Eleni Daniilidou facts for kids
Daniilidou in 2014
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| Country (sports) |  Greece |
|---|---|
| Residence | Thessaloniki |
| Born | 19 September 1982 Chania, Crete |
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Turned pro | 1996 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | US$ 2,929,165 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 509–431 (54.15%) |
| Career titles | 5 |
| Highest ranking | No. 14 (12 May 2003) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | 4R (2003) |
| French Open | 3R (2003) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (2002) |
| US Open | 4R (2004) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 298–277 (51.83%) |
| Career titles | 3 |
| Highest ranking | No. 21 (29 January 2007) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (2005) |
| French Open | SF (2006) |
| Wimbledon | QF (2006) |
| US Open | 2R (2004, 2007) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Australian Open | F (2003) |
| French Open | 1R (2007) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (2006) |
| US Open | 2R (2003) |
| Team competitions | |
| Fed Cup | 29–15 (65.91%) |
Eleni Daniilidou (born September 19, 1982) is a Greek former tennis player from the island of Crete. She is known as one of Greece's best tennis players in the modern era.
Eleni won five singles titles and three doubles titles on the WTA Tour. In 2003, she made history by reaching the mixed-doubles final at the Australian Open. This made her the first Greek player to reach a Grand Slam final. Her highest singles ranking was world No. 14. She was the only Greek female tennis player to reach the top 20 until Maria Sakkari did so in February 2020. No Greek male player reached this high until Stefanos Tsitsipas in August 2018. Eleni also achieved a special win at the 2005 Wimbledon Championships by beating Justine Henin. Henin was the reigning French Open champion at the time, and it was the first time a French Open champion had lost in the first round of Wimbledon.
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Eleni Daniilidou's Tennis Journey
Eleni Daniilidou started her professional tennis career in 1996. She was just 14 years old when she reached the final of her very first ITF event. By 1998, she had her first ranking, finishing the year as world No. 294. In 2001, she entered the top 100 after reaching the third round of the US Open.
Highlights of Her Career
The year 2002 was one of Eleni's best. She finished that year ranked No. 22 in the world. She won her first WTA singles title at the Rosmalen Championships. On her way to the title, she defeated strong players like Amélie Mauresmo, Elena Dementieva, and Justine Henin. She also reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time at Wimbledon. Later in 2002, she reached her second WTA final at the Brasil Open, where she beat tennis legend Monica Seles.
Eleni started 2003 strong by winning her second WTA title at the Auckland Open. She also reached the fourth round of the Australian Open. These results helped her break into the top 20 for the first time. She reached her highest career ranking of No. 14 after the German Open. She also made it to the semifinals at the Paris Indoors and the DFS Classic.
In 2004, Eleni successfully defended her title at the Auckland Open, earning her third WTA singles title. She reached the semifinals at the big Miami Open, beating Jennifer Capriati along the way. Later that year, she matched her best Grand Slam performance by reaching the fourth round of the US Open.
The year 2005 was a bit tougher for Eleni, as it was the first year since 2001 that she didn't win a title. However, she caused a big surprise at Wimbledon. She defeated the reigning French Open champion, Justine Henin, in the first round. This was a huge upset and ended Henin's 24-match winning streak. Eleni reached the third round of Wimbledon, which was her best Grand Slam result that year.
Eleni improved in 2006, returning to the top 50 and winning her fourth WTA singles title at the Korea Open. She also reached the semifinals of the Ordina Open. In 2007, she stayed in the top 50, with her best result being a semifinal at the Connecticut Open. There, she saved a match point to beat Dinara Safina in the quarterfinals.
The year 2008 was challenging due to a right knee injury, causing her to miss almost half the season. Despite this, she won her fifth and final WTA singles title at the Hobart International. She returned for the Summer Olympics in August but struggled for the rest of the year. She finished outside the top 100 for the first time since 2000.
Grand Slam Performances
Eleni Daniilidou had some great runs in the biggest tennis tournaments, known as Grand Slams.
- Australian Open: Her best result was reaching the fourth round in 2003.
- French Open: She reached the third round in 2003.
- Wimbledon: She made it to the fourth round in 2002.
- US Open: She reached the fourth round in 2004.
She also played in the Summer Olympics three times, reaching the third round in 2004.
Grand Slam Final Appearance
Eleni Daniilidou reached one Grand Slam final in her career.
Mixed Doubles: 1 Final
- 2003 Australian Open: She was a runner-up in mixed doubles with her partner Todd Woodbridge. They played on a hard court but lost to Leander Paes and Martina Navratilova with a score of 4–6, 5–7.
WTA Career Titles
Eleni Daniilidou won 5 singles titles and 3 doubles titles on the WTA Tour. She also reached 1 singles final and 9 doubles finals as a runner-up.
Singles Titles: 5
- 2002 Rosmalen Open (Netherlands): Grass court
- 2003 Auckland Open (New Zealand): Hard court
- 2004 Auckland Open (New Zealand): Hard court
- 2006 Korea Open (South Korea): Hard court
- 2008 Hobart International (Australia): Hard court
Doubles Titles: 3
- 2004 Stanford Classic (United States): Hard court, with Nicole Pratt
- 2010 İstanbul Cup (Turkey): Hard court, with Jasmin Wöhr
- 2011 Tashkent Open (Uzbekistan): Hard court, with Vitalia Diatchenko
Notable Wins Against Top Players
Eleni Daniilidou had 7 wins against players ranked in the top 10 during her career. These include:
- In 2002, she beat Justine Henin (ranked No. 7) at the Rosmalen Championships and Monica Seles (ranked No. 5) at the Brazil Cup.
- In 2003, she defeated Jelena Dokić (ranked No. 10) at the Paris Indoor tournament.
- In 2004, she had two wins against Jennifer Capriati (ranked No. 5 and No. 7) at the Dubai Championships and Miami Open.
- In 2005, she famously beat Justine Henin-Hardenne (ranked No. 7) at Wimbledon and Svetlana Kuznetsova (ranked No. 4) at the LA Championships.
Images for kids
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Daniilidou in 2014
See also
In Spanish: Eleni Daniilidou para niños
