Selima Sfar Professional tennis player from Tunisia Date of Birth: 08.07.1977 Country: Tunisia

1. Biography of Selima Sfar
2. Early Life and Career
3. Professional Achievements
4. Olympic Participation
5. Wimbledon and Legacy

Biography of Selima Sfar

Selima Sfar is a professional tennis player from Tunisia. She entered the professional tennis circuit in 1999 and reached her highest ranking of 75th in the world on July 16, 2001. Most of her achievements in tennis came from competing in the ITF (International Tennis Federation) tournaments, where she won 11 ITF Women's Circuit singles titles and 21 doubles titles. In doubles, Sfar reached a career-high ranking of 47th in the world on July 28, 2008. She finished the year 2010 ranked 444th by the WTA (Women's Tennis Association).

Sfar stands at a height of 166 cm and weighs 55 kg. She is right-handed with a two-handed backhand. Her favorite courts are those with hard surfaces, and her favorite tournament is the US Open. Throughout her career, Sfar won 395 singles matches and lost 383, as well as won 238 doubles matches and lost 201. She has earned a total prize money of $876,041.

Early Life and Career

Selima Sfar was born on July 8, 1977, in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia. At the age of 13, she left Tunisia to live and train under the guidance of Nathalie Tauziat in Biarritz, France. Her father, Moncef Sfar, worked as a therapist, while her mother, Zeineb Sfar, pursued a career as a dermatologist. Sfar grew up with an older sister, Sonia Sfar, and a younger brother, Hassen Sfar. She developed a love for the ocean and the Pyrenees mountains while living in Biarritz.

Professional Achievements

Sfar was able to secure wildcards to participate in tournaments in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. In 2001, she reached the quarterfinals of the Dubai Championships, defeating Silvija Talaja from Croatia and Barbara Schett from Austria before losing to her mentor, Nathalie Tauziat, in three sets. Sfar represented Tunisia in the Fed Cup, accumulating a record of 41 wins and 24 losses. She set several records for Tunisia in the Fed Cup, including the most overall victories, the most wins in singles and doubles, the most drawn matches, and being the oldest representative for the Tunisian team.

Olympic Participation

Sfar also participated in the 1996 Summer Olympics, where she suffered a first-round defeat to Brenda Schultz-McCarthy from the Netherlands. In the 2008 Summer Olympics, she lost in the first round to Caroline Wozniacki, a Danish player of Polish descent.

Wimbledon and Legacy

In 2008, Sfar reached the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon Championships in the doubles category alongside her partner Ekaterina Makarova. However, they were defeated by the well-coordinated duo of Lisa Raymond from the United States and Samantha Stosur from Australia.

Selima Sfar's career has been marked by her achievements in ITF tournaments, representing Tunisia in the Fed Cup, and her participation in the Olympics. She has left a lasting legacy as one of Tunisia's most successful tennis players.