Cristina Valladares is a Spanish-born tennis professional originally from Sevilla, where she began playing tennis at the age of four. She developed through Spain’s competitive junior tennis system, competing at the national level, ranking among the country’s top players between the ages of 14 and 16, and gaining early experience in professional-level competition. In 2009, she relocated to the United States to pursue collegiate tennis and higher education.
Cristina competed in multiple collegiate programs before completing her career at Barry University in Miami, where she was part of a Division II National Championship team and earned a degree in Finance and Business Administration.
Following graduation, she founded Neighborhood Tennis, a Miami-based tennis organization focused on expanding access to quality tennis education while fostering community connection and teamwork. Today, she serves as Director of Neighborhood Tennis, overseeing multiple junior and adult programs across Miami-Dade County, leading a growing team of coaches, and advancing her mission of building strong, inclusive communities through sport.