10,585,640
Singles
Career record 360–173 (67.54%)
Career titles 12 WTA, 4 ITF
Highest ranking No. 1 (April 20, 2009)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open F (2009)
French Open F (2008, 2009)
Wimbledon SF (2009)
US Open SF (2008)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals RR (2008, 2009)
Olympic Games Silver medal.svg Silver Medal (2008)
Doubles
Career record 181–91
Career titles 9 WTA, 3 ITF
Highest ranking No. 8 (May 12, 2008)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open QF (2004, 2005)
French Open 3R (2006, 2007, 2008)
Wimbledon 3R (2005, 2008)
US Open W (2007)
Other doubles tournaments
Olympic Games QF (2008)
Team competitions
Fed Cup W (2005)
Hopman Cup F (2009)
Last updated on: October 10, 2011.

Dinara Mubinovna Safina (Russian: Динара Мубиновна Сафина; pronounced [dʲɪˈnarə ˈsafʲɪnə] Tatar: Динара Мөбин кызы Сафина, Dinara Möbin qızı Safina, born April 27, 1986 in Moscow) is a former World No. 1 Russian professional tennis player.

Safina was runner-up in singles at the 2008 French Open, 2009 Australian Open, and the 2009 French Open, falling to Ana Ivanovic, Serena Williams, and Svetlana Kuznetsova, respectively. She has had success at Grand Slam events in women's doubles by winning the 2007 US Open with Nathalie Dechy. She also won the Olympic silver medal in women's singles at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Safina retired in 2014 after a lengthy absence from the tour since 2011 due to an ongoing back injury.

Safina is the younger sister of former World No. 1 men's player Marat Safin. The brother–sister pair are the first to both achieve No. 1 rankings.

Safina was born in Moscow, Russia to Tatar parents. Her mother, Rauza Islanova, was her trainer when she was younger; while her father is director of the Spartak tennis club in Moscow. Her brother Marat is a former world No. 1 on the ATP Tour. Speaking of growing up in such a successful tennis family, Safina stated: "Being the little sister in such a big tennis family is not an easy situation. Maybe that's why it took me longer to develop. My father is very competitive, but my parents didn't put pressure on me. I wanted to find my identity. I wanted to be something by myself, like being a big player by myself. So at the beginning I was putting too much pressure on myself. But then gradually I found myself, and I learned how to do better with that situation." At age 8, Safina and her family moved to Valencia, Spain, and as a result Safina speaks fluent Spanish as well as Russian and English.


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