Karolína Plíšková facts for kids

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Karolina Pliskova
Singles
Plíšková at the 2024 Washington Open
Native name	Karolína Plíšková
Country (sports)	Czech Republic
Residence	Monte Carlo, Monaco
Born	(1992-03-21) 21 March 1992 (age 33) Louny, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic)
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Turned pro	2009
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Željko Krajan (2024–),Olga Savchuk (2020–2023) Sascha Bajin (2020–2022, 2023), Leoš Friedl (2022), Daniel Vallverdú (2020), Conchita Martínez (2019), Rennae Stubbs (2018), Tomáš Krupa (2017–2018), David Kotyza (2017), Jiří Vaněk (2014–2016), Jan Bedáň [cs] (2010-2012)
Prize money	US$ 26,111,050 11th all-time in earnings
Official website	karolina-pliskova.com
Career record	641–372 (63.28%)
Career titles	17
Highest ranking	No. 1 (17 July 2017)
Current ranking	No. 43 (7 October 2024)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	SF (2019)
French Open	SF (2017)
Wimbledon	F (2021)
US Open	F (2016)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	SF (2017, 2018, 2019)
Olympic Games	3R (2020)
Doubles
Career record	184–146 (55.76%)
Career titles	5
Highest ranking	No. 11 (31 October 2016)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	SF (2016)
French Open	QF (2021)
Wimbledon	SF (2016)
US Open	3R (2016, 2023)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Wimbledon	2R (2014)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	W (2015, 2016, 2018)
Hopman Cup	RR (2016)

Karolína Plíšková (born March 21, 1992) is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. She used to be the world No. 1 in singles. She reached this top spot on July 17, 2017, and held it for eight weeks.

Plíšková is famous for her super powerful serve and strong forehand shots. She has won 17 singles titles and five doubles titles on the WTA Tour. She has also won ten singles and six doubles titles on the ITF Circuit. So far, she has earned over $25 million in prize money!

She has played in two major Grand Slam finals. These were at the 2016 US Open and the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. When she was a junior player, Plíšková won the girls' singles event at the 2010 Australian Open. She also plays for the Czech Republic in the Billie Jean King Cup team competition.

About Karolína Plíšková

Karolína Plíšková was born in Louny, a town in the Czech Republic. Her parents are Radek and Martina Plíšek. She has an identical twin sister named Kristýna, who is two minutes older than her. Kristýna is also a tennis player!

Karolína currently lives in Monte Carlo, Monaco. In 2018, she got married to Michal Hrdlička. After getting married, she changed her name to Karolína Hrdličková.

Karolína Plíšková's Tennis Journey

Starting in Juniors: 2010

Karolína Plíšková started her professional tennis journey by winning a big junior title. She won the Australian Open junior championship. In the final match, she beat Laura Robson.

First Big Tournament: 2012

In 2012, Plíšková played in her very first main tournament at a Grand Slam event. This was the 2012 French Open. She had to win three qualifying matches to get into the main draw. In her first main match, she played against Marion Bartoli, who was ranked world No. 8. Plíšková lost this match.

Winning Her First Titles: 2013

Plíšková won her first ever WTA Tour title at the Malaysian Open. She beat several strong players to reach the final. In the final, she won against Bethanie Mattek-Sands in a close three-set match.

Later that year, in October, she won her first doubles title. She teamed up with her twin sister, Kristýna, at the Generali Ladies Linz tournament. They made history by becoming the first identical twin sisters to win a doubles title together on the WTA Tour.

Breaking Through: 2014

The year 2014 was a big year for Plíšková. She started to make a name for herself in tennis. She reached three finals that year. She won two of them: the Seoul tournament and the Linz tournament.

She also had a big win at the US Open. She beat world No. 9, Ana Ivanovic, in the second round. By the end of 2014, her ranking jumped from No. 67 to No. 24 in the world. This showed how much she had improved.

Plíšková at the 2014 Nürnberger Versicherungscup

Entering the Top 10: 2015

In 2015, Plíšková continued to climb the rankings. She reached her first big WTA Premier-level final in Sydney. She then broke into the world's top 20 for the first time.

She also played for the Czech team in the 2015 Fed Cup World Group. She helped her team win against Canada. Plíšková reached another final in Dubai, but lost to Simona Halep.

She won her fourth career title at her home tournament in Prague. She also helped her country win the Fed Cup title. This was her first Fed Cup championship.

Plíšková at the 2015 Indian Wells Open

US Open Final and Top 5: 2016

The year 2016 was very important for Plíšková. She won her first title of the year at the Nottingham Open. This was her first title on grass courts.

She then won her first big WTA Premier tournament at the Western & Southern Open. She beat Angelique Kerber in the final. This win stopped Kerber from becoming world No. 1 at that time.

At the US Open, Plíšková reached her first ever Grand Slam final. She beat Venus Williams and Serena Williams on her way to the final. In the final match, she played against Angelique Kerber again and lost in three sets. Even though she lost, reaching the final was a huge achievement.

Plíšková also helped the Czech team win the Fed Cup for the third year in a row. She and her doubles partner, Barbora Strýcová, won the deciding match in the final.

Plíšková at the 2016 US Open

Becoming World No. 1: 2017

In 2017, Plíšková started the season strong by winning the Brisbane tournament. She then won her eighth WTA Tour title in Doha.

At the 2017 Australian Open, she reached her second straight Grand Slam quarterfinal. She also played a key role in the Fed Cup, winning both her matches against Spain.

Plíšková reached the semifinals of the 2017 French Open. This was a great result for her on clay courts.

Plíšková after winning the 2017 Eastbourne International

In June, she won the Eastbourne International tournament on grass. Then, on July 17, she officially became the world No. 1 tennis player! She was the first female player from the Czech Republic to reach this top ranking.

Grand Slam Quarterfinals: 2018

In 2018, Plíšková continued to perform well in major tournaments. She reached the quarterfinals at both the Australian Open and the US Open.

She also won the Stuttgart Open in April. Later in the year, she won the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. This was her eleventh career title.

Another Grand Slam Semifinal: 2019

Plíšková started 2019 by winning the Brisbane International title again. At the 2019 Australian Open, she had an amazing comeback in her quarterfinal match against Serena Williams. She saved several match points and won the match. This sent her to her first Australian Open semifinal. She then lost to Naomi Osaka in a tough three-set match.

She reached her first big Premier Mandatory final at the Miami Open. She then won her biggest clay-court title at the Italian Open. This win helped her get back to world No. 2 in the rankings.

She also won her second Eastbourne International title on grass.

Mixed Results: 2020

In 2020, Plíšková successfully defended her title at the Brisbane International. She set a record for the most titles won at that tournament.

After the tennis tour was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she reached the final at the Rome tournament. She had to retire from the final match due to injury. She finished the year ranked No. 6 in the world.

Wimbledon Final and Back to Top 3: 2021

Plíšková had a challenging start to 2021. However, her luck changed at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. She reached the quarterfinals and semifinals for the first time at Wimbledon. This meant she had reached the semifinal stage or better at all four Grand Slam events in her career.

Plíšková at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships

She then reached her first Wimbledon final and her second Grand Slam final overall. She played against Ashleigh Barty in the final and lost in three sets. By reaching the final, she returned to the top 10 rankings.

She also made her first appearance at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She reached the third round in singles. Later in the year, she reached the final of the Canadian Open. By reaching this final, she re-entered the top 5 of the WTA rankings. She finished the year by qualifying for the WTA Finals for the fifth time in a row.

Injury and Comeback: 2022

Plíšková had to miss the beginning of the 2022 season due to a hand injury. This was the first time she missed a major tournament since 2012.

She slowly worked her way back. At the Canadian Open, she reached the semifinals. She also reached the quarterfinals at the US Open. She finished the year ranked No. 32.

Continuing to Compete: 2023

In 2023, Plíšková reached her fourth quarterfinal at the Australian Open. She continued to compete in major tournaments. She finished the year ranked No. 37.

First Title in Four Years: 2024

Plíšková started 2024 by defeating Naomi Osaka at the Brisbane International. In February, she won her first title in four years at the Transylvania Open. She won the tournament without losing a single set.

Plíšková on serve in Strasbourg in 2024.

This win helped her return to the top 50 in the rankings. She then reached the semifinals at the Qatar Ladies Open. This helped her move into the top 40 rankings.

How Karolína Plíšková Plays Tennis

Plíšková serving

Karolína Plíšková plays with a very strong and attacking style. Her best weapon is her powerful and accurate serve. She also hits the ball very hard from the back of the court.

Her first serve is super fast, often around 109 miles per hour, and can reach up to 119 miles per hour! She serves many aces, which are serves that her opponent cannot touch. She has served the most aces of any player in the WTA in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019. In 2016, she hit 530 aces, which is a record for a single year.

Her forehand shot is also very strong. She hits it flat and with a lot of power. This shot helps her win many points. She can hit the ball at sharp angles with both her forehand and backhand. This makes it hard for her opponents to return. She is also good at playing close to the net because of her experience in doubles.

Sometimes, she will surprise her opponents by serving and then immediately running to the net to hit the next shot. This is called "serve-and-volley."

One area she has worked on is her movement around the court. While it has gotten much better, it can still be a challenge for her. She sometimes struggles against players who are very good at running and hitting every ball back.

Plíšková's playing style works well on all types of courts. She has won titles on hard courts, clay courts, and grass courts. Her fast and aggressive game is especially good on hard courts.

Coaches

Karolína Plíšková has worked with several coaches during her career. These include Jiří Vaněk (2014–16), David Kotyza (2017), and Tomáš Krupa (2017–18).

After working with Krupa, she teamed up with Rennae Stubbs for the 2018 US Open. However, this partnership ended so Stubbs could go back to being a TV commentator. In 2019, she was coached by Conchita Martínez.

For the 2020 season, Plíšková announced that ATP coach Daniel Vallverdú would be her coach. This partnership ended after a year. She then worked with Olga Savchuk, a former WTA doubles player.

From November 2020 to July 2022, she was also coached by Sascha Bajin. Under his guidance, she reached the 2021 Wimbledon Championships final. They worked together again for the 2023 season but split up in July 2023.

Career Highlights

Here's a quick look at how Karolína Plíšková has done in the biggest tennis tournaments, the Grand Slams:

Grand Slam Singles Performance

Tournament	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	SR	W–L	Win%
Australian Open	A	Q1	Q1	1R	2R	3R	3R	QF	QF	SF	3R	3R	A	QF	1R	A	0 / 11	26–11	72%
French Open	A	Q2	1R	1R	2R	2R	1R	SF	3R	3R	2R	2R	2R	1R	1R		0 / 13	14–13	54%
Wimbledon	Q1	A	1R	2R	2R	2R	2R	2R	4R	4R	NH	F	2R	1R	1R		0 / 12	18–12	62%
US Open	Q1	Q1	Q2	1R	3R	1R	F	QF	QF	4R	2R	QF	QF	2R	2R		0 / 12	30–12	71%
Win–loss	0–0	0–0	0–2	1–4	5–4	4–4	9–4	14–4	13–4	13–4	4–3	13–4	6–3	5–4	1–4		0 / 48	88–48	65%