Status: WTA #3 ranked player. Winner of nine WTA singles titles.
Ht: 5-8 Wt: 120
DOB: March 6, 1989 In: Krakow, Poland
Tennis Inspirations: “I think Pete Sampras, he won everything. Martina Hingis. Roger Federer, I think he’s amazing. Amazing tennis. He won everything.”
Early Tennis Memory: “I was five. I play with my sister, we practice together all the time. My father was our coach.”
Favorite Movies: “I think I haven’t. I like everything. I like Nicole Kidman’s movies.”
Musical Tastes: “R&B, rock, Green Day, Black Eyed Peas, Eminem.”
Favorite Meal: “Lasagna and pasta I think.”
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Vanilla and chocolate.”
Pre-Match Feeling: “I don’t think about anything because I like to be relaxed before a match. I think of only a good warm-up and that’s it. (Visualize?) I think of only on the court, not before.”
First Job: “Only tennis.”
Greatest Sports Moment: “So far I think winning the Sony Ericsson (def. Sharapova in final 75 64).”
Most Painful Moment: “I don’t know, I’ve lost some matches, it’s a bad moment of course because, like everybody, I want to win everything so, and every match.”
Favorite Tournament: “Wimbledon. I like very much grass so Wimbledon.”
Closest Tennis Friends: “My sister, Caroline Wozniacki, Sorana Cirstea, Angelique Kerber.”
Funniest Player Encountered: “I think Marat Safin [smiles].”
Toughest Competitors Encountered: “I think Nadal is very tough to play against. Kim Clijsters. Azarenka.”
Funny Tennis Memory: “Yeah we played with balloons, against my sister all the time. Matches with balloon. With small plastic racquet (age 5).”
Favorite Athletes To Watch: “I like ski jumping in winter. I like athletics – running. I like 100 meters.”
Future Goals: “I want to be #1. I want to win a grand slam.”
"We played tennis with balloons"
Andrew Miller · May 12, 2012 at 12:27 am
I like Ms. Radwanska! She has really grown on me as a player and I would love to see her win a grand slam. She is a clever competitor and I hope this happens.
Scoop Malinowski · May 12, 2012 at 12:57 pm
Andrew; It’s going to be tough for her as she gets crushed by the firepower during crunch time in the majors, she’ll need some luck and to play magical tennis but I think she will get through and win at least one major. She has been dominated by Azarenka and Serena, if she can figure out how to beat them it could give her the total belief that she can do it.
Andrew Miller · May 12, 2012 at 3:10 pm
Scoop maybe she’ll have a Myskina-type of chance? I think Radwanska is better than Myskina ( and has a better serve than Dementieva ), but you are right. The firepower is not there ( it’s good, it’s just not at the level of a Li Na ). Then again – I am not a good judge of this at all. I just like how she sets up points – she’s a smart player! There’s nothing like seeing a player with knowledge of the court and its angles “go to work”. I enjoyed watching Seles play too ( I had to lower the volume on the tv admittedly ) because of all the angles she found. Radwanska doesn’t have the firepower of Seles (Seles hit the ball so hard). But she does have court knowledge.
I think it’s fair to argue that court knowledge is a huge difference between the best players and the rest of the great players on tour. Nadal is so smart about the court, Federer, Djokovic – I’d say it extends to Andy Murray, even Del Potro. On the WTA side it seems like power and accuracy are valued more than court knowledge. Maybe it’s because the WTA game is still a work in progress?
Scoop Malinowski · May 12, 2012 at 10:43 pm
Andrew Radwanska is very small framed girl compared to big strong tanks like Na, Serena, Kvitova, Kerber, Maria, Venus, Azaranka, Kuzy, etc, she is just physically at a big disadvantage, like a welterweight taking on heavyweights, we’ll see if she can overcome the size and strength shortages with smarter tactics.