Agnieszka Radwańska facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Agnieszka Radwańska

Radwańska in 2016
Full name	Agnieszka Roma Radwańska
Country (sports)	Poland
Residence	Kraków, Poland
Born	(1989-03-06) 6 March 1989 (age 36) Kraków, Poland
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Turned pro	23 April 2005
Retired	14 November 2018
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money	US$ 27,683,807 10th in all-time rankings
Official website	agaradwanska.com
Singles
Career record	594–269 (68.83%)
Career titles	20
Highest ranking	No. 2 (9 July 2012)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	SF (2014, 2016)
French Open	QF (2013)
Wimbledon	F (2012)
US Open	4R (2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2016)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	W (2015)
Olympic Games	2R (2008)
Doubles
Career record	113–87 (56.5%)
Career titles	2
Highest ranking	No. 16 (10 October 2011)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	SF (2010)
French Open	QF (2009, 2010)
Wimbledon	3R (2007, 2011, 2012)
US Open	SF (2011)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Wimbledon	1R (2007)
US Open	QF (2007)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	42–11 (79.25%)
Hopman Cup	W (2015)

Agnieszka Roma Radwańska (born 6 March 1989) is a Polish tennis coach and former professional tennis player. She won 20 singles titles and two doubles titles during her career. On 9 July 2012, she reached her highest singles ranking of world No. 2.

Some of her biggest achievements include winning the 2015 WTA Finals. She was also voted the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Fan Favourite Award six times. Her amazing shots earned her the Shot of the Year award five times.

Radwańska holds many tennis records for a Polish player. She was the first Polish player in the Open Era to reach a major singles final. This happened at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships. She was also the first Pole to win the WTA Finals in 2015. In 2006, she won the WTA award for Most Impressive Newcomer. She finished eight seasons ranked in the top 10 players in the world. Many people consider her one of the best tennis players who never won a Grand Slam.

Fans loved Radwańska, voting her the WTA's Fan Favorite Singles Player for six years in a row (2011–2016). She also won WTA's Fan Favorite Shot of the Year for five years straight (2013–2017). In 2013, she received the Gold Cross of Merit from the Polish President. This award was for her achievements in sports and for representing her country. On 14 November 2018, Radwańska announced she was retiring from professional tennis at age 29.

Personal Life

Radwańska with her father and sister, Urszula Radwanska

Agnieszka Radwańska was born in Kraków, Poland. Her parents are Robert and Marta Radwański. She started playing tennis at age four because her father introduced her to the sport. Her younger sister, Urszula, is also a tennis player. Agnieszka looked up to tennis legends Pete Sampras and Martina Hingis.

In 2009, Radwańska became an ambassador for Habitat for Humanity. This charity helps build homes for people in need. She also studied tourism at universities in Kraków. She has taken part in public campaigns that encouraged people to be proud of their beliefs.

In 2012, Forbes magazine said she was the ninth-highest-earning female athlete in the world.

In 2016, Radwańska got engaged to Dawid Celt. He is a former Polish tennis player and was also her hitting partner. They got married on 22 July 2017. Many family members and tennis friends attended their wedding. The ceremony took place in a church in Kraków where Radwańska was baptized.

In March 2019, Radwańska joined the Polish TV show Dancing with the Stars: Taniec z gwiazdami. She danced with professional dancer Stefano Terrazzino. She donated her prize money from the show to UNICEF charity.

In January 2020, Radwańska shared that she was expecting her first child. She had a son shortly after her third wedding anniversary.

Career Highlights

Junior Years (2005–2006)

Radwańska won the junior singles title at Wimbledon in 2005. She beat Tamira Paszek in the final. The next year, she won the French Open junior title. She defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for that win.

She played her first professional WTA tournament in 2006 in Warsaw. She surprised everyone by beating Anastasia Myskina in her first match. She reached the quarterfinals before losing. At Wimbledon that year, she made it to the fourth round. She also beat former world No. 1, Venus Williams, at a tournament in Luxembourg.

Junior Grand Slam Finals: 2 Titles

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Winner	2005	Wimbledon	Grass	Tamira Paszek	6–3, 6–4
Winner	2006	French Open	Clay	Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova	6–4, 6–1

Junior Doubles Final: 1 Runner-up

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Runner-up	2006	French Open	Clay	Caroline Wozniacki	Sharon Fichman Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova	7–6(7–4), 2–6, 1–6

First WTA Titles and Breakthrough (2007–2008)

Radwańska in action at the 2008 US Open

In 2007, Radwańska beat her childhood idol, Martina Hingis, at the Sony Ericsson Open. In August 2007, she made history by becoming the first Polish player to win a WTA singles title. She won the Nordic Light Open. She also beat defending champion Maria Sharapova at the US Open.

In 2008, she reached the quarterfinals of the 2008 Australian Open. She upset world No. 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova along the way. She won her second WTA singles title at the Thailand Open. On grass, she won the Eastbourne International. At Wimbledon, she reached the quarterfinals again, losing to Serena Williams. By the end of 2008, she was the first Polish woman to earn over US$1 million in prize money. She was also the first to be ranked world No. 10.

Top 10 Player (2009–2010)

Aga Radwańska in Warsaw, 2009

Radwańska reached her first semifinal of 2009 in Tokyo. She also made it to her first final of the year in China. In doubles, she reached the semifinals of the 2010 Australian Open with her partner Maria Kirilenko. She continued to perform well in big tournaments, reaching quarterfinals and semifinals. Her 2010 season ended early due to a foot injury.

Asian Success (2011)

Radwańska after winning the 2011 Pan Pacific Open

In 2011, Radwańska reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. She won a doubles title in Miami with Daniela Hantuchová. She then won her first singles title since 2008 at the San Jose Open. She followed this with two more big titles in Asia: the Toray Pan Pacific Open and the China Open. These wins helped her qualify for her first season-ending WTA Championships. She finished 2011 ranked 8th in the world and was named WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player.

World No. 2 and Wimbledon Final (2012)

Radwańska in the Wimbledon final, 2012

The first part of 2012 was very successful for Radwańska. She won two singles titles in Dubai and Miami. In Miami, she won the championship without losing a single set. She reached a new ranking of world No. 4. She won her third title of the year in Brussels.

Radwańska reached her first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon. She beat Maria Kirilenko and Angelique Kerber. She lost the final match to Serena Williams in three sets. By reaching the final, she became the first Polish player in the Open Era to play in a Grand Slam singles final. This also helped her reach a new career-high ranking of world No. 2. She was the flag bearer for Poland at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She finished 2012 winning WTA awards for Fan Favorite Facebook Profile, Fan Favorite Video, and Fan Favorite Singles Player.

Three WTA Titles (2013)

Radwańska during 2013 Southern California Open quarterfinals

Radwańska started 2013 by winning two tournaments in a row: the Auckland Open and the Sydney International. She reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. At the Sony Open, she won a point with an amazing spinning backhand volley. This was voted the shot of the year on the WTA's website. She reached the quarterfinals of the French Open for the first time. She also made it to the semifinals of Wimbledon. After Wimbledon, she received the Gold Cross of Merit from the Polish President. She won her third title of 2013 at the KDB Korea Open. For the third year in a row, she was voted WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player.

Australian Open Semifinal (2014)

In 2014, Radwańska played for Poland at the Hopman Cup. She helped her team reach the final. She reached her first Australian Open semifinal, beating Victoria Azarenka. She also made it to her first final at the Indian Wells Masters. She won her first title of the season at the Rogers Cup in Montreal. She beat Venus Williams in the final.

She won the WTA Shot of the Month four times in 2014. Her overhead backhand in Montreal was named Shot of the Year. She also won the WTA Award for Fan Favorite Player for the fourth time.

WTA Finals Champion (2015)

Radwańska at the 2015 French Open

Radwańska started 2015 by winning the Hopman Cup with Jerzy Janowicz. This was Poland's first title in the event. She reached the semifinals of Wimbledon for the third time in four years. After Wimbledon, she returned to the top 10 rankings.

She won her first singles title of the season at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. She then won her second title of the year at the Tianjin Open. These wins helped her qualify for the WTA Finals in Singapore. At the WTA Finals, she reached the final for the first time. She defeated Petra Kvitová in three sets to win her first WTA Finals title. This was the biggest title of her career. She ended 2015 ranked world No. 5.

In 2015, she won WTA Match of the Year and Best Dressed (On-Court). She also won Shot of the Month four times and WTA Shot of the Year for the third year in a row. For the fifth year, she won the WTA Award for Fan Favorite Player.

Back to No. 2 and 20th WTA Title (2016)

Radwańska at the 2016 US Open

Radwańska started 2016 by winning her 18th WTA title at the Shenzhen Open. She reached the semifinals of the Australian Open. She regained her world No. 2 status after performing well at the Indian Wells Open.

She won her 19th career title at the Connecticut Open in New Haven. This win also helped her clinch first place in the U.S. Open Series bonus challenge. At the China Open, she won her second title there and the 20th title of her career. This was her third Premier Mandatory title. She is one of only four players to win three or more Premier Mandatory trophies. She qualified for the 2016 WTA Finals for the sixth year in a row. She ended the season ranked world No. 3.

For the fourth year, Radwańska won WTA Shot of the Year. Her match at Wimbledon against Dominika Cibulková won her the Grand Slam Match of the Year award. She also won the WTA Award for Fan Favorite Player again.

Foot Injury and Ranking Drop (2017)

Radwańska at the 2017 Wimbledon Championship

In 2017, Radwańska switched her racquet brand. She reached the final at the Sydney International. She had to withdraw from some tournaments due to a foot injury. At the French Open, she returned after five weeks off. She reached the fourth round of Wimbledon.

At the Wuhan Open, she achieved her 500th main draw victory on the WTA Tour. She ended her season ranked 28th, her lowest since 2005. At the end of 2017, Radwańska won the Shot of the Year for the fifth time in a row.

Retirement (2018)

Radwańska in 2018

In 2018, Radwańska's ranking dropped out of the top 30 for the first time since 2007. At the Miami Open, she had a big win against world No. 1, Simona Halep. This was her second career win over a world No. 1. She had to withdraw from some clay-court tournaments due to a back injury.

At Wimbledon, she won a tough three-set match in the first round. She saved six match points. Due to ongoing injuries, Radwańska ended her season early. Her ranking fell to 78th, her lowest since 2006. On 14 November 2018, Agnieszka Radwańska announced her retirement from professional tennis. She said her body could no longer handle the demands of the sport.

Fed Cup Participation

Radwańska played in the Fed Cup from 2006 until her retirement. She played 48 matches, winning 41 of them. She received two Fed Cup Heart Awards for her efforts. She helped the Poland Fed Cup team reach the 2015 Fed Cup World Group. This was the first time in over twenty years for Poland.

Rivalries

Radwańska vs. Wozniacki

Caroline Wozniacki and Radwańska had a long rivalry. Wozniacki won 11 of their 17 matches. Radwańska first beat Wozniacki in 2007. They played their last match in 2017.

Radwańska vs. Zvonareva

Radwańska and Zvonareva after the 2011 Pan Pacific Open final

Radwańska had a rivalry with Russian player Vera Zvonareva. Radwańska won 4 of their 6 matches. Radwańska was known for her focus and smart play against Zvonareva's power. Their matches were often exciting, with Radwańska winning key points.

Radwańska vs. Li

Radwańska and Li Na played 11 times, with Li leading 6–5. They had close matches on grass, but Li was stronger on hard courts. Their last meeting was at Wimbledon in 2013, where Radwańska won in three sets.

Radwańska vs. Ivanovic

Radwańska and Ana Ivanovic first played in 2006. Radwańska won 7 of their 10 matches before Ivanovic retired. Most of their matches were on hard courts.

Radwańska vs. Kerber

The rivalry between Radwańska and Angelique Kerber was very close. They each won 6 matches against each other. Radwańska won their matches on grass and clay. Kerber had a slight lead on hard courts.

Radwańska vs. Kuznetsova

Radwańska played Svetlana Kuznetsova 18 times. Kuznetsova won 14 of these matches. Radwańska struggled against Kuznetsova for a while, losing six matches in a row at one point. Their matches were often long and exciting.

Playing Style and Equipment

Radwańska's tennis style was known for being smart and tricky. She moved very well and could guess what her opponent would do next. She used clever shots to open up the court. Her main weapons included slices, lobs, and hitting the ball at many different angles.

Radwańska hitting a crouching forehand

In 2012, a sports writer called Radwańska "the most tactically sound, subtle tennis player in the world." She earned nicknames like "The Magician" and "Ninja" because she could make difficult shots look easy. She often used a hidden drop shot. She was also known for her "crouching shots," where she would bend low to return a low ball. She even invented her unique squat position shot.

Radwańska hitting a tweener shot

One weakness in her game was her serve, which was not very powerful. She said, "I don't think I can ever serve 200 kilometers per hour, it's just not my body." She focused on strategy instead of power. Unlike many players, she didn't grunt loudly when hitting the ball.

Tennis experts compared her style to Martina Hingis, who was one of her inspirations. They said Radwańska moved naturally and understood the court well.

Radwańska used Babolat racquets until 2016. In 2017, she switched to Srixon racquets. For her tennis clothes, she was sponsored by Lotto Sport Italia.

Coaches

Agnieszka Radwańska's father, Robert Radwański, was her first coach. He traveled with her for almost 18 years.

In 2011, she started working with Fed Cup coach Tomasz Wiktorowski. Later, Borna Bikić also joined her coaching team for a short time in 2012.

At the end of 2014, Radwańska hired tennis legend Martina Navratilova as a consulting coach. However, they stopped working together in April 2015 because Navratilova was too busy.

Charitable Work

Since 2009, Radwańska and her sister Urszula have supported Szlachetna Paczka ("Noble Box"). This charity helps families in need during the holidays. Volunteers find families and ask what they need. Then, donors buy food and clothes to give to them.

The sisters also support Habitat for Humanity in Warsaw. This project helps build homes for families who don't have good housing. Radwańska said it was an honor to help such a great cause.

On 23 July 2022, Radwańska took part in a charity tennis event in Kraków, Poland. The event was organized by Iga Świątek to raise money for children and teenagers affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The event raised over €500,000 for charities like UNICEF Poland.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Finals: 1 Runner-up

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2012	Wimbledon	Grass	Serena Williams	1–6, 7–5, 2–6

Year-End Championships Finals: 1 Title

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	2015	WTA Finals, Singapore	Hard (i)	Petra Kvitová	6–2, 4–6, 6–3

Awards

See Also

In Spanish: Agnieszka Radwańska para niños

• Poland Fed Cup team
• List of Poles