| Womens Tennis Association Top 20 WTA singles rankings as of the end of the 2014 season, with player photos and bio info. |
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 Serena Williams hoisted the trophy after defeating Simona Halep in the final of the WTA Finals on October 26, 2014. |
Venus & Serena Williams Wallpaper WTA bio page ITF: Serena Williams career record serenawilliams.com Serena Williams Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 64 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (17): | Semifinalist (19): | |
| 2014 | Singapore YEC, US Open, Cincinnati, Stanford, Rome, Miami, Brisbane | Montreal, Dubai | |
| 2013 | Istanbul YEC, Beijing, US Open, Toronto, Bastad, Roland Garros, Rome, Madrid, Charleston, Miami, Brisbane | Cincinnati, Doha | |
| 2012 | Istanbul YEC, US Open, London Olympics, Stanford, Wimbledon, Madrid, Charleston | Rome | |
| 2011 | Toronto, Stanford | US Open | |
| 2010 | Wimbledon, Australian Open | Sydney | Rome |
| 2009 | Doha YEC, Wimbledon, Australian Open | Miami | US Open, Toronto, Dubai, Paris Indoor, Sydney |
| 2008 | US Open, Charleston, Miami, Bangalore | Wimbledon | Stanford |
| 2007 | Miami, Australian Open | Moscow | |
| 2006 | Los Angeles, Cincinnati | ||
| 2005 | Australian Open | ||
| 2004 | Beijing, Miami | WTA Champ's, Los Angeles, Wimbledon | Rome |
| 2003 | Wimbledon, Miami, Paris Indoors, Australian Open | Charleston | Roland Garros, Rome |
| 2002 | Leipzig, Tokyo Princess Cup, US Open, Wimbledon, Roland Garros, Miami, Scottsdale, Italian Open | WTA Champ's, German Open | Sydney |
| 2001 | WTA Champ's; Indian Wells, Canadian Open | US Open | |
| 2000 | Hannover, Los Angeles, Tokyo outdoor | Paris Indoors, Canadian Open | Wimbledon |
| 1999 | US Open, Paris Indoors, Indian Wells, Los Angeles, Grand Slam Cup | Miami | |
| 1998 | Sydney | ||
| 1997 | Chicago |
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Serena Williams has a huge contract to wear Nike togs (she was formerly of the Puma persuasion). Serena's racquets have included the Wilson K Factor KBlade Team 104", the Hyper Hammer 6.2 (with a 110 sq." head), and the nCode N3 (with a 113" head, weighing 9.4 ounces and balanced head-heavy). Serena formerly had her bats strung (at about 67 lbs) with Wilson 16-gauge Natural Gut; as of 2012 she still uses Wilson Natural Gut on the main strings, but now uses Luxilon 4G polyester on the crosses. Serena is coached by her father Richard and "informally" (since May 2012) by Patrick Mouratoglou; her hitting partner is Sasha Bajin. Serena and sister Venus did spend some time at the Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, Florida, way back in the 20th century. Serena's agent is Jill Smoller at the William Morris Agency. (May 13, 2011) Former WTA #1s Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Dinara Safina have withdrawn from the 2011 French Open. Serena is still recovering from a foot injury incurred last year, and a pulmonary embolism; she hopes to be ready to play at Wimbledon. Venus is not yet ready to play due to a hip injury that has kept her offcourt since January; she hopes to be ready to play at Eastbourne, a week before Wimbledon (Tennis.com ticker). Dinara is taking an indefinite break from tennis due to recurring low back injuries. Serena tweeted: "My thanks to all of you guys for the love and support. I will miss Paris, however, I am working hard to make my return unforgettable." Serena Williams at Twitter - AP story (Apr 12, 2011) Former WTA #1 Serena Williams resumed oncourt training today, and posted a photo of it: photo posted by Serena Williams at TwitPic. (Mar 7, 2011) WTA #1 Caroline Wozniacki paid a visit to former #1 Serena Williams in Los Angeles before going to Indian Wells for the WTA tourney there. The Danish paper Ekstra Bladet reports that Caroline said: "As always [Serena] was a lot of fun to be with. She looked good, but of course she has a lot of things that need to be checked up on. But she is in a good spirits." (Mar 2, 2011) Former WTA #1 Serena Williams has been treated for a pulmonary embolism. Serena's spokesman, Nicole Chabot, told People Magazine "Monday Serena Williams underwent emergency treatment at Cedars [Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles] for a hematoma she suffered as a result of treatment for a more critical situation... Last week, Serena suffered from a pulmonary embolism [a blood clot in the lungs] which was discovered upon her return to L.A. She had been in New York for doctor appointments for the ongoing issues with her foot... Doctors are continuing to monitor her situation closely to avoid additional complications." People.com story (Nov 26, 2010) WTA #4 (and former #1) Serena Williams has withdrawn from the 2011 Australian Open, and from the pre-Aussie Open Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia. Serena said: "While I desperately want to be back on the court and competing in the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, it is imperative for my health that I continue to work with my doctors to ensure my foot heals properly." AP story Serena cut her feet on broken glass at a restaurant in Europe in July, causing her to miss this year's US Open. She was to return to play at Linz, Austria, in October, but withdrew after reinjuring her right foot while training in Florida. On Oct 11, in a post on her official website, Serena said: "I am likely out for the year now... In order not to make this worse, I have to chill on my physical workouts but I will immediately begin rehabbing as soon as I get the Doc's OK." AP story Serena's injuries originally required 18 stiches, 12 on her right foot and 6 on her left foot, and surgery on her right foot to repair a torn toe tendon. USA Today interview Serena cut her foot after her Wimbledon title victory on July 3, and the injury was at first not thought to be serious. Serena then lost to Kim Clijsters in an exhibition in Belgium on July 8. Asked how she was able to play the exhibition with the injury, Serena said: "Those Belgian doctors and waffles." Serena underwent surgery in Los Angeles on July 15. Serena had previously withdrawn from three tourneys leading up to the US Open and from all of her 2010 World Team Tennis matches due to the injury. AP story - July 20 AP update - original AP story (Dec 8, 2008) # 2 Serena Williams has withdrawn from the ITF Hopman Cup citing a hamstring injury incurred at the 2008 WTA Championships. Serena has been replaced by former # 11 Meghann Shaughnessy, who missed almost all of last year due to a left knee injury. Serena says she will be ready to play before the Australian Open. (Jul 12, 2007) # 7 Serena Williams has withdrawn from the July 14-15 US vs Russia Fed Cup semifinal, and from next week's Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open in Mason (Cincinnati), Ohio, due to a left hand injury she incurred at Wimbledon. Serena sprained her left thumb during her 4th round victory over Daniela Hantuchova on July 4. # 41 Meilen Tu has replaced Serena on the US Fed Cup roster. AP story (Oct 7, 2005) # 11 Serena Williams, still troubled by left ankle and knee problems, has withdrawn from the Zurich and Philadelphia tourneys, and will not play again until 2006. Serena said: "My doctors advised me my leg needs to fully recover in order to play at the level I'm accustomed to." BBC story (Aug 6, 2005) # 7 Serena Willams has withdrawn from the JPMorgan Chase Open which begins August 8 in Los Angeles. Serena is still troubled by a injured left ankle which she incurred last April in the quarterfinals of the Bausch & Lomb Championships at Amelia Island, Florida. The injury caused Serena to miss the French Open. After losing in the 3rd round at Wimbledon in June, Serena said that the injury had been a hairline fracture, and that is was still troubling her, although it was not the cause of her defeat. At that time she said that the injury, which was at first called a sprain, had been a hairline fracture. Serena is expected to play in the Rogers AT&T Cup in Toronto, which begins August 15. (May 20, 2005) # 4 Serena Willams has withdrawn from the 2005 French Open. Serena is still troubled by a sprained left ankle which she incurred last month in the quarterfinals of the Bausch & Lomb Championships at Amelia Island, Florida. (Oct 17, 2004) 5th-seeded # 9 Serena Williams withdrew from the Swisscom Challenge in Zurich, still troubled by her left knee, which she had surgery on over a year ago. Although Serena has won 2 tourneys this year after returning from the knee surgery, and said several times that her knee has fully recovered, she has had intermittent relapses of trouble with the knee, causing tourney withdrawals. (Dec 13, 2003) # 3 Serena Williams has signed a deal with Nike that an AP source says will pay her $40 million over 5 years, the largest endorsement contract ever signed by a woman. Earlier reports had suggested that the total could be as high as $55 million (over 8 years), but Serena will have to make ends meet with a mere 40 mil. Serena had been wearing Puma while she moved to the top of the rankings. Serena's sister # 11 Venus Williams signed a similar contract with Reebok in Dec 2000: up to $40 million over 5 years. (Aug. 4, 2003) # 1 Serena Williams had surgery to repair a partial tear in the mid-portion of the quadriceps tendon of her left knee in Los Angeles on Friday, Aug. 1, and will miss the U.S. Open (which starts Aug. 25th). In a statement released by IMG (her agents), Serena's doctor, Los Angeles orthopedic surgeon Rodney Gabriel said: "I expect a 100 percent recovery and Serena's speedy return to competitive tennis." |
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 Maria Sharapova held the trophy after defeating Simona Halep in the final of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 7, 2014. |
Maria Sharapova Wallpaper WTA bio page ITF: Maria Sharapova career record MariaSharapova.com (official) 2004 Wimbledon Final: Maria defeated Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4: Match description, results, pics, quotes 2006 US Open Final: Maria defeated Justine Henin 6-4, 6-4: Match description & full results + pics & quotes Maria Sharapova Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 33 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (22): | Semifinalist (31): | |
| 2014 | Beijing, Roland Garros, Madrid, Stuttgart | Cincinnati, Miami, Paris Indoor, Brisbane | |
| 2013 | Stuttgart, Indian Wells | Roland Garros, Madrid, Miami | Doha, Australian Open |
| 2012 | Roland Garros, Rome, Stuttgart | Istanbul YEC, Beijing, US Open, London Olympics, Miami, Indian Wells, Australian Open | |
| 2011 | Cincinnati, Rome | Wimbledon, Miami | Roland Garros, Indian Wells |
| 2010 | Strasbourg, Memphis | Cincinnati, Stanford, Birmingham | |
| 2009 | Tokyo PPO | Toronto | |
| 2008 | Amelia Island, Doha, Australian Open | Rome, Indian Wells | |
| 2007 | San Diego | Madrid WTA Championships, Birmingham, Australian Open | Los Angeles, Roland Garros, Tokyo Indoor |
| 2006 | Linz, Zurich, US Open, San Diego, Indian Wells | Miami, Dubai | Madrid WTA Championships, Los Angeles, Wimbledon, Birmingham, Tokyo indoor, Australian Open |
| 2005 | Birmingham, Doha, Tokyo indoor | Miami | WTA Championships (LA), Beijing, US Open, Wimbledon, Rome, Indian Wells, Australian Open |
| 2004 | WTA Champ's, Tokyo outdoor, Seoul, Wimbledon, Birmingham | Zurich | Philadelphia, Beijing, Memphis |
| 2003 | Tokyo outdoor, Quebec City | Birmingham, Luxembourg | |
| 2002 | ITF/Gunma-JPN, ITF/Vancouver-CAN, ITF/Peachtree City-USA |
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Maria Sharapova was born in Nyagan, in the Siberian region of Russia, and later moved to Sochi, on the Black Sea. Maria started at the Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, Florida at age 7, and still has a residence near there. But Maria spends more time at her house at Manhattan Beach (a suburb of LA), California, where she can get the large hamburgers she likes at In-N-Out when she isn't practicing her Italian cooking at home.
Maria first went to California to get coaching from Robert Lansdorp, who helped Tracy Austin, Lindsay Davenport and Pete Sampras perfect their strokes. Maria's father Yuri has shopped around to find the best available coaching for her; Maria also has spent time getting extra clay court training at the Equélite-Juan Carlos Ferrero Tennis Academy near Villena, Spain. Maria's hitting partner from Bollettieri Academy, Michael Joyce, became her traveling coach. But in 2011 Maria parted ways with Joyce, and hired Swede Thomas Hogstedt, who had been coaching Na Li. In July, 2011, Maria hired Vladimir Voltchkov, whom she had worked with during grass court season as her full time hitting partner. But by May, 2012, she was again working with previous hitting partner Cecil Mamitt. Maria's physical trainer is Juan Reque. In July, 2013, Maria dismissed Thomas Hogstedt and hired former ATP great Jimmy Connors as her coach. Jimmy had worked with Maria briefly prior to the 2008 Australian Open. However, Connors was dismissed in August; Maria played only one WTA match with Connors as her coach. Maria serves very well, with an unusually fast 2nd serve when she is healthy. Although she does not move as well as the best runners on the tour, she still hits the ball very well on the run, and she can topspin lob. Maria sometimes does not make very many trips to the net, but when she gets to the net, she has been effective there. It's the bat: In 2006 Maria signed a contract with Prince which was to pay her about $25 million dollars over 10 years. Prince released Maria from that contract in December, 2010. At the start of 2010, Maria was using a Prince EXO3 Black. After Indian Wells in March 2010, Maria was sidelined for several weeks by a right elbow bone bruise. When she returned to play at Madrid in May, Maria was no longer using a Prince racquet. Maria has been trying to find the best bat to protect her arm from injury, but Prince racquets tend to have high stiffness ratings. With the consent of Prince, Maria played the rest of last year with a Head Youtek Radical which was been painted black, with no logo on the strings. The Youtek Radical Pro has a stiffness of 58 (compared to 70 for the O3 Speedport Black), 100 sq." string area, 27" length, swingweight of 345, and weighs 11.6 oz strung, balanced 2 points head-light. On Monday, January 3, 2011 at Auckland she was swinging a Head frame with logo. By Madrid, in May, 2011, Maria was using a new Head bat, the Head YOUTEK IG Instinct Midplus. The YOUTEK IG Instinct Midplus has a 100 sq. in. head, is 27 inches long, weighs 10.6 oz. unstrung, and has a 16 x 19 string pattern, with a beam width of 23/25/21 mm. The balance is 1 inch headlight. Tennis.com story Maria has had her bats strung with 16-gauge Babolat VS Touch or Babolat VS Team gut (reportedly strung at about 64 lbs, but Maria says "I change my tension all the time..."), or 17-gauge Babolat Pro Hurricane polyester. Since her shoulder injuries, she has reportedly tried Luxilon M2 on the mains with Prince natural gut on the cross strings, and is having her racquets strung at a somewhat lower tension, 62lbs. Although the standard Russian nickname for Maria is "Masha," Maria prefers to be called "Maria." Maria's agent is Max Eisenbud at IMG. Maria's tailor is Nike (August 21, 2013) Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from this year's US Open due to an ongoing right shoulder injury. Tennis.com story (Oct 22, 2010) Former WTA #1 Maria Sharapova is engaged to Slovenian Los Angeles Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic. The pair met a year ago at a friend's barbecue; no wedding date has been set. Vujacic announced the engagement on Thursday night. Maria's agent (Max Eisenbud of IMG) confirmed the news in an email to the Associated Press. Vujacic, now in his seventh season with the Lakers, averaged 2.8 points and 1.2 rebounds in 67 games last year. AP story (Dec 5, 2009) Former #1 Maria Sharapova defeated South & Central American #1 Gisela Dulko in two exhibition events in South America. The original schedule for the exhibitions was revised, and a match planned for Gisela's hometown, Buenos Aires, Argentina, was dropped. On December 2, in Santiago, Chile, Maria defeated Gisela 6-1, 6-3, and on December 5 in Porto Feliz, Brazil, Maria won again, this time by a slim margin, 6-3, 3-6, (10-7). Gisela defeated Maria at Wimbledon in 2009; Maria had won their two prior meetings. (Mar 6, 2009) Former # 1 Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California, which begins March 11. Maria is not yet ready to play as she recovers from a torn right shoulder rotator cuff tendon she incurred in the Spring of 2008 (see stories below). Although videos from the Bollettiieri Academy in Bradenton, Florida, have shown that Maria is working very hard to get ready to play, the videos also show that Maria is still doing some of her practicing left handed, to avoid overtaxing her right shoulder. (Feb 4, 2009 revised Feb 5 & 6) Former # 1 Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from both the Paris indoor tourney (Feb 9) and the following week's tourney in Dubai (Feb 16). Maria is not yet ready to play as she recovers from a torn right shoulder rotator cuff tendon she incurred in the Spring of 2008 (see stories below). Maria said: "I'm very disappointed to be unable to compete in the upcoming Open GDF SUEZ and Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, both of which are great events that I was very much hoping to be able to play. My shoulder continues to improve every day and I am working very hard on the practice court... "I have been training in Florida the last few weeks and really working hard on getting the strength back in my arm. It's really amazing how you can do all the exercises and rehab in the world but nothing substitutes the time you spent on court running and hitting hundreds of balls. The biggest lesson I have learned throughout this whole process is that it takes so much patience to get back to where you were physically. You are never really going to forget 'how' to hit a tennis ball but what you do forget is how much work and repetition you must put into every single day in order to get back to where you were. And the only way to get back into good shape is by playing tennis. Unfortunately just because the doctor fixes the problem and gives you the green light to practice doesn't mean that you can just go out there playing tournaments. Yesterday I played my first few points with serves in about 6 months which was pretty exciting! Right now I'm aiming for Palm Springs [Indian Wells], or Miami, depending on how things shape up. I cannot wait to get back to playing tournaments!" mariasharapova.com (Jan 11, 2009) 2008 Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the 2009 Australian Open. Maria said: "I am very sorry to announce that I am not going to be able to defend my title at this year’s Australian Open. My shoulder is doing great, but I just started training a few weeks ago and I am just not near the level I need to be to compete at the highest levels." AO story The loss of the 2000 ranking points from her 2008 Australian Open title will mean that Maria will likely drop out of the top 10 in the WTA rankings, but remain well within the top 20. Maria's torn right shoulder rotator cuff tendon, originally injured last March, was not healing properly by October. So on October 15, Maria had arthroscopic surgery in New York. On Dec 30, Maria said: "The procedure was successful and very simple. I left the hospital a few hours after the procedure and flew to my home in Florida for 3 days and then I flew back to Phoenix to start working on my shoulder... Dr. Altcheck thought my recovery would be very fast and he was right. I had full range of motion after 14 days, after 6 weeks I was throwing a football and after 8 weeks I was back on the court where I belong... "I am trying to do everything possible to be ready for Australia, but I have promised my doctors, coach and family that I will not rush back. Since I only started practicing 16 days ago... But the great news is that we have taken care of the problem that has been bothering me so much over the last couple of years..." mariasharapova.com (Oct 2, 2008) Former WTA # 1 Maria Sharapova is out for the rest of the season due to a torn right shoulder rotator cuff tendon. On her website, Maria said: "I've been progressing really well, but the recovery is taking a lot longer than I had selfishly planned. Therefore, my team and I decided to `shut it down' for the season." (Aug 1, 2008) # 3 Maria Sharapova will withdraw from the 2008 US Open (Aug 25) as well as from the Beijing Olympics, because she has a torn right shoulder rotator cuff tendon. Maria had been unknowingly playing with the tendon torn since April. Maria withdrew from the Rogers Cup in Montreal on Wednesday evening after aggravating the ongoing right shoulder injury while defeating # 58 Marta Domachowska, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2. Maria had an MRI scan on Thursday, which disclosed two small tendon tears in her shoulder. Maria was thus forced to withdraw from next week's 2008 Olympics in Beijing. On her official website on Friday, Maria said: "Well my 24 hour medical tour came to an end yesterday after I met [in New York] with Dr. David Altchek who is the premier shoulder doctor in the world. He looked at all my tests from April and today and informed me that I have been playing with a moderate tear in my rotator cuff tendon since April. He actually couldn't believe that I've been playing this long with this injury. You can imagine that I was not very thrilled to hear that my medical team did not see this tear in my shoulder back in April. "The good news is that it didn't get much worse since April but we could have started the healing time back then instead of now. "He does not believe that I need surgery and is sending me to work with a specialist in Arizona next week to do extensive rehab and strength work and he believes that I should be ready to play in 2-3 months." Maria has struggled with right shoulder problems for over three years. In a newsletter from her website dated July 29, Maria said: "[After Wimbledon] I spent many hours of each day working with Prince on different rackets and string. Ever since Indian Wells and that backhand incident, I haven't been able to get my arm up and close to my head without some sort of impingement and grinding... so I've been trying different rackets with different weight balances that are a bit more flexible and the strings looser to get as much tension away from my arm as possible. "So for the last week I have been playing with a new frame...I'm usually very sensitive to any minor changes and we usually do this in the off season, but we really had no choice this time. Apart from that I spent a good ten or so days concentrating on my fitness and in the last week been playing a few practice matches etc." (Jul 31, 2008) 3rd-seeded # 3 Maria Sharapova withdrew from the Rogers Cup in Montreal on Wednesday evening after aggravating an ongoing right shoulder injury while defeating # 58 Marta Domachowska, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2. Maria will have an MRI scan on Thursday, and then decide if she must withdraw from next week's 2008 Olympics in Beijing to give her shoulder time to heal before the US Open. Maria said: "It's obviously unfortunate. You try to do every little possible thing you can. But at the end of the day when you go on court and you're thinking about aggravating things, you're thinking about an injury, it's not really the way to play. It's tough to go on court and not be close to even 50 per cent. I'm too good of a player to go out there and try to fight through something that can eventually become something serious." Maria has struggled with right shoulder problems for over three years. In a newsletter from her official website dated July 29, Maria said: "[After Wimbledon] I spent many hours of each day working with Prince on different rackets and string. Ever since Indian Wells and that backhand incident, I haven't been able to get my arm up and close to my head without some sort of impingement and grinding... so I've been trying different rackets with different weight balances that are a bit more flexible and the strings looser to get as much tension away from my arm as possible. So for the last week I have been playing with a new frame...I'm usually very sensitive to any minor changes and we usually do this in the off season, but we really had no choice this time. Apart from that I spent a good ten or so days concentrating on my fitness and in the last week been playing a few practice matches etc." (April 1-4, 2008 revised) Maria Sharapova has entered both the Bausch & Lomb Championships at Amelia Island, April 7-13, and the Family Circle Cup at Charleston, April 14-20. Maria had withdrawn from the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami to rest her sore right shoulder. (March 21-27, 2008 re-revised) # 5 Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the Sony Ericsson Open citing a right shoulder injury, which, apparently, is not major. After her first loss of the year (to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the Indian Wells semifinals) on Friday, Maria said: "...My body is kind of hurting a little bit." Shoulder pain, which kept Maria sidelined often from 2005-2007, occured during her 4th round win over Alona Bondarenko. Maria's agent, Max Eisenbud of IMG, said: "She's going to take a week off and not play any tennis... It was nothing major, but after everything that happened last year, she was a little scared... She has a very loose shoulder. It helps with the serve because she gets that extra whip, but the problem is that when fluid gets in there it's very hard to treat and hard to get out." South Florida Sun-Sentinel story At Key Biscayne on Wednesday, Maria said: "I think I sort of jammed it a little bit, so I wanted to give it some rest... There are good things and bad things to having a loose shoulder. I'm very flexible and my joints are very loose. In a way that's very good because your body is not tight, but on the other hand you're very loose and more prone to getting injured." interview transcript About requesting a wild card for either of the two tourneys following Miami, at Amelia Island and Charleston, Maria said: "If I'm ready, and if I've had a good week or nine days of practice, then I would definitely consider taking those wildcards." (Oct 15, 2007) # 4 Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the Zurich Open due to a right shoulder injury which has troubled her all year. Maria was the Zurich champ in 2006, and the withdrawal means she will have no chance to "defend" the ranking points she earned there last year (ranking points last 52 weeks, and are then subtracted from a player's total). Maria also won the following week's tourney in Linz, Austria, last year. As she has not yet clinched a place in the season-ending WTA Championships, if she cannot play in Linz next week, she might be done for the season--which would, at least, give her shoulder a couple of months to heal. Maria said: "I'm very sorry to be missing the Zurich Open. I really wanted to play here, but my health comes before my ranking." tourney story (Jul 9, 2007) Due to a lingering right shoulder injury, # 2 Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the Fed Cup semifinals July 14-15. The USA is hosting Russia at Stowe, Vermont. On her official website, Maria said: "I still have a tremendous amount of swelling in the area." Doctors have told Maria to rest for 10 days. Elena Vesnina will replace Maria on Team Russia. Elena's teammates are slated to be Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anna Chakvetadze, and Nadia Petrova, but Sporting Life reports that Svetlana also has a shoulder problem and that Russian captain Shamil Tarpischev says Svetlana is "a long shot" to play. (May 10, 2007) # 2 Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from next week's Italian Open in Rome due to an ongoing right shoulder injury which has plagued her since January, as described below. Right shoulder problems also impaired Maria's performance and forced her to miss several events in 2005. On her official website, Maria said: "I am going to have to pull out of Rome today, my body is slowly getting better but in no way will I be ready to play in Rome. It is such a shame because I like playing in Rome and I have to pull out two years in a row. I just want to let my fans know that I am doing everything possible to be ready to play the French Open." Unless Maria makes a late entry into Strasbourg or Istanbul, she will have no clay court match play to prepare her for Roland Garros. (Apr 3, 2007) # 2 Maria Sharapova will be sidelined for 5 to 6 weeks due to right shoulder and left hamstring injuries. Maria has withdrawn from next week's Family Circle Cup in Charleston, and will also not be able to make her planned Fed Cup debut for Russia against Spain on April 21-22. In a statement on her official website, Maria said: "I haven't wanted to talk a lot about my injuries, but I'm afraid it has become obvious that I am having some problems with my right shoulder and left hamstring. "I hurt my shoulder right before I started playing in Hong Kong [at the Watson's Water Challenge in January], and kept hoping that I could work through it. I was told by doctors I had pretty severe inflammation, but decided to give it a shot. I think the anti-inflams and treatment helped me get through H.K and Australia. Unfortunately, my shoulder hasn't been able to be normal on its own, without the medicine. "My doctors have a positive outlook, despite telling me I cannot play for a while. They said I must drop out of the next two events, but they are confident that, with five or six weeks of rest, I will be ready for the next events. "I am especially bummed about the Fed Cup, as I was looking forward to playing in Moscow, and representing my country in a team environment for the first time. I will be speaking with the Russian Federation soon about future matches. The Family Circle Cup is always a great event, and a tournament I look forward to competing in again. "It's difficult for me to take time off from tennis, but the first thing is my health and that's something that I have made a big priority in my career. I can only look forward to getting back on the court ASAP. Thanks, as always, for your support." (Oct 4, 2006) # 3 Maria Sharapova has announced on her official website that she will play for Russia in the 1st round of Fed Cup competition next year. Spain will play Russia in Moscow in the 1st (quarterfinal) round of World Group play, April 22-23. It will be Maria's first participation in Fed Cup play. Maria's compatriot Elena Dementieva said: "If [Maria] plays it's going to be very helpful for the team. She's a very strong player and we have a lot of chances to win if she's playing." Reuters story Maria's father Yuri is boisterous at matches to a point that many people find offensive and distracting. But, Elena said: "I don't see any problems with her father. He's an emotional guy but it is nothing to do with his daughter. Maria is a nice girl and I don't see any problems." (Aug 28, 2006 updated 1/2007) # 4 Maria Sharapova has signed a new racquet endorsement contract with Prince which will pay her around $25 million dollars over the next 10 years. Maria's previous deal with Prince, a five-year contract, was signed when she was 14 years old, and due to expire. Maria currently uses Prince's O3 White model. The deal includes a base pay, plus incentives for high rankings and tournament performance. Maria also has endorsement contracts with Gatorade & Tropicana, Colgate-Palmolive, Motorola, Parlux Fragrances, Canon, watchmaker TAG Heuer, Land Rover, Nike, and others, plus Japan-only deals with Honda & Pepsi, which make her the highest-paid female athlete in the world, earning an estimated $25 to $30 million a year. (Sep 24, 2005) # 1 Maria Sharapova retired from her semifinal match at the China Open in Beijing due to an ongoing right pectoral muscle strain. Maria's friend and compatriot Maria Kirilenko was leading 6-4, 2-1 when Sharapova found she could no longer play. Sharapova's injury is the same one that forced her to withdraw from the Los Angeles tourney in August, and slowed her service speeds at the US Open. Maria Sharapova said: "Even if I couldn't walk I'd want to finish the match. It's something that I can't control. It's a very mysterious injury... comes on unexpectedly from day to day... I'm very disappointed, obviously. With every shot, with every forehand and serve I hit, it got worse and worse... it's very painful. I had an MRI in L.A. and they said it was just a muscle problem or inflammation. It's kind of up and down and it comes unexpectedly. I took a week and half off to get ready for the U.S. Open and after all that it was still not better, so that's a concern." AP story (Aug 23, 2004) The New Haven Register has published a good background article (free registration required) on 17-year-old Wimbledon champ & current WTA # 7 Maria Sharapova. The article says that Maria's father Yuri Sharapov took Maria, already training at the Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, Florida, to Robert Lansdorp in California for additional coaching because he had taught 6'2½" Lindsay Davenport such good strokes, and it was clear Maria would also be very tall (6'0"). About coaching Maria, Lansdorp said: "In the six years since she first came to see me, she has never walked off the court in a bad mood. Never. But she’s also so determined, so focused." Lansdorp has recently had Maria working (in Bradenton, where she still resides) with former ATP pro Mauricio Hadad, a player who ran everything down. Lansdorp said: "He’s capable of making her work hard for her points, which is what she needs. She needs to get into position to hit 10 or 15 balls in a row, not just four or five." |
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 Simona Halep is shown holding the glassware after she defeated Petra Kvitova 6-2, 6-2 in the final of the New Haven Open on August 25, 2013. |
WTA bio page ITF: Simona Halep career record Simona Halep Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 8 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (6): | |
| 2014 | Bucharest, Doha | Singapore YEC, Roland Garros, Madrid |
| 2013 | Sofia TOC, Moscow, Nürnberg, 's-Hertogenbosch, Budapest, New Haven | |
| 2012 | Brussels | |
| 2011 | Fès | |
| 2010 | Fès |
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Simona Halep, previously coached by Adrian Marcu and Wim Fissette, hired Romanian Victor Ionita as her coach in late 2014, and added Thomas Hogstedt as a "coaching consultant" for the early part of the 2015 season... Aggressive baseliner whose favorite shot is serve; likes all surfaces ... Speaks Romanian, English ... Enjoys music, movies and handball ... Favorite food is pasta; favorite drink is orange juice ... Favorite city is Paris; favorite tournament is Roland Garros ... Tennis idols are Justine Henin and Roger Federer. |
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 Petra Kvitova held the trophy after defeating Genie Bouchard in the final of The Championships at Wimbledon on July 5, 2014. |
WTA bio page ITF: Petra Kvitova career record Petra Kvitova Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 14 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (5): | |
| 2014 | Wuhan, New Haven, Wimbledon | Beijing |
| 2013 | Tokyo, Dubai | New Haven, Katovice |
| 2012 | New Haven, Montreal | |
| 2011 | WTA Champs, Linz, Wimbledon, Madrid, Paris Indoor, Brisbane | Eastbourne |
| 2010 | ||
| 2009 | Hobart | Linz |
| 2008 | ITF/Monzon-ESP | |
| 2007 | ITF/Stuttgart 1-GER, ITF/Prague Pruhonice-CZE, ITF/Prerov 2-CZE, ITF/Valasske Mezirici-CZE | |
| 2006 | ITF/Szeged-HUN, ITF/Valasske Mezirici-CZE |
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Petra Kvitova was born in Bilovec, Czech Republic, and resides in Fulnek. Petra was intoduced to tennis by father, Jiri (a teacher), her mother is Pavla, and she has two brothers: Jiri (an engineer) and Libor (a teacher). A baseliner whose favorite shots are her serve and backhand, Petra is coached by David Kotyza; her fitness coach is Jozef Ivanko. She trains at same club as Tomas Berdych and Lucie Safarova. As of 2012, Petra's bat is the Wilson BLX Steam 100. Petra speaks Czech and English; she likes comedy films and pop music, her favorite foods are pasta and sushi, her favorite beverage is apple juice. Other sports interests include basketball, volleyball. Petra's favorite city to visit is Melbourne. |
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 Ana Ivanovic is shown after defeating Simona Halep in the round robin of the WTA Finals at Singapore on October 24, 2014. |
Ana Ivanovic Wallpaper WTA bio page ITF: Ana Ivanovic career record Ana Ivanovic official website Ana Ivanovic Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 15 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (7): | Semifinalist (19): | |
| 2014 | Tokyo PPO, Birmingham, Monterrey, Auckland | Cincinnati, Stuttgart | Beijing, Rome |
| 2013 | Linz | Sofia TOC, San Diego | |
| 2012 | Moscow, Indian Wells | ||
| 2011 | Bali TOC, | San Diego, Birmingham | |
| 2010 | Bali TOC, Linz | Cincinnati, Rome, Brisbane | |
| 2009 | Canberra | Indian Wells | |
| 2008 | Linz, Roland Garros, Indian Wells | Australian Open | Zurich, Sydney |
| 2007 | Luxembourg, Los Angeles, Berlin | Roland Garros, Tokyo Indoor | Madrid WTA Championships, Wimbledon, Amelia Island |
| 2006 | Montreal | ||
| 2005 | Canberra | Linz, Zurich, Warsaw | |
| 2004 | ITF/Mallorca 2-ESP, ITF/Gifu-JPN, ITF/Fukuoka-JPN, ITF/Fano-ITA, ITF/Batumi-GEO |
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Ana Ivanovic was born in Belgrade, Serbia, and started playing tennis at age 5, after seeing it on TV. Her father Miroslav is an economist; her mother Dragana is a lawyer. Ana now resides in Basel, Switzerland. Ana formerly chopped with a Wilson nTour axe and wore Nike shoes and clothing. In 2006 Ana changed her tailor to adidas, and between Wimbledon and San Diego she began swinging a Wilson nCode nBlade bat. At the beginning of 2008 Ana changed racquets again, and came out swinging the 95" Yonex RQ iS 1 Tour, which she reportedly has strung with Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power strings at about 54 lbs tension. Another report confirms this data for the cross strings, but states that her main strings are Wilson Natural Gut at 56 lbs. Later in the year Ana began using a customized version of this racquet, the "XL" (extra light) model, which weighs 11.6oz strung (compared to 11.9oz for the regular model). Ana's strengths are her serve and her fine forehand. But in a December 26, 2008 interview, Ana said: "I think my backhand has improved a lot, especially since I changed racquets this year. The Yonex gives me a lot more spin, which helps with my backhand. I can hit through it (ball) more freely and control it better. Aside from that, I think my net play has improved a lot and also my movement." Ana likes to play on all surfaces, but likes hardcourts most. Ana won 5 ITF singles titles in 2004, her 2nd year as a pro, then began making a name for herself on the WTA Tour. She was coached by Eric Van Harpen, and then was coached by Zoltan Kuharsky, along with physical trainer Pierre Paganini, from October 2004 until April 2006. After that she was coached by Sven Groeneveld, who collects his pay from adidas and coaches a number of players who have adidas endorsement contracts. On July 17, 2006, Ana began working with Aussie Fed Cup captain David Taylor, who had coached Alicia Molik, Maria Kirilenko, and Maggie Maleeva. After the 2009 Australian Open, Ana began working with Craig Kardon, a former coach of Martina Navratilova, but Kardon was dismissed in early June, 2009. As of late 2009, Ana's fitness coach was Australian Damian Prasad, who had previously worked with Nadia Petrova. In late February, 2010, Ana hired Heinz Gunthardt, a former coach of Steffi Graf, as her new coach. In November, 2010, Ana dismissed Gunthardt; they were still on friendly terms, but Ana said Gunthardt was unable to give her the full-time attention she wanted. In early 2011 Ana had a "trial period" with Antonio van Grichen of Portugal as her coach, but it did not work out. In June, 2011, Ana rehired her former fitness coach Scott Byrnes, but she dismissed Byrnes in December. In July, 2011, Ana hired Nigel Sears, who had previously coached Daniela Hantuchova, then worked for the British LTA, as her coach. In June 2013, Ana dismissed Nigel Sears, and was again looking for a new coach. Ana has continued to work with Sven Groeneveld & Darren Cahill of adidas in addition to her other coaches along the way. In July, 2013, Ana began working with hitting partner Nemanja Kontic and fitness coach Zlatko Novovic. Kontic later assumed the role of coach, but was dismissed in July, 2014. In late July, 2014, Australian-born Serb Dejan Petrovic took over as Ana's coach. Ana's business manager is Dan Holzman (from Switzerland), and her agent Gavin Versi of Swiss DH Management AG. (October 3, 2009) #11 (and former #1) Ana Ivanovic has withdrawn from the China Open, and will play no more WTA matches this year. 2008 French Open champion Ana is suffering from upper respiratory illness, and says she needs a long break to recover from many small injuries. Ana said: "I guess having to withdraw from Beijing is an appropriate ending to a very disappointing season... My body is quite fragile at the moment, because I over-trained during the first part of the year. This was, I think, what caused me to have many small injuries this season... "I completely changed my serve after Wimbledon. This was because of my shoulder: if I continued serving and training the way I was, I would have almost certainly picked up a serious injury. My team and I are confident that I will be able to go back to my old service motion when I start practising again in November... "I have appointed a new fitness coach, whom I will tell you more about later. Over the next month or so I can have a great break. I can rest without thinking about any future tournaments, then train and practise hard for the new season." Ana's full statement (May 8, 2009) 2008 French Open champion and WTA # 7 Ana Ivanvic has withdrawn from the Madrid Open due to a right knee injury. Ana said: "My knee has been bothering me since the Fed Cup a couple of weeks ago. It’s become more painful with each match so I decided to go and see a specialist in Munich. "Unfortunately he and his staff told me that I need to take a break from playing matches, although I must work hard on my recovery during the next week. It’s very frustrating because I feel that my overall fitness is at its peak, and I have been practising very well. "At the moment there is no danger of me missing Paris: my focus is now on Roland Garros." anaivanovic.com story (Dec 9, 2007) WTA # 4 Ana Ivanovic left Belgrade today on a flight for Sydney, Australia, where she will prepare for the 2008 season. The London Times today has a feature on how Ana has spent ten days practicing at the British Lawn Tennis Association's new £40 million facilities at Roehampton. Ana said: "Living in Serbia is difficult for us players at the moment. Firstly there are not good practice facilities, but also we have become so famous that it’s not really comfortable. I got almost mobbed by fans just trying to do some shopping in a supermarket. So I am looking for somewhere as a base and London is a distinct possibility. I love being in the city with all the things there are to do, transport connections are good to anywhere in the world and there is no better place to train." |
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 Agnieszka Radwanska is shown after defeating Venus Williams in the final of the Rogers Cup at Montreal on August 10, 2014. |
WTA bio page ITF: Agnieszka Radwanska career record radwanskaagnieszka.blog.onet.pl unofficial website Agnieszka Radwanska Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 14 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (6): | Semifinalist (24): | |
| 2014 | Montreal, Indian Wells | Singapore YEC, Madrid, Doha, Australian Open | |
| 2013 | Seoul, Sydney, Auckland | Stanford | Beijing, Toronto, Wimbledon, Miami, Doha |
| 2012 | Brussels, Miami, Dubai | Tokyo, Wimbledon | Istanbul YEC, Madrid, Stuttgart, Doha, Sydney |
| 2011 | Beijing, Tokyo, San Diego | Toronto, Stuttgart | |
| 2010 | San Diego | Stanford, Dubai, Indian Wells | |
| 2009 | Beijing | Linz, Tokyo PPO | |
| 2008 | Eastbourne, Istanbul, Pattaya City | Stockholm, Linz, Doha | |
| 2007 | Stockholm, ITF/Biella-ITA | ||
| 2006 | Luxembourg | ||
| 2005 | ITF/Warsaw 2-POL |
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Agnieszka Radwanska was born in Krakow, Poland, and still resides there. Agnieszka and her sister Urszula (1 year 9 months younger, ranked # 211 as of this writing) are coached by their father, Robert, who travels with them on the WTA Tour. Their mother, Marta, is an accountant. Agnieszka began playing tennis at age 4, and grew up playing at a club in Gronau, Germany, where Robert was club pro. Agnieszka won the Wimbledon juniors title in 2005. Agnieszka is a baseliner who prefers her forehand; her favorite surface is clay. She wears Lotto attire, Nike Air Max Breathe Free II shoes, and swings a Babolat Drive Z Tour racquet, a control bat with a 100 sq." head, weighing 10.1 ounces. |
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 Genie Bouchard is shown after she defeated Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals of the Wuhan Open on September 26, 2014. |
WTA bio page ITF: Eugenie Bouchard career record Eugenie Bouchard Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 1 WTA Tour singles title: | Finalist (3): | |
| 2014 | Nuremberg | Wuhan, Wimbledon |
| 2013 | Osaka |
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Genie Bouchard Currently without a coach; main training base was Nick Saviano's Academy in Florida; also trains part-time at Tennis Canada's National Training Centre in Montréal... Has three siblings, including a twin sister; family lives on same street as former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney ... Favorite surface is hard ... Favorite singers are Justin Bieber and Jay-Z... |
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 Caroline Wozniacki is shown after she defeated Petra Kvitova in the round robin of the WTA Finals at Singapore on October 24, 2014. |
WTA bio page ITF: Caroline Wozniacki career record CarolineWozniacki.dk official website Caroline Wozniacki Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 22 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (15): | Semifinalist (18): | |
| 2014 | Istanbul | Tokyo PPO, US Open | Wuhan, Cincinnati, Eastbourne, Dubai |
| 2013 | Luxembourg | Indian Wells | Tokyo, Dubai |
| 2012 | Moscow, Seoul | Sofia TOC, New Haven, Montreal, Miami, Dubai | |
| 2011 | New Haven, Copenhagen, Brussels, Charleston, Indian Wells, Dubai | Stuttgart, Doha | US Open, Rome, Australian Open |
| 2010 | Beijing, Tokyo, New Haven, Montreal, Copenhagen, Ponte Vedra Beach | Doha WTA Championships, Indian Wells | US Open, Charleston |
| 2009 | New Haven, Eastbourne, Ponte Vedra Beach | US Open, Båstad, Madrid, Charleston, Memphis | Doha YEC, Osaka |
| 2008 | Tokyo (Japan Open), New Haven, Stockholm, ITF/Odense-DEN | Luxembourg | Portoroz |
| 2007 | ITF/Ortisei-ITA, ITF/Las Vegas, NV-USA | Tokyo [Japan Open] | |
| 2006 | ITF/Istanbul 2-TUR |
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Caroline Wozniacki, was born in Odense, Denmark, but her parents are both Polish. Caroline's father, Piotr, was playing professional soccer for a Danish team when Caroline was born. Caroline now resides in Monte Carlo, Monaco, but her parents reside in Poland. Caroline's mother, Anna, played volleyball for Polish national team. Her brother, Patrik, plays pro soccer in Denmark. Since she began playing tennis at age 7, Caroline has been taught by her father, who still travels with and coaches her. Like Ana Ivanovic and some other players who wear "the mark with three stripes," Caroline sometimes receives coaching from Sven Groeneveld of adidas. She has also been coached by Morten Christensen at the national tennis center in Denmark. Caroline typically has 4 hours of tennis and 1 hour of fitness training each day. In late 2011 Caroline hired Ricardo Sanchez, a former coach of Jelena Jankovic, as her coach, but Sanchez was dismissed after the 2012 Australian Open. Caroline then hired former ATP player Maciej Domkę, who did not last long, followed by Thomas Johansson (part time). Caroline stopped working with Johannson after the 2012 US Open, and on October 31, said: "I’m working with dad as I always did and I’m going to continue." In the autumn of 2013 Caroline started working with Thomas Hogstedt, who had previously coached Maria Sharapova and Li Na. Caroline's agent is former WTA player Meilen Tu of Lagardère Unlimited Tennis. Hogstedt was dismissed as Caroline's coach in late January, 2014. Caroline won 2005 Orange Bowl juniors tourney, was a 2006 Australian Open junior singles finalist, and won the 2006 Wimbledon juniors singles title. Her favorite players while growing up were Martina Hingis and Steffi Graf. Caroline started 2011 swinging a new Yonex racquet, which replaced her previous Babolat AeroPro Drive. Her Yonex is strung with the same strings she used previously, Babolat Revenge natural gut. She is attired in Stella McCartney fashions by adidas. Offcourt Caroline likes to hang out with boyfriend Rory McIlroy, read, shop, listen to music, and chow down on a good steak. (Oct 22, 2009) The Tennis Integrity Unit, formed last year by the assorted governing bodies of pro tennis, is reportedly investigating the Tuesday, Oct 20, 1st round match in Luxembourg between top-seeded #6 Caroline Wozniacki and #876 Anne Kremer. Caroline retired from the match while leading 7-5, 5-0 due to left hamstring strain. Caroline's coach and father, Piotr, told her at 3-0 in the 2nd set to retire before winning because her injury would prevent her from playing in the next round. Although Caroline was born and raised in Denmark, her parents are Polish, and Piotr's remarks to her were in Polish. Microphones picked up his statements to Caroline, and his remarks were heard by those watching the match in streaming video on the Internet. The result, apparently, was a large amount of money rapidly bet on Anne Kremer. On Danish radio on Thursday, Piotr said: "I went onto the court and said to her: 'Caro, it does not matter whether it's going to be 5-0, 4-1 or 3-2. You can not play the next round, so you shouldn't take the risk.' I'm very proud of Caroline, because she stopped the fight and gave her opponent a chance." In the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet, Caroline said: "So, people bet on my matches. Some win, others lose. I just know that I am clean. It is most important to me. And if anyone is in doubt about my injury, I can both produce scan from the hospital and a report from the tournament physiotherapist." There is little doubt that the incident was unintended by the Wozniackis. The real questions appear to be: 1) Why was Caroline playing at all if she was injured going into the match? (particularly with the WTA Championships next week), and 2) Why did Caroline not retire from the match earlier, at the point when her father made his remarks to her? The fact is that WTA and tournament officials put a lot of pressure on players, particularly "superstars," to play even if injured, and, if they must withdraw or retire, to do so as late as possible. It is likely that the Wozniackis were trying to be helpful to the tourney (and the WTA). Caroline, the top seed, might have withdrawn before the match, a tourney director's nightmare. Instead, she played and retired as late as possible (allowing a local player to advance to the next round), knowing the hamstring strain would have a week to heal before the Championships. Now, for trying to be helpful, they get a deluge of headlines associating their name with a gambling investigation. AP story (Feb 22, 2009) After her loss to Victoria Azarenka in the Memphis final on Saturday, Caroline Wozniacki headed to Las Vegas, Nevada, for two weeks of strength and conditioning coaching from Gil Reyes, former trainer of Andre Agassi. Caroline's next tourney will be at nearby Indian Wells, CA. Memphis Commercial Appeal story |
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 Angelique Kerber is shown while defeating Maria Sharapova in the 4th round of The Championships at Wimbledon on July 1, 2014. |
WTA bio page ITF: Angelique Kerber career record Angelique Kerber official website Angelique Kerber Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 3 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (9): | |
| 2014 | Stanford, Eastbourne, Doha, Sydney | |
| 2013 | Linz | Tokyo, Monterrey |
| 2012 | Copenhagen, Paris Indoor | Cincinnati, Eastbourne |
| 2011 | ||
| 2010 | Bogotá | |
| 2009 | ITF/Pozoblanco-ESP | |
| 2008 | ITF/Madrid-ESP, ITF/Saint Raphael-FRA; | |
| 2007 | ITF/Saguenay-CAN, ITF/Las Palmas de Gran Canaria-ESP, ITF/Antalya Attaleia 1-TUR, ITF/Prerov-CZE | |
| 2006 | ITF/Saguenay-CAN, ITF/Jersey 2-GBR, ITF/Glasgow-GBR | |
| 2005 | ||
| 2004 | ITF/Opole-POL |
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Angelique Kerber was born in Bremen, Germany, and currently resides in Kiel. Angelique started playing tennis at age 3. Her father's name is Slawek, and she has one sister, Jessica. Her mother, Beata, is also her manager. In late 2013 Andrea began working with a new coach, Benjamin Ebrahimzadeh. She was previously coached by Torben Beltz. Andrea trains at Schuettler/Waske Tennis Academy. Angelique speaks German, Polish and English, and she likes shopping, sleeping, swimming, spending time with friends. |
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 Dominika Cibulkova held the trophy after she defeated Christina McHale in the final of the Abierto Mexicano at Acapulco on March 1, 2014. |
WTA bio page ITF: Dominika Cibulkova career record domicibulkova.com official website Dominika Cibulkova Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 4 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (7): | Semifinalist (6): | |
| 2014 | Acapulco | Kuala Lumpur, Australian Open | Miami |
| 2013 | Stanford | Sydney | |
| 2012 | San Diego | Barcelona | |
| 2011 | Moscow | Linz | Stanford, s'-Hertogenbosch |
| 2010 | Ponte Vedra Beach, Monterrey | ||
| 2009 | (Hopman Cup) | Roland Garros | |
| 2008 | Amelia Island, Montreal | ||
| 2007 | Guangzhou | ||
| 2006 | ITF/Bratislava 2-SVK | ||
| 2005 | ITF/Amarante-POR |
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Dominika Cibulkova was born in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia (just across the Danube from Vienna, Austria), and still resides there. Her favorite cities are Paris, New York and Bratislava. Dominika speaks Slovakian and English. Dominika describes herself as happy person with a lot of energy; not surprisingly, the person most admires is Kim Clijsters. She enjoys listening to music, going to cinema, and spending time with friends. Dominika was introduced to tennis at age 7 by her parents, Katarina Cibulkova and Milan Cibulka. As of 2008, she was coached by a Slovak, Vladimir Platenik, and received off-court training from Maros Molnar. She enjoys playing on both clay and hard courts, and her favorite shot is the swinging volley. |
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 Ekaterina Makarova held the trophy after defeating Karolina Pliskova in the final at Pattaya on February 2, 2014. |
WTA bio page ITF: Ekaterina Makarova career record Ekaterina Makarova Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 2 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (2): | |
| 2014 | Pattaya City | |
| 2013 | ||
| 2012 | ||
| 2011 | ||
| 2010 | Eastbourne | |
| 2009 | Fès, Estoril | |
| 2008 | ||
| 2007 | ITF/Moscow 1-RUS | |
| 2006 | ||
| 2005 | ||
| 2004 | ITF/Antalya 2-TUR, ITF/Targu Mures-ROU |
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Ekaterina Makarova is coached by Evgenia Manyukova; travels with mother, Olga Makarova ... Father is Valery; brother is Andrey (a corporate sales manager) ... Began playing at age 6 when friend introduced her to the sport; began playing at Clud Luzhniki ... Baseliner; favorite surface is hard ... Also enjoys soccer ... Speaks Russian and English ... Likes pop music; favorite singer is Jennifer Lopez ... Favorite food is pizza; favorite drink is cola ... Relaxes by going shopping ... Admires Anastasia Myskina and Roger Federer ... Favorite tournament is US Open.
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 Flavia Pennetta posed with the very heavy trophy after she defeated Agnieszka Radwanska in the final at Indian Wells on March 16, 2014. |
WTA bio page ITF: Flavia Pennetta career record Flavia Pennetta Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 10 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (14): | Semifinalist (20): | |
| 2014 | Indian Wells | Sofia TOC | |
| 2013 | |||
| 2012 | Auckland, Acapulco | ||
| 2011 | Beijing, Dubai | ||
| 2010 | Marbella | Palermo, Auckland | San Diego, Paris Indoor |
| 2009 | Los Angeles, Palermo | Linz, New Haven, Cincinnati, Båstad, Stuttgart | |
| 2008 | Vina del Mar, Acapulco | Acapulco, Zurich, Los Angeles | Hobart, Palermo |
| 2007 | Bangkok | Acapulco | Bogotá, Barcelona, Seoul, Tokyo [Japan Open] |
| 2006 | Acapulco, Bogotá, Gold Coast | Estoril | |
| 2005 | Bogotá, Acapulco | Modena, Palermo | |
| 2004 | Sopot | Acapulco, Palermo | Budapest |
| 2003 | Hyderabad |
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Flavia Pennetta was born in Brindisi, Italy, and now resides in Verbier, Switzerland. Flavia was first taught tennis by her father at age 5. In 1996 she won the Italian 14-and-under doubles championship; the following year she won the Italian 16-and-under titles at both singles and doubles. She has been coached by Barbara Rossi and Gabriel Urpi. Flavia is attired in Tacchini togs (with Nike shoes). Formerly a Head chopper, in January 2006 Flavia began swinging a Wilson nCode nBlade axe, a control racquet with a 98 square inch head, which was slightly heavier, slightly stiffer, and balanced slightly more head-light than the nTour model then used by Lindsay Davenport and Justine Henin-Hardenne. With the arrival of Wilson's K-Factor series in 2007, Flavia upgraded to the new Wilson K Blade. |
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 Andrea Petkovic made friends with the trophy after she defeated Flavia Pennetta in the final of the Tournament of Champions at Sofia on November 2, 2014. |
WTA bio page ITF: Andrea Petkovic career record Andrea Petkovic Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 5 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (5): | |
| 2014 | Sofia TOC, Bad Gastein, Charleston | |
| 2013 | Nürnberg, Washington DC | |
| 2012 | ||
| 2011 | Strasbourg | Brisbane, Beijing |
| 2010 | 's-Hertogenbosch | |
| 2009 | Bad Gastein |
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Andrea "Petko" Petkovic is coached by Eric Van Harpen; trains at Waske-Schüttler-Akademie ... Baseliner whose favorite shot is forehand; favorite surface is clay ... Began playing at age 6 when father introduced her to the sport ... Formerly coached by father, Zoran; mother, Amira, is a dentist's assistant; younger sister, Anja, is a student ... Speaks French, German, English, Serbian ... Favorite movie is Biutiful; favorite actors are Edward Norton and Javier Bardem ... Favorite types of music are rock, funk; favorite group is Bloc Party ... Enjoys reading, writing; favorite authors are Goethe, Wilde, Flaubert; people most admired are Goethe (genius in writing) and Che Guevara (genius in fighting) ... Other favorites include going to museums and watching basketball when in America ... Favorite city is Barcelona; favorite tournament is Stuttgart ... Most memorable experience was playing first Grand Slam at 2007 Roland Garros ... Self-described as thoughtful, outgoing and happy. |
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 Sara Errani celebrated with teammates after she clinched the title by defeating Alisa Kleybanova in the finals of the Fed Cup at Cagliari on November 3, 2013. |
WTA bio page ITF: Sara Errani career record Sara Errani Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 7 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (8): | |
| 2014 | Paris Indoor | |
| 2013 | Acapulco | Palermo, Dubai, Paris indoor |
| 2012 | Palermo, Acapulco, Barcelona, Budapest | Roland Garros |
| 2011 | Pattaya City | |
| 2010 | nbsp; | |
| 2009 | Palermo, Portoroz | |
| 2008 | Palermo, Portoroz | nbsp; |
| 2007 | ITF/Galatina-ITA | nbsp; |
| 2006 | nbsp; | |
| 2005 | ITF/Melilla-ESP | nbsp; |
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Sara Errani Coached by Pablo Lozano and David Andres ... Introduced to tennis at age 5 by father ... Favorite shot is forehand; favorite surface is clay ... Mother, Fulvia, is a pharmacist; father, Giorgio, sells fruit and vegetables; brother, Davide, is a soccer player ... Speaks Italian, Spanish and English ... Enjoys reading, movies, music (especially pop), following soccer and basketball and playing Monopoly, cards and video games ... Favorite tournament is Acapulco ... Self-described as timid, happy and responsible ... Admires David Ferrer. |
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 Jelena Jankovic is shown as she defeated Victoria Azarenka round robin play of the WTA Championships at Istanbul on October 23, 2013. |
WTA bio page ITF: Jelena Jankovic career record Jelena Jankovic Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 13 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (19): | |
| 2014 | Bogota | |
| 2013 | Bogota | Beijing, Charleston |
| 2012 | Birmingham, Dallas | |
| 2011 | Monterrey, Cincinnati | |
| 2010 | Indian Wells | Rome |
| 2009 | Marbella, Cincinnati | Tokyo (Pan Pacific) |
| 2008 | Rome, Beijing, Stuttgart, Moscow | Miami, US Open |
| 2007 | Auckland, Charleston, Rome, Birmingham | Sydney, 's-Hertogenbosch, Toronto, Beijing |
| 2006 | Los Angeles | |
| 2005 | Dubai, Birmingham, Seoul | |
| 2004 | Budapest |
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Jelena Jankovic is currently without a coach ... Father, Veselin, and mother, Snezana, are economists; brothers, Marko and Stefan, are university graduates ... Introduced to tennis at age 9 by older brother Marko ... Member of Gemaks tennis club; graduated from Megatrend University in Belgrade with Master of Business ... Speaks Serbian, English and French; learning Spanish ... Favorite city is Rome (for its history) ... Enjoys designing clothes for her fashion line ... Admires Monica Seles ... Biggest appeal of being a pro is seeing the world and learning about other cultures ... Awards received include Female Tennis Player of the Year in Serbia (2007, 2008, 2009); Oscar Of Popularity for female athletes in Serbia (2009, 2011); Tennis Player of the Year in Serbia (2004); and Junior Sports Girl of the Year in Yugoslavia ... In 2007 was named UNICEF National Ambassador to Serbia. |
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 Lucie Safarova is shown while defeating Ekaterina Makarova in the quarterfinals of The Championships at Wimbledon on July 1, 2014. |
WTA bio page ITF: Lucie Safarova career record Lucie Safarova Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 5 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (7): | |
| 2014 | ||
| 2013 | Quebec City | |
| 2012 | ITF Prague | Charleston |
| 2011 | Kuala Lumpur, Copenhagen | |
| 2010 | Paris indoor | |
| 2009 | ||
| 2008 | Forest Hills | Quebec City |
| 2007 | Paris indoor | |
| 2006 | Gold Coast | |
| 2005 | Estoril, Forest Hills; ITF/Capriolo-ITA, ITF/Redding,-USA, ITF/Prostejov-CZE | 's-Hertogenbosch |
| 2004 | ITF/Bergamo-ITA, ITF/Bastad-SWE |
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Lucie Safarova is coached by Biljana Veselinovic ... Began playing at age 3 ... Favorite surface is clay ... Father, Milan, used to be her coach; mother is Jana; has one sister, Veronika; also has one dog, Kuba ... Admires Steffi Graf, Lindsay Davenport ... Speaks Czech, German, English ... Enjoys comedy movies; favorite actress is Angelina Jolie ... Also enjoys basketball, table tennis, swimming. |
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 Carla Suarez Navarro prepared to slice a backhand as she defeated Kaia Kanepi in the semifinals of the Portugal Open on May 3, 2013. |
WTA bio page ITF: Carla Suarez Navarro career record Carla Suarez Navarro Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 1 WTA Tour singles title: | Finalist (4): | |
| 2014 | Oeiras | |
| 2013 | Acapulco, Oeiras | |
| 2012 | Estroril | |
| 2011 | ||
| 2010 | Marbella | |
| 2009 | Marbella |
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Carla Suarez Navarro is coached by Xavier Budo and Marc Casabo at Pro-Ab Team Tennis Academy in Barcelona ... Father is José Luís (plays handball); mother is Lali (was gymnast, now teacher); brother is José Suárez Navarro ... Began playing at age 9 ... Began working with Spanish Federation in 2005; moved from Canary Islands to Barcelona in 2007 to train at Pro-Ab Team Tennis Academy ... Favorite surface is clay; favorite shot is crosscourt backhand ... Favorite movie is Pearl Harbor; favorite actress is Sandra Bullock ... Favorite music is pop; favorite singer is Luis Fonsi ... Admires Steffi Graf, Lleyton Hewitt, Justine Henin and Michael Jordan ... Favorite tournaments are Bogotá, Roland Garros. |
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 Venus Williams is shown with the trophy after she defeated Alize Cornet in the final of the Dubai Duty Free Open on February 22, 2014. |
Venus & Serena Williams Wallpaper WTA bio page ITF: Venus Williams career record venuswilliams.com Venus Williams Interview Transcripts At the 2002 WTA Champ's: Fastest Serve: 121 MPH Avg 1st Serve Speeds: 104-105 MPH |
| Winner of 45 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (30): | |
| 2014 | Doha | Quebec City, Montreal, Auckland |
| 2013 | ||
| 2012 | Luxembourg | |
| 2011 | ||
| 2010 | Acapulco, Dubai | Madrid, Miami |
| 2009 | Acapulco, Dubai | Doha YEC, Stanford, Wimbledon |
| 2008 | Doha WTA Championships, Zurich, Wimbledon | |
| 2007 | Seoul, Wimbledon, Memphis | Tokyo (Japan Open) |
| 2006 | ||
| 2005 | Wimbledon, Istanbul | Stanford, Antwerp |
| 2004 | Warsaw, Charleston | Stanford, Berlin |
| 2003 | Antwerp | Wimbledon, Warsaw, Australian Open |
| 2002 | Gold Coast, Paris Indoors, Antwerp, Amelia Island, Stanford, San Diego, New Haven | Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open, Hamburg |
| 2001 | Wimbledon, US Open, Miami, Hamburg, San Diego, New Haven | |
| 2000 | Wimbledon, US Open, Olympics, Stanford, San Diego, New Haven | Linz |
| 1999 | Oklahoma City, Miami, Hamburg, Italian Open, New Haven, Zurich | Hannover, Stanford, San Diego, Grand Slam Cup |
| 1998 | Oklahoma City, Miami, Grand Slam Cup | Sydney, Italian Open, Stanford, Zurich |
| 1997 | US Open |
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Venus Williams occasionally picks up her mail at Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. She is fleet of foot as well as hitting hard and deep; her service speeds have reached 127 mph, which matches the women's record set by her sister Serena at Wimbledon in 2004 (Brenda Schultz McCarthy set a new record, 130 mph, in 2006). Venus wears her own line of garb called Eleven, and, like her sister Serena, chops with a Wilson K Factor KBlade Team 104" axe. Venus reportedly has her bats strung (at about 65 lbs) with Wilson 16-gauge Natural Gut. Venus is coached by her father, Richard Williams, and her regular hitting partner and "coaching consultant" is David Witt, who has worked with her sister Serena as well. Venus' agent is Stephanie Tolleson at IMG . (Aug 31, 2011) Former WTA #1 Venus Williams has withdrawn from the US Open due to illness. In a statement, Venus, who has been troubled occasionally for years by illness which was sometimes labeled as anemia, said that she has Sjögren's Syndrome, which causes joint pain and fatigue. (Oct 7, 2010) WTA #3 (and former #1) Venus Williams is done for the season due to a left knee injury which has troubled her for most of the past six months. Venus will miss both the year end WTA Championships in Doha, Qatar, and the USA v Italy Fed Cup final. Venus said: "I have been getting treatment and therapy on my knee and have been making progress, but unfortunately must continue to keep weight off my knee for the short term and won't be ready to return to competition in 2010,'' Williams said. "I am looking forward to returning to full health in time for the start of 2011 season and hopefully having the opportunity to play in both the Fed Cup and WTA Championships next year." AP story (April 8-9, 2008 revised) Current Wimbledon champ and former # 1 Venus Williams has announced that she will not be playing for an indefinite period. On Tuesday at the Bausch & Lomb Championships, Venus said: "I've just been having some issues that I need to resolve, so I'm working on that at the moment and I'm hoping to be back playing as soon as possible. I'm not going to get any further into it, but of course I love the sport... "Of course I want to be [at the French Open]. I don't want to be at home watching on TV. Watching this week will be enough on TV, so hopefully not too many more weeks." Last summer, after the US Open semifinals, Venus's mother, Oracene Price, said Venus was taking medicine for anemia. On Wedesday, it was announced that Venus was taking the time for unspecified medical tests, but that she hopes to be practicing by the end of next week and playing again by the Italian Open in early May. Venus's agent, Carlos Fleming said: "Venus has assured me that there's no serious medical problem. But she did see this timing as a good opportunity to have these evaluations to make sure that her health is in order." AP story (Apr 17, 2006) Venus Williams has not played since her 1st round loss at the Australian Open. Venus currently suffers from a sprained right elbow. (Oct 2, 2003) # 6 Venus Williams has withdrawn from next week's tournament in Filderstadt, Germany due to her persistant abdominal muscle strain, which has caused her to withdraw from all other events she had entered in the past few months, including the US Open. (Nov. 13, 2002) Venus retired at 0-5 from her WTA Champ's SF against Kim Clijsters due to pain from a previously twisted left ankle. Venus held a news conference at the Pacific Design Center in LA on Nov. 12 to introduce her new interior design company "V Starr Interiors". |
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 Alize Cornet is shown after match point as she defeated in the semifinals of the Dubai Duty Free Open on February 21, 2014. |
WTA bio page ITF: Alize Cornet career record www.alizecornet.fr official website Alize Cornet Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 4 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (5): | |
| 2014 | Katowice | Dubai, Guangzhou |
| 2013 | Strasbourg | |
| 2012 | Bad Gastein | Strasbourg |
| 2011 | ||
| 2010 | ||
| 2009 | ||
| 2008 | Budapest | Rome, Acapulco |
| 2007 | ITF/Dnepropetrovsk-UKR | |
| 2006 | ITF/Bari-ITA, ITF/Padova-ITA |
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Alize Cornet, was born and resides in Nice, France. Her mother, Patricia, travels with her on the Tour, her father, Francis, is a commercial director, and her brother, Sébastien, a doctor, is also her agent. Alize won the juniors singles title at the 2007 French Open and was a juniors doubles finalist at the 2006 Australian Open. Alize has been coached by Pierre Bouteyre since she was 10 years old. She is a baseliner; her favorite shot is her backhand, and her favorite surface is clay. Alize said: "I love to play on clay court. It's may favorite surface because I grew up on this surface. I started to play when I was four years old on clay, so that's why I really like this surface." Alize wields a Head Flexpoint Radical racquet; her tailor is Lacoste. Alize's favorite player when she was just a kid was Andy Roddick. She also enjoys rock music, movies, basketball, handball, soccer, playing piano, and reading. |
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 Garbine Muguruza is shown with the trophy after she defeated Klara Koukalova in the final of the Morilla International at Hobart, Tasmania, on January 11, 2014. |
WTA bio page ITF: Garbine Muguruza career record Garbine Muguruza Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 1 WTA Tour singles title: | Finalist (1): | |
| 2014 | Hobart | Florianopolis |
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Garbine Muguruza, Coached by Alejo Mancisidor ... Mother is Scarlet Blanco; father is Jose Antonio Muguruza; brothers are Asier (an engineer) and Igor (an economist); mother is from Venezuela, father is from Spain ... Began playing at age 3; first tennis memory was playing with her brothers ... Aggressive style of play; favorite surface is hard; favorite shot is serve ... Speaks Spanish and English ... Enjoys cooking, reading, listening to music ... Favorite tennis players growing up were Serena Williams and Pete Sampras. |
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(Jan 5, 2009) The WTA has again raised the ranking point scale above previous years, approximately doubling the points awarded. For example, in 2007 and 2008, Grand Slam champions received 1000 points; in 2009 they will receive 2000 points, and Grand Slam finalists 1400 points. At the lower end of the scale, last year's winner at Auckland (then a "Tier III" tourney) received 115 points; this year's winner at Auckland (now an "International" tourney) will receive 280 points. (Dec 29, 2006) The WTA has substantially raised the ranking points ("round points") scales for 2007 above previous years. For example, in recent years Grand Slam champions have received 650 points; in 2007 they will receive 1000 points, and Grand Slam finalists 700 points. At the lower end of the scale, last year's winner in Gold Coast (a Tier III tourney) received 95 points; this year's winner will receive 115 points. Players' best points from up to 17 tourneys in the past 52 weeks are added to generate the players' rankings. The new scales will mean that tourneys in 2007 will carry more weight in players' rankings than 2006 tourneys, until the end of the season (when all 2006 points are over 52 weeks old and have been dropped). For more info and the full point scales, see the 4-page WTA .pdf, How Rankings Work. Also available: 2011 WTA Tour Official Rules, 482-page .pdf (Jan 1, 2006 revised) From 1996 through 2005, in addition to the "round points" used to determine their rankings, WTA players received "quality points" on sliding scale based on the ranks of players they defeated. In 2006, the WTA Tour eliminated quality points from the rankings.
Full singles rankings: numeric .html - printable .pdf - - Full doubles rankings: numeric .html - printable .pdf
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