Family
Sampras's coach at home
Her father, Joe Brandi, a former player, also coached Pete Sampras. She was born in Puerto Rico and moved to Florida as a child.
Source: Puerto Rico HeraldThe Open Era
Kristina Brandi
Puerto Rico · born San Juan, 1977 · right-handed · won her only WTA title on grass at 's-Hertogenbosch in 1999
All playersBack to the rankings
1999
WTA title on grass at 's-Hertogenbosch, the only one of her career
4R
Best Wimbledon result, 2000
No. 27
Career-high ranking, December 2000
16
ITF singles titles
2004
First Puerto Rican to win an Olympic tennis singles match
Playing career
Kristina Brandi was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1977 and moved to Florida as a child. Her father, Joe Brandi, a former player, also coached Pete Sampras. She turned professional in 1995 and was ranked in the top 50 for six consecutive years. Her only WTA title came on grass at 's-Hertogenbosch in 1999, and in 2000 she reached the fourth round at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon and a career-high No. 27 in December.
A wrist injury in 2001 set her back, and she rebuilt her career on the USTA circuit. From 2002 she represented Puerto Rico, helping its Fed Cup team rise to Group I and winning gold medals in singles and doubles at the Central American and Caribbean Games. At the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo she won bronze in singles and silver in doubles, and at the 2004 Athens Olympics she became the first Puerto Rican to win an Olympic tennis singles match. She retired in 2007 with a 441-333 singles record, one WTA title and 16 ITF titles.
On grass
| 's-Hertogenbosch 1999 | Beat Silvija Talaja 6-0, 3-6, 6-1 in the final, the fourth edition of the women's event at the Dutch grass tournament |
|---|---|
| Wimbledon 2000 | Fourth round, her best result at the Championships and level with her best at any major |
Every grass title: 1
Show every title, tournament by tournament
| 's-Hertogenbosch (Rosmalen) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Women's singles Rosmalen Grass Court Championships | |
Leading grass titles only: the grass majors, tour-level grass events since 1968 and the leading grass championships before 1968. †single source; ‡ sources disagree. Roll of champions
Anecdotes
The person behind the player.
2001 to 2003
The comeback trail
After a wrist injury in 2001 she worked her way back through the USTA circuit, winning three events in a row in 2003, the last at College Park, Maryland, where she won the last four rounds in straight sets. Puerto Rico's team officials hoped for a medal at the Pan American Games: "To see Kristina win a bronze medal would really be something because her comeback thus far has just been tremendous."
Source: Puerto Rico HeraldSanto Domingo, 2003
Medals for Puerto Rico
She won the bronze medal in singles and silver in doubles at the 2003 Pan American Games, a year after winning singles and doubles gold at the Central American and Caribbean Games.
Source: WikipediaAthens, 2004
A first Olympic win
She beat Jelena Kostanić 7-5, 6-1 in the first round, the first Olympic singles win by a Puerto Rican tennis player, then lost to Anastasia Myskina in the second round.
Source: WikipediaJoin Grass Tennis Club
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Where they won on grass
- Autotron, Rosmalen ('s-Hertogenbosch)
- Find a grass court near you
Rivals and partners
- Silvija Talaja
- Venus Williams
- Anastasia Myskina
On Grass Tennis Club
Elsewhere online
Sources
- Kristina Brandi, WTA player profile
- Kristina Brandi, Olympedia
- "PR Sports Beat", Puerto Rico Herald, July 2003
- Libéma Open, history of winners
- Rosmalen Grass Court Championships, Wikipedia
- Kristina Brandi, Wikipedia
- GTC roll of grass champions, checked against a second source where one exists
Page updated 4 November 2026. Spotted an error? Send a correction.
