from 830 to the top career: A journey of faith, work and mental strength
Eduardo Santana is a professional trainer who has worked with both professional and non-professional players.
In September 2021I left my country, Spain, to start a new professional and personal chapter in Mexico. I came in September 15 with a clear goal: to start working with a young Mexican tennis player, MarÃa José Portillo, who was ranked 830 IN WTA singles ranking at the time. She was 22 years old, full of potential and standing at a crossroads that many professional athletes know all too well – the point where talent must be transformed into consistency, confidence and results.
From the first day, we immersed ourselves in work. Long hours on the field, intense physical sessions in the gym and countless conversations with MarÃa José, her family and the team laid the foundation for our process. For me, this stage is not optional; it is essential. Understanding an athlete’s story, personal history, emotional world, and competitive identity allows a coach to truly understand where the player is, why they are there, and what needs to be done moving forward. Only by knowing her strengths, fears, habits and character could we build a path that made sense.
What impressed me most about MarÃa José from the start was her work ethic. Despite the cultural differences, misunderstandings and moments of tension that naturally arise in anyone
high performance environment, she demonstrated a tremendous commitment to improvement. She worked tirelessly from day one and results quickly followed. Six months later, in March 2022she had climbed more than 400 positions in WTA ranking, reaching a career high at the time 413 IN WTA in singles. It was a powerful confirmation that we were on the right track.
But elite sport is never a straight line. year 2022 ended up with MarÃa José around 650 WTAand from the second half of 2022 through the majority of 2023the results we were chasing just didn’t come. She finished 2023 around 500 WTA sign. This was, without question, the most demanding phase of our journey.
Week after week, we worked intensively on the mental, emotional and competitive aspects of her game. Every training session and every tournament became a battle to improve, even by one percent. This is the true reality of professional tennis. Technical and physical skills are important, but mentality is the pillar that holds the athlete. Must exercise every day,
unceasingly, both in times of success and in times of war. These are two sides of the same coin and both require equal attention.
What kept us going was MarÃa Jose’s refusal to give up. Her persistence in difficult times is something I will always be grateful for. She never stopped believing, never stopped working, and never stopped showing up with courage.
Then it came 2024 — the most successful and satisfying season of her professional career. From January to September, MarÃa José climbed more than 300 positions in WTA rankings. She reached five semifinals in ITF 35K tournaments, won five ITF 35K doubles titles, being a semi-finalist i ITF 100K of Vitoria, Spain, in both singles and doubles, quarterfinals at ITF 75K in Vienna, qualifying and reaching the quarter-finals, defeating Victoria Mboko in the first round in straight sets, Current Top 20 IN WTA ranking. With this win and with several other wins during the year against players within the Topi 150 WTAMarÃa José achieved the best moment of her career so far – both in ranking and level.
I would also like to highlight a special achievement in doubles: the title in ITF 100Tour K in Biarritz, France (Jul 2025), in partnership with the Spanish player Irene Burillo and defeating very strong pairs (Top 150), demonstrating an extraordinary level and giving us all a lot of joy.
As a coach, I have never believed that there is a single factor that “guarantees” success for every athlete. But from my experience, I firmly believe that if the following aspects are not present, there is no real chance of success in sports or in life: CONSTANT JOBS, PERSISTENCE IN DIFFICULT MILESTONES (in good times it’s easy, it doesn’t mean much to me) PASSION AND INTENSITY IN DAY EFFORTS, AND HIGH MINIMUM STANDARDS (for me, it is life because every day, every week, every month and every year, we all experience different emotions and situations in our personal life and inner world that can often become a constant inhibition in the pursuit of our goal. Working so that every day, no matter what we feel or how we feel, we can deliver a high minimum level of performance is the pillar of my belief and my work as a coach.
MarÃa José Portillo’s journey is a powerful example of what can be achieved when faith meets discipline. I am deeply proud to have been a part of this journey and to have been able to help him.
