Programme, Prague Open, 2015, N. Vaidišová

Product detailed description

Condition: as found, good

Provenance: Archiv Česká sportovní

Size: 21 cm x 29.7 cm

Nicole Vaidišová Štěpánková, a former Czech professional tennis player, was born on 23 April 1989 in Nuremberg, Germany. Coached by Aleš Kodat, she reached the semi-finals of both the Australian Open and the French Open and twice reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals. She joined the ITF circuit in 2003 and turned professional. She achieved notable success at a very young age, winning two titles at 15 – particularly impressive compared with other Czech players such as Jana Novotná, who won her first title at 20, or Dája Bedáňová and Barbora Strýcová, junior world champions whose senior results were less successful. Her career also had difficult periods: in March 2010, after a series of setbacks and a drop to 176th in the rankings, she ended her professional career at the age of 20. In September 2014, however, she returned to the court and won her very first match. Standing 183 cm tall and playing right-handed, she was a striking figure on court. She reached her career-high WTA ranking of No. 7 on 14 May 2007. Her story illustrates the ups and downs of a professional athlete’s career – early success, challenges and a determined comeback.