María José Vargas (born March 18, 1993) is a

Bolivian Bolivian may refer to: * Something of, or related to Bolivia ** Bolivian people ** Demographics of Bolivia ** Culture of Bolivia Bolivia is a country in South America, bordered by Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay and Argentina to the sou ...

-born

Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish ( masculine) or ( feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines ...

racquetball Racquetball is a racquet sport and a team sport played with a hollow rubber ball on an indoor or outdoor court. Joseph Sobek invented the modern sport of racquetball in 1950, adding a stringed racquet to paddleball in order to increase v ...

player. She is the current Pan American Champion in Women's Doubles, as well as part of the Women's Team Pan Am Champions and the current South American Racquetball Champion in Women's Singles and Doubles. Vargas has five wins on the

Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour The Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour is the latest name for the women's professional racquetball tour. It features the world's best players and several events each season - running from September to May - that are mostly played in the USA. Hist ...

(LPRT), and has finished in the top 10 seven times - five of those were within the top three with her career best coming in 2014-15, when she finished #2.

2006-2012 - Early years & playing for Bolivia

Vargas played at th
International Racquetball Federation (IRF)
World Junior Championships several times as a junior player, representing Bolivia. She won Girls U12 at the 2006 IRF World Junior Championships in Tempe, Arizona, defeating the USA’s Devon Pimentelli in the final. She was a semi-finalist in Girls U14 in 2007 at World Juniors in

Cochabamba Cochabamba ( ay, Quchapampa; qu, Quchapampa) is a city and municipality in central Bolivia in a valley in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and the fourth largest city in Bolivia, with a population of 6 ...

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

, where she lost to Aubrey O’brien of the USA, 15-6, 14-15, 11-2. Vargas and Yasmine Sabja took home bronze in Girls U16 Doubles from the 2008 World Junior Championships in Tempe, Arizona. Vargas lost in the quarterfinals of Girls U16 at 2009 World Juniors in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to Aubrey O’brien of the USA, 15-4, 15-12. Also in Santo Domingo, Vargas played doubles with Yasmine Sabja, and they were runners-up in U18 Doubles to the USA's O’brien and Danielle Key, 13-15, 15-8, 11-0. At 17, Vargas was selected to play in the 2010 World Championships in Seoul, South Korea, which was her first appearance at Worlds. She defeated Japan’s Estuko Noda, 15-5, 3-15, 11-10, to reach the quarterfinals, where she lost to USA veteran Cheryl Gudinas, 15-9, 15-7. Vargas also played doubles in Seoul with Jenny Daza, and they lost to Japan’s Naomi Wakimoto and Toshiko Sakamoto, 15-12, 15-2, in the quarterfinals. In the team competition, Bolivia lost to South Korea in the quarterfinals. Vargas won Girls U16 at World Juniors in 2010, when she defeated the USA’s Kelani Bailey in the final, 15-11, 12-15, 11-6. She also won U16 Doubles with Masiel Rivera, as they defeated Courtney Chisholm and Devon Pimentelli of the USA in the final, 15-9, 15-9. In Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, at the 2011 World Junior Championships, Vargas lost in the Girls U18 Singles final, 4-15, 15-7, 11-4, to Canadian

Frédérique Lambert Frédérique Lambert (born March 27, 1992) is a Canadian racquetball player. Lambert is the current Canadian Champion in Women's Singles and Women's Doubles, and has won seven Canadian Championships: four in Women's Singles and three in Women's ...

. But she did win Girls U18 Doubles that year with Adriana Riveros. They defeated Mexicans Sofia Rascon and Elena Robles, 15-11, 15-5. Vargas played for Bolivia at the

2011 Pan American Games The 2011 Pan American Games, officially the XVI Pan American Games, was an international multi-sport event that was held from October 14–30, 2011, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Some events were held in the nearby cities of Ciudad Guzmán, ...

in Guadalajara,

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

, where she was a bronze medalist in both Women's Singles and the Women's Team event. In singles, she beat Canadian

, 15-11, 15-8, in the Round of 16, and team-mate Jenny Daza in the quarterfinals, 15-6, 15-13, before losing in the semi-finals to the USA’s

Rhonda Rajsich Rhonda Rajsich (born October 7, 1978) is an American racquetball player. She has been World Champion in Women's Singles twice, and Pan American Champion 6 times (4 times in Women's Singles & twice in Women's Doubles), as well as US Open champi ...

, 15-6, 15-7. In the team event, Bolivia beat Chile in the quarterfinals, but lost to the USA in the semis. Vargas played Women’s Singles at the 2012 Pan American Championships in

Temuco Temuco () is a city and commune, capital of the Cautín Province and of the Araucanía Region in southern Chile. The city is located south of Santiago. The city grew out from a fort of the same name established in 1881 during Chile's invasion ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

, where she lost in the Round of 16 to Cristina Amaya of Colombia, 15-3, 15-2. Vargas’s second appearance at Worlds was at the 2012 World Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where she played Women’s Singles and the Women's Team event. Vargas defeated Dominican Claudine Garcia, 15-14, 15-6, in the Round of 32 and then lost to Mexican

Paola Longoria Paola Michelle Longoria López (born July 20, 1989) is a Mexican racquetball player. She is the current Women's World Champion in both Singles and Doubles, winning both divisions at the 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champ ...

, 15-9, 15-3, in the Round of 16. In the Women’s Team event, Bolivia lost in Colombia, 2-1, in the Round of 16. In her last year of junior eligibility, Vargas won Girls U18 at the 2012 World Junior Racquetball Championship in Los Angeles, California, where she defeated Bolivian team-mate Adriana Riveros in the final, 15-10, 15-5. Vargas and Riveros teamed up to win Girls U18 Doubles. Thus, Vargas ended her junior years with singles titles in two of her final three years, and three consecutive doubles titles. Vargas began playing on the

(LPRT) in 2012. She made the semi-finals in Reseda, California in April 2013, which was only her 5th tournament. She lost that semi-final to

, 11-3, 11-3, 11-8, but that result helped her finish the LPRT season as the 10th ranked player, her 1st top 10 finish on tour. In December 2013, Vargas was named LPRT Rookie of the Year.

2014-2016 - Playing for Argentina

After not playing internationally in 2013, Vargas returned to international competition in 2014, but now she was playing for

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, t ...

. Perhaps ironically, Vargas’s 1st tournament for her adopted country was the 2014 Pan American Championships in Santa Cruz,

, her native land. In Santa Cruz, she played both Women’s Singles and Women’s Doubles. In singles, she beat Veronica Sotomayor of Ecuador in the quarterfinals, 15-13, 15-1, and Samantha Salas in the semi-finals, 15-7, 8-15, 11-2, to reach her 1st international final. Vargas won the final by defeating Mexico’s

Susana Acosta Susana Acosta (born 8 December 1976) is a Mexican racquetball player. Acosta has won several gold medals for Mexico, including at the 2003 Pan Am Games and the 2014 Pan Am Championships. She's also played professionally, with career high rankin ...

, 15-4, 15-8. In doubles, she and Véronique Guillemette beat Vargas’s former team-mates Jenny Daza and Carola Loma of Bolivia, 15-8, 15-10, in the quarterfinals. Then in the semi-finals, they beat Maria Paz Muñoz and Veronica Sotomayor of Ecuador, 6-15, 15-11, 11-9. They lost the final to Mexicans Acosta and Samantha Salas, 10-15, 15-8, 11-7. With the win in Santa Cruz, Vargas became the first player - man or woman - representing Argentina to win gold at the Pan Am Championships. At the 2014 World Championships in Burlington, Ontario, Vargas reached the semi-finals by defeating

Gabriela Martinez Gabriela may refer to: * Gabriela (given name), a Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian feminine given name * ''Gabriela'' (1942 film), a Czech film * ''Gabriela'' (1950 film), a German film * ''Gabriela'' (1983 film), a Brazilian film * ''Gabriela' ...

of Guatemala, 15-5, 15-5, in the Round of 16, and Canadian Christine Richardson, 15-6, 15-1, in the quarterfinals. In the semis, she lost to Mexican

, 15-5, 15-9, so she was a bronze medalist. At Worlds, Vargas again played Women’s Doubles with Véronique Guillemette. They lost to Chileans

Angela Grisar Angela Grisar (born May 2, 1973) is a Chilean retired racquetball player. She was the first South American woman's racquetball player to finish in the top 10 on the women's pro tour, doing so six straight seasons (2003-04 to 2008-09). She won nu ...

and Carla Muñoz, 8-15, 15-3, 11-8, in the quarterfinals. The 2014-15 LPRT season was Vargas's best to date. Early in the season, she reached the final of the

US Open Racquetball Championships The UnitedHealthcare US Open Racquetball Championships is the premier professional racquetball event. It is a Grand Slam event with men and women competing from the International Racquetball Tour and Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour, respective ...

- pro racquetball’s biggest event - for the first time, but she lost to

in the final, 11-5, 11-3, 11-8. She was also in the LPRT Doubles final - partnering with

, but losing to Longoria and Veronica Sotomayor. In December 2014, she followed up that performance with a win at the 2014 LPRT Christmas Classic in Arlington, Virginia, where she beat Rajsich in the final, 5-11, 11-7, 11-7, 13-11. She defeated Alexandra Herrera in the semi-finals, 11-7, 11-1, 11-1, and

Michelle Key Michelle Key (born August 18, 1988) is an American racquetball player. Key represented the USA at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, where she was part of the silver medal winning Women's Team. Key was ranked 7th at the end of the 2014-15 La ...

in the quarterfinals, 11-4, 11-0, 11-5. Vargas's second LPRT tour title came later in the 2014-15 season, as she beat

, 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-3, in the final of the 2015 New Jersey Open. She beat

in the semi-finals, 11-4, 2-11, 11-9, 11-4, and

in the quarterfinals, 3-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-2. Overall, Vargas was in 9 finals, winning twice, in the 2014-15 LPRT season, and as a result she finished the season #2, a career high. She reached the podium twice at the 2015

Pan American Championships A Pan American Championship is a top level international sports competition between athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs in the Americas. Typically these championships are recurring, the most ...

Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 ( Distrito Nacional) , webs ...

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

. She was again the silver medalist in Women's Doubles with Véronique Guillemette, losing the final to Mexicans

and Samantha Salas, 15-4, 15-13. In Women's Singles, Vargas was a bronze medalist, losing the semi-finals to

Longoria Longoria is a Spanish surname. The surname “Longoria” is originated in the province of Asturias in northwestern Spain, is found in the basque region of Spain and also in Italy. People Notable people with the surname include: *Álvaro Longoria ...

, 15-3, 15-8. At the

2015 Pan American Games Fifteen or 15 may refer to: * 15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music * Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak a ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

, Vargas earned two silver medals: in Women's Singles and Women's Doubles with Véronique Guillemette. In the singles final, Vargas lost to

of Mexico, 15-12, 15-9, and in the doubles final, Vargas and Guillemette lost to Longoria and Samantha Salas, 15-3, 15-4. In the Women's Team event, Vargas and Guillemette lost in the quarterfinals to Canadians

and

Jennifer Saunders Jennifer Jane Saunders (born 6 July 1958) is an English actress, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Saunders originally found attention in the 1980s, when she became a member of The Comic Strip after graduating from the Royal Central School of ...

. Nevertheless, Vargas's medals were the first

Pan American Games The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is hel ...

silver medals won by an Argentine player in racquetball.

2017-present - Career resumes

Vargas had a child in 2016, so she didn’t play in the 2016-17 LPRT season. She came back to the LPRT after 17 months at the 2017 US Open, when she lost to

in the Round of 32, 11-3, 11-4, 11-4. That was the only tournament Vargas played in 2017, but she played most of the LPRT events in 2018, including the 2018 Peachtree Open, which she won in March 2018. It was her third LPRT win. She was in the final with

, and Lambert had to forfeit the match. Nonetheless, it was an impressive win, as Vargas was seeded 16th, so in order to reach the final, she had to beat top seed Jessica Parrilla, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8, in the Round of 16, 8th seed Adriana Riveros, 11-1, 5-11, 11-4, 11-9, in the quarterfinals, and 4th seed Alexandra Herrera, 11-8, 11-3, 11-3, in the semi-finals. The win helped Vargas finish 9th at the end of the 2017-18 LPRT season. It was her 5th time in the season ending top 10. She returned to international competition in March 2018 at the 2018 Pan American Championships in

. But in Vargas's return she lost in the quarterfinals of both singles and doubles albeit to the eventual champions. In Women's Singles, she lost to the USA's

, 15-10, 15-5. In Women's Doubles, she and Natalia Mendez lost to Mexicans

and Alexandra Herrera, 15-14, 15-6. Vargas was a triple gold medalist at the

2018 South American Games The 2018 South American Games was a multi-sport event that took place in Cochabamba, Bolivia. It was the 11th edition of the ODESUR South American Games. A total of 373 sporting events are scheduled to be contested across a variety of sports. ...

. In Women’s Singles, she defeated Carla Muñoz of

, 15-5, 13-15, 11-5, in the semi-finals, and Bolivian Yasmine Sabja, 15-4, 15-6. In Women’s Doubles, Vargas and Natalia Mendez beat Bolivians Stefanny Barrios and Jenny Daza, in the doubles final, 15-11, 15-10. They also defeated Bolivia in the Women's Team competition. At the 2018 World Championships in

San José, Costa Rica San José (; meaning "Saint Joseph") is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is in the center of the country, in the mid-west of the Central Valley, within San José Canton. San ...

, Vargas played singles and doubles for

. In Women's Singles, she reached the semi-finals with a win over Bolivian Yasmine Sabja, her former doubles partner from junior days, 15-2, 15-7. Vargas lost the semi-final to Mexican

, 6-15, 15-2, 11-7. She played Women's Doubles with Natalia Mendez, and they lost in the quarterfinals to Guatemalans

and Maria Renee Rodriguez, 15-2, 15-8. Vargas won her 4th LPRT title in March 2019, when she outlasted Samantha Salas in the final of the Open Bolivia American Iris tournament in

, winning 11-8, 10-12, 11-13, 11-3, 11-9. That was the only final she was in during the 2018-19 LPRT season, but she did reach four semi-finals, and finished the LPRT season ranked 3rd. At the 2019 Pan American Championships in

Barranquilla Barranquilla () is the capital district of Atlántico Department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean Coast region; as of 2018 it had a population of 1,206,319, making it Col ...

, Colombia, Vargas was a finalist in Women’s Singles, as she beat USA veteran

in the quarterfinals, 15-4, 15-8, and

team-mate Natalia Mendez, 15-9, 14-15, 11-7, in the semi-finals. In the final, Vargas lost to Mexico’s

, 15-7, 15-2. In Women’s Doubles, Vargas and Mendez beat Chileans Carla Muñoz and Josefa Parada, 15-7, 15-8, in the Round of 16, but they lost in the quarterfinals to Longoria and Samantha Salas of Mexico, 15-7, 15-6. Vargas played at the

2019 Pan American Games The 2019 Pan American Games ( es, Juegos Panamericanos de 2019, links=no), officially the XVIII Pan American Games and commonly known as the Lima 2019 Pan-Am Games or Lima 2019 ( qu, Limaq 2019), were a multi-sport event governed by the Panam Spo ...

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of t ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

, which was her 3rd Pan Am Games. She was a finalist in Women’s Singles. She beat the USA’s Kelani Lawrence, 15-9, 15-13, in the quarterfinals, and her old Bolivian team-mate Adriana Riveros, who was now representing Colombia, 15-8, 15-9, in the semi-finals. Vargas lost to Mexican

, 15-7, 15-9, in the final. In Women’s Doubles, she and Natalia Mendez beat Canadians

and

, 15-9, 15-9, in the quarterfinals, but lost to Guatemalans

and Maria Renee Rodriguez in the semi-finals, 15-9, 10-15, 11-1. Then in the Women’s Team event, Vargas and Mendez were runners-up to Mexico. Thus, Vargas took home three medals - two silver and one bronze - from Lima. So far in the 2018-19 LPRT season Vargas has been in four finals, winning once. She defeated

in September 2018 at the LPRT By The Beach tournament in Virginia Beach, Virginia, winning 7-15, 15-12, 11-4, in the final for her 5th win on tour. At the 2022 Pan American Racquetball Championships in

Santa Cruz de la Sierra Santa Cruz de la Sierra (; "Holy Cross of the Mountain Range"), commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the largest city in Bolivia and the capital of the Santa Cruz department. Situated on the Pirai River in the eastern Tropical Lowlands of Bolivia ...

, Vargas won Women’s Doubles with Natalia Mendez, beating Mexicans Alexandra Herrera and Samantha Salas in the final, 15-14, 14-15, 15-10, 8-15, 11-9. Vargas and Mendez also defeated Mexico to win the Women's Team title. She played Women's Singles as well, and lost in the final to Bolivian Angelica Barrios, 14-15, 10-15, 15-10, 15-14, 12-10.

Career summary

Vargas has won 5 tournaments on the

, and never failed to be in the top 10 in the six seasons she's played on tour. Internationally, Vargas played four times for her native Bolivia, earning two medals, and has played 11 times for Argentina, winning 18 medals, highlighted by her gold medals in Women's Singles at the 2014 Pan Am Championships and Women's Doubles at the 2022 Pan Am Championships.

Career record

This table lists Vargas's results across annual events.

References