The WTA is arguably the most competitive circuit in women's sports. The depth and constant infusion of new tennis talent nearly every three years produces new stars on the top of the list of women's tennis. The sport has recently been dominated by the William's sisters and a number of Russian and Eastern European players and for most American women it is difficult to compete.
Now take a young player from an Island with a short history in the game and one major player of note, and you can appreciate how far Monica Puig, from Hato Rey, Puerto Rico, has come. As of May 6, 2013, Monica is currently ranked 88th in the world. This former two time junior grand slam finalist has competed and made inroads. Introduced to the sport by her mother Astrid, Monica recalled early memories of playing tennis in country clubs.
She is inspired by her Island home and she carries that pride into every tournament. She is only 19 but has already scored a few small tournament wins but on October 8, 2012 she added her first big tournament victory in Joue-Les-Tours, where she garnered the 50,000 ITF title while beating the number one seed in the tournament, #87 ranked Alexandra Panova.
Monica works hard at the game but she is still very young and like a typical teenager she prefers to hang out at beaches, staying with family at home and tending to her dogs. She also likes to read and write and she keeps her Facebook fans abreast of all her activity on the tour in English and Spanish.
Her ambition to do something special in this sport is a reflection of her older brother, who is studying aeronautical engineering in college. Yet Monica is allowed to be herself and she knows when to relax. But she also knows when it's time to get to work in her chosen profession. Not since the days of Gigi Hernandez has Puerto Rico had a player who could potentially become a singles star on the WTA circuit.
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