Nadia Petrova facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nadia Petrova
Надежда Петрова

Petrova winning in Cincinnati
Country (sports)	Russia
Residence	Miami, United States
Born	(1982-06-08) 8 June 1982 (age 43) Moscow, Soviet Union
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Turned pro	6 September 1999
Retired	11 January 2017
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money	US$ 12,466,924
Singles
Career record	533–303 (63.76%)
Career titles	13
Highest ranking	No. 3 (15 May 2006)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	QF (2006, 2010)
French Open	SF (2003, 2005)
Wimbledon	QF (2005, 2008)
US Open	QF (2004, 2005)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	RR (2005, 2006, 2008)
Olympic Games	3R (2012)
Doubles
Career record	384–175 (68.69%)
Career titles	24
Highest ranking	No. 3 (21 March 2005)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	SF (2011)
French Open	F (2012)
Wimbledon	QF (2004, 2005, 2007, 2013)
US Open	F (2010)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals	W (2004, 2012)
Medal record Representing Russia Olympic Games Bronze 2012 London Doubles

Nadezhda "Nadia" Petrova (born June 8, 1982) is a Russian former professional tennis player. She was one of the best players in the world, reaching No. 3 in both singles and doubles. Nadia won 37 titles on the WTA Tour (13 in singles and 24 in doubles). She earned over $12.4 million in prize money, making her one of Russia's most successful tennis players.

Nadia had many great moments in her singles career. She reached the quarterfinals at all four major tournaments (Grand Slams) nine times. She also made it to the semifinals twice at the French Open (in 2003 and 2005). Nadia won big titles in Charleston and Berlin in 2006. During that time, she won three tournaments in a row and 15 matches straight! She also won the Tokyo tournament and the year-end Tournament of Champions in 2012. For over 10 years, from 2003 to 2013, Nadia was always ranked among the top 30 players in the world.

She was also very successful in doubles. Nadia won the year-end WTA Championships twice. She won with Meghann Shaughnessy in 2004 and with her fellow Russian, Maria Kirilenko, in 2012. With Maria, she also won a bronze medal in doubles at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Nadia reached two major doubles finals: the 2010 US Open with Liezel Huber and the 2012 French Open with Maria Kirilenko. She won many other important doubles titles too.

Nadia Petrova announced her retirement from tennis on January 11, 2017. She was 34 years old. She had many injuries and hadn't played professionally since April 2014.

About Nadia Petrova

Her Early Life

Nadia Petrova was born in Moscow, Russia. Her family was very athletic. Her father, Viktor, was a hammer thrower. Her mother, Nadezhda Ilyina, won a bronze medal in the 400-meter relay at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Nadia traveled a lot with her parents when she was a child. She later lived in Egypt, where she trained with her parents and coach Mohammed Saif.

How She Played Tennis

Nadia Petrova was an aggressive player who played all over the court. She could hit powerful winning shots with both her forehand and backhand. Her backhand was especially strong, and she could hit it flat or with slice. Some challenges for Nadia were her movement around the court. She sometimes struggled with her focus during important moments in tough matches.

Nadia's Tennis Career

Starting Out in Tennis

As a junior player, Nadia won the 1998 French Open. She beat Jelena Dokic in the final. She also finished second at the Orange Bowl and the junior US Open. In 1998, she played her first professional tournament. She also got her first win against a top-20 player, Iva Majoli. By the end of 1999, Nadia was ranked in the top 100 players in the world.

In 2000, she reached the third round of the Australian Open. She also made it to the quarterfinals of the Miami Open. There, she beat Julie Halard-Decugis for her first win against a top-10 player. She finished that year ranked No. 50. In 2001, she reached the fourth round at both the French Open and the US Open. Her ranking went up to No. 38. Nadia also started winning in doubles in 2001, taking home two titles.

However, 2002 was tough because of injuries. Her singles ranking dropped out of the top 100. During this time, she focused more on doubles. She reached the semifinals of the US Open and two big finals. She ended 2002 ranked in the top 20 for doubles.

2003–2004: Reaching the Semifinals and Top 10

At the French Open in 2003, Nadia was ranked No. 76. She had a huge win in the first round against Monica Seles, who had won the French Open three times. Nadia then kept winning, beating Jennifer Capriati (a former French Open champion) in the fourth round. She reached her first-ever Grand Slam semifinal, where she lost to Kim Clijsters. This great performance boosted her ranking to No. 30.

Nadia continued to play well, reaching the semifinals at other tournaments. She made it to her first WTA Tour singles final in Linz, but lost. She ended 2003 ranked No. 12 in the world.

In March 2004, Nadia entered the top 10 in singles. She reached the semifinals of the Miami Open, climbing to No. 9. Her ranking then went even higher to No. 7. At the US Open, she achieved her biggest win yet. She defeated the world No. 1 and defending champion, Justine Henin-Hardenne. Nadia lost in the quarterfinals to Svetlana Kuznetsova, who went on to win the tournament.

Nadia finished 2004 ranked No. 12 in singles. She also had great success in doubles. She qualified for the WTA Championships with Meghann Shaughnessy. They won the title, which was the biggest doubles win of Nadia's career. This success helped her finish the year in the top 10 for doubles at No. 7.

2005: First Singles Title and Top 10 Finish

In 2005, Nadia reached the fourth round of the Australian Open. She lost to Serena Williams, who won the tournament. In doubles, she reached the final at Indian Wells with Meghann Shaughnessy. After this, Nadia reached her highest doubles ranking of No. 3 in the world.

Nadia reached her third singles final at the German Open in May. She lost to Justine Henin-Hardenne. This performance moved her ranking to No. 9. She stayed in the top 10 for over two years after that.

At the French Open, Nadia reached the semifinals again. She lost to Henin-Hardenne. A few weeks later at Wimbledon, she made it to the quarterfinals. She lost to Maria Sharapova. Nadia also reached her third Grand Slam quarterfinal in a row at the US Open.

Finally, Nadia won her first singles title in October 2005 at the Generali Ladies Linz. She had been in five finals before this win. Her successful year meant she qualified for the WTA Championships. She finished 2005 ranked No. 9, her first time ending the year in the top 10.

2006: Five Titles and Career-High Ranking

At the Australian Open, Nadia reached her first quarterfinal at this major tournament. She lost to Maria Sharapova.

Nadia then won her first title of 2006 at the Qatar Ladies Open. She beat the world No. 2, Amélie Mauresmo, in the final. This win moved her ranking to No. 7.

She then went on an amazing winning streak, winning 15 matches in a row and three titles. She won in Amelia Island and then her first Tier I title in Charleston. Next, she won the German Open in Berlin, beating Justine Henin-Hardenne. This was her third title in a row and her second Tier I title. With this win, Nadia reached her career-high singles ranking of world No. 3.

Unfortunately, Nadia injured her ankle before the French Open. She lost in the first round and had to miss Wimbledon. She struggled when she returned to play. However, she won her fifth title of the year at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. She also won a doubles title with the legendary Martina Navratilova. This was Navratilova's final doubles title before retiring.

Nadia finished 2006 ranked No. 6, her best year-end ranking ever.

2007: A Challenging Year

At the Australian Open, Nadia reached the third round. She lost to Serena Williams, who went on to win the tournament.

Nadia at the 2007 Australian Open

Nadia won her seventh career title at the Open Gaz de France in Paris. She also reached the final in Amelia Island. However, she continued to struggle with a lower-back injury. This led to early losses at the French Open and US Open.

She finished 2007 ranked No. 14, her lowest year-end ranking in five years.

2008: Wimbledon Quarterfinal and More Titles

Nadia's 2008 season started with some tough losses. She continued to face injuries, having to stop a match in Miami due to a leg strain.

Nadia at the French Open

She found her form on grass courts, reaching her first final of the year at Eastbourne. At Wimbledon, Nadia reached her second quarterfinal there. This was her seventh Grand Slam quarterfinal overall. She played a long, tough match against Elena Dementieva but lost. Her ranking improved to No. 17.

Nadia then played in Cincinnati and won her first singles title of the year. She beat Nathalie Dechy in the final. She also won the doubles title in Cincinnati with Maria Kirilenko. This was her 13th career doubles title.

Nadia at the 2008 US Open

She reached another final in Stuttgart, but lost to Jelena Janković. Nadia won her second singles title of the year in Quebec City. This win helped her become an alternate for the year-end Tour Championships. She played one match there, losing to Dementieva.

Nadia finished 2008 ranked No. 11.

2009: A Difficult Season

Nadia started 2009 by reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open. This moved her back into the top 10 rankings. However, she then faced a series of early losses in tournaments.

Nadia Petrova at the 2009 French Open

At Wimbledon, she reached the fourth round but lost to Victoria Azarenka. Her struggles continued during the US Open Series. She lost in the first round of the Cincinnati Open, where she was the defending champion. This caused her ranking to drop out of the top 10.

Nadia Petrova at the 2009 US Open

At the US Open, Nadia reached the fourth round. She was defeated by 17-year-old American Melanie Oudin. Later in the year, she had a big win at the China Open. She beat Serena Williams in a thrilling three-set match. Nadia reached the semifinals there, but lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Nadia finished 2009 ranked No. 20. It was her first year since 2004 without winning a singles title.

2010: Grand Slam Quarterfinals and Doubles Final

Nadia started 2010 with some tough first-round losses. However, at the Australian Open, she caused a big surprise. She beat Kim Clijsters (who had just won the US Open) very easily. She then upset Svetlana Kuznetsova to reach her second quarterfinal at the Australian Open. She lost a close match to Justine Henin.

Nadia and her doubles partner, Samantha Stosur, reached the finals of two big tournaments, Indian Wells and Miami. These results brought Nadia back into the top 10 in doubles.

She won a doubles title in Charleston with Liezel Huber. On clay, Nadia had another big win at the Madrid Open. She upset the world No. 1, Serena Williams. At the French Open, Nadia had a very long and exciting match in the third round, winning 10-8 in the final set. She then stunned Venus Williams to reach her ninth Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Nadia reached the final of the New Haven Open, but lost to Caroline Wozniacki. At the US Open, she had a shocking first-round loss in singles. However, in doubles with Liezel Huber, she reached her first Grand Slam final. They lost a very close match after it was postponed due to rain.

Nadia finished 2010 ranked No. 15 in singles and No. 8 in doubles.

2011: Winning a Singles Title Again

Nadia had a mixed year in 2011. She reached the semifinals in doubles at the Australian Open. She also made it to the doubles final in Doha and Miami with Liezel Huber.

At Wimbledon, Nadia reached the fourth round. She then had a great run at the Washington Open. She won her tenth career singles title there, her first in almost three years! She beat top seed Shahar Pe'er in the final.

At the US Open, Nadia lost a very long three-set match to Samantha Stosur, who went on to win the tournament. This match was one of the longest women's singles matches in US Open history at the time. She also reached the doubles semifinals with Maria Kirilenko.

Nadia finished 2011 ranked No. 29.

2012: A Big Comeback in Singles and Doubles

Nadia at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Nadia had a fantastic year in 2012. She won the doubles title in Miami with Maria Kirilenko. This was her 20th career doubles title.

She won her 11th career singles title at the Rosmalen Open. This was her first title on grass courts. She also reached her second Grand Slam doubles final at the French Open with Kirilenko, but they lost.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Nadia and Maria Kirilenko won the bronze medal in doubles! They beat the top-ranked team of Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond.

After the US Open, Nadia won her biggest singles tournament yet at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. She beat Agnieszka Radwańska in the final. This was her 12th career singles title.

Nadia and Maria Kirilenko then won the Tour Championships in Istanbul. This was Nadia's second time winning this big doubles title. She also won the Tournament of Champions in Sofia, her 13th singles title. Nadia finished 2012 ranked No. 12 in singles and No. 5 in doubles, her best year-end doubles ranking.

2013: Injuries and Decline

Nadia started 2013 by winning a doubles title in Sydney with Katarina Srebotnik. However, she lost in the first round of the Australian Open singles.

She reached several doubles finals with Srebotnik, winning in Miami and Eastbourne. But in singles, she struggled with injuries and early losses. She lost in the first round of the French Open and Wimbledon.

Nadia with Katarina Srebotnik at the 2013 US Open

Nadia missed several tournaments due to hip and leg injuries. She lost in the first round of the US Open. She finished 2013 ranked No. 102 in singles and No. 8 in doubles.

2014: Final Matches

Nadia missed the Australian Open due to the sad passing of her mother. She played a few tournaments early in 2014. She got her first singles win of the year in Miami. However, she had to stop a match at Indian Wells due to a leg injury.

Nadia did not play any more tournaments after April 2014. Her ranking dropped significantly.

2015-2016: No Play

Nadia did not play any professional tennis matches in 2015 or 2016.

2017: Retirement

On January 11, 2017, Nadia Petrova officially announced her retirement from tennis. She retired because of her ongoing injury problems.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Doubles Finals

Nadia reached two Grand Slam doubles finals, but she was the runner-up in both:

• 2010 US Open (with Liezel Huber)
• 2012 French Open (with Maria Kirilenko)

Year-End Championships Doubles Titles

Nadia won the WTA Tour Championships in doubles twice:

• 2004 WTA Championships (with Meghann Shaughnessy)
• 2012 WTA Tour Championships (with Maria Kirilenko)

Grand Slam Performance (Singles)

Grand Slam Performance (Doubles)

See also

In Spanish: Nadezhda Petrova para niños