kids encyclopedia robot

Nicole Vaidišová facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Nicole Vaidišová
N Vaidišová R Štěpánek 2019 (cropped).jpg
Vaidišová in 2019
Country (sports)  Czech Republic
Residence Prague, Czech Republic
Born (1989-04-23) 23 April 1989 (age 36)
Nuremberg, West Germany
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Turned pro 2003
Retired 2016
Plays Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money US$ 2,778,619
Singles
Career record 225–116 (65.98%)
Career titles 6 WTA, 2 ITF
Highest ranking No. 7 (14 May 2007)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open SF (2007)
French Open SF (2006)
Wimbledon QF (2007, 2008)
US Open 4R (2005)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games 1R (2008)
Doubles
Career record 13–31 (29.55%)
Career titles 0
Highest ranking No. 128 (2 October 2006)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open 3R (2008)
French Open 1R (2006, 2009)
Wimbledon 2R (2006, 2007)
US Open 1R (2005)
Other doubles tournaments
Olympic Games 1R (2008)
Mixed doubles
Career record 4–3
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
French Open 2R (2005)
Wimbledon 3R (2008)
US Open 2R (2005)

Nicole Vaidišová Štěpánková, born on April 23, 1989, is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic.

She was a very successful player, reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open and French Open. She also made it to the quarterfinals twice at Wimbledon. Nicole started playing tennis at six years old. She trained at a famous tennis academy in Florida.

Her powerful serve and strong groundstrokes were her best skills. These helped her play an aggressive, all-around game. On August 9, 2006, when she was just 17, she became one of the youngest players ever to be ranked in the top 10. Her highest ranking was world No. 7 on May 14, 2007. She first retired from tennis in 2010 but came back in 2014. However, she retired again in 2016 due to injuries.

Nicole's Tennis Journey

Starting Strong: 2003–2004

Nicole Vaidišová began her professional tennis career in 2003. She quickly reached three finals and won an ITF tournament in Plzeň, Czech Republic.

In 2004, her first full year as a pro, Nicole became a top 100 player. She won her first WTA Tour title in Vancouver at just 15 years old. This made her the sixth-youngest singles champion in the tour's history. She also won her second title that year at the Tashkent Open. By October 18, she was ranked No. 74, becoming the youngest player in the top 100.

Nicole played in her first major tournament, the US Open, in 2004. She finished the year with two WTA titles and a great record of 31 wins and 8 losses.

Becoming a Top Player: 2005–2007

Nicole Vaidisova medibank international 2006 02
Vaidišová at the 2006 Sydney International

In early 2005, Nicole reached her first quarterfinal of the season in Hobart. She also won her first match at a Grand Slam event, reaching the third round of the Australian Open.

By April, she was in the top 50 players worldwide. She beat a top 10 player, Anastasia Myskina, at the Charleston Open. In May, she reached her first Tier III final in Istanbul, where she played against Venus Williams. At the US Open, she made it to the fourth round, her best Grand Slam result at that time.

Nicole won her first title of 2005 in Seoul, South Korea. She then won two more titles in a row in Tokyo and Bangkok. This meant she won three titles in three weeks, a rare achievement. She was the first player since Lindsay Davenport in 2004 to do this. By October 10, she was ranked No. 18.

In May 2006, Nicole won her sixth WTA Tour title in Strasbourg, France. In June, she had her best Grand Slam performance yet, reaching the semifinals of the French Open. She beat world No. 1 Amélie Mauresmo and Venus Williams there. At Wimbledon, she reached the fourth round. This meant she had reached at least the round of 16 in all four Grand Slam tournaments.

In July, Nicole helped the Czech Republic in the Fed Cup. She reached the semifinals in Stanford and San Diego. After her success in San Diego, she moved into the top 10 for the first time, at No. 9. She was one of the youngest players ever to reach the top 10.

At the US Open, she reached the third round. She finished 2006 ranked No. 10, making it her most successful year.

In 2007, Nicole reached the semifinals of the Sydney International. She then reached her second Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open, where she lost to Serena Williams, who went on to win the tournament.

Nicole Vaidisova 2007 US Open (cropped)
Vaidišová at the 2007 US Open

She missed some clay court tournaments due to a wrist injury. However, she reached the quarterfinals of the French Open. At Wimbledon, she reached the quarterfinals again. She had match points but lost to Ana Ivanovic.

Nicole was out for two months after Wimbledon because of glandular fever. She returned at the US Open. She finished the year by reaching two more semifinals in Zürich and Linz.

Challenges and Retirement: 2008–2010

Nicole Vaidisova US Open
Vaidišová at the 2009 US Open

Nicole started 2008 by reaching the semifinals of the Sydney International. She won her Fed Cup matches against Slovakia. After this, she had a tough time, losing six matches in a row.

At Wimbledon, she had a good run to the quarterfinals. By the end of 2008, her ranking had dropped to No. 41.

In 2009, Nicole's ranking fell out of the top 100. In March 2010, her stepfather announced that she had decided to retire from professional tennis at age 20. He said she had "lack of interest in tennis."

Coming Back: 2014–2015

In September 2014, Nicole received a special invitation to play in an ITF tournament in Albuquerque. This marked her return to professional tennis after more than four years. She won her first match back.

In March 2015, she played in her first WTA Tour main draw since 2010 at the Monterrey Open. She also played at the Miami Open as a wildcard. She won her first match there before losing to Simona Halep.

Second Retirement: 2016

In July 2016, Nicole Vaidišová announced her second and final retirement from professional tennis due to injuries.

About Nicole's Life

Nicole was introduced to tennis by her mother, Riana. She has three younger brothers: Filip, Oliver, and Toby. She can speak Czech, English, and German.

Nicole married fellow Czech tennis player Radek Štěpánek in 2010. They later divorced in 2013. In 2018, they remarried and had a daughter named Stella. In December 2021, they welcomed their second daughter, Meda.

Sponsorships and Games

Nicole Vaidišová was a face for Reebok and appeared in their campaigns. She also supported Citizen Watches and their Eco-Drive design. She used Yonex tennis racquets during her career.

In 2007, Nicole was featured in Virtua Tennis 3, a video game made by Sega.

Career Performance Highlights

This section shows Nicole's results in major tennis tournaments.

Singles Matches

Tournament 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 ... 2015 SR W–L W%
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open A 3R 4R SF 4R 1R A A 0 / 5 13–5 72%
French Open Q3 2R SF QF 1R 1R A A 0 / 5 10–5 67%
Wimbledon Q1 3R 4R QF QF 1R A A 0 / 5 13–5 72%
US Open 1R 4R 3R 3R 2R Q1 A A 0 / 5 8–5 62%
Win–loss 0–1 8–4 13–4 15–4 8–4 0–3 0–0 0–0 0 / 20 44–20 69%
Olympic Games
Summer Olympics A NH 1R NH NH 0 / 1 0–1 0%
Premier M & Premier 5 + former
Dubai / Qatar Open NMS A A A A 0 / 0 0–0  – 
Indian Wells Open A 3R A QF 2R 3R A A 0 / 4 7–4 64%
Miami Open 1R 3R A QF 2R 3R A 2R 0 / 6 8–6 57%
Berlin / Madrid Open A A A A 1R A A A 0 / 1 0–1 0%
Italian Open A A 2R A 1R Q2 A A 0 / 2 1–2 33%
Canadian Open A QF 3R A 1R A A A 0 / 3 4–2 67%
Pan Pacific / Wuhan Open A A QF A A A A A 0 / 1 2–1 67%
Charleston Open (former) A QF 2R 2R A NMS 0 / 3 3–3 50%
Southern California Open (former) A A SF A A NH 0 / 1 3–1 75%
Kremlin Cup (former) A A SF QF 1R NMS 0 / 3 5–3 63%
Zürich Open (former) A A 1R SF NH/NMS 0 / 2 3–2 60%
Win–loss 0–1 10–4 10–6 11–5 0–6 4–2 0–0 1–1 0 / 26 36–25 59%
Career statistics
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 ... 2015 SR W–L W%
Tournaments 7 17 18 14 19 12 1 3 Career total: 91
Titles 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 Career total: 6
Finals 2 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 Career total: 7
Hard win–loss 12–4 35–8 18–9 24–9 11–13 5–6 1–1 1–3 5 / 59 107–53 67%
Clay win–loss 2–1 8–4 13–4 6–2 0–3 2–4 0–0 0–0 1 / 18 31–18 63%
Grass win–loss 0–0 3–3 3–1 6–2 6–3 0–1 0–0 0–0 0 / 10 18–10 64%
Carpet win–loss 0–0 2–0 5–2 1–1 2–0 0–1 0–0 0–0 0 / 4 10–4 71%
Overall win–loss 14–5 48–15 39–16 37–14 19–19 7–12 1–1 1–3 6 / 91 166–85 66%
Win% 74% 76% 71% 73% 50% 37% 50% 25% Career total: 66%
Year-end ranking 77 15 10 12 41 188 495 257 $2,778,619

Doubles Matches

Tournament 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 SR W–L W%
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open A A 1R 1R 3R A A 0 / 3 2–3 40%
French Open A A 1R A A 1R A 0 / 2 0–2 0%
Wimbledon A 1R 2R 2R A 1R A 0 / 4 2–4 33%
US Open A A A A A A A 0 / 0 0–0  – 
Win–loss 0–0 0–2 1–3 1–2 2–1 0–2 0–0 0 / 9 4–9 31%
Olympic Games
Summer Olympics A NH 1R NH 0 / 1 0–1 0%
Premier M & Premier 5 + former
Indian Wells Open A Q1 A 2R A A A 0 / 1 1–1 50%
Miami Open 1R 2R A A 1R A A 0 / 3 1–3 25%
Italian Open A A A A 1R A A 0 / 1 0–1 0%
Pan Pacific Open A A 1R A A A A 0 / 1 0–1 0%
Charleston Open (former) A 1R 2R A A NMS 0 / 2 1–2 33%
Kremlin Cup (former) A A 1R A A NMS 0 / 1 0–1 0%
Win–loss 0–1 1–2 1–3 1–1 0–2 0–0 0–0 0 / 9 3–9 25%
Career statistics
Tournaments 3 5 7 3 6 3 1 Career total: 28
Overall win–loss 0–3 3–6 3–7 2–3 3–6 1–3 0–1 0 / 28 12–29 29%
Year-end ranking 747 192 187 218 245 481 n/a

WTA Career Finals

Singles: 7 (6 titles, 1 runner-up)

Legend
Grand Slam
Premier M & Premier 5
Premier
International (6–1)
Result W–L Date Tournament Tier Surface Opponent Score
Win 1–0 Aug 2004 Vancouver Open, Canada Tier V Hard United States Laura Granville 2–6, 6–4, 6–2
Win 2–0 Oct 2004 Tashkent Open, Uzbekistan Tier IV Hard France Virginie Razzano 5–7, 6–3, 6–2
Loss 2–1 May 2005 İstanbul Cup, Turkey Tier III Clay United States Venus Williams 3–6, 2–6
Win 3–1 Oct 2005 Korea Open, South Korea Tier IV Hard Serbia and Montenegro Jelena Janković 7–5, 6–3
Win 4–1 Oct 2005 Japan Open Tier III Hard France Tatiana Golovin 7–6(7–4), 3–2, ret.
Win 5–1 Oct 2005 Bangkok Open, Thailand Tier III Hard Russia Nadia Petrova 6–1, 6–7(5–7), 7–5
Win 6–1 May 2006 Internationaux de Strasbourg, France Tier III Clay China Peng Shuai 7–6(9–7), 6–3

ITF Finals

Singles: 3 (2 titles, 1 runner-up)

Legend
$100,000 tournaments
$75,000 tournaments
$50,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
$10,000 tournaments
Finals by surface
Hard (1–1)
Clay (0–0)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (1–0)
Result W–L Date Tournament Tier Surface Opponent Score
Win 1–0 Oct 2003 ITF Plzeň, Czech Republic 10,000 Carpet (i) Czech Republic Andrea Hlaváčková 7–6(7–5), 6–4
Loss 1–1 Feb 2004 Midland Tennis Classic, United States 75,000 Hard (i) United States Jill Craybas 2–6, 4–6
Win 2–1 Feb 2004 ITF Columbus, United States 25,000 Hard (i) China Peng Shuai 7–6(7–5), 7–5

Career Earnings

Nicole Vaidišová earned over $2 million during her tennis career.

Year Grand Slam
singles titles		 WTA
singles titles		 Total
singles titles		 Earnings ($) Money list rank
2003 0 0 0 1,568 879
2004 0 2 2 87,753 130
2005 0 3 3 391,316 32
2006 0 1 1 737,913 15
2007 0 0 0 875,623 13
2008 0 0 0 509,762 33
2009 0 0 0 n/a 100+
2010 0 0 0 n/a 100+
Career 0 6 6 2,778,619 215

Matches Against Top Players

This section shows Nicole's record against players who were ranked in the top 10.

Player Record Win% Hard Clay Grass Carpet Last match
Number 1 ranked players
Russia Dinara Safina 2–0 100% 2–0 – – – Won (6–3, 7–6(9–7)) at 2007 Linz
Germany Angelique Kerber 1–0 100% – 1–0 – – Won (3–6, 6–4, 6–4) at 2009 Marbella
Belarus Victoria Azarenka 2–1 67% 1–1 – 1–0 – Won (6–4, 6–2) at 2007 Wimbledon
Serbia Jelena Janković 6–3 67% 5–2 1–1 – – Won (6–4, 4–6, 6–4) at 2008 Sydney
France Amélie Mauresmo 3–2 60% 0–2 1–0 1–0 1–0 Won (7–6(8–6), 4–6, 6–1) at 2007 Wimbledon
United States Venus Williams 1–1 50% – 1–1 – – Won (6–7(5–7), 6–1, 6–3) at 2006 French Open
Serbia Ana Ivanovic 1–4 20% 1–3 – 0–1 – Lost (1–6, 6–7(4–7)) at 2015 Monterrey
United States Lindsay Davenport 0–1 0% 0–1 – – – Lost (2–6, 4–6) at 2005 Australian Open
Romania Simona Halep 0–1 0% 0–1 – – – Lost (4–6, 6–2, 1–6) at 2015 Miami
Switzerland Martina Hingis 0–1 0% – 0–1 – – Lost (5–7, 3–6) at 2006 Rome
Belgium Kim Clijsters 0–2 0% 0–2 – – – Lost (2–6, 6–7(0–7)) at 2006 San Diego
Belgium Justine Henin 0–4 0% 0–3 – 0–1 – Lost (6–3, 3–6, 5–7) at 2007 Zurich
United States Serena Williams 0–4 0% 0–4 – – – Lost (3–6, 4–6) at 2008 Australian Open
Number 2 ranked players
Spain Conchita Martínez 1–0 100% 1–0 – – – Won (6–3, 6–0) at 2005 Bangkok
Russia Anastasia Myskina 1–0 100% – 1–0 – – Won (6–3, 5–7, 6–4) at 2005 Charleston
Russia Vera Zvonareva 0–1 0% – – 0–1 – Lost (3–6, 2–6) at 2005 Eastbourne
China Li Na 0–3 0% 0–2 – 0–1 – Lost (3–6, 3–6) at 2008 Gold Coast
Russia Svetlana Kuznetsova 0–5 0% 0–3 0–1 0–1 – Lost (1–6, 4–6) at 2009 Miami
Number 3 ranked players
Russia Elena Dementieva 1–1 50% 1–0 – – 0–1 Won (6–3, 6–3) at 2007 Australian Open
Russia Nadia Petrova 1–3 25% 1–2 – 0–1 – Lost (1–6, 2–6) at 2006 Linz
France Mary Pierce 0–1 0% 0–1 – – – Lost (4–6, 4–6) at 2005 Indian Wells
Number 4 ranked players
Australia Samantha Stosur 6–0 100% 2–0 1–0 2–0 1–0 Won (6–2, 0–6, 4–6) at 2008 Wimbledon
Italy Francesca Schiavone 1–3 25% 0–1 0–2 – 1–0 Lost (2–6, 3–6) at 2009 Barcelona
United Kingdom Johanna Konta 0–1 0% 0–1 – – – Lost (6–1, 1–6, 4–6) at 2014 Albuqueruque
Number 5 ranked players
Russia Anna Chakvetadze 3–0 100% 2–0 – 1–0 – Won (4–6, 7–6(7–0), 6–3) at 2008 Wimbledon
Slovakia Daniela Hantuchová 4–1 80% 4–1 – – – Won (6–4, 6–2) at 2008 Sydney
Czech Republic Lucie Šafářová 3–2 60% 2–0 1–1 – 0–1 Lost (4–6, 2–6) at 2007 Paris
Number 6 ranked players
United States Chanda Rubin 1–0 100% 1–0 – – – Won (6–4, 6–3) at 2006 US Open
Italy Flavia Pennetta 3–1 75% 3–0 0–1 – – Won (4–6, 6–3, 7–6(7–4)) at 2007 Linz
Number 7 ranked players
France Marion Bartoli 2–0 100% 2–0 – – – Won (4–6, 6–3, 6–2) at 2007 Indian Wells
Italy Roberta Vinci 1–1 50% – 0–1 – 1–0 Lost (3–6, 3–6) at 2009 Marbella
Switzerland Patty Schnyder 0–1 0% – 0–1 – – Lost (3–6, 2–6) at 2005 Charleston
Number 8 ranked players
Australia Alicia Molik 1–0 100% 1–0 – – – Won (6–2, 6–3) at 2008 Australian Open
Russia Ekaterina Makarova 1–1 50% – 0–1 1–0 – Won (6–7(5–7), 6–2, 6–4) at 2008 Birmingham
Japan Ai Sugiyama 1–2 33% 1–2 – – – Lost (3–6, 6–3, 2–6) at 2008 Montréal
Number 9 ranked players
Switzerland Timea Bacsinszky 1–0 100% – 1–0 – – Won (6–3, 6–2) at 2006 Strasbourg
Number 10 ranked players
Russia Maria Kirilenko 1–0 100% 1–0 – – – Won (6–4, 6–2) at 2005 Tokyo
Total 49–51 49% 31–32
(49%)		 8–11
(42%)		 6–6
(50%)		 4–2
(67%)		 last updated 9 April 2022

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Nicole Vaidišová para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Nicole Vaidišová Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.