The incredible life of Daniela Hantuchova: Musician, model and tennis star

Captured many hearts
Slovakian Roots
Grandmother
Pro in 1999
First big results
Wimbledon
Breakthrough year
Doubles title
Indian Wells Masters
Fed Cup
2003
Doubles successes
Keeping up the good work
Seven titles
Best Grand Slam result
Retirement
Pianist
Sports Illustrated model
'The Body Issue'
Commentator
Monte Carlo
Captured many hearts

Daniela Hantuchova captured many tennis hearts during her career, but also led an extraordinary life off the court. Join us as we look back at the former tennis star's journey.

Slovakian Roots

Hantuchova was born April 23, 1983, in the Slovak town of Poprad.

Grandmother

She started playing tennis thanks to her grandmother Helena, who was a former champion, per The Herald.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Pro in 1999

Hantuchova turned pro in 1999 and made her way up the rankings.

First big results

In 2000 and 2001, Hantuchova started to make a name for herself. She reached the quarter-finals in Strasbourg and the semi's at the U.S. Indoor Championships in singles.

Wimbledon

In 2001, she also enjoyed a highly successful mixed doubles run at Wimbledon, taking the title alongside Leoš Friedl, according to the BBC.

Breakthrough year

2002 is considered Hantuchova's breakthrough year. She reached the Australian Open doubles final with her partner Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, which they lost to Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova.

Doubles title

That same year, Hantuchova would overcome disappointment in mixed doubles by winning the Australian Open alongside Kevin Ulyett, per ESPN.

Indian Wells Masters

In singles, she then won the Indian Wells Masters by defeating top player Martina Hingis in the final. It was Hantuchova's first ever WTA title. She would continue to perform well in 2002, reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and the US Open.

Fed Cup

In 2002, she also won the Fed Cup with Slovakia, which she would top with the Hopman Cup in 2005.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

2003

2003 was a difficult year for Hantuchova, who was world No. 5 at the time. Her parents got divorced, doubts were raised about her health due to a weight problem, and she parted ways with her coach Nigel Sears.

Doubles successes

In 2005, Hantuchova would be successful in mixed doubles. She won Roland Garros and the US Open, earning a career grand slam, per Tennis Now reports.

Keeping up the good work

Hantuchova would continue to excel in doubles. For the rest of her career, she would reach two more Grand Slam doubles finals, but lost them all.

Seven titles

Despite her success in doubles and mixed doubles, Hantuchova will be remembered primarily by many as an excellent singles player. Throughout her career, she would win seven WTA titles, according to WTA Tennis, including Indian Wells (2x) and the Thailand Open.

Best Grand Slam result

Her best Grand Slam result came in 2008, when she reached the semifinals at the Australian Open.

Retirement

Hantuchova retired almost a decade later, on July 6, 2017.

Pianist

In addition to being a former tennis player, Hantuchova is also a pianist. On YouTube, you can find several videos in which she demonstrates her piano skills.

Sports Illustrated model

Hantuchova also appeared occasionally as a model. In 2009, she was on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition along with Maria Kirilenko and Tatiana Golovin.

'The Body Issue'

In 2012, she featured unclothed in ESPN: The Magazine's 'The Body Issue'.

Commentator

After her playing career, Hantuchova worked as a tennis commentator and also hosted a sports and entertainment podcast.

Monte Carlo

According to the Australian Open website, she currently resides in Monte Carlo, Monaco, where she is enjoying life after retiring from professional tennis.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

More for you