Jana Novotná facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jana Novotná

Novotná in 1996
Country (sports)	Czechoslovakia (1987–1992)  Czech Republic (1993–1999)
Born	(1968-10-02)2 October 1968 Brno, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic)
Died	19 November 2017(2017-11-19) (aged 49) Czech Republic
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Turned pro	1987
Retired	1999
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize money	$11,249,284
Int. Tennis HoF	2005 (member page)
Singles
Career record	571–225 (71.73%)
Career titles	24
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 (82%)
Career titles	76
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)
Medal record Women's tennis Olympic Games Representing  Czechoslovakia Silver 1988 Seoul Doubles Representing  Czech Republic Silver 1996 Atlanta Doubles Bronze 1996 Atlanta Singles

Jana Novotná (born October 2, 1968 – died November 19, 2017) was a famous professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. She was known for her "serve and volley" style of play. This means she would hit a powerful serve and then quickly run to the net to hit the next shot. This was a unique style for women's tennis during her time.

Novotná achieved her biggest dream by winning the women's singles title at Wimbledon in 1998. She also reached the finals of three other major tournaments. Beyond singles, she was incredibly successful in doubles, winning 12 major women's doubles titles and four major mixed doubles titles. She also earned three Olympic medals. At her best, she was ranked world No. 2 in singles in 1997 and was the No. 1 doubles player for 67 weeks.

Jana Novotná's Tennis Journey

Jana Novotná became a professional tennis player in February 1987. Early in her career, she was mostly known for being a great doubles player. In the early 1990s, she started to become very successful in singles. This happened when Hana Mandlíková, a four-time Grand Slam singles champion, became her coach. Mandlíková coached her for nine years.

1990: First Grand Slam Semifinal

At the 1990 French Open, Novotná had her best Grand Slam singles result so far. She was seeded 11th and made it to the semifinals. Along the way, she beat tough players like Gabriela Sabatini and Katerina Maleeva. However, in the semifinals, she faced the top-seeded Steffi Graf from Germany. Graf, a very strong player, defeated Novotná in straight sets. By the end of 1990, Novotná was ranked No. 13 in the world.

1991: Reaching an Australian Open Final

Novotná started 1991 very well at the Australian Open. She was seeded tenth. In the quarterfinals, she faced Steffi Graf again. Novotná had lost to Graf ten times before, but this time she pulled off a big surprise! She defeated Graf, who had won the Australian Open for the past three years, in a thrilling three-set match.

After this huge win, Novotná beat Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the semifinals. This put her in her first-ever Grand Slam final against Monica Seles. Seles won the match in three sets. Novotná finished the year ranked No. 7.

1993: A Heartbreaking Wimbledon Final

Two years later, at Wimbledon, Novotná was playing some of her best tennis. To win the title, she would have to beat top players like Gabriela Sabatini, Martina Navratilova, and Steffi Graf. She defeated Sabatini and then Navratilova, setting up a final match against Graf.

Novotná won the second set and was leading 4-1 in the third set, just a few points away from winning Wimbledon! But she got nervous, made a mistake, and Graf managed to win the next five games and the title. During the awards ceremony, a very sad Novotná cried on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent, who comforted her. Novotná ended 1993 ranked No. 6.

Novotná hitting a slice backhand

1994: Continued Strong Performances

Novotná started 1994 by reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. She also made it to the semifinals of the US Open, where she again faced Steffi Graf. Graf won that match in straight sets.

1997: Another Wimbledon Final Appearance

It took four more years for Novotná to reach another Wimbledon final. In 1997, she faced the top-seeded Martina Hingis. Novotná had to beat tough players like Mary Joe Fernandez and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario to get to the final. In the final, Novotná started strong, winning the first set. But Hingis played better in the next two sets and won the match. This was Novotná's second loss in a Wimbledon final.

However, Novotná had a great year overall. She won the year-end Tour Championships by beating Mary Pierce in the final. She finished 1997 with a career-high singles ranking of world No. 2.

1998: Wimbledon Victory at Last!

Novotná's dream of winning Wimbledon finally came true in 1998. She defeated Venus Williams in a close quarterfinal. Then, she got her revenge against Martina Hingis, beating her in the semifinal. In the final, she played against Nathalie Tauziat and won in two sets.

At 29 years and nine months old, Novotná became the oldest first-time Grand Slam singles winner in the Open Era. This record was later broken by other players.

Novotná won many Grand Slam doubles titles:

• 12 women's doubles titles (four at Wimbledon, three at the French Open, three at the US Open, and two at the Australian Open).
• Four mixed-doubles titles (two at the Australian Open, one at Wimbledon, and one at the US Open).

She was also part of the Czechoslovakian team that won the Fed Cup in 1988. At the Olympic Games, she won silver medals in women's doubles in 1988 and 1996, and a bronze medal in singles in 1996.

Novotná won titles on all four types of tennis courts (hard, clay, grass, and carpet). She earned over $10 million in prize money during her career, becoming only the fifth player to reach this amount. She won more than 500 singles matches, a feat achieved by only 15 women in the Open Era.

Later Years and Legacy

Jana Novotná retired from professional tennis in 1999. During her 14-year career, she won a total of 104 titles: 24 in singles, 76 in women's doubles, and 4 in mixed doubles.

In 2005, she was honored by being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. After retiring, Novotná worked as a commentator for Wimbledon for the BBC. She also continued to play in special "Ladies' Invitation Doubles" tournaments at Wimbledon, winning several times. She even helped her former partner Martina Navratilova during her breast cancer treatment. Novotná also coached other players, including Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejčíková.

Jana Novotná passed away from cancer on November 19, 2017, at the age of 49. She chose to keep her illness private, sharing it only with her closest family and friends.

Images for kids

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  Novotná in 1996

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  Novotná hitting a slice backhand

Error: no page names specified (help). In Spanish: Jana Novotná para niños