Marissa Sanchez
| Full name | Maria Socorro Dizon Sanchez |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) | .svg.png){kind=small} Philippines |
| Born | June 27, 1956 |
| Died | January 4, 2026 (aged 69) Angeles City, Philippines |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 2–5 (Federation Cup) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 0–4 (Federation Cup) |
Medal record | |
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Maria Socorro "Marissa" Dizon Sanchez (June 25, 1956 – January 4, 2026) was a Filipino tennis player.
Early life
Maria Socorro Dizon Sanchez, was born on June 25, 1956.[1][2][3] Commonly known as Marissa Sanchez, she is part of the Sanchez–Ayuyao clan of Angeles City and Magalang in Pampanga.[1] She took up tennis at age 12 in Angeles City.[4]
Career
Sanchez became the top player in the Philippines for the first time in 1975, when she won both the National Tennis Open and Philta Open.[5]
She was part of the first Philippines squad to compete at the 1977 SEA Games and was runner-up to Indonesia's Yolanda Sumarno in singles, with her silver medal the first of any color attained by a Filipino tennis player at the event.[6]
Sanchez competed at the main draw of the Federation Cup (now the Billie Jean King Cup), representing the Philippines in the 1978 edition.[2]
She made another Federation Cup appearance in 1981, before retiring in her early 30s.[4][5]
Later life and death
After retiring, Sanchez went on to become a coach in her home province of Pampanga where she held training camps and mentored the youth.[4] Sanchez died from heart failure on January 4, 2026, at the age of 69 in Angeles City.[1][4]
References
- ^ a b c "'70s PHL tennis star Marissa Sanchez dies at 69". Punto. January 4, 2026. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
- ^ a b Santos, Troi (January 5, 2026). "Long before Alex, Marissa weaved racket wonders". BusinessMirror. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
- ^ Flora, Ian Ocampo (January 5, 2026). "Former tennis champion Marissa Sanchez dies". SunStar. SunStar Publishing Inc. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
- ^ a b c d Marcelo, Ding. "Marissa Sanchez, former Philippine No. 1 in tennis, dies age 69". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
- ^ a b Orejas, Tonette (June 4, 2017). "Remember Marissa Sanchez?". Inquirer.
- ^ Bellen, Kristoffer Ed (November 28, 2019). "Opinion: So you knew nothing about tennis?". Dugout.
External links
- Marissa Sanchez at the Billie Jean King Cup (archived)
- Marissa Sanchez at the International Tennis Federation