Jana Novotna

Jana Novotná was a Czech professional tennis player, best known for her Wimbledon singles title in 1998. She was a former World No. 2 in singles and World No. 1 in doubles, and a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

A serve-and-volley specialist, she won 12 major women's doubles titles, four major mixed doubles titles, and three Olympic medals.

Player Profile and Personal Life

Jana Novotná was born on October 2, 1968, in Brno, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic), and was known for her distinctive serve-and-volley game. She stands 175 cm tall and she plays right-handed with a one-handed backhand.

Novotná's career was characterized by her emotional on-court displays and her incredible longevity. She lived in Florida until 2010 when she returned to her native Czech Republic. She settled in the village of Omice, where she lived with her partner, former Polish tennis player Iwona Kuczyńska.

Novotná passed away from cancer on November 19, 2017, at the age of 49, having kept her diagnosis private from all but her closest friends and relatives.

Following her retirement, Novotná remained involved in tennis, working as a commentator for Wimbledon for the BBC and playing in the Ladies' Invitation Doubles tournament, which she won five times.

She also coached other players, including future Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova.

Professional Career

Jana Novotná turned professional in 1987, representing Czechoslovakia until 1992 and then the Czech Republic for the remainder of her career. She won 24 singles titles on the WTA Tour, including her most memorable victory at the Wimbledon Championships in 1998.

That year, she defeated Nathalie Tauziat in the final, one year after her emotional runner-up finish against Martina Hingis. In total, Novotná was a runner-up in three other major singles finals. She achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 2 in July 1997.

Novotná was an even greater force in doubles, where she was ranked World No. 1 for 67 weeks and won an impressive 76 doubles titles. She completed a "Double Career Grand Slam" in women's doubles, meaning she won each of the four majors at least twice. She also won four major mixed doubles titles.

In Olympic competition, she won a silver medal in doubles at the 1988 Seoul Olympics while representing Czechoslovakia, and later won a silver medal in singles and a bronze medal in doubles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

She was a member of the winning Billie Jean King Cup team in 1988 and the Hopman Cup team in 1994. Novotná retired from the professional tour in 1999 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005.

Career Record

Singles

• Career record: 571–225
• Career titles: 24
• Highest ranking: No. 2 (July 7, 1997)

Best Grand Slam Singles Performances

• Australian Open – F (1991)
• French Open – SF (1990, 1996)
• Wimbledon – W (1998)
• US Open – SF (1994, 1998)

Other tournaments (Singles)

• Tour Finals – W (1997)
• Olympic Games – F (1996)

Doubles

• Career record: 697–153
• Career titles: 76
• Highest ranking: No. 1 (August 27, 1990)

Best Grand Slam Doubles Performances

• Australian Open – W (1990, 1995)
• French Open – W (1990, 1991, 1998)
• Wimbledon – W (1989, 1990, 1995, 1998)
• US Open – W (1994, 1997, 1998)

Other tournaments (Doubles)

• Tour Finals – W (1995, 1997)
• Olympic Games – F (1988), W (1996)

Mixed Doubles

• Career titles: 4

Best Grand Slam Mixed Doubles Performances

• Australian Open – W (1988, 1989)
• Wimbledon – W (1989)
• US Open – W (1988)

Team competitions

• Fed Cup – W (1988)
• Hopman Cup – W (1994)