Nikolay Davydenko facts for kids
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| Country (sports) |  Russia |
|---|---|
| Residence | Volgograd, Russia |
| Born | June 2, 1981 Sievierodonetsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Turned pro | 1999 |
| Retired | 2014 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Coach | Eduard Davydenko |
| Prize money | US$16,186,480
|
| Singles | |
| Career record | 482–329 (59.43%) (59.3%) |
| Career titles | 21 |
| Highest ranking | No. 3 (6 November 2006) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010) |
| French Open | SF (2005, 2007) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (2007) |
| US Open | SF (2006, 2007) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | W (2009) |
| Olympic Games | 2R (2008, 2012) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 61–67 (47.7%) |
| Career titles | 2 |
| Highest ranking | No. 31 (13 June 2005) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | 2R (2005) |
| French Open | 3R (2005) |
| Wimbledon | QF (2004) |
| US Open | 2R (2004, 2005) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (2006) |
Nikolay Davydenko (born June 2, 1981) is a Russian former professional tennis player. He was known for his fast and aggressive style of play. Nikolay reached a career-high ranking of World No. 3 in November 2006.
He made it to the semi-finals of Grand Slam tournaments four times. These included two times at the French Open and two times at the U.S. Open. His biggest win was at the 2009 ATP World Tour Finals. He also won three major ATP Masters Series titles. Nikolay Davydenko retired from professional tennis in October 2014.
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About Nikolay Davydenko
Nikolay Davydenko was born on June 2, 1981. His hometown was Sievierodonetsk, which was part of the Soviet Union back then. He started playing tennis at age seven with his older brother, Eduard. Eduard was a tennis coach and helped Nikolay a lot.
When Nikolay was 11, he moved to Volgograd, Russia. His brother Eduard believed Nikolay needed better training. Later, in 1996, they moved to Salmtal, Germany, for the same reason. They wanted Nikolay to play in more tournaments and improve his skills.
I had been living in Russia for four years, constantly training under the guidance of Eduard who wasn't giving me any respite. Then we left for Germany. An old acquaintance of ours was living there and he has convinced my brother it would be better for me. In [old] Europe, I could play more tournaments and make more money than in Russia.
After three years in Germany, they tried to get German citizenship. But the German Tennis Federation did not support their request. So, they returned to Russia. In 1999, at 18, Nikolay became a Russian citizen. He later tried to get Austrian citizenship to make travel easier, but it didn't work out.
Nikolay is married to Irina, a former model. They got married in 2006. They have three children: a daughter named Ekaterina (born 2012) and two sons, Konstantin (born 2015) and Dmitry (born 2017). His nephew, Philipp Davydenko, also played professional tennis. Nikolay speaks Russian, German, and English.
Nikolay's Tennis Journey
Starting Out in Tennis
Nikolay began playing tennis at age seven with his brother Eduard. To get better, he moved to Germany with Eduard. This allowed him to play in more tournaments.
He became a professional tennis player in 1999. In 2000, he won his first title on the Futures Tour. He also reached the semi-finals in his first ATP tournament in Amsterdam. Later that year, he won his first Challenger title in Mönchengladbach.
Early Professional Years (2001–2003)
Nikolay played in his first Grand Slam tournament, the Australian Open, in 2001. He reached the second round, showing his talent. He won two more Challenger titles after recovering from a back injury.
In 2002, he continued to play in both ATP and Challenger events. He reached the quarter-finals in a few tournaments. He also won his fourth Challenger title in Szczecin.
In 2003, Nikolay made big progress on the ATP Tour. He won his first ATP title in Adelaide. A few months later, he won his second title in Estoril. He also played well on clay courts, reaching a final and a quarter-final. This strong year helped him finish in the top 50 players for the first time.
Breaking Through (2004)
Nikolay kept improving in 2004, winning two more titles. He started strong with a quarter-final at the Monte Carlo Masters. A week later, he won his third title in Munich. He also reached the semi-finals in Stuttgart. In October, he won his first title in his home country, Moscow. He won both the singles and doubles titles there. He finished the year in the top 30 for the first time.
Peak Years in Tennis (2005–2009)
2005: Reaching the Top 10
In 2005, Nikolay reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian Open. He won his fifth career title in St. Pölten during the clay season. He then reached the semi-finals of the Hamburg Masters. He also made it to his first Grand Slam semi-final at the French Open. He beat a strong player, Guillermo Coria, in the fourth round. This showed how much he had improved.
Nikolay lost in the French Open semi-finals in a close match. After this, he entered the top 10 players in the world. He finished the year as the No. 1 Russian player and World No. 5. He also reached the semi-finals of the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai.
2006: Winning the Davis Cup
Nikolay stayed in the top 5 throughout 2006. He reached the Australian Open quarter-finals again, losing to Roger Federer. He had another good clay-court season. He won titles in Pöertschach and Sopot. He also won his first title in America, in New Haven. He reached his second Grand Slam semi-final at the U.S. Open, again losing to Roger Federer.
He finished the season with a win in Moscow. He also won his first major ATP Masters Series title in Paris. After getting married, Nikolay helped Russia win the Davis Cup against Argentina. He reached his highest ranking of World No. 3 and finished the year there.
2007: Consistent Top Player
Nikolay started 2007 with another quarter-final at the Australian Open. He found his form during the clay season at the Rome Masters, reaching the semi-finals. He then reached the French Open semi-finals for the second time, losing to Roger Federer. At Wimbledon, he surprised many by reaching the fourth round.
He played well in the US hard-court season. He reached the semi-finals of the U.S. Open for the second year in a row. He won his eleventh career title in Moscow. In November, he played in the Masters Cup in Shanghai. He finished the year ranked No. 4, staying in the top 5 for the third year.
2008: Miami Masters Champion
Nikolay started 2008 at the Australian Open, reaching the fourth round. In Dubai, he reached the semi-finals. He then won his biggest title yet at the Miami Masters. On his way to the win, he beat Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal. This was his second ATP Masters Series title.
He reached the final at the Estoril Open but had to stop playing due to a leg injury. He won his thirteenth career title in Pöertschach. He also won another title in Warsaw. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, he lost in the second round. He reached the semi-finals at the 2008 Paris Masters. Nikolay qualified for the Tennis Masters Cup for the fourth year. He reached the final, losing to Novak Djokovic. He finished the year ranked No. 5, staying in the top 5 for the fourth year.
2009: ATP World Tour Finals Champion
Nikolay started 2009 at an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi. He then played in Chennai, India, but had to stop due to a heel injury. This injury also made him miss the Australian Open. His ranking dropped because of the injury.
He returned to play after two months. He reached the quarter-finals in Monte Carlo and the semi-finals in Barcelona. His ranking slipped out of the top 10 for the first time in years. He reached the quarter-finals of the French Open.
He won two titles in a row after Wimbledon: the 2009 International German Open and the 2009 ATP Studena Croatia Open Umag. He then won his third title of the year at the 2009 Proton Malaysian Open. At the Shanghai Masters, he beat three top players, including Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, to win the title.
At the 2009 ATP World Tour Finals in London, Nikolay played very well. He beat Rafael Nadal and Robin Söderling in the group stage. In the semi-finals, he got his first win against Roger Federer in 13 tries. He then won the final by defeating Juan Martín del Potro. This made him the first Russian player to win this important event. He finished the year ranked No. 6, staying in the top 10 for the fifth year.
Later Career and Retirement (2010–2014)
2010: Wrist Injury Impact
Nikolay started 2010 by winning the 2010 Qatar ExxonMobil Open. He beat Roger Federer in the semi-final and Rafael Nadal in the final. This was his twentieth ATP title. At the Australian Open, he reached the quarter-finals, losing to Federer.
In Rotterdam, he injured his wrist during a match. This injury was a fracture and forced him to miss several tournaments, including the French Open. He returned to play later in the year but struggled to win matches consistently. He fell out of the top 10 for the first time in over a year.
2011–2014: Career Decline and Retirement
In 2011, Nikolay's form started to decline. He reached the final of the 2011 Qatar Open, but lost to Roger Federer. He won his 21st ATP title at the 2011 BMW Open. This meant he had won at least one ATP title for nine years in a row. However, this was his only final of the year.
In 2012, he had his worst performance at Grand Slam tournaments. He lost in the early rounds of the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon. He did reach the semi-finals in a few smaller tournaments. He also played for Russia at the 2012 London Olympic Games. He finished 2012 ranked No. 44.
In 2013, Nikolay started well by reaching the final of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open. He beat David Ferrer, who was ranked No. 5 at the time. He lost the final to Richard Gasquet. He reached the third round of the French Open. He ended the year ranked No. 53.
In 2014, Nikolay continued to struggle to win matches. He lost in the early rounds of many tournaments. After losing in the first round of the French Open, he decided to skip the grass court season. On October 16, 2014, Nikolay Davydenko officially announced his retirement from professional tennis at a press conference in Moscow.
How Nikolay Played Tennis
Nikolay Davydenko had an attacking style of play. He hit the ball very hard and deep from the back of the court. His shots were strong on both his forehand and backhand. He was very fast on the court, which helped him hit the ball early. This often surprised his opponents.
His best shot was his backhand. He could hit it straight down the line or across the court with sharp angles. He was known for hitting winners while running. His serve was consistent, but it wasn't as powerful as some other players. Nikolay's style made him good on all court types. He was most successful on hard courts and clay courts.
Sometimes, Nikolay struggled to finish matches when he had a lead. This happened in important matches against players like James Blake, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer. For example, at the 2006 Australian Open, he had chances to win a set but lost it and the match.
Tennis Equipment
In the middle of 2010, Nikolay started using Dunlop Sport racquets. He used the Dunlop Biomimetic 200 Plus. But in early 2012, he switched back to using the Prince Ozone Pro Tour racquet.
At the 2014 BNP Paribas Open, he was seen playing with a Babolat AeroPro Drive GT racquet. Nikolay wore Asics shoes and clothing towards the end of his career. Before that, he used the brand Airness.
Career Highlights
Grand Slam Tournament Results
Nikolay Davydenko played in many Grand Slam tournaments throughout his career. Here's a summary of how he performed:
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | SR | W–L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | A | 2R | 1R | 1R | 2R | QF | QF | QF | 4R | A | QF | 1R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 0 / 13 | 23–13 | 63.89 |
| French Open | A | 2R | 2R | 2R | 1R | SF | QF | SF | 3R | QF | A | 2R | 1R | 3R | 1R | 0 / 13 | 26–13 | 68.42 |
| Wimbledon | A | A | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 4R | 1R | 3R | 2R | 1R | 1R | A | A | 0 / 11 | 7–11 | 41.18 |
| US Open | A | 1R | 2R | 2R | 3R | 2R | SF | SF | 4R | 4R | 2R | 3R | 2R | 2R | A | 0 / 13 | 26–13 | 66.67 |
| Win–loss | 0–0 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 3–4 | 11–4 | 13–4 | 17–4 | 8–4 | 9–3 | 6–3 | 3–4 | 1–4 | 4–3 | 1–2 | 0 / 50 | 82–50 | 63.28 |
Year-End Championship Finals
Nikolay Davydenko reached the final of the year-end championship twice, winning one title.
| Result | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 2008 | Shanghai | Hard (i) |  Novak Djokovic |
1–6, 5–7 |
| Win | 2009 | London | Hard (i) |  Juan Martín del Potro |
6–3, 6–4 |
See also
In Spanish: Nikolái Davydenko para niños
- Match fixing in tennis
