Agnieszka Radwańska

Radwańska at the 2011 Toray Pan Pacific Open
Country (sports)	Poland
Residence	Kraków, Poland
Born	(1989-03-06) 6 March 1989 (age 35) Kraków, Poland
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Turned pro	23 April 2005
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money	US$8,634,094[1]
Singles
Career record	317–139
Career titles	9 WTA, 2 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 4 (19 March 2012)
Current ranking	No. 4 (30 April 2012)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	QF (2008, 2011, 2012)
French Open	4R (2008, 2009, 2011)
Wimbledon	QF (2008, 2009)
US Open	4R (2007, 2008)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	RR (2008, 2009, 2011)
Doubles
Career record	107–83
Career titles	2 WTA, 2 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 16 (10 October 2011)
Current ranking	No. 46 (30 April 2012)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	SF (2010)
French Open	QF (2009, 2010)
Wimbledon	3R (2007, 2011)
US Open	SF (2011)
Last updated on: 16 January 2012.

Agnieszka Radwańska [aɡˈɲɛʂka radˈvaɲska] ^ⓘ (born 6 March 1989 in Kraków) is a Polish professional tennis player. As of 30 April 2012, she is ranked world no. 4. Known for constructing points and making intelligent use of the court,^[2] she has won nine WTA singles titles.

In 2007, Radwańska became the first Polish player to claim a WTA singles title when she won the Nordea Nordic Light Open. The following year, she became the first Polish player to reach the WTA Top 10. Radwańska has won two WTA Awards, being voted Most Impressive Newcomer in 2006, and Fan Favorite Singles Player in 2011. She has also reached five Grand Slam quarterfinals.

Agnieszka Radwańska was born in Kraków. She began playing tennis at the age of four, after her father introduced her to the sport. Her younger sister, Urszula, is also a tennis player. Radwańska has named Pete Sampras and Martina Hingis as inspirations. She has also studied tourism at universities in Kraków.^[3][4]

Radwańska won the junior singles title at Wimbledon in 2005, defeating Tamira Paszek. She went on to win the junior French Open title in 2006 with a victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.^[3] She played her first WTA tournament at the 2006 J&S Cup (later known as the Warsaw Open) in Warsaw, defeating seventh-seeded Anastasia Myskina in her opening match. She advanced to the quarterfinals, where she lost to Elena Dementieva in three sets.^[5]

At the 2006 Wimbledon Championships, she lost in the fourth round to second-seeded Kim Clijsters. She went on to drop a second-round match to Tatiana Golovin at the US Open. At the Fortis Championships Luxembourg tournament, Radwańska lost in the semifinals to Francesca Schiavone after defeating former world no. 1 Venus Williams in the second round and top-seeded Dementieva in the quarterfinals.^[5]

At the 2007 Sony Ericsson Open, Radwańska defeated her longtime idol,^[4] Martina Hingis, in a three-set third-round match. She exited in the fourth round following a loss to Tathiana Garbin.^[6]

In August 2007, Agnieszka Radwańska became the first Polish player in history to claim a WTA tour singles title, defeating Vera Dushevina in the final of the Nordea Nordic Light Open.^[3] She went on to upset defending champion Maria Sharapova in the third round of the US Open, losing to Shahar Pe'er in the fourth.^[6]

Radwańska reached the quarterfinals of the 2008 Australian Open, upsetting world no. 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova in the third round, before eventually falling to ninth-seeded Daniela Hantuchová.^[7] At the Pattaya Women's Open in Thailand, Radwańska won her second WTA singles title, beating Jill Craybas in the final. In May 2008, she won the Istanbul Cup on red clay with a victory over Elena Dementieva, earning her third WTA title. She then lost a fourth-round French Open match to Jelena Janković.

On grass, Radwańska won the International Women's Open in Eastbourne, United Kingdom, defeating Nadia Petrova in the final. At Wimbledon, she defeated fourth-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round, then lost to sixth-seeded Serena Williams in the quarterfinals. At the Olympics in Beijing, Radwańska lost a second-round match to Francesca Schiavone. She went on to reach the fourth round of the US Open, losing to seventh-seeded Venus Williams. Radwańska ended the year as the first Polish woman to surpass US $1 million in career prize money, as well as the first to be ranked world no. 10.^[7][3]

Radwańska reached the quarterfinals of the 2009 Medibank International Sydney, where she lost in three sets to eventual champion Elena Dementieva. She was upset in the first round of the Australian Open by Kateryna Bondarenko.^[8]

At the 2009 BNP Paribas Open, she defeated Samantha Stosur and Aleksandra Wozniak en route to the quarterfinals, where she lost to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. At the Sony Ericsson Open, she lost a three-set fourth-round match to Venus Williams. She reached the fourth round of the 2009 French Open, falling in three sets to eventual champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. She and Urszula also reached the quarterfinals in doubles. She went on to reach her second consecutive quarterfinal at Wimbledon, falling to Venus Williams.

She reached her first semifinal of the 2009 season in Tokyo, where she fell in three sets to eventual champion Maria Sharapova. She reached her first final of the year in China, losing in straight sets to Svetlana Kuznetsova. Her performance in Beijing led to her finishing the 2009 season ranked world no. 10.^[8]

Radwańska and her doubles partner Maria Kirilenko reached the semifinals of the 2010 Australian Open, losing to the world no. 1 pairing of Cara Black and Liezel Huber in three sets.^[9] In Indian Wells, Radwańska won her fifth straight match against Marion Bartoli, and went on to upset Elena Dementieva in the quarterfinals before losing to Caroline Wozniacki in the semis. Radwańska entered the 2010 Sony Ericsson Open as the sixth seed, defeating world no. 1 Ana Ivanović en route to a quarterfinal loss aganist Venus Williams.^[9]

For the first time in her career, Radwańska was seeded in the top 8 for a Grand Slam at the 2010 French Open, having reached the world no. 8 ranking prior to Indian Wells. She defeated Elena Baltacha in the first round, but her unsuccessful clay court season continued as she suffered a loss to Yaroslava Shvedova in the second round. At the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, she lost a fourth-round match against Li Na, slipping to no. 11 in the world rankings.^[9]

Due to a stress fracture in her foot, Radwańska's 2010 season ended at the China Open, where she lost a three-set match to Angelique Kerber.^[10]

Radwańska reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, losing to eventual champion Kim Clijsters.^[11] She went on to reach the fourth round in Indian Wells, where she lost to Victoria Azarenka, and the quarterfinals in Miami, losing to Vera Zvonareva. However, she won the Miami doubles title with Daniela Hantuchová, defeating Nadia Petrova and Liezel Huber. She went on to reach the fourth round of the 2011 French Open, losing to Maria Sharapova for the sixth consecutive time.

At the 2011 Mercury Insurance Open, Radwańska advanced to the final and defeated rival Vera Zvonareva in straight sets. With the victory, she earned her first title since winning in Eastbourne in 2008. At the 2011 Rogers Cup in Toronto, she once again defeated Zvonareva in the third round, coming back from a 0–4 deficit in the second set. She went on to lose a three-set semifinal match against Samantha Stosur.^[11]

After defeating her sister Urszula in the first round of the US Open, she was upset in the second round by eventual semifinalist Angelique Kerber.^[12] She avenged this loss at the Toray Pan Pacific Open, defeating Kerber in three sets before advancing to the final, where she won her third straight match against Vera Zvonareva. This marked her first Premier 5 title, and raised her ranking to no. 12 in the world.

At the 2011 China Open, she defeated Zheng Jie, Sofia Arvidsson, Ana Ivanović, and Flavia Pennetta in straight sets, before winning a three-set final against Andrea Petkovic. She qualified for her first season-ending championship at the WTA Championships in Istanbul, taking the 8th spot when Marion Bartoli was unable to win the title in Moscow.

Going into the 2011 WTA Tour Championships, Radwańska was labeled by the media as one of the hottest players on tour.^[13][14] She dropped a three-set opening match to Caroline Wozniacki. She then won her fourth straight match against Vera Zvonareva, coming back from a 3–5 deficit in the third set and saving three match points. To advance to the semifinals, she needed to win at least one set against Petra Kvitová, but eventually lost in straight sets. She ended the year ranked 8th with a 46–18 record, and was named WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player.^[11]

Radwańska began her season at the Apia International Sydney, where she earned her first win over a reigning world no. 1 by defeating Caroline Wozniacki. She went on to reach the semifinals in Sydney, the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, and the semifinals of the Qatar Total Open. In each of these tournaments, the only player to defeat Radwańska was eventual champion Victoria Azarenka.^[15]

Radwańska won her first title of the season at the Dubai Tennis Championships, defeating Julia Görges in straight sets. After advancing to the quarterfinals in Indian Wells, where she lost to Azarenka, she reached a new ranking of world no. 4. She won her second title of 2012 at the Sony Ericsson Open, defeating Venus Williams in the quarterfinals and Marion Bartoli in the semifinals, advancing to a championship match against Maria Sharapova. Radwańska won the championship without losing a set throughout the tournament, improving her 2012 record to 26–4.^[15][16]

Her fifth loss of the season, and fifth to Azarenka, came in the semifinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, following a close three-set win over Li Na.^[15] She then entered the Mutua Madrid Open.

Radwańska has a rivalry with Russian player Vera Zvonareva,^[17][18] which began in 2007. Radwańska leads the series 4–2.^[19]

Throughout their meetings, Radwańska has proven able to match Zvonareva's pace and movements around the court.^[20] Zvonareva is considered the more powerful of the two, while Radwańska has been noted as more focused at times,^[14][20] utilizing what Sports Illustrated's Courtney Nguyen dubbed "selective aggression" during the pair's 2011 matches.^[21]

Their first match occurred during the 2007 Kremlin Cup, with Zvonareva winning in straight sets. The two did not play again until the 2011 season, when Radwańska won four of their five matches—including the finals of the Mercury Insurance Open and the Pan Pacific Open. Their final meeting of 2011 was an acclaimed match at the WTA Championships.^[22][23] Trailing 3–5 in the third set, Radwańska saved three match points and went on to win 1–6, 6–2, 7–5. The victory marked her fourth straight win against Zvonareva, who she described as "very consistent and always tough to beat."^[24]

Radwańska and Victoria Azarenka first played in 2006. Azarenka leads their head-to-head 10–3. During the 2006 Wimbledon Championships, Radwańska won their first meeting in straight sets. The two would go on to meet regularly in the following seasons, often in quarterfinal or semifinal matches. Throughout the first quarter of 2012, the only player to defeat Radwańska was Azarenka.^[15][25]

Radwańska's primary weapons include a mixture of slices and lobs, along with her ability to hit the ball at a variety of angles.^[20][26] She also makes use of a disguised drop shot, often swung with the same motion as a normal stroke during a rally.^[27] She is also noted for her crouching shots, during which she quickly drops in place to return or redirect a low ball, along with her use of an overhead backhand while on defense.^[20][27]

Radwańska is known for her speed and scrambling ability, as well as her tendency to construct the point before hitting a winner.^[20][2] Tennis commentators, including former pro Wojciech Fibak, have compared her playing style to that of Martina Hingis, with Fibak describing her as "a natural mover who understands the geometry of the court".^[28] Radwańska has cited Hingis as an inspiration.^[4] She and Hingis had their lone career meeting in 2007, which Radwańska won in three sets.^[29]

Radwańska uses Babolat Pure Drive Lite GT racquets, and is sponsored by Lotto apparel.^[3]

In 2011, Radwańska began working with Fed Cup coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, who replaced her father. Borna Bikic, a veteran coach on the WTA Tour, briefly joined them in 2012.^[30]

2006 WTA Tour Most Impressive Newcomer of the Year[3] 2011 WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player[3] References ^ "Agnieszka Radwanska Career Statistics". wtatennis.com. ^ a b Sengupta, Jaydip (16 February 2012). "Agnieszka Radwanska: The fan favourite". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 16 February 2012. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) ^ a b c d e f g "WTA Profile". wtatennis.com. Retrieved 16 February 2012. ^ a b c Bodo, Pete (31 March 2012). "Born This Way". tennis.com. Retrieved 3 April 2012. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) ^ a b "2006 Results". tennis.com. Retrieved 15 January 2012. ^ a b "2007 Results". ESPN. Retrieved 19 November 2011. ^ a b "2008 Results". ESPN. Retrieved 19 November 2011. ^ a b "2009 Results". ESPN. Retrieved 19 November 2011. ^ a b c "2010 Results". ESPN. Retrieved 19 November 2011. ^ Tennis – Yahoo! Eurosport. Uk.eurosport.yahoo.com. Retrieved on 24 April 2011. ^ a b c "2011 Results". ESPN. Retrieved 19 November 2011. ^ "Radwanska falls in second round of US Open". The Wall Street Journal. 31 August 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011. ^ Bodo, Peter (October 2011). "Peter Bodo Blog Archive". ESPN. Retrieved 16 February 2012. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) ^ a b Sharma, Suhani (27 October 2011). "Radwanska outclasses Zvonareva in a thriller, keeps SF hopes alive in Istanbul". tennisearth.com. Retrieved 16 February 2012. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) ^ a b c d "2012 Results". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 14 April 2012. ^ Robertson, Linda (31 March 2012). "Agnieszka Radwanska has vast repertoire". Miami Herald. Retrieved 1 April 2012. ^ "Radwanska Too Solid, Zvonareva Eyes No.2". wtatennis.com. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2011. ^ "Stosur & Zvonareva reach last four at WTA Championships". BBC. 28 October 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2011. ^ "Head to Head with Zvonareva". tennis.com. Retrieved 19 November 2011. ^ a b c d e Tignor, Stephen (27 October 2011). "Istanbul: Radwanska d. Zvonareva". tennis.com. Retrieved 16 February 2012. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) ^ Nguyen, Courtney (26 October 2011). "WTA Championships Day 3 preview". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 16 February 2012. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) ^ "Vera Zvonareva – Agnieszka Radwanska". Yahoo!. Retrieved 19 November 2011. ^ "Zvonareva close to Istanbul exit". rt.com. 28 October 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2011. ^ "Radwanska Rallies Past Zvonareva On Day 3". wtachampionships.com. 27 October 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2011. ^ Grant, Robert (24 January 2012). "Radwanska seeks balance in Azarenka rivalry". theage.com.au. Retrieved 24 January 2012. ^ "Agnieszka Radwanska Bio". tennis.com. Retrieved 28 March 2012. ^ a b "Patricia Mayr – Agnieszka Radwanska". Yahoo. Retrieved 25 March 2012. ^ Clarey, Christopher (20 June 2009). "New Words on Women's Tennis Tour – Polish Spoken Here". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 April 2011. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) ^ "Head to Head with Hingis". wtatennis.com. Retrieved 3 April 2012. ^ "Radwanska hires Dokic's former coach". tennis.com. 22 January 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2012. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) External links Official website Agnieszka Radwańska at the Women's Tennis Association {{ITF profile}} template using deprecated numeric ID. Template:ITF junior profile Agnieszka Radwańska at the Billie Jean King Cup Awards Preceded by Sania Mirza WTA Newcomer of the Year 2006 Succeeded by Ágnes Szávay Preceded by Maria Sharapova WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player of the Year 2011 Succeeded by Incumbent Template:Persondata