On court

• Started playing tennis aged eight when a friend gave her a racquet for Christmas
• Practiced with her brother, Daniel, who upon realising she had talent, convinced their parents, Dianne and Tony, to pay for coaching
• Went on her first tour aged 13, competing in the World Youth Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia
• Made her Fed Cup debut in 2003; Australian Olympic team debut in 2004
• Reached the No.1 ranking in doubles in February 2006 having claimed a series of titles – including US Open 2005 – with Lisa Raymond
• Contracted Lyme disease in 2007 and, having spent 61 consecutive weeks ranked as the No.1 doubles player in the world, was forced to end her season prematurely. Missed eight months.
• Claimed her maiden WTA title in Osaka in 2009
• Became the first player in a decade to beat Justine Henin and Serena Williams at the same Grand Slam event – ending Henins’s 27-match winning streak in Paris – en route to her first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros in 2010.
• Won her first major title at US Open 2011, beating Serena Williams 6-2 6-3 in the final
• In 2013, won the Carlsbad and Osaka trophies, making it the first time she had ever won multiple WTA titles in a single season
• Defended a WTA title for the first time in her career in 2014, when she captured the Osaka crown, marking her third victory at the Japanese event
• In 2016 advanced to the Roland Garros semifinals for the fourth time
• Since October 2008, was Australia’s No.1-ranked female for an incredible 452 straight weeks before Daria Gavrilova took over in June 2017.
• At Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, became the first Australian tennis player to represent the nation at five Olympic Games.
• Won US Open 2021 women’s doubles title with China’s Zhang Shuai, 16 years after winning the title alongside American Lisa Raymond.

Off court

• Sporting hero is surfer Layne Beachley.
• When she’s not playing tennis, Sam enjoys spending time at the beach and relaxing.
• Her favourite sports team is the Gold Coast Titans.

Year-end singles ranking history

Titles/Finals

Titles

2017 Strasbourg WTA

2015 Strasbourg WTA, Bad Gastein WTA

2014 Osaka WTA

2013 Carlsbad WTA, Osaka WTA

2011 US Open

2010 Charleston WTA

2009 Osaka WTA

2001 Ibaraki ITF, Osaka ITF, Kyoto ITF, Cairns ITF

Finals

2019 Guangzhou WTA

2016 Prague WTA

2013 Moscow WTA, WTA Tournament of Champions

2012 Doha WTA, Moscow WTA

2011 Rome WTA, Toronto WTA, Osaka WTA

2010 Stuttgart WTA, Roland Garros

2009 Los Angeles WTA

2008 Seoul WTA

2006 Prague WTA

2005 Gold Coast WTA, Sydney WTA

2002 Rockhampton ITF

2001 Australia ITF, Kugayama ITF