Iveta Benesova

Iveta Benešová is a Czech former professional tennis player who built a successful career on both the WTA Tour and the ITF Women’s Circuit. She won two WTA singles titles and 14 WTA doubles titles, alongside a Grand Slam mixed doubles championship at Wimbledon in 2011 with partner Jurgen Melzer.

Benešová reached her highest singles ranking of World No. 25 in April 2009 and a peak doubles ranking of No. 17 in January 2011. She announced her retirement from professional tennis in August 2014.

Player Profile and Personal Life

Iveta Benešová was born on February 1, 1983, in Most, Czechoslovakia, and resided there throughout her playing career. Known for her left-handed play and solid two-handed backhand, Benešová started tennis at age seven and turned pro in 1998.

She married Austrian tennis player Jurgen Melzer in September 2012 and competed under the name Iveta Melzer until their separation in 2015.

Career

Benešová debuted on the WTA Tour in the late 1990s and advanced steadily, achieving her first WTA singles title at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco in 2004 and her second at the Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem in Morocco in 2010.

She also reached multiple finals throughout her career, including Hobart and Estoril. Known for her doubles prowess, Benešová won 14 WTA doubles titles with several partners, including Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová, with whom she captured numerous trophies between 2008 and 2012.

Her career highlight came in 2011, when she partnered with her then-husband Jürgen Melzer to win the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon. In Grand Slam singles play, her best results included reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open in 2011 and 2012, the third round of the French Open in 2008 and 2009, and additional second-round appearances at Wimbledon and the US Open.

Injuries and a recurring shoulder problem led to her extended absence in 2012 and 2013. In August 2014, Benešová announced her official retirement from professional tennis.

Career Record

Singles

• Career record: 411–341
• Career titles: 2
• Highest ranking: No. 25 (6 April 2009)
• Current/Final ranking: N/A

Best Grand Slam Singles Performances

• Australian Open – Fourth Round (2011, 2012)
• French Open – Third Round (2008, 2009)
• Wimbledon – Second Round (2007, 2009, 2011)
• US Open – Second Round (2004, 2008, 2010)

Other tournaments

• Fed Cup – 11–12

Doubles

• Career record: 290–230
• Career titles: 14
• Highest ranking: No. 17 (31 January 2011)
• Current/Final ranking: N/A

Best Grand Slam Doubles Performances

• Australian Open – Third Round (2008, 2011)
• French Open – Third Round (2005, 2006, 2010)
• Wimbledon – Third Round (2010)
• US Open – Quarterfinals (2011)

Other tournaments

• Fed Cup – 11–12

Mixed Doubles

• Career titles: 1 (Wimbledon 2011)

Best Grand Slam Mixed Doubles Performances

• Australian Open – Semifinals (2009)
• French Open – Quarterfinals (2011)
• Wimbledon – Winner (2011)
• US Open – Second Round (2009)