Radek Štěpánek facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Radek Štěpánek

Štěpánek in 2009
Country (sports)	Czech Republic
Residence	Monte Carlo, Monaco
Born	(1978-11-27) 27 November 1978 (age 46) Karviná, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic)
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Turned pro	1996
Retired	2017
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money	US$11,343,464
Singles
Career record	384–302 (55.98%) (ATP and Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles	5
Highest ranking	No. 8 (10 July 2006)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	3R (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013)
French Open	4R (2008)
Wimbledon	QF (2006)
US Open	4R (2009)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	RR (2008)
Olympic Games	1R (2008, 2012)
Doubles
Career record	313–197 (61.37%) (ATP and Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles	18
Highest ranking	No. 4 (12 November 2012)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	W (2012)
French Open	SF (2007)
Wimbledon	SF (2013, 2014)
US Open	W (2013)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals	SF (2012)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	1R (2017)
Wimbledon	3R (2016)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	W (2012, 2013)
Coaching career (2018–)
Novak Djokovic (2018) Grigor Dimitrov (2019) Sebastian Korda (2022–)
Medal record Representing  Czech Republic Olympic Games Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro Mixed doubles

Radek Štěpánek (born 27 November 1978) is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. He was known for his exciting playing style. Radek reached world No. 8 in singles and world No. 4 in doubles.

One of his biggest achievements was winning two Grand Slam doubles titles. He won the Australian Open in 2012 and the US Open in 2013. Both times, his partner was Leander Paes from India. Radek also helped the Czech Republic win the Davis Cup in both 2012 and 2013.

After he stopped playing, Radek became a tennis coach. He coached famous players like Novak Djokovic and Grigor Dimitrov.

Early Life and Tennis Beginnings

Radek Štěpánek was born in Karviná, which is now part of the Czech Republic. He started playing tennis when he was just three years old. His father, Vlastimil, was a tennis coach and taught him the game.

Radek's family includes his brother, who is a policeman, and his mother, who is a librarian. His cousin, Jaromír Blažek, played professional football as a goalkeeper for the Czech Republic. Growing up, Radek admired Czech tennis legend Ivan Lendl. He learned a lot from Lendl's professional approach to the sport.

Radek's Tennis Career Highlights

Radek Štěpánek became a professional tennis player in 1996. At first, he was especially good at doubles. He won 12 ATP titles in doubles early in his career. From 2002, he started focusing more on his singles game, but he still played doubles at a high level.

He first gained attention in 2003. He beat former world No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten at the 2003 Australian Open.

2006: First Big Wins

The year 2006 was one of Radek's best. He almost reached the top 10 in singles. He made it to the final of a big tournament in Hamburg, Germany. He lost to Tommy Robredo there. After this, he reached his highest singles ranking of No. 11.

Earlier in 2006, Radek won his first singles title in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He beat Christophe Rochus in the final. Later that year, he reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon. This was his best result at a Grand Slam event so far. After Wimbledon, he reached his career-high ranking of world No. 8. However, he had to stop playing for the rest of the year due to a neck injury.

2007: Another Singles Title

In 2007, Radek won his second singles title. He beat James Blake in Los Angeles. At the US Open, he played a very long match against Novak Djokovic. He lost the match after nearly five hours of play.

2008: Playing with Borrowed Gear

In 2008, Radek reached the final in San Jose, losing to Andy Roddick. He also made it to the semifinals in Rome. He had to stop playing that match because of heat exhaustion. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, he lost in the first round.

At the end of 2008, he was an alternate player for the Masters Cup in Shanghai. His own tennis gear got stuck in customs. So, he had to borrow a racket from Novak Djokovic and socks from Andy Murray!

2009: Two More Titles and Davis Cup Heroics

Radek started 2009 by winning his third singles title at the Brisbane International. He beat Fernando Verdasco in the final. He then won his fourth singles title in San Jose, beating Mardy Fish. He also won the doubles title at the same event with Tommy Haas.

In the Davis Cup, Radek was a key player for the Czech Republic. He won important matches, including a very long one against Ivo Karlović. This match lasted almost six hours! The Czech team made it to the final but lost to Spain.

2011: Fifth Singles Title

In 2011, Radek won his fifth singles title. He beat Gaël Monfils in the final of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington.

2012: Grand Slam Doubles Champion and Davis Cup Win

January 2012 was a huge month for Radek. He won his first Grand Slam title in men's doubles at the Australian Open. He and his partner, Leander Paes, beat the famous Bryan Brothers in the final.

Later that year, Radek and Paes reached the US Open doubles final again. They lost to the Bryan Brothers this time.

Radek also played a big part in the Czech Republic's Davis Cup victory. He won the final match against Nicolás Almagro. This made him only the second player over 30 years old to win a deciding Davis Cup final match.

2013: Another Grand Slam Doubles Title and Davis Cup Defense

Radek had neck surgery in January 2013. But he recovered well and had another amazing year in doubles. He and Leander Paes won their second Grand Slam doubles title at the US Open. They beat the top-ranked Bryan Brothers in the semifinals. Then they won the final against Bruno Soares and Alexander Peya.

The Czech Republic also defended their Davis Cup title in 2013. Radek won his singles match and the doubles match with Tomáš Berdych in the semifinals. In the final against Serbia, he won both the doubles and the deciding singles match. This made him the first player in Davis Cup history to win two deciding final matches in a row.

2014: Return to Top 40

In 2014, Radek had a good run at the AEGON Championships on grass. He beat the 2013 champion, Andy Murray. He also reached the semifinals in Bogota, Colombia. His singles ranking went up to No. 35. In doubles, he reached the semifinals at Wimbledon with Leander Paes.

2016: Olympic Bronze Medal

In January 2016, Radek and his doubles partner, Daniel Nestor, reached the final of the 2016 Australian Open. They lost a close match to Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Radek won a bronze medal in mixed doubles. He teamed up with Lucie Hradecká. They beat an Indian team to win the medal.

2017: Retirement from Tennis

After having back surgery in 2017, Radek Štěpánek decided to retire from professional tennis in November of that year.

Playing Style

Štěpánek having fun at Wimbledon in the Invitational Doubles tournament in 2023.

Radek Štěpánek was known for his unique playing style. He was one of the few players who used the "serve and volley" tactic often. This means he would serve the ball and then quickly run to the net to hit the next shot. He was very good at hitting volleys (shots hit before the ball bounces).

Radek had a strong and accurate first serve. His second serve had a lot of spin, which gave him time to get to the net. At the net, he was excellent at reaching tough shots and guessing where his opponent would hit the ball. This helped him win points quickly.

Even though he was a serve and volley player, Radek also played well from the back of the court. His groundstrokes (shots hit after the ball bounces) were not super powerful, but they were consistent and accurate. If a rally lasted too long, he would often hit a deep shot or a drop-shot and then rush to the net to finish the point. He also used a slice shot more often than his two-handed backhand.

Radek was also known for making his matches fun to watch. He would often try unusual shots and even trick shots, which entertained the crowd.

Personal Life

Radek Štěpánek was engaged to Swiss tennis star Martina Hingis for a while. They broke up in 2007. He then married Czech tennis player Nicole Vaidišová in 2010. They separated in 2013. For some months, he dated Czech Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitová. They broke up in 2014. In 2018, Radek and Nicole Vaidišová got married again, and they now have a daughter named Stella.

Radek was coached by former Australian Open champion Petr Korda. He wore ALEA clothing and Nike shoes. He used Bosworth racquets and later Head racquets.

His cousin is Czech football goalkeeper Jaromír Blažek. His brother-in-law is American tennis player Toby Kodat.

Significant Finals

Grand Slam Doubles Finals: 5 (2 Wins, 3 Losses)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	2002	US Open	Hard	Jiří Novák	Max Mirnyi Mahesh Bhupathi	3–6, 6–3, 4–6
Win	2012	Australian Open	Hard	Leander Paes	Bob Bryan Mike Bryan	7–6(7–1), 6–2
Loss	2012	US Open	Hard	Leander Paes	Bob Bryan Mike Bryan	3–6, 4–6
Win	2013	US Open	Hard	Leander Paes	Alexander Peya Bruno Soares	6–1, 6–3
Loss	2016	Australian Open	Hard	Daniel Nestor	Jamie Murray Bruno Soares	6–2, 4–6, 5–7

Masters 1000 Singles Finals: 2 (0 Wins, 2 Losses)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2004	Paris, France	Carpet (i)	Marat Safin	3–6, 6–7(5–7), 3–6
Loss	2006	Hamburg, Germany	Clay	Tommy Robredo	1–6, 3–6, 3–6

Masters 1000 Doubles Finals: 2 (2 Wins, 0 Losses)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	2012	Miami, U.S.	Hard	Leander Paes	Max Mirnyi Daniel Nestor	6–3, 1–6, [10–8]
Win	2012	Shanghai, China	Hard	Leander Paes	Mahesh Bhupathi Rohan Bopanna	6–7(7–9), 6–3, [10–5]

Olympic Mixed Doubles: (1 Bronze Medal)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Bronze	2016	Rio de Janeiro	Hard	Lucie Hradecká	Sania Mirza Rohan Bopanna	6–1, 7–5

Images for kids

• 

  Štěpánek in 2009

• 

  Štěpánek having fun at Wimbledon in the Invitational Doubles tournament in 2023.

See also

In Spanish: Radek Štěpánek para niños