Elena Likhovtseva

Elena Alexandrovna Likhovtseva is a Russian tennis player. She was born on September 8, 1975 in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, to Alexander, a businessman, and Valentina, a housewife. She became a professional tennis player in 1992 when she was just 16 years old.

Elena started playing young. When she was still 7, she was already hitting balls and holding tennis rackets. Her first tennis coach was her neighbor. By 1991, she was already joining junior tennis competitions, winning the 1991 Orange Bowl 18s. Thus, it wasn’t long before she found her way into the professional and even international tennis circuit. By the following year, she turned pro.

In 1993, Elena competed in the U.S. Open, where she reached the second round. She also participated in San Diego tournament and was able to go all the way to the quarter finals. However, it was in Montpellier, France, were she won her first major title as a professional at a young age of 18. In 1994, she was then nominated for the Award for the Most Impressive Newcomer in WTA. She also broadened her competition list by joining in the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open.

Like other tennis players, it has been the dream of Elena to compete in Grand Slam tournaments. This is a series of games, composed of Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open. Though she already participated in the four major events in 1995, she never made it very far, ending her game in either the first or the second round. However, in 1996, she was able to reach thrice the third and fourth rounds.

Elena is also known for playing both singles and doubles using her two-handed backhand moves. In fact, she has won 2 singles and 5 doubles titles in the WTA Tour. She also has 2 singles titles in the ITF Women’s Circuit.