Agnieszka Radwańska
_(19119188900).jpg) Radwańska at the 2015 French Open | |
| Country (sports) |
 Poland |
|---|---|
| Residence | Kraków, Poland |
| Born |
6 March 1989 Kraków, Poland |
| Height | 1.73 metres (5 ft 8 in)[1] |
| Turned pro | 23 April 2005 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Coach(es) |
Robert Radwański (2005–2011) Tomasz Wiktorowski (2011–) Martina Navratilova (2014–2015) |
| Prize money | |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 521–223 (70.03%) |
| Career titles | 18 WTA, 2 ITF |
| Highest ranking | No. 2 (9 July 2012) |
| Current ranking | No. 2 (2 May 2016) |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (2014, 2016) |
| French Open | QF (2013) |
| Wimbledon | F (2012) |
| US Open | 4R (2007, 2008, 2012, 2013) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | W (2015) |
| Olympic Games | 2R (2008) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 113–87 (56.5%) |
| Career titles | 2 WTA, 2 ITF |
| Highest ranking | No. 16 (10 October 2011) |
| Current ranking | - |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (2010) |
| French Open | QF (2009, 2010) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (2007, 2011, 2012) |
| US Open | SF (2011) |
| Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | 1R (2007) |
| Team competitions | |
| Fed Cup | 42–11 |
| Hopman Cup | W (2015) |
| Last updated on: 11 April 2016. | |
Agnieszka "Aga" Radwańska[3] [aɡˈɲɛʂka raˈdvaɲska] (born 6 March 1989) is a Polish professional tennis player. Radwańska achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 2 in July 2012 and is currently ranked world No. 2 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). Known for constructing points and making intelligent use of the court,[4] she has won eighteen career singles titles, and is nicknamed "The Professor" among fellow players.[5][6]
Radwańska holds a number of tennis accolades. She is the first Polish player in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam singles final (the 2012 Wimbledon Championships), the first Pole to win the WTA Finals (in 2015), the first Pole to claim a WTA singles title (the 2007 Nordea Nordic Light Open), and was one half of the first Polish team to win the Hopman Cup tournament. In addition, she won the WTA Award for Most Impressive Newcomer in 2006.
Radwańska has been voted the WTA's Fan Favorite Singles Player for five consecutive years (2011–2015), the most of any player, in polls held by WTATennis.com.[7] For her accomplishments in sport and for representing her country with distinction, in 2013 she was awarded the Gold Cross of Merit by Polish President Bronisław Komorowski.
Personal life
Born in Kraków to Robert Radwański and Marta,[8] Radwańska began playing tennis at the age of four after her father introduced her to the sport. Her younger sister, Urszula, is also a tennis player. Radwańska has named Pete Sampras and Martina Hingis as inspirations. In 2009, Radwańska became a WTA ambassador for Habitat for Humanity. She has also studied tourism at universities in Kraków.[9][10]
Radwańska is a practising Roman Catholic, and she took part in the Polish Catholic campaign "Nie wstydzę się Jezusa!" ("I'm not ashamed of Jesus!"). She released a video for the campaign in which she urged her fans to "not be ashamed of believing" and arranged her tennis balls so they would read "JEZUS" ("JESUS").[11] In the summer of 2013, she was disqualified from this campaign after posing nude for ESPN magazine's The Body Issue.[12]
According to Forbes in 2012 she was the ninth highest-earning female athlete in the world.[13]
Career
2005–2006: Junior career and early years
Radwańska won the junior singles title at Wimbledon in 2005, defeating Tamira Paszek. She went on to win the junior French Open title in 2006 with a victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.[9] She played her first WTA tournament at the 2006 J&S Cup (later known as the Warsaw Open) in Warsaw, defeating Anastasia Myskina in her opening match. She advanced to the quarterfinals, where she lost to Elena Dementieva in three sets.[14]
At the 2006 Wimbledon Championships, she lost in the fourth round to Kim Clijsters. She went on to drop a second-round match to Tatiana Golovin at the US Open. At the Fortis Championships Luxembourg tournament, Radwańska lost in the semifinals to Francesca Schiavone after defeating former world No. 1 Venus Williams in the second round and Dementieva in the quarterfinals.[14]
Junior Grand Slam finals
Singles: 2 (2 titles)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2005 | Wimbledon | Grass |  Tamira Paszek | 6–3, 6–4 |
| Winner | 2006 | French Open | Clay |  Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova | 6–4, 6–1 |
Doubles: 1 (1 runner-up)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 2006 | French Open | Clay |  Caroline Wozniacki |
 Sharon Fichman Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova |
7–6(7–4), 2–6, 1–6 |
2007–2008: First WTA title and breakthrough
Radwańska participated at the 2007 Australian Open, but she was upset by Ana Ivanovic in the second round. At the 2007 Sony Ericsson Open, Radwańska defeated her longtime idol,[10] Martina Hingis, in a three-set third-round match. She exited in the fourth round following a loss to Tathiana Garbin.[15]
In August 2007, Agnieszka Radwańska became the first Polish player in history to claim a WTA tour singles title, defeating Vera Dushevina in the final of the Nordea Nordic Light Open.[9] She went on to defeat defending champion Maria Sharapova in the third round of the US Open, before losing to Israeli Shahar Pe'er in the fourth round.[15]
Radwańska reached the quarterfinals of the 2008 Australian Open, upsetting world No. 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova in the third round,[16] then following it up with a defeat of 14th seeded Nadia Petrova before eventually falling to Daniela Hantuchová.[17] At the Pattaya Women's Open in Thailand, Radwańska won her second WTA singles title, beating Jill Craybas in the final. At the Qatar Ladies Open, Radwańska reached the semi-finals, losing to eventual champion Maria Sharapova.[18] In May 2008, she won the İstanbul Cup on red clay with a victory over Elena Dementieva, earning her third WTA title. She then reached the fourth round of the French Open, but was defeated there by third-seed and eventual semi-finalist Jelena Janković.[19]
On grass, Radwańska won the International Women's Open in Eastbourne, defeating Nadia Petrova in the final. At Wimbledon, she defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round, then lost to Serena Williams in the quarterfinals. At the Olympics in Beijing, Radwańska lost a second-round match to Francesca Schiavone. She went on to reach the fourth round of the US Open, losing to Venus Williams. She later went to the 2008 WTA Tour Championships as an alternate and replaced Ana Ivanovic after the latter withdrew. She defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova in straight sets. Radwańska ended the year as the first Polish woman to surpass US $1 million in career prize money, as well as the first to be ranked world No. 10.[9][17]
2009–2010: Top 10 WTA ranking
Radwańska reached the quarterfinals of the 2009 Medibank International Sydney, losing in three sets to eventual champion Elena Dementieva. She was defeated in the first round of the Australian Open by Kateryna Bondarenko.[20]
At the 2009 BNP Paribas Open, she defeated Samantha Stosur and Aleksandra Wozniak en route to the quarterfinals, where she lost to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. At the Sony Ericsson Open, she lost a three-set fourth-round match to Venus Williams. She reached the fourth round of the 2009 French Open, falling in three sets to eventual champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. She and Urszula also reached the quarterfinals in doubles. She went on to reach her second consecutive quarterfinal at Wimbledon, falling to Venus Williams.
She reached her first semifinal of the 2009 season in Tokyo, where she fell in three sets to eventual champion Maria Sharapova. She reached her first final of the year in China, losing in straight sets to Svetlana Kuznetsova.[20]
Radwańska and her doubles partner Maria Kirilenko reached the semifinals of the 2010 Australian Open, losing to the world No. 1 pairing of Cara Black and Liezel Huber in three sets.[21] In Indian Wells, Radwańska won her fifth straight match against Marion Bartoli, and went on to upset Elena Dementieva in the quarterfinals before losing to Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals. Radwańska entered the 2010 Sony Ericsson Open, where she was defeated in the quarterfinals by Venus Williams. At the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, she was defeated in the fourth round by Li Na, whom she had beaten at the same stage the previous year.[21]
Radwańska reached the final of the 2010 Mercury Insurance Open, falling to Svetlana Kuznetsova. Due to a stress fracture in her foot, Radwańska's 2010 season ended at the China Open, where she lost a three-set match to Angelique Kerber.[22] Radwańska subsequently finished 2010 outside the Top 10.
2011: Back-to-back titles in Tokyo and Beijing
Radwańska reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, losing to eventual champion Kim Clijsters.[23] She went on to reach the fourth round in Indian Wells, where she lost to Victoria Azarenka, and the quarterfinals in Miami, losing to Vera Zvonareva. However, she won the Miami doubles title with Daniela Hantuchová, defeating Nadia Petrova and Liezel Huber. She went on to reach the fourth round of the 2011 French Open, losing to Maria Sharapova.
Radwańska suffered her earliest ever exit at Wimbledon, when she was defeated in the second round by Czech qualifier Petra Cetkovská. At the 2011 Mercury Insurance Open, Radwańska advanced to the final and defeated rival Vera Zvonareva in straight sets. With the victory, she earned her first title since winning in Eastbourne in 2008. At the 2011 Rogers Cup in Toronto, she once again defeated Zvonareva in the third round, coming back from a 0–4 deficit in the second set. She went on to lose a three-set semifinal match against Samantha Stosur.[23]
After defeating her sister Urszula in the first round of the US Open, she was upset in the second round by eventual semifinalist Angelique Kerber.[23] She avenged this loss at the Toray Pan Pacific Open, defeating Kerber in three sets before advancing to the final, where she won her third straight match against Vera Zvonareva, earning her first Premier 5 title.
At the 2011 China Open, she defeated Zheng Jie, Sofia Arvidsson, Ana Ivanovic (who retired from their quarter-final match due to a back injury), and Flavia Pennetta in straight sets, before winning a three-set final against Andrea Petkovic. She qualified for her first season-ending championship at the WTA Championships in Istanbul, taking the 8th spot when Marion Bartoli was unable to win the title in Moscow.
Going into the 2011 WTA Tour Championships, Radwańska was labeled by the media as one of the hottest players on tour.[24][25] She dropped a three-set opening match to Caroline Wozniacki. She then won her fourth straight match against Vera Zvonareva, coming back from a 3–5 deficit in the third set and saving three match points. To advance to the semifinals, she needed to win at least one set against Petra Kvitová, but eventually lost in straight sets. She ended the year ranked 8th with a 46–18 record, and was named WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player.[23]
2012: World No. 2 and first Major final
During the first four months of 2012, Radwańska won two singles titles and amassed a record of 28–5, defeating all opponents but then-world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka.[26]
Following losses to Azarenka in the Apia International, the Australian Open, and the Qatar Total Open, she won her first title of the season at the Dubai Tennis Championships, defeating Julia Görges in straight sets. After advancing to the quarterfinals in Indian Wells, she reached a new ranking of world No. 4. Her second title came at the Sony Ericsson Open, where she defeated Venus Williams in the quarterfinals and Marion Bartoli in the semifinals, advancing to a championship match against Maria Sharapova. Radwańska won the championship without losing a set throughout the tournament.[27]
Her fifth loss of the season, and fifth to Azarenka, came in the semifinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.[27] She then entered the Mutua Madrid Open, where she lost to Azarenka in the semifinals, securing the world No. 3 ranking.[28] At the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, she lost her opening-round match to Petra Cetkovská, marking her first loss of the year to someone other than Azarenka. In the final of the Brussels Open, Radwańska defeated Simona Halep in straight sets, winning her third WTA title of the year and tenth in her career. At the French Open, she defeated Venus Williams in the second round, but then fell in the third round to Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Radwańska reached her first career Grand Slam final at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships. She defeated Maria Kirilenko in the quarterfinals and Angelique Kerber in the semifinals, losing the championship match to Serena Williams in three sets. By advancing to the final, she became the first Polish player in the Open Era to reach the championship round of a Grand Slam singles tournament, and attained a new ranking of world No. 2.[27][29] Radwańska was the flag bearer for Poland in the 2012 Summer Olympics.[30] She lost in the opening round to Julia Görges.[31]
During the summer hard court season Radwańska was twice one match away from becoming the world No. 1. She would lose to Li Na on both occasions, in the quarterfinals of the 2012 Rogers Cup and the 2012 Western & Southern Open. Radwańska was defeated in the fourth round of the 2012 US Open by Roberta Vinci. She again reached the final of the Toray Pan Pacific Open, losing in three sets to Nadia Petrova. She exited the China Open following a quarterfinal loss to Li Na. Radwańska won her opening round robin match at the WTA Championships, defeating the defending champion Petra Kvitová in straight sets. She then lost a three-set match to Maria Sharapova. She advanced to the semifinals with a victory over Sara Errani, which marked the longest three-set match in the history of the tournament,[32] but exited following a loss to Serena Williams. She then defeated Williams in straight sets during an exhibition in Toronto.[27][33] At the conclusion of the season, Radwańska won WTA Awards for Fan Favorite Facebook Profile and Fan Favorite Video, and was again named Fan Favorite Singles Player.[34]
2013: WTA Shot of the Year and three WTA titles
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Radwańska began her season at the ASB Classic in Auckland, where she defeated Yanina Wickmayer in the final to win the 11th singles title of her career. She won her second straight tournament of 2013 at the Apia International, where she defeated Dominika Cibulková without losing a game.[35] Radwańska reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, exiting the tournament following a loss to Li Na. She went on to play the Qatar Total Open where she was eliminated in the semifinals by then-world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, the eventual champion. She also reached the quarterfinals in Dubai, where she lost to Petra Kvitová.[35] In the BNP Paribas Open, she lost in the fourth round to Maria Kirilenko.
She then entered the Sony Open as the defending champion. During her quarterfinal win against Kirsten Flipkens, Radwańska won a point with a spinning backhand volley, which was voted the shot of the year on the WTA's website.[36] She exited the tournament with a loss to Serena Williams in the semifinals. After early losses in her clay court season, she advanced to the quarterfinals of the French Open for the first time, where she lost to fifth seed Sara Errani. She beat Li Na in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon but lost her semifinal match to Sabine Lisicki. She was later awarded the Gold Cross of Merit by Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski.[37]
Her next tournament was the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, where she has received a bye into the second round and beat Francesca Schiavone for a place in the quarterfinals. She then beat Varvara Lepchenko, as well as Jamie Hampton, losing to Dominika Cibulková in the final. In September, Radwańska defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to win the KDB Korea Open, her third singles title of 2013. She was eliminated from the WTA Championships in the round robin stage, exiting with a loss to Angelique Kerber.[35] At the conclusion of the season, Radwańska was voted WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player for the third consecutive year.[7]
2014: Canadian Open title, out of top 5
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Radwańska began the 2014 season by representing Poland at the Hopman Cup, where she competed alongside her compatriot, Grzegorz Panfil. The pair advanced to the final where Radwańska defeated Alizé Cornet in their singles match. However, she and Panfil lost to Cornet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the deciding mixed doubles match.[38]
Following the Hopman Cup, Radwańska failed to defend her title at the Apia International in Sydney, losing to Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the second round.[39] Radwańska defeated Victoria Azarenka to reach her first Australian Open semifinal, but lost to Dominika Cibulková.[40] Radwańska also reached the semifinal of the Qatar Total Open in Doha, losing to eventual champion Simona Halep. She avenged her loss Halep in the semifinal of the BNP Paribas Open, reaching the final for the first time in her career.[41] Partly due to a knee injury, Radwańska was defeated by Flavia Pennetta.[42] She was in tears while apologizing to the crowd afterward, saying she was unable to run.[43] She then advanced to the quarterfinals in Miami, where she lost in three sets to Dominika Cibulková.[40]
In April, Radwańska played in the BNP Paribas Katowice Open, about 47 miles from her home town in Krakow.[44] Following victories over Kristýna Plíšková, Francesca Schiavone, and Yvonne Meusburger, she lost a three-set semifinal to Alizé Cornet. Radwańska, who was playing in a WTA Tour event in Poland for the first time in seven years, stated: "I'm really excited. I still have vivid memories of my first ever WTA main draw event at the Premier event in Warsaw in 2006. As a 17-year-old girl, I managed to beat 2004 French Open champion Anastasia Myskina in the first round. I couldn't imagine a better debut. So my tennis career really began in my home country and I'm thankful for this opportunity."[45]
She reached the quarterfinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart and the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Open, losing both matches to Maria Sharapova. At the Internazionali d'Italia in Rome, she lost in the quarterfinals to Jelena Janković.[40] Following early exits at the French Open and Aegon International, she advanced to the fourth round of Wimbledon, but lost to Ekaterina Makarova.
At the Rogers Cup in Montreal, Radwańska defeated Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová, Sabine Lisicki, Victoria Azarenka and Ekaterina Makarova to reach the final, where she defeated Venus Williams to win her first title of the season and the first Canadian Open of her career. Following her win at Rogers Cup she competed at the Western & Southern Open, where she defeated Kurumi Nara and Sabine Lisicki before losing in the quarterfinals to Caroline Wozniacki. In September, Radwańska played at the 2014 Kia Korea Open, where she defeated Polona Hercog and Chanelle Scheepers. She then faced Varvara Lepchenko in the quarterfinals but could not avenge her loss to Lepchenko at Stanford earlier, losing in three sets again.
At the WTA Finals, she was drawn into the White Group alongside Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitová, and Caroline Wozniacki. She defeated Petra Kvitová in her opening round robin group match but lost close matches to Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki. Despite her 1-2 record, she placed second in her group and advanced to the semifinals, losing to Simona Halep. She ended the year ranked world No. 6.
Following the season's conclusion, Radwańska again defeated one of her childhood idols, Martina Hingis, in a one-set match as part of a team event at the Champions Tennis League in India. Hingis then defeated Radwańska in their next meeting at the event.[46][47]
Throughout 2014, Radwańska won the WTA accolade for Shot of the Month on four occasions, won Shot of the Year for an overhead backhand in Montreal, and, for the fourth consecutive season, won the WTA Award for Fan Favorite Player.[7][48] She expressed gratitude toward fans and called the win an "honor."[49]
2015: WTA Finals champion, back to top 5
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At the end of the 2014 season, Radwańska hired Martina Navratilova as part of her coaching team, with the specific goal of winning a Grand Slam title.[50][51] She started 2015 by teaming with Jerzy Janowicz to win the Hopman Cup, Poland's first title in the event. The victory included Radwańska's first win over Serena Williams in a singles match.[52] Radwańska competed in Sydney, where she defeated Alizé Cornet but lost to Garbiñe Muguruza in the second round. She reached the fourth round of Australian Open, where she lost to Venus Williams for the first time since 2010, in three sets.[53]
In February, Radwańska played in Dubai and Doha, where she recorded wins over Caroline Garcia and Flavia Pennetta, but lost for the second time in a year to Muguruza and Venus Williams, respectively. She then progressed to Indian Wells where she lost in the third round to Heather Watson. After that, she competed in the 2015 Miami Open, where she lost to Carla Suárez Navarro in the fourth round.[54]
In April, Radwańska participated for the second time in her career at 2015 Katowice Open in Poland, where she defeated Yanina Wickmayer, An-Sophie Mestach, Klára Koukalová before losing to Camila Giorgi in the semifinals.[54]
Shortly after Radwańska's first-round loss at Stuttgart Open, Martina Navratilova stated that she was too busy to continue in her part-time role as Agnieszka Radwańska's consulting coach. Radwańska stated, "I just wanted to thank Martina for her time and efforts over these last few months. It was a great experience to work with one of the all-time greats. However, we both agreed that as Martina could not commit 100% to the project then it was not going to work as a long-term partnership."[55]
At the 2015 Mutua Madrid Open, Radwańska defeated Lara Arruabarrena and Casey Dellacqua before losing to Caroline Wozniacki in the third round. As a result of this loss, Radwańska dropped outside of the Top 10 for the first time since October 2011. At the 2015 French Open, Radwańska was defeated by Annika Beck in the first round. The loss marked only her third first-round loss at a Grand Slam in her career, and her first since the 2009 Australian Open.[54]
In June, Radwańska competed in her first grass tournament at 2015 Aegon Trophy in Nottingham. She advanced to the semifinals at the Aegon Open Nottingham, losing to Monica Niculescu. In her next grass tournament at 2015 Aegon International in Eastbourne, Radwańska defeated Irina Falconi, Karolina Pliskova, and Tsvetana Pironkova to reach the semifinals of a grass event for the second time in three weeks, after doing so at Nottingham. After defeating Sloane Stephens, Radwańska reached her first final of the season against Belinda Bencic, who defeated her in three sets to claim her first WTA title.[54]
Radwańska then started her 2015 Wimbledon Championships campaign just three days after her final at Eastbourne. During the first week she defeated Lucie Hradecká, Ajla Tomljanović and Casey Dellacqua, all in straight sets. She then defeated Jelena Janković and Madison Keys to advance to the semifinals where she faced Garbiñe Muguruza.[54] In her third Wimbledon semi-final in four years, Radwańska ended up losing the match in three sets. After her successful run at Wimbledon, Radwańska returned to the Top 10 after she dropped outside in early May this year.
Radwańska began her summer hard court season at the Bank of the West Classic, where she lost a tight three-set match to Angelique Kerber in the quarterfinals. As the defending champion at the 2015 Rogers Cup, Radwańska defeated Julia Görges and Alizé Cornet before losing to Simona Halep in the quarterfinal. Due to her first round loss at the 2015 Western & Southern Open, Radwańska decided to participate at the 2015 Connecticut Open, where she defeated Coco Vandeweghe and Alize Cornet but lost to Petra Kvitová in the quarterfinals. At 2015 US Open, she defeated Katerina Siniakova and Magda Linette before losing to Madison Keys in the third round.
At the 2015 Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo Radwańska defeated Coco Vandeweghe, Elina Svitolina, Karolína Plíšková, Dominika Cibulkova and Belinda Bencic to win her first title of the season. Radwańska also took the Toray Pan-Pacific in 2011, and is the first player to have won the event twice since it moved outdoors, and onto a hard court, in 2008. "This is the first tournament I have won twice, so it's very special for me," said Radwanska. She added, "I really didn't expect that kind of score against Belinda, she's playing so well. I'm never going to be a powerful tennis player, even if I spend the whole day in the gym. That's the way I play, trying to find a way to beat those stronger players."[56]
Only 36 hours after her win in Tokyo Radwańska competed at the Wuhan Open tournament in China where she lost to Venus Williams for a third time this season. Following the Wuhan Open, Radwańska found herself at no. 9 on the Road to Singapore, 5 points behind Carla Suarez Navarro and 15 points behind Angelique Kerber.[57] At her next scheduled tournament, the China Open, she defeated Coco Vandeweghe, Mona Barthel, Madison Keys, and Angelique Kerber before losing to Garbiñe Muguruza in the semifinals. Radwańska continued at the 2015 Tianjin Open, where she defeated Olga Savchuk, Qiang Wang, Elizaveta Kulichkova, Karolina Pliskova and Danka Kovinic to win her 2nd title of the year and 16th of her career.[58] With this win she also secured a spot in the WTA Finals in Singapore, making it her fifth straight year in the year-end WTA competition.[59]
At the WTA Finals, Radwańska was drawn into the Red Group alongside Simona Halep, Maria Sharapova and Flavia Pennetta. She lost her first round robin match to Maria Sharapova in three sets. Following her loss to Pennetta, Radwańska battled past Simona Halep in their last round robin match ensuring the Romanian was eliminated. As a result, Radwańska advanced to the semifinals where she defeated Garbiñe Muguruza in three sets to make her first appearance in the final. She defeated Petra Kvitová in three sets and claimed her first WTA Finals title. She became the first player since the re-introduction of the round robin format in 2003 to win the title after losing two matches.[60] This was the biggest title of her career to date. Radwańska ended the year ranked world No. 5.
During 2015, Radwańska won the WTA accolade for WTA Match of the Year (WTA Finals semifinal match against Garbiñe Muguruza), Best Dressed (On-Court, Rogers Cup), Shot of the Month on four occasions, won WTA Shot Of The Year for the third year in a row (WTA Finals Championship match against Petra Kvitova), and, for the fifth consecutive season, won the WTA Award for Fan Favorite Player.[61][62]
2016: Return to world No. 2
Radwańska began her season at the 2016 Shenzhen Open where she defeated Aleksandra Krunic, Zhang Shuai, Qiang Wang, Anna-Lena Friedsam and Alison Riske (all in straight sets) ,to win her 18th WTA Title. As a result of her performance she was able to move to fourth in the world rankings.[63] At the Australian Open, Radwańska advanced to the semifinals, losing to Serena Williams. Next, she played at the Qatar Open in Doha, where she defeated Kateryna Bondarenko, Monica Niculescu and Roberta Vinci to reach her fifth semifinal at the tournament. She lost to Carla Suárez Navarro in two sets, but moved up to world No. 3.
In the 2016 BNP Paribas Open, she defeated Dominika Cibulková, Monica Niculescu, Jelena Janković and Petra Kvitová. In doing so, she regained her world No. 2 status. She lost a tight match with a second set tiebreaker to Serena Williams in the semifinals. At the 2016 Miami Open she defeated Alizé Cornet and Madison Brengle before losing to Timea Bacsinszky in the fourth round.
At her first tournament of the clay season, the 2016 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, No.1-seeded Radwańska defeated Andrea Petkovic and Karolína Plíšková for the 7th and 6th time respectively. In the semifinal she lost to German qualifier Laura Siegemund who upset Simona Halep and Roberta Vinci on her way to the final. Serena Williams' withdrawal from the Madrid Open (tennis) elevated Radwańska to top seed of the tournament. She lost to Dominika Cibulkova in the first round.
Fed Cup participation
Radwańska has participated in the Fed Cup from 2006 to the present. All in all, she has played a total of 48 Fed Cup matches with 41 wins and 7 losses.[64] For her achievements she was presented with two Fed Cup Heart Awards. "I think it’s great to play Fed Cup," said Radwańska, "I’ve been playing for the last couple of years and I really think it helped my team to go up and, you know, I’m very happy about it and I’m always ready to play".[65]
As member of Poland Fed Cup team Radwańska participated in 2014 Fed Cup World Group Play-offs. In Barcelona she led Poland to a 3–2 win over Spain, which allowed Poland to advance to 2015 Fed Cup World Group for the first time in over twenty years.[66]
Rivalries
Radwańska vs. Zvonareva
Radwańska has a rivalry with Russian player Vera Zvonareva,[67][68] which began in 2007. Radwańska leads the series 4–2.[69]
Throughout their meetings, Radwańska has proven able to match Zvonareva's pace and movements around the court.[70] Zvonareva is considered the more powerful of the two, while Radwańska has been noted as more focused at times,[25][70] utilizing what Sports Illustrated's Courtney Nguyen dubbed "selective aggression" during the pair's 2011 matches.[71]
Their first match occurred during the 2007 Kremlin Cup, with Zvonareva winning in straight sets. The two did not play again until the 2011 season, when Radwańska won four of their five matches—including the finals of the Mercury Insurance Open and the Pan Pacific Open. Their final meeting of 2011 was an acclaimed match at the WTA Championships.[72][73] Trailing 3–5 in the third set, Radwańska saved three match points and went on to win in three sets. The victory marked her fourth straight win against Zvonareva, whom she described as "very consistent and always tough to beat."[74]
Radwańska vs. Li
Radwańska and Li Na[75] first played in 2009. Li lead the series 6–5. Radwańska won the majority of their matches on grass and their only meeting on clay. Li lead the rivalry on hard courts.[76] After their first four matches in 2009 and 2010 the head-to-head was even at 2–2. This included a victory each at the Wimbledon Championships; Radwańska winning in 2009 and Li in 2010. In 2012 Radwańska and Li met four times, with Li taking three victories. Li lost their meeting in the Stuttgart quarter-final in three sets, but dominated in Montréal, Cincinnati and Beijing. Li prevented Radwańska from taking the world No. 1 ranking off the incumbent Victoria Azarenka. In 2013 both won the first tournament they entered. They were both undefeated when they met each other in the semi-finals of their second tournament of the year at Sydney. Radwańska beat Li and eventually won the tournament. At the 2013 Australian Open, Li became the first player to defeat Radwańska that season, with a victory in the quarter-finals. That same year they met again at Wimbledon in the quarterfinals, with Radwańska winning in three sets.[77]
Radwańska vs. Ivanovic
Radwańska and Ana Ivanovic had their first professional meeting in 2006.[78] Radwańska leads the series 7–3. The majority of their matches have been played on hard courts. Radwańska leads their match-ups on clay.[79]
Radwańska vs. Kerber
Radwańska versus Kerber has been described as one of the closest rivalries in women's tennis.[80] The rivalry stretches back to their first meeting in 2008 Qatar Telecom German Open. Radwańska currently leads the H2H 6–5.[81] The players have played one match each on grass and clay, with Radwańska winning both. Kerber leads their head-to-head on hard courts 5–4. Their first meeting in 2015 at Bank of the West Classic took place at night, with Kerber winning in three sets.[82]
Radwańska vs. Kuznetsova
Radwańska and Svetlana Kuznetsova have played each other fifteen times since 2007, with Kuznetsova leading the head-to-head 11–4.[83] Their first meeting was at Wimbledon in 2007 with Radwańska losing in straight sets. She lost their first three meetings, but in the four meetings that eventuated in 2008, she would win three of them, including in the third round of the Australian Open[84] and in the fourth round of Wimbledon.[85] Additionally, she also defeated her at the year-end championships later in the year after replacing an injured Ana Ivanovic during the round robin stage. Radwańska would later struggle in the rivalry, at one point losing six meetings in a row, including an upset loss at the 2012 French Open,[86] before ending this losing streak at the 2014 Mutua Madrid Open, saving three match points in the process.[87] Radwańska has also lost to Kuznetsova in the two finals in which they met, first at Beijing in 2009[88] and then at San Diego in 2010.[89] In 2015, Radwańska lost to Kuznetsova again in the opening match of Fed Cup tie between Russia and Poland.[90]
Playing style and equipment
In 2012, Tom Perrotta of The Wall Street Journal called Radwańska "the most tactically sound, subtle tennis player in the world."[91] Over the years she has been given the nicknames "The Magician", "Ninja" and "The Professor", due to the fact that she can pull off the most difficult shots in the game with ease.[62][92] Radwańska's game is founded on variety, mobility, and a tendency to anticipate her opponent's actions.[93][94] She often uses this style to construct rallies—either opening the court up for a winner, or prompting a surprised opponent to hit a misplaced return.[4][91] Her primary weapons include a mixture of slices and lobs, along with her ability to hit the ball at a variety of angles.[70][95] She also makes use of a disguised drop shot, often swung with the same motion as a normal stroke during a rally.[96] She is also noted for her crouching shots, during which she quickly drops in place to return or redirect a low ball, along with her use of an overhead backhand while on defense.[70][96]
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One of Radwańska's main weaknesses is her lack of power in her serve. Her serve, especially her second serve, is generally slow and vulnerable to attack. Her shots sometimes lack penetration on court, posing little threat to power hitters.[97][98] "I don't think I can ever serve 200 kilometers per hour, it's just not my body," Radwańska said. "I have to do something else. I was just born to play like this. I have so many ideas. In your mind it's like, 'OK, I go down the line, then crosscourt, maybe drop shot.' But you have just one second, or even not one second, it just has to be automatic." Radwańska merely exhales when she strikes the ball, rather than loudly grunting like many of her peers. She bounces the ball no more than four times before serving. She says she can play with any racket and likes to use one for an entire match, unlike most players, who routinely grab frames with fresh strings.[99]
Tennis commentators, including former pro Wojciech Fibak, have compared her playing style to that of Martina Hingis, with Fibak describing her as "a natural mover who understands the geometry of the court".[100] Radwańska has cited Hingis as an inspiration.[10] She and Hingis had their lone tour meeting in 2007, with Radwańska winning in three sets.[10]
Radwańska uses Babolat Pure Drive Lite racquets, and is sponsored by Lotto apparel.[9]
Coaches
Radwańska began her tennis career with her father, Robert Radwański, as her coach. She stated, "My dad was traveling with me all my life and we practiced together for 17 years, almost actually 18. So it's pretty long time."[101]
In 2011, Radwańska began working with Fed Cup coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, who replaced her father. Borna Bikic, a veteran coach on the WTA Tour, briefly joined them in 2012.[102]
Radwańska hired Martina Navratilova as part of her team at the conclusion of the 2014 season. In April 2015 they parted ways after Navratilova stated that she was too busy to continue in her part-time role as Radwańska's consulting coach.[103]
Sponsors
After years of expressing her love for the American restaurant chain Cheesecake Factory, Radwańska became the restaurant’s first sports endorsement in 2014. Radwańska began to wear the Cheesecake Factory’s logo on her visor at the start of the 2014 BNP Paribas Open. Additionally, she will continue to wear the company logo during all of her matches played in the U.S.[104]
On 1 January 2014 Radwańska became a global ambassador for the luxury watch manufacturer Rado. She signed a three-year deal with the watch company, becoming the third tennis player to join Rado after Julia Görges and Andy Murray. The deal will see her wear the Rado HyperChrome Automatic Chronograph in white high-tech ceramic.[105]
Radwańska also has a partnership agreement with Lexus. As a result of this sponsorship Lexus logo appears on Agnieszka’s court dress in all the Grand Slam tournaments, the Masters tournament and in selected tournaments rank Premier and Premier Mandatory. Additionally, Radwańska is currently driving the latest Lexus model – LS limousine.[106]
Radwańska also has sponsorship agreements with Babolat, Lotto Sport Italia, Vanquis Bank, Amica, Dayli and Play.[3]
On 6 January 2015 Radwańska signed a personal endorsement deal with financial management and HR software company Workday, Inc. The Pleasanton, California-based company announced the deal on its Twitter feed and Radwańska sported the Workday logo on her dress as she beat Great Britain's Heather Watson in a Hopman Cup match in Australia. Aga becomes Workday's third athlete endorser, joining golfers Brandt Snedeker and Matt Kuchar. The deal was brokered by Radwanska's agents at Lagardere Unlimited.[107]
Charitable work
Since 2009, Radwańska and her sister Urszula have devoted time during the off-season to Szlachetna Paczka ("Noble Box"). The charity has its volunteers go door-to-door throughout the year compiling a database of families in need, asking them what would help ease the pressures of the holidays. Then, for a three-week period from mid-November to early December, donors are given a list to take with them to the supermarket, where they fill a shopping cart with the food, clothing and more to donate to them.[108]
Additionally, she and Urszula offer their support to Habitat for Humanity and its project in Warsaw. As Habitat for Humanity ambassador Radwańska stated, "It's an honor to be a part of such a fantastic cause and be involved with Habitat for Humanity, helping underprivileged families across the world. I have great respect for all the volunteers and those working hard everyday against poverty housing."[109]
Career statistics
Grand Slam finals
Singles: 1 (1 runner-up)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 2012 | Wimbledon | Grass |  Serena Williams | 1–6, 7–5, 2–6 |
WTA Tour Championships finals
Singles: 1 title
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2015 | Singapore | Hard (i) |  Petra Kvitová | 6–2, 4–6, 6–3 |
Grand Slam singles performance timeline
| W | F | SF | QF | R# | RR | Q# | A | P | Z# | PO | G | F-S | SF-B | NMS | NH |
| Tournament | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | SR | W–L | Win % | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam Tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | A | 2R | QF | 1R | 3R | QF | QF | QF | SF | 4R | SF | 0 / 10 | 32–10 | 76% | ||||||
| French Open | A | 1R | 4R | 4R | 2R | 4R | 3R | QF | 3R | 1R | 0 / 9 | 18–9 | 67% | |||||||
| Wimbledon | 4R | 3R | QF | QF | 4R | 2R | F | SF | 4R | SF | 0 / 10 | 36–10 | 78% | |||||||
| US Open | 2R | 4R | 4R | 2R | 2R | 2R | 4R | 4R | 2R | 3R | 0 / 10 | 19–10 | 66% | |||||||
| Win–Loss | 4–2 | 6–4 | 14–4 | 8–4 | 7–4 | 9–4 | 15–4 | 16–4 | 11–4 | 10–4 | 5–1 | 0 / 39 | 105–39 | 73% | ||||||
| Year-End Championship | ||||||||||||||||||||
| WTA Tour Championships | Did Not Qualify | RR | RR | DNQ | RR | SF | RR | SF | W | 1 / 7 | 9–12 | 43% | ||||||||
Doubles performance timeline
| Tournament | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | SR | W–L | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam Tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | 1R | 1R | 2R | SF | 3R | 3R | 0 / 6 | 9–6 | ||||||||||||
| French Open | 3R | 1R | QF | QF | 1R | 2R | 0 / 6 | 9–6 | ||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | 3R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 3R | 3R | 0 / 6 | 8–6 | ||||||||||||
| US Open | 2R | 1R | 1R | 3R | SF | A | 0 / 5 | 7–5 | ||||||||||||
| Win–Loss | 5–4 | 1–4 | 4–4 | 10–4 | 8–4 | 5–3 | 0 / 23 | 33–23 | ||||||||||||
