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Jana Novotná

Jana Novotná
Jana Novotna.JPG
Novotná in 2003
Country (sports)  Czechoslovakia (1987–1992)
 Czech Republic (1993–present)
Residence Brno, Czech Republic
Born (1968-10-02) 2 October 1968 (age 48)
Brno, Czechoslovakia
(now Czech Republic)
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Turned pro 1987
Retired 1999
Plays Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize money US$ 11,230,762
Int. Tennis HoF 2005 (member page)
Singles
Career record 571–225 (72.11%)
Career titles 24 WTA, 2 ITF
Highest ranking No. 2 (7 July 1997)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open F (1991)
French Open SF (1990, 1996)
Wimbledon W (1998)
US Open SF (1994, 1998)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals W (1997)
Doubles
Career record 697–153
Career titles 76 WTA, 6 ITF
Highest ranking No. 1 (27 August 1990)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open W (1990, 1995)
French Open W (1990, 1991, 1998)
Wimbledon W (1989, 1990, 1995, 1998)
US Open W (1994, 1997, 1998)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals W (1995, 1997)
Mixed doubles
Career titles 4
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian Open W (1988, 1989)
French Open 2R (1992)
Wimbledon W (1989)
US Open W (1988)
Team competitions
Fed Cup W (1988)
Hopman Cup W (1994)

Jana Novotná (Czech pronunciation: [ˈjana ˈnovotnaː]; born 2 October 1968) is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. She played a serve and volley game, an increasingly rare style of play among women during her career. She won the women's singles title at Wimbledon in 1998 and was runner-up in three previous Grand Slam tournaments. Novotná also won 12 Grand Slam women's doubles titles and four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. Novotná achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 2 in 1997, and achieved the No. 1 ranking in doubles.

Jana Novotná turned professional in February 1987. In the early years of her career, she was known primarily for her success as a doubles player. In the early 1990s, Novotná began to have success in singles once four-time Grand Slam singles champion Hana Mandlíková became her coach. Previously Mike Estep had been her coach.

At the 1990 French Open, Novotná, seeded 11th, achieved her best results in Grand Slam singles play up until that point. Having reached the round of 16, she faced Argentinian Gabriela Sabatini (seeded 4th). In their four previous meetings, Sabatini got the best of Novotná in three of those matches, including two straight set wins. This time proved to be different, as Novotná turned the tables against Sabatini 6–4, 7–5. Although Novotná had disposed of Sabatini, she would have to face yet another difficult opponent in the quarterfinals, Katerina Maleeva (seeded 8th) from Bulgaria. In their two previous meetings Novotná had lost both times, and after Maleeva won the opening set, it appeared Novotná was about to lose a third consecutive time to Maleeva. However, Novotná came back to defeat Katerina Maleeva 4–6, 6–2, 6–4. Despite her success, Novotná's toughest test by far would be against top seeded Steffi Graf of Germany in the semifinals. When Novotná faced Graf three years before at the 1987 French Open, Graf won handily in straight sets. And this time proved no different, as Graf defeated Novotná 6–1, 6–2. She qualified for the first time for the season-ending Virginia Slims Championships in which she was beaten in the first round by Sabatini. She finished the year ranked No. 13.


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