Monica Puig

Monica Puig is a Puerto Rican tennis player, who is famous for putting her country on the global tennis map.

Puig made history at the 2016 Rio Olympics by becoming the first Puerto Rican athlete to win a gold medal, after she defeated Angelique Kerber in the women's singles final. She hasn't reached those dizzying heights since, but continues to put up consistent results on the women's tour from week to week.

Best finish at each of the four Grand Slams:

Australian Open: 3rd Round (2016)

French Open: 3rd Round (2013, 2016)

Wimbledon: 4th Round (2013)

US Open: 2nd Round (2014, 2018)

Highest Ranking: No. 27

Style of play

Puig is small in stature, but likes to hit big on the court. She is an aggressive baseliner who takes the ball early in order to push her opponents on to the defensive.

The Puerto Rican has a two-handed backhand which she can hit flat and in any direction. She rarely uses the backhand slice, and doesn't come to the net much either.

Puig's forehand is conventional and spin-heavy, although she can also hit it flat when presented with a short ball. She relies on consistent, deep hitting from the back of the court, rather than variations in spin and pace, to win her matches.

Strengths and weaknesses

Puig's backhand is her best shot by a distance. She can attack relentlessly off that wing, as it is both powerful and solid. She can also hit it to different parts of the court with ease, and rarely misses the surprise down-the-line change-up.

Puig is quick around the court, and get defend as easily as she can attack. She can slice and lob when the situation calls for it, making her a versatile defender.

The Puerto Rican's return of serve is also a weapon, as she can send the ball back deep almost every single time. She frequently puts pressure on her opponents' serve, thus ensuring that her own service games aren't too stressful.

But stress is something that inevitably catches up to Puig on her serve, as she lacks the flat power required to win free points. She gets broken herself a large number of times, and consequently finds herself in long-drawn-out matches quite often.

Puig's forehand isn't the most solid shot either, and she sometimes struggles to finish points with it.

Personal life

Puig was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and has mixed heritage. Her father Jose is Cuban American, while mother Astrid Marchan is Puerto Rican.

Puig picked up tennis at the insistence of her mother, and hasn't looked back since. She achieved considerable success as a young pro, winning the Strasbourg tournament at the age of 20 and going on to add the Rising Stars Invitational trophy to her cabinet.

Puig's 2016 Olympics win was a headline-grabber for more reasons than one. Not only did she make history for Puerto Rico by becoming the first athlete from the country to win Olympic gold, but she also beat all the odds in a truly fairytale campaign.

Puig was unseeded at the tournament, and wasn't expected to even reach the quarterfinals, let alone win the whole thing. But she put in one inspired performance after another, outgunning Petra Kvitova in the semifinal and Angelique Kerber in the final to come away with a stunning upset win.

She suffered a let-down in the aftermath of that success, losing a string of matches to end 2016. But she has recovered since then, and is now a regular presence in the middle stages of most big tournaments.

Social media presence:

Monica Puig Instagram: @monicaace93

Monica Puig Twitter: @MonicaAce93