Daniela Hantuchova was born on April 23rd 1983 in Poprad, Slovakia to parents Igor, a university professor, and Marianna, a toxicologist. She is the granddaughter of Helena, who was a former Czechoslovakia national tennis player. Despite her parents’ academic prominence, Daniela was inclined more towards tennis and she was further supported and encouraged by her grandmother and Daniela took tennis racquet in hand at the tender age of three.
She was soon enrolled at Slavia STU, a prestigious tennis club in Bratislava, where she learnt the intricacies of tennis under the supervision of instructor Joseph Bulko. She then left her childhood club and aged thirteen she started to spend her winter months at the Bollettieri Academy in Florida, which is known to produce prominent players Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, Jim Courier, Anna Kournikova and Maria Sharapova. Two years later, she joined the ITF circuit and at the age of 16 in 1999, she won two ITF Challenger titles. This win brought her to the notice of audiences and tennis event organizers.
Tennis Career
Daniela’s professional career was pronounced more in 2000 when she reached the quarterfinals in Strasbourg and then in Luxembourg defeating top 10 ranked player Nathalie Tauziat.
Daniela then qualified to participate in her first Grand Slam tournament, the Australian Open in 2001 but was defeated by Anna Kournikova. She then went on to participate the U.S. Open tournament, but was again eliminated at the first round. But later at French Open and Wimbledon, the other two Grand Slam tournaments that year, she came prepared and beat the opponent to reach to the second round. Later that year, Daniela won her first Grand Slam mixed doubles title along with her partner Leos Friedl at the All England Tennis Club.
Daniela saw her remarkable victory in the year 2002, when she won her first professional singles title defeating five-time Grand Slam winner and former world number 1 Martina Hingis, she was offered $2m in prize money.
Again, she reaches up to the semifinals of two different events at Birmingham and Oklahom, and then she won another mixed doubles Grand Slam title with partner Kevin Ullyett. Her performance improved her ranking and brought her up in 38th position. She then teamed up with Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario to win two more double titles at Amelia Island and in New Haven and again proved her mettle by reaching to the quarterfinals of both U.S. Open and Wimbledon. She again helped Slovakia to win the Federations Cup, and bagged the WTA Tour's Most Improved Player of the Year award and was nominated for World Newcomer of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards. At the end of the year, she was in her career high ranking of world no. 8.
Year 2003 started off with more success to her kitty and her she could see progress in her ranking from #8 to #5, but in the middle of the year, she was caught up by eating disorder and drastically lost her weight, she managed to change the things around and ended the year ranked #19.
She return back on court with courage and won 2005 Hopman Cup playing for the Slovak Republic with Dominik Hrbaty. She was further succeeded in grabbing 2005 French Open mixed doubles title playing with Fabrice Santoro, and won 2005 French Open mixed doubles title playing with Fabrice Santoro, and reached the final of the JP Morgan Chase Open in 2005 but lost to Kim Clijsters.
