Laura Samson

Laura Samson
Full name	Laura Samson
Country (sports)	Czech Republic
Born	10 March 2008 (age 16)
Prize money	$11,697
Singles
Career record	23–7
Career titles	3 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 631 (15 July 2024)
Current ranking	No. 634 (22 July 2024)
Grand Slam singles results
French Open Junior	F (2024)
Wimbledon Junior	3R (2024)
US Open Junior	SF (2023)
Doubles
Career record	1–1
Highest ranking	No. 1,220 (1 July 2024)
Current ranking	No. 1,223 (22 July 2024)
Grand Slam doubles results
French Open Junior	SF (2024)
Wimbledon Junior	W (2023)
US Open Junior	QF (2023)
	Last updated on: 22 July 2024.

Laura Samson (also known as Laura Samsonová; born 10 March 2008) is a Czech tennis player.^[1] She won the girls' doubles title at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships and was a runner-up in girls' singles at the 2024 French Open. She is the first player born in 2008 or later to win a WTA Tour main-draw match.^[2]

In 2024, she changed her surname to gender neutral form to be distinguished from another circuit tennis player, Russian Liudmila Samsonova, with whom she was presented under the same short name L. Samsonova.^[3]

Junior career

A member of TK Sparta Prague, Samsonová won her first junior title as a 13 year-old at a J5 event in Prostějov in a October 2021, without dropping a set. It was her first junior-level event. She then won her second J5 event in November 2021 in Silla-Saledar in Spain, and reached the final in her third, in Montemar.^[4]^[5]

In July 2023, she won the Wimbledon girls' doubles title with compatriot Alena Kovačková. In the final, they faced Hannah Klugman and Isabelle Lacy of Great Britain, winning in straight sets. They were the first Czech pairing to win the title since Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková in 2013.^[6]

In June 2024, she reached the final of the French Open girls' singles tournament, but lost to compatriot Tereza Valentová.^[7] Defending the Wimbledon girls' doubles title alongside Kovačková in 2024, they lost in the quarter finals to Mika Stojsavljevic and Mingge Xu.^[8]

Senior career

2024: Historic first win

Given a wildcard entry into the 2024 Prague Open, Samson became the first player born in 2008 or later to win a WTA Tour main-draw match when she defeated qualifier Tara Würth in straight sets in the first round.^[9]^[10]

ITF Circuit finals

Singles: 4 (3 titles, 1 runner-up)

Legend
W25 tournaments
W15 tournaments (3–1)

Finals by surface
Hard (1–1)
Clay (2–0)

Result	W–L	Date	Tournament	Tier	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	1–0	Feb 2024	ITF Monastir, Tunisia	W15	Hard	Selina Dal	6–1, 6–3
Loss	1–1	Feb 2024	ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt	W15	Hard	Sandra Samir	0–6, 4–6
Win	2–1	May 2024	ITF Kranjska Gora, Slovenia	W15	Clay	Oana Gavrilă	6–1, 6–4
Win	3–1	May 2024	ITF Bol, Croatia	W15	Clay	Sara Svetac	6–1, 6–2

Junior Grand Slam finals

Singles: 1 (1 runner-up)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2024	French Open	Clay	Tereza Valentová	3–6, 6–7⁽⁰⁾

Doubles: 1 (title)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponent	Score
Win	2023	Wimbledon	Grass	Alena Kovačková	Isabelle Lacy Hannah Klugman	6–4, 7–5

References

^ "L.Samsonová". Eurosport. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
^ "Sixteen-year-old Samson becomes first 2008-born player to win WTA match". WTA. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
^ Vávra, Aleš (3 June 2024). "Ze Samsonové je Samson. Nová česká hvězda si změnila jméno kvůli Rusce". Aktuálně.cz (in Czech). Economia, a.s.
^ "LAURA SAMSONOVÁ VYHRÁLA PRVNÍ JUNIORSKÝ TURNAJ – PROSTĚJOV J5". tkspartapraha.cz. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
^ "Úžasná forma talentované Samsonové. Třináctiletá Češka po dvou titulech přidala další finále". tenisovysvet.cz. 13 November 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
^ "Juniors Kovačková, Samsonová and Filip won the doubles titles at Wimbledon". Ceskenoviny.cz. 16 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
^ Oddo, Chris (8 June 2024). "Valentova triumphs in first all-Czech junior Grand Slam final". Roland-Garros. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
^ Jennings, Will (12 July 2024). "The four Brits who can still win Wimbledon". inews. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
^ "Prague milestones: Breakthrough wins for Samson, Shibahara and Von Deichmann". WTA. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
^ "Prague Open: Laura Samson moves into second round". Tennis Majors. Retrieved 22 July 2024.

External links

Laura Samson at the Women's Tennis Association
Laura Samson at the International Tennis Federation
Laura Samson at ESPN.com

[1] "L.Samsonová". Eurosport. Retrieved 15 July 2023.

[2] "Sixteen-year-old Samson becomes first 2008-born player to win WTA match". WTA. Retrieved 22 July 2024.

[3] Vávra, Aleš (3 June 2024). "Ze Samsonové je Samson. Nová česká hvězda si změnila jméno kvůli Rusce". Aktuálně.cz (in Czech). Economia, a.s.

[4] "LAURA SAMSONOVÁ VYHRÁLA PRVNÍ JUNIORSKÝ TURNAJ – PROSTĚJOV J5". tkspartapraha.cz. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2023.

[5] "Úžasná forma talentované Samsonové. Třináctiletá Češka po dvou titulech přidala další finále". tenisovysvet.cz. 13 November 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2023.

[6] "Juniors Kovačková, Samsonová and Filip won the doubles titles at Wimbledon". Ceskenoviny.cz. 16 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.

[7] Oddo, Chris (8 June 2024). "Valentova triumphs in first all-Czech junior Grand Slam final". Roland-Garros. Retrieved 8 June 2024.

[8] Jennings, Will (12 July 2024). "The four Brits who can still win Wimbledon". inews. Retrieved 13 July 2024.

[9] "Prague milestones: Breakthrough wins for Samson, Shibahara and Von Deichmann". WTA. Retrieved 22 July 2024.

[10] "Prague Open: Laura Samson moves into second round". Tennis Majors. Retrieved 22 July 2024.

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