Laura Samson

Laura Samson
Country (sports) Czech Republic
Born (2008-03-10) 10 March 2008 (age 16)
Prague, Czech Republic
Prize money$31,175
Singles
Career record31–13
Career titles3 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 329 (18 November 2024)
Current rankingNo. 329 (18 November 2024)
Grand Slam singles results
French Open JuniorF (2024)
Wimbledon Junior3R (2024)
US Open JuniorSF (2023)
Doubles
Career record5–4
Highest rankingNo. 732 (18 November 2024)
Current rankingNo. 732 (18 November 2024)
Grand Slam doubles results
French Open JuniorSF (2024)
Wimbledon JuniorW (2023)
US Open JuniorQF (2023)
Last updated on: 18 November 2024.

Laura Samson (formerly known as Laura Samsonová; born 10 March 2008) is a Czech professional 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 was the first player born in 2008 or later to win a WTA Tour main draw match.[2]

In 2024, she changed her surname to the gender neutral form to be distinguished from another WTA Tour tennis player, Russian Liudmila Samsonova, with whom she shared the same abbreviated name (L. Samsonova).[3]

Career

Juniors

A member of TK Sparta Prague, Samson won her first junior title as a 13-year-old at a J5 event in Prostějov in an 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.[6] They were the first Czech pairing to win the title since Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková in 2013.[7]

In June 2024, she reached the final of the French Open girls' singles tournament but lost to compatriot Tereza Valentová.[8] Defending the Wimbledon girls' doubles title alongside Kovačková in 2024, they lost in the quarterfinals to Mika Stojsavljevic and Mingge Xu.[9]

In October 2024, she reached the final of the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals, where she lost in two close sets 4–6, 4–6 to world number one Emerson Jones. She later said it was her last junior tournament with focus on Pro Tour since 2025. [10]

2024: First WTA Tour wins

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.[11][12] In the second round she upset second seed Kateřina Siniaková in three sets to make it through to the quarterfinals,[13][14] where she defeated Oksana Selekhmeteva.[15][16] Her run came to an end in the semifinals when she retired injured while trailing in the third set against Magdalena Fręch.[17]

After reaching final at ITF Junior Finals, Samson received her second WTA main draw wildcard at 2024 Mérida Open, but she was unable to pass the first round, where she lost in two close sets to Antonia Ružić.

ITF Circuit finals

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

Legend
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 Germany Selina Dal 6–1, 6–3
Loss 1–1 Feb 2024 ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt W15 Hard Egypt Sandra Samir 0–6, 4–6
Win 2–1 May 2024 ITF Kranjska Gora, Slovenia W15 Clay Romania Oana Gavrilă 6–1, 6–4
Win 3–1 May 2024 ITF Bol, Croatia W15 Clay Croatia Sara Svetac 6–1, 6–2

Doubles: 1 (runner–up)

Legend
W40/50 tournaments (0–1)
Result W–L Date Tournament Tier Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 0–1 Nov 2024 ITF Chihuahua City, Mexico W50 Hard Mexico Ana Sofía Sánchez United States Haley Giavara
United States Dalayna Hewitt 		1–6, 3–6

Junior Grand Slam tournament finals

Singles: 1 (runner-up)

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

Doubles: 1 (title)

Result Year Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 2023 Wimbledon Grass Czech Republic Alena Kovačková United Kingdom Isabelle Lacy
United Kingdom Hannah Klugman		 6–4, 7–5

References

  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. ^ "Clervie Ngounoue, Henry Searle win Wimbledon juniors titles". ESPN. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  7. ^ "Juniors Kovačková, Samsonová and Filip won the doubles titles at Wimbledon". Ceskenoviny.cz. 16 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  8. ^ Oddo, Chris (8 June 2024). "Valentova triumphs in first all-Czech junior Grand Slam final". Roland-Garros. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  9. ^ Jennings, Will (12 July 2024). "The four Brits who can still win Wimbledon". inews. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  10. ^ https://www.tenisovysvet.cz/article/detail/21159--nova-vyzva-pro-finalistku-juniorskeho-tm-divokou-kartu-jsem-necekala-zari-samson%7C
  11. ^ Macpherson, Alex (22 July 2024). "Prague milestones: Breakthrough wins for Samson, Shibahara and Von Deichmann". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  12. ^ "Prague Open: Laura Samson moves into second round". Tennis Majors. 22 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  13. ^ "Prague Open: Wildcard Samson stuns Siniakova to make quarter-finals". Tennis Majors. 23 July 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  14. ^ "Sixteen-year-old Samson stuns Siniakova to make Prague quarters". Women's Tennis Association. 23 July 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Samson edges Selekhmeteva in thriller to reach Prague semis on WTA debut". Women's Tennis Association. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Prague Open: Laura Samson makes semi-finals". Tennis Majors. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  17. ^ "Prague Open: Frech makes final after Samson withdrawal". Tennis Majors. 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.