Victoria Azarenka (World No 1)
It's crazy to think that in 2011, this current world champion almost considered taking a breather from tennis to focus on education. But with encouragement from her grandmother, whom she often cites as an inspiration, she decided to stay with tennis. And boy, are we glad. The Belarusian is currently dating tennis player Sergei Bubka (who visited Gulf News offices to help us put together an edition of Daily Deuce last year), whom she thanked along with her parents, her friends and of course, her grandmother when she won the 2012 Australian Open.
In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres in January, Azarenka, also a Mary J. Blige fan, confessed she likes collecting teddy bears, following which the talk show host presented her with one.
Often derided for her grunts on the court, Azarenka was once asked if she hears taunts by spectators who sometimes mimic her: "Of course I hear it. I mean, I'm not deaf," she said. "But it's fine for me. I mean, the crowd, I respect the crowd, whatever they do. I try to just be focused on my game, and that's it."
Petra Kvitova (World No 3)
There's something about Petra. This cinema buff (make that comedy, please) once said if a movie was ever made on her life, she would like Cameron Diaz to play her. This 21-year-old Czech beauty has often been called tennis' Next Big Thing. Interestingly, she has little enthusiasm for the duties of a champion — endorsements, press conferences and constant discussions about her personal life. In fact, Kvitova has never really addressed all the talk about her relationship with 17-year-old tennis player Adam Pavlasek, only saying she was "sad and astonished" at the level of interest about that aspect of her life, and then adding she really didn't care what others think.
All love, however, is reserved for her father who has nurtured her love for tennis and who has been with her every step of the day. Right after she won the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, becoming the first Grand Slam event winner born in the 1990s, and the third player to win the WTA Championships in her first attempt, she told a newspaper of her father: "He's still crying. I think he is crying after every match." Aww.
Caroline Wozniacki (Ranking No 4)
With a football-playing father and a professional volleyball player for a mother, it's safe to say that Wozniacki's interest in sports started early. Often called "Sunshine" because of her chirpy demeanour, these days it's the Dane's relationship with Irish golf champ Rory McIlroy that's got every one talking about. Wozzilroy, as the pair is dubbed, are both regulars to the UAE, and were recently spotted at the Dubai Desert Classic. Thy have been dating for the past few months after McIlroy split from his childhood sweetheart Holly Sweeney last year. Of their relationship, the tennis champion, who also recently modelled for adidas's Stella McCartney collection, said: "I definitely did not expect it to become that big, it was everywhere. I tease Rory, saying, ‘That's how it is when you go out with a superstar'." Word.
Samantha Stosur (World No 5)
This one's quite the fighter. When she won the US Open last year, Stosur became the first Australian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title in 31 years. It was no small feat, especially considering she battled a life-threatening disease in 2007 after she contracted Lyme disease, an infectious condition transmitted by ticks, and then viral meningitis. "It was tough," she told The Australian Women's Weekly, after she saw her ranking slip from 27 to 151. "I think it's made me mentally stronger, too."
And that's not all. When Stosur started playing tennis when she was eight, she was once running to the courts to train when she collided with a post, breaking her toe. Doctors had warned her then that she might have to give up tennis for good. But the determined sports star persevered and she has proven what a one-track mind to win has led her.
She has a fear of flying and says she calls her parents whenever she is homesick, irrespective of the time of day. Family girl Stosur loves to hang out with her brothers and spend time at the beach.
Agnieszka Radwanska (world No 6)
She's known for her big personality, sense of humour and straight talking and is friends with Caroline Wozniacki's and Victoria Azarenka, or Vica, as she calls her. "We have to play against each other, it's our job. With Caro, we know each other for 10 years. It's a long time to be seeing each other every week, so it's better to have friends than not knowing anyone," she told the Daily Deuce in an earlier interview. Radwanska, who relaxes on tour by spending time with her sister, tennis player Urszula Radwanska, and dinner with friends, has also often professed her love for Lady Gaga, short dresses and spoken of her hatred for high heels. She has no lucky charm, she says, but warming up and good music will get her charged up.
Marion Bartoli (world No 7)
At the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, Bartoli famously asked her father, who is also her coach, to leave the court side after losing her first set against Italian rival Flavia Pennetta, shocking every one. While Bartoli later sheepishly admitted her father had forgiven her for her outburst, she explained she was not feeling well. "It was just a matter of a hard first set — I needed to get the frustration out," she later told journalists.
Known for her unique playing style, in which she uses two hands on both the forehand and the backhand, she says she started doing that because although she was left-handed, her right-handed father taught her to play with her right hand.
Despite having an IQ of 175, the French smasher says she does not consider herself "special or anything like that". And oh, she adores Lady Gaga.
Francesca Schiavone (world No 11)
When this 31-year-old created history in the 2010 French Open by becoming the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title, she cried in jubilation. "This court and this tournament have been so generous with me and the crowd was with me and there was great emotion and I had to kiss the ground," she said.
As the oldest woman to win her first Grand Slam title since Ann Jones won Wimbledon in 1969, there was no time for restrained emotions, says Schiavone, who counts her parents as one of her biggest inspirations.
Jelena Jankovic (world No 13)
Having been in the spotlight for many years, this Serbian champ knows a thing or two about how to deal with unnecessary attention. Whether it's a rumoured relationship with Scottish tennis player Jamie Murray, after their mixed doubles pairing in 2008, or constant scrutiny of her love life, she says the key is to be positive. And that's what she carries with her even when she faces defeat.
"There are going to be times in life in general when there are going to be ups and downs. But when you have the downs, you need to surround yourself with positive people. As well as that, believe in yourself, believe in your ability and that you can come back," she said in an interview.
Jankovic, a celebrity in her home town, says sometimes all she wants is to be a regular girl.
"It's important to be a regular, normal girl and enjoy your life," she says. The 26-year-old is reported to be dating Mladjan Janovic, a water polo player from Montenegro she met at the Beijing Olympics.
"When they said to me, I love you, I know that everybody receives these kind of things, but they don't tell me often, so the first time was fantastic," she said in an interview. "My dad said ‘I'm really happy that you call me today. I really need it'. I think that one was fantastic."
Sabine Lisicki (world No 14)
She's fluent in her native German, English and Polish and counts Lance Armstrong's autobiography It's Not About the Bike as her favourite book. But if Lisicki's choir teacher had had her way when she was seven, this 22-year-old would have been a singer. "My choir teacher wanted me to stop playing tennis and focus on music," she recounts in a recent interview.
Lisicki, who is only the second player in Wimbledon history to make it to the semifinals while entering the tournament as a wildcard, actually picked up the racquet as a little girl when she saw her parents playing. Realising her natural talents, it was her father who began to train her.
When she is not battling on court, Lisicki likes to write her blogs and post videos on her website sabinelisicki.com
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (world No 15)
As a multiple junior Grand Slam winner, Pavlyuchenkova has been steadily climbing the world rankings. The 20-year-old says the presence of many Russian champions is what motivates her to strive for her best. When she is not playing tennis, she says she likes shopping, going to the cinema and "having a nice conversation with people I like so we can have a good laugh". She likes house music and said in an interview recently that she's often likened to German supermodel and TV presenter Heidi Klum. Yes, we could go with that.
