News

PHOENIX — Paola Longoria, the current No. 1 ranked female racquetball player in the world, has signed a long-term contract with HEAD Penn Racquet Sports. The San Luis Potosí, Mexico native is just 22 years old, but has already amassed an impressive résumé of racquetball accomplishments. In addition to being atop the Women’s Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) current rankings, Longoria is the reigning International Racquetball Federation’s (IRF) World Women’s Doubles Champion and the 2011 Pan American Games Women’s Singles Champion.

This past weekend was Paola’s first tournament using equipment from HEAD Penn and she dominated the WPRO Tour event with her new HEAD Black Widow 160 racquet in hand. The tournament victory was her eighth consecutive on the WPRO Tour and during the weekend in Virginia she didn’t drop a single game in route to the finals. With the win, Longoria finished the 2011-2012 WPRO Season undefeated and captured her third career year-end title.

“We are thrilled to have Paola join the HEAD Penn team. She is not only the most dominant women’s player in the world but is a class act on and off the court,” said Doug Ganim, HEAD Penn’s Manager of Indoor Promotions. “As the leading brand in the sport we look forward to providing her with the equipment she needs to further increase her competitive advantage.”

Before joining the professional ranks, Paola dominated on the world stage as a junior. She won eight consecutive World Junior Girls’ Singles Championships from 2001 to 2008. Towards the end of her junior career Longoria started competing at the adult level, winning the Pan American Championships title in Women’s Singles in 2006, 2008, 2010 and again this year in April.

Last year in racquetball’s penultimate international competition – the Pan American Games – Paola became the first Mexican player ever to win a singles Gold Medal. Longoria is a two-time and current US OPEN Racquetball Championship winner. Her first US OPEN title came in 2009 at the age of 19, the youngest winner ever among men or women at racquetball’s most prestigious Grand Slam event.

Longoria is quite the decorated doubles player as well. Teaming up with fellow Team HEAD Penn member Samantha Salas, the duo are the reigning two-time IRF World Women’s Doubles Champions. Paola and Samantha also kept home the Gold Medal in Women’s Doubles from the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. In joining the HEAD Penn family, Longoria not only will be teammates with her friend Salas, but also with her coach Fran Davis, a USA Racquetball Hall of Fame member and HEAD Penn senior staffer.

“I am very excited to join the premier racquetball equipment maker in the industry,” said Longoria. “By joining the HEAD Penn team, I now have the best equipment on the market that will help me remain the No. 1 ranked player in the world. I’m so happy to be part of the HEAD Penn team and look forward to achieving more titles.”

In 2010, Longoria received the 2010 National Sports Award from the Mexican President Felipe Calderon. Off the court, Paola is a student in Engineering Administration and Systems at Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon.