The sister who rose to world number one alongside her brother
In short: In the shadow of her brother, Marat Safin, a former world No. 1, Dinara Safina fought to find her own identity. She eventually achieved what very few siblings in history have: both reaching the pinnacle of professional tennis as the world's top-ranked singles players.
Born in Moscow to Tatar parents, Dinara Safina's journey was shaped by a highly competitive family environment. Her father, the director of Moscow's Spartak tennis club, and her mother, Rauza Islanova, who served as her early trainer, provided a foundation for her professional career. At age eight, the family moved to Valencia, Spain, a move that allowed Safina to become fluent in Spanish alongside Russian and English. Her upbringing in Spain helped her master Spanish in addition to her native Russian and English. This multilingualism became a key asset during her international career.
Safina's ascent was marked by significant milestones and resilience. In 2005, she secured her third career title by defeating top-5 player Amélie Mauresno in Paris. Her career reached a peak in 2009, a year in which she reached the finals of both the Australian Open and the French Open. During this period, she achieved the ultimate goal of reaching the WTA world No. 1 ranking, a position she held for 26 weeks. Her rise to the top included a notable victory over Maria Sharapova in Moscow. She also demonstrated her skill on grass by reaching her first final at 's-Hertogenbosch.
Her success was not limited to singles; she was also a formidable doubles player, winning the 2007 US Open title with Nathalie Dechy and reaching a career-high of world No. 8 in doubles. Safina's career was ultimately cut short in 2014 when she officially retired due to a long-term back injury. She remains a historic figure in tennis as part of the first brother-sister pair to both achieve the No. 1 singles ranking. She also earned an Olympic silver medal during the 2008 Beijing Games. This achievement further cemented her legacy in professional tennis.
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