Paola Michelle Longoria López (born July 20, 1989) is a Mexican racquetball player. She's the two time reigning International Racquetball Federation World Champion in both Women's Singles and Doubles, the first player to hold both titles simultaneously. Longoria is also the #1 player on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) tour, and was the first Mexican woman to attain the #1 pro ranking, doing so at the end of the 2008-09 season. She repeated the feat at the end of 2009-2010 season, and has been #1 for the last three seasons. Longoria's style is characterized by a semi-western grip of the racquet, which is unusual for racquetball; Longoria is the only pro player using this grip style.
Professional career:
Longoria was undefeated on the LPRT for three and a half years, from May 2011 to October 2014. Overall, she's won 48 Tier 1 or Grand Slam events on the LPRT, including five US Opens in 2014, when she beat Maria Jose Vargas in the first US Open final to feature two non-American players, 2013, 2012 and 2011 when she defeated Rhonda Rajsich in each of those finals, and 2008 when she beat Cheryl Gudinas in the final, becoming the first Mexican - woman or man - to win that event or even reach the US Open final.
Her first women's pro tournament win was the Outback Steakhouse Blast It! tournament in Fayetteville, N.C., September 13-16, 2007, when she defeated Rajsich in the final, 12-14, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7.
Longoria finished as the #1 pro player at the end of five pro seasons: 2008-09, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2013-14.
Medal record:
Other honors:
Longoria received the 2010 National Sports Award from the Mexican government. Mexican President Felipe Calderón presented Longoria with the award.
In 2013, Forbes Magazine's Mexico edition named Longoria as one of the 50 most influential women in Mexico.