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Lea Ma

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Lea Ma
Country (sports) United States
Born (2001-02-01) February 1, 2001 (age 23)
New York City, U.S.
Height5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)
CollegeGeorgia Bulldogs (2019–2023)
Prize money$21,861
Singles
Career record63–36
Career titles1 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 359 (October 21, 2024)
Current rankingNo. 382 (November 4, 2024)
Doubles
Career record3–4
Career titles0
Highest rankingNo. 1,170 (August 5, 2019)
Last updated on: November 4, 2024.

Lea Ma (born February 1, 2001) is an American professional tennis player. She played college tennis for the Georgia Bulldogs and was ranked No. 3 nationally at the end of her college career.

Early life and junior career

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Ma grew up in Dix Hills, New York.[1] She trained at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York and the Junior Tennis Champions Center in Maryland before moving to IMG Academy in Florida in the winter of 2017–18.[1] She played on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior Circuit from 2014 to 2019, winning one singles title and four doubles titles, and reached a peak junior ranking of No. 19 in July 2018.[2] At the junior Grand Slam level, she reached the round of 16 in singles at the 2018 Wimbledon Championships and 2018 US Open and the quarterfinals in doubles at the 2019 French Open (partnering Hurricane Tyra Black).[2] She represented the United States at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires.[1]

College career

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Ma committed to the University of Georgia in June 2019.[3] She began playing for Georgia in the fall of 2019, but the spring season was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] As a sophomore in 2020–21, she went 17–5 in singles, playing mostly in the team's No. 2 spot, and was ranked No. 30 nationally at the end of the season.[4] She helped Georgia win the Southeastern Conference (SEC) regular season title and the SEC Championship, receiving All-SEC first team honors and being named SEC Newcomer of the Year.[5][6] She finished the next season, 2021–22, with a singles record of 16–8 and a ranking of No. 38, again being named to the All-SEC first team.[4][7]

In October 2022, Ma won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Southeast Regionals title.[8] She handed No. 1 college player Fiona Crawley her first defeat of the season in Georgia's loss to North Carolina in February 2023.[9][10] She went 32–8 in singles as a senior, finishing her college career with a national ranking of No. 3, and helped Georgia win the SEC Tournament and reach the NCAA Championships semifinals.[11][12] She was named to the All-SEC first team and nominated for the Honda Sports Award for tennis.[11][13]

Professional career

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After graduation, Ma began regularly playing on the ITF Women's World Tennis Tour in mid-2023.[14] She received five ITF tournament wildcards as one of the first recipients of the ITF/WTA College Accelerator Program in September 2023.[15]

ITF Circuit finals

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Singles: 1 (title)

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Legend
W35 tournaments
Finals by surface
Hard (1–0)
Result W–L Date Tournament Tier Surface Opponent Score
Win 1–0 Sep 2024 ITF Redding, United States W35 Hard United States Maria Mateas 6–3, 6–2

References

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  1. ^ a b c Kapetanakis, Arthur (December 5, 2018). "Orange Bowl Spotlight: Lea Ma". United States Tennis Association. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Lea Ma Tennis Player Profile (Juniors)". International Tennis Federation. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  3. ^ "Georgia Signs Top Recruit Lea Ma". georgiadogs.com. University of Georgia Athletics. June 10, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "Lea Ma – 2022-23 – Women's Tennis". georgiadogs.com. University of Georgia Athletics. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  5. ^ Kite-Powell, Sean (April 23, 2021). "Georgia women's tennis sweeps Texas A&M to win SEC Tournament". The Red & Black. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  6. ^ "2021 SEC Women's Tennis Awards Announced". Southeastern Conference. April 29, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  7. ^ "2022 SEC Women's Tennis Awards Announced". Southeastern Conference. April 28, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  8. ^ Akers, Griffin (October 19, 2022). "Lea Ma wins ITA Southeast Regional Title for Georgia women's tennis". The Red & Black. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  9. ^ "Bulldogs Fall to Tar Heels 5–2, Ma Tops No. 1 Crawley". georgiadogs.com. University of Georgia Athletics. February 1, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  10. ^ Koh, Michael (February 2, 2023). "UNC Women's Tennis Defeats No. 5 Georgia, Stays Unbeaten in 2023". Chapelboro.com. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Lea Ma Named Finalist for Honda Sport Award For Tennis". georgiadogs.com. University of Georgia Athletics. June 5, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  12. ^ Hernandez, Savannah (May 8, 2023). "Get to Know: Georgia women's tennis player Lea Ma". DawgNation. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  13. ^ "2023 SEC Women's Tennis Awards Announced". Southeastern Conference. April 27, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  14. ^ "Lea Ma Tennis Player Profile". International Tennis Federation. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  15. ^ "Lea Ma Among Inaugural Recipients of New ITA & ITF/WTA Partnership". georgiadogs.com. University of Georgia Athletics. September 21, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
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