Madalina Grigoriu is originally from Targu Jiu, Romania, but now lives with her husband in Jacksonville, Florida. Before becoming a full-time professional pickleball player, Madalina was a collegiate tennis player at the University of Louisiana-Monroe (ULM), where she led the Warhawks to their first and only Sun Belt Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017. Additionally, Madalina was a ULM valedictorian in 2019, and received her Master's in Business Administration in 2021. Madalina worked as an Auditor for Deloitte and became a Certified Public Accountant before she stumbled upon pickleball at a public park in Weston, Florida, in 2023. After an abuela added Madalina to a pickleball group chat for Tropical Park in Miami, Florida, she was hooked. Madalina officially started her professional pickleball career in March 2024.