Name: Svetlana Kuznetsova
DOB: June 27, 1985
Place of Birth: St. Petersburg, Russia
Country: Russia
Height: 5' 8.5
Turn pro: 2000
Plays: Right-handed, two-handed backhand
Racquet: Head MicroGEL Extreme
Svetlana Kuznetsova is a Russian tennis player born in St. Petersburg on June 27, 1985. As of the year 2007, Kuznetsova is ranked number five in the world.
Biography and Career
Coming from an athletic family, Svetlana’s father worked as a coach in cycling, in which he trained five Olympic and World Champions. Her mother was a tennis world champion for a whopping six times and also owns 20 world records, an impressive history. In addition to her parents, her brother won a silver medal at the Summer Olympics of 1996. Clearly, Svetlana was born to be an athlete. When Svetlana was 13 years old, her family sent her off to Spain to be professionally coached in tennis.
In 2004, Svetlana won her very first and only Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open. Defeating player Elena Dementieva, she took the final to victory. Svetlana has not only been active as a singles player, but also as a member of a doubles team. As a doubles player, she has earned thirteen titles, and thus proven her versatility in her career. She has also won several tournaments as a singles player – at Cagliari in 2001, Helsinki International, Wismilak International, Bali in 2002, Eastbourne and Bali in 2004, Miami and Bali in 2006, and Beijing in 2007. At the French Open in 2006, Svetlana reached the final, but was unfortunately defeated by three-time Champion Justine Henin. Svetlana has also been known to be a “happy” player, always with a smile on her face.
In addition, her positive interaction with the media and the fans has labeled her as a communicative person. With no doubt, Svetlana definitely has the talent and skills to become Number One in the world, a goal that she is striving for. Nothing can stand in her way.