Amélie Mauresmo
Encyclopedia
Amélie Simone Mauresmo ameli simɔn moʁɛsmo; (born 5 July 1979) is a French
former professional tennis
player, and a former World No. 1. Mauresmo won two Grand Slam
singles titles at the Australian Open
and at Wimbledon
.
Mauresmo first attained the top ranking on 13 September 2004, holding it for five weeks on that occasion. She was the fourteenth world no. 1 in women's tennis since the computer rankings began. She is well known for her powerful one-handed backhand and strong net play. She officially announced her retirement from professional tennis on 3 December 2009, ending a career of ten years. She returned to Wimbledon in 2010, acting as a grass court advisor for Frenchman and 2007 Wimbledon doubles champion Michaël Llodra
.
. She began playing tennis at the age of four, after being inspired by Yannick Noah
's win in the 1983 French Open
on television. It was after his win that her parents bought her her first tennis racket. Later on in 1998 Yannick Noah picked her on the French team for the Fed Cup. Her mother, Françoise is a homemaker and her father Francis, who died in March 2004, was an engineer. She also has a brother Fabien who is an engineer.
In 1996, Mauresmo captured both the junior French Open
and Wimbledon
titles. She was named 1996 Junior World Champion by the International Tennis Federation
.
final in 1999 with wins over three seeded players, including world no. 1 Lindsay Davenport
, before falling to world no. 2 Martina Hingis
. Mauresmo was only the second Frenchwoman ever to reach the Australian Open final; (Mary Pierce
was the first, winning the championship in 1995). She was only the third Frenchwoman to reach any Grand Slam final during the Open Era.
Mauresmo defeated Hingis later in the year, en route to the final of the Paris indoor
event.
After the defeat of Davenport at the Australian Open Mauresmo, 19 at the time, came out
as a lesbian to the international press.
, where she lost to Serena Williams
in three sets after Mauresmo had won the first set and was up a break in the second set. Mauresmo reached the quarterfinals of the three other Grand Slam
tournaments and won three Tier I titles in Rome
, Berlin
, and Montreal
.
Mauresmo won a silver medal in singles at the Olympic Games in Athens, where she was defeated by Belgian Justine Henin in the final.
On 13 September 2004, Mauresmo became the first French tennis player to become world no. 1 since the computer rankings began in the 1970s. She held that ranking for five weeks and was the second woman, after Kim Clijsters
, to have attained the top spot without having won a Grand Slam title.
At the US Open, Mauresmo lost to Mary Pierce
in the quarterfinals, 4–6, 1–6.
Mauresmo claimed her first singles title at the WTA Tour Championships
. She defeated Pierce in the final after losing to Pierce in a round-robin match at that tournament, 2–6, 6–4, 6–2.
, Mauresmo captured her first Grand Slam
singles title, defeating Belgian former world no. 1 players Kim Clijsters
and Justine Henin en route. Both opponents retired from their respective matches, Clijsters with a right ankle sprain in the third set of their semifinal and Henin from gastroenteritis
in the final. Mauresmo was leading in both matches at the time of the retirements, by 6–1, 2–0 against Henin.
Mauresmo then won her next two tournaments, the Open Gaz de France
tournament in Paris (defeating Mary Pierce
in the final) and the Proximus Diamond Games
in Antwerp (defeating Clijsters in the final).
At the Qatar Total Open
in Doha
, Mauresmo defeated Martina Hingis
in a semifinal, 6–2, 6–2, but lost to Nadia Petrova
in the final. Had she won the final, she would have immediately regained the world no. 1 ranking from Clijsters. Nonetheless, the outcome was sufficient to ensure Mauresmo's return to the world no. 1 ranking on 20 March 2006.
Mauresmo then reached the semifinals of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida
, where she lost to the eventual champion Svetlana Kuznetsova
.
Mauresmo lost in the fourth round of the French Open
to Czech teenager Nicole Vaidišová
, 6–7(5–7), 6–1, 6–2. Mauresmo next suffered a first-round loss at the Wimbledon
warm-up tournament in Eastbourne
. However, Mauresmo and Kuznetsova won the doubles title there, their first as a team and Mauresmo's second overall.
Mauresmo was the top seed at Wimbledon
. She defeated Anastasia Myskina
in a quarterfinal and Maria Sharapova
in a semifinal, and then came back to defeat Henin in the final. The victory was Mauresmo's second Grand Slam singles title and the first on grass. She was also the first Frenchwoman since Suzanne Lenglen
to win Wimbledon.
She then pulled out of the Fed Cup
World Group I playoff tie against the Czech Republic
due to a groin injury sustained during Wimbledon. She also withdrew from the Rogers Cup
in Montreal
.
Her next tournament was the Pilot Pen Tennis
tournament in New Haven, Connecticut
, where she lost in the quarterfinals to Lindsay Davenport
, 4–6, 5–7.
At the US Open, Mauresmo lost to Sharapova in the semifinals 0–6, 6–4, 0–6. This was the first time in the open era that a female had lost two sets at love in a US Open semifinal.
Mauresmo then reached the final of the China Open
, losing to Kuznetsova. During the tournament, Mauresmo won 137 ranking points to help preserve her world no. 1 ranking and ended a nine-match losing streak to Davenport stretching back to January 2000 in Sydney.
To conclude the year, Mauresmo reached the final of the WTA Tour Championships
in Madrid, losing to Henin, 4–6, 3–6. Mauresmo finished the year ranked world no. 3, behind Henin and Sharapova.
Mauresmo started the year in Australia with a quarterfinal loss to Jelena Janković
at the tournament in Sydney. At the Australian Open
, Mauresmo lost in the fourth round to Lucie Šafářová
, 4–6, 3–6, after winning her first three matches in straight sets.
Mauresmo's next tournament was the Open Gaz de France
, where she lost in the semifinals to Nadia Petrova
, 7–5, 4–6, 6–7(7), after Mauresmo led 4–1 in the final set and had a match point in the tiebreak. This was Mauresmo's third loss in the last four matches with Petrova. In her next tournament at the Proximus Diamond Games
in Antwerp, Belgium, Mauresmo defeated Kim Clijsters
in the final. This was Mauresmo's third consecutive title there, earning her the diamond-encrusted racquet
that comes with winning the title at least three times in five years. The trophy cost US$1.3 million. Mauresmo then played the Dubai Duty Free Women's Open, where she lost to Justine Henin in the final.
On 16 March 2007, Mauresmo received the Chevalier
of the Légion d'honneur
from President Jacques Chirac
.
Mauresmo was scheduled to play the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida
, but was forced to withdraw because of acute appendicitis
. She also withdrew from the Bausch & Lomb Championships
in Amelia Island, Florida for the same reason. Although she had resumed training, she was not fit enough to compete at the J & S Cup in Warsaw, Poland.
At the Qatar Telecom German Open
in Berlin, Mauresmo lost in the third round to Julia Vakulenko
of Ukraine
, and at the Internazionali d'Italia
in Rome, she lost in the second round to Australian Samantha Stosur
, 7–5, 7–6(4), 6–7(7), after Mauresmo led 5–3 in the third set. Going into the French Open
, Mauresmo had played only three tournaments since the end of February. Mauresmo lost to Czech Lucie Šafářová
in the third round, 3–6, 6–7(4), committing eight double faults and 49 unforced errors.
After losing to Henin in the final of the International Women's Open in Eastbourne
, 5–7, 7–6(4), 6–7(2), after being up 4–1 in the deciding set, defending champion Mauresmo went into Wimbledon
saying that she was ready to win another major title. However, she lost her fourth round match against Czech teen Nicole Vaidišová
, 6–7(6), 6–4, 1–6. The loss dropped her to world no. 6, her first time outside the top five since November 2003.
Mauresmo withdrew from the last Grand Slam
tournament of the year, the US Open, because of a lack of fitness.
She made her return to the tour at the China Open
in Beijing. However, she lost in the quarterfinals to homecrowd favourite Peng Shuai
. She then entered the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
, where she lost to Elena Dementieva
in straight sets. At the Kremlin Cup
in Moscow, Mauresmo lost in the first round to Vera Zvonareva
. In Zürich
, Mauresmo lost in the second round to Alona Bondarenko in three sets.
Mauresmo left Dunlop
for HEAD
racquets. The partnership was to run through 2010.
. At the Australian Open
in Melbourne, Mauresmo lost in the third round to Australian Casey Dellacqua
, 6–3, 4–6, 4–6.
At her next tournament, the Tier II Open Gaz de France
in Paris, Mauresmo lost in the quarterfinals to Anna Chakvetadze
,6–3, 3–6, 3–6.
Mauresmo played both tournaments in the Middle East. At the Tier I Qatar Total Open
in Doha
, she lost in the second round to Tamarine Tanasugarn
, 6–7(7), 5–7. At the Tier II Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships
, Mauresmo reached her third quarterfinal of the year, but was unable to hold off second seed and eventual finalist Svetlana Kuznetsova
, losing 1–6, 6–7.
Mauresmo then lost in the third round of Tier I events, the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California
and the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida
.
On clay
at the Bausch & Lomb Championships
in Amelia Island, Florida, Mauresmo lost in the quarterfinals to eventual runner-up Dominika Cibulková
.
At the French Open, Mauresmo lost in the second round to a Spanish qualifier, Carla Suárez Navarro
, 3–6, 4–6.
At the International Women's Open in Eastbourne
, United Kingdom, Mauresmo defeated sixth-seeded French woman Alizé Cornet
in the first round, 6–1, 4–6, 7–5, but lost in the second round after retiring due to injury from her match with Australian Samantha Stosur
while Mauresmo was leading 2–1.
At Wimbledon
, Mauresmo lost in the third round to two-time former champion Serena Williams
, 6–7(5), 1–6. Hampered by a thigh injury, Mauresmo trailed 5–0 in the second set before breaking Williams's serve, only to be broken herself in the next game and lose the match. Mauresmo said after the match, "I was not 100% in my movement but overall I thought there were some good moments in the first set. But I really started to feel the injury in the tiebreak, and I'm not going to talk about the second set."
Mauresmo declined the nomination by the French Tennis Federation to play in the Olympic Games
after Mary Pierce
withdrew. Pauline Parmentier
was then nominated.
Mauresmo, after a two-month hiatus from tennis due to a thigh injury sustained at Wimbledon, lost in the semifinals of the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open in Cincinnati, Ohio
to Nathalie Dechy
, 4–6, 6–3, 2–6. After the match, Mauresmo, sounding optimistic about her chances at the upcoming US Open
, said "I got four matches in this week, which is what I was looking for. It would have been great to play five but I'll go to New Haven
(Connecticut
) hoping to find a little more rhythm and build up to the US Open." Mauresmo then lost in the semifinals of the Pilot Pen Tennis
tournament (in New Haven) to top-seeded Chakvetadze 6–3, 3–6, 6–1. At the US Open, Mauresmo lost in the fourth round to 16th-seeded Flavia Pennetta
6–3, 6–0.
On 29 September, Mauresmo announced that she would split from her long-time coach, Loic Courteau
.
Mauresmo lost in the first round at Tokyo and Beijing, both times in long three-set defeats by Dominika Cibulková
. She reached the second round in Moscow, falling to Dinara Safina
, 7–6(2), 4–6, 4–6, and fell in the first round at Zurich to Belarusian teenager Victoria Azarenka
.
She ended her year with a quarterfinal result at Luxembourg, losing to eventual champion Elena Dementieva
. Mauresmo ended the year ranked world no. 24, with a singles record of 32–19.
At the Brisbane International
tournament, Mauresmo defeated world no. 177 Jelena Dokić
in the first round, 7–6(9), 7–6(5), before defeating French compatriot Julie Coin
in the second round, 5–7, 6–2, 7–6(11) in 3 hours, 14 minutes. The fifth-seeded Mauresmo then upset top-seeded Ana Ivanović
in the quarterfinals, 6–3, 6–2, before retiring in her semifinal match against third-seeded Frenchwoman, Marion Bartoli
, while trailing 0–4 in the first set. At the Australian Open
, Mauresmo lost in the third round to Victoria Azarenka
.
Mauresmo won her first tournament since 2007 by defeating Elena Dementieva
in the final of the Open GDF SUEZ
tournament in Paris.
Mauresmo lost in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California
, the first Premier Mandatory
event of the year, to Li Na
, 5–7, 2–6. The next event on the WTA tour was another Premier Mandatory tournament, the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida
. Mauresmo was seeded 20th there and lost in the fourth round to unseeded Australian Samantha Stosur
, 4–6, 4–6, but ended up winning the doubles event with her tennis partner Svetlana Kuznetsova
, after ousting the world champions on their way to the cup.
At the Madrid Masters
, Mauresmo defeated Zheng Jie
in the second round, 6–2, 7–5. She then came from behind to defeat Elena Dementieva
, 1–6, 6–4, 6–2, and Ágnes Szávay
, 5–7, 6–1, 6–1, in the third round and quarterfinal respectively. She lost against fast-rising teenager star Caroline Wozniacki
, 6–7(1) 3–6, in the semifinals.
Mauresmo lost against Anna-Lena Grönefeld
, 4–6, 3–6, in the first round of the French Open
.
Mauresmo was the 17th seed at the 2009 Wimbledon Championships
. She opened with a 6–1, 4–6, 6–2 win over Melinda Czink
. She then defeated Kristína Kučová
and Flavia Pennetta
. Her fourth round match against the first seed Dinara Safina
became a part of tennis history as it was the first competitive match in which the new, multimillion-pound roof closed due to rain. Mauresmo went on to lose the match, 6–4, 3–6, 4–6.
At the 2009 US Open
, Mauresmo was the 17th seed, but lost to unseeded Aleksandra Wozniak
, 4–6, 0–6, in the second round.
Mauresmo announced at a press conference on 8 October 2009 that she was considering retiring from tennis. On 3 December 2009, she officially announced her retirement from tennis at a press conference in Paris.
On 7 November, Mauresmo ran her first marathon at the 2010 New York City Marathon
, finishing 3hr: 40m: 20s.
At the 2011 French Open
, Mauresmo was set to be reunited with Llodra, making her professional return in the mixed doubles competition, but was disqualified before competing, as she had not re-registered for the anti-doping procedures required to compete on the tour.
tournaments until 2006. Her talents were never questioned, but Mauresmo was criticized for her mental strength after succumbing to nerves in those events. In consecutive Wimbledon
championships, she lost to Serena Williams
and Lindsay Davenport
after leading comfortably. Before her 2006 Australian Open
title, Mauresmo was often touted as "the greatest women's player never to win a Grand Slam." After winning the 2006 Wimbledon title, Mauresmo openly joked, "I don’t want anyone to talk about my nerves any more."
Mauresmo is one of the few tennis players, male or female, to have reached the top ranking without first winning a Grand Slam singles title. Other players who had done so were Belgian Kim Clijsters
, who ascended to the top spot in 2003, two years before winning her first Grand Slam singles title at the 2005 U.S. Open; Ivan Lendl
, who first reached world no. 1 in 1983, before winning any of his eight Grand Slam singles titles; Marcelo Ríos
of Chile
, who reached world no. 1 in 1998 but never won a Grand Slam singles title; Jelena Janković
of Serbia
who reached world no. 1 in 2008 without winning a Grand Slam singles title; Dinara Safina
, who reached World No. 1 in 2009 without winning a Grand Slam singles title; and Caroline Wozniacki
, who reached world no. 1 in 2010.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
former professional tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player, and a former World No. 1. Mauresmo won two Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
singles titles at the Australian Open
2006 Australian Open
The 2006 Australian Open was played between 16 and 29 January 2006.- Leadup :Several leading men's players declined to attend the Open due to injury, including Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and defending champion Marat Safin....
and at Wimbledon
2006 Wimbledon Championships
The 2006 Wimbledon Championships began on 26 June and finished on 9 July 2006.-Gentlemen's singles: Roger Federer defeated Rafael Nadal 6-0 7-6 6-7 6-3-Ladies' singles: Amélie Mauresmo defeated Justine Henin-Hardenne 2-6 6-3 6-4...
.
Mauresmo first attained the top ranking on 13 September 2004, holding it for five weeks on that occasion. She was the fourteenth world no. 1 in women's tennis since the computer rankings began. She is well known for her powerful one-handed backhand and strong net play. She officially announced her retirement from professional tennis on 3 December 2009, ending a career of ten years. She returned to Wimbledon in 2010, acting as a grass court advisor for Frenchman and 2007 Wimbledon doubles champion Michaël Llodra
Michaël Llodra
Michaël Llodra is a French professional tennis player. He is a prolific doubles player with three Grand Slam championships, and has also had success in singles.-Life and career:...
.
Early life
Mauresmo was born in Saint-Germain-en-LayeSaint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the centre.Inhabitants are called Saint-Germanois...
. She began playing tennis at the age of four, after being inspired by Yannick Noah
Yannick Noah
Yannick Noah is a former professional tennis player from France. He is best remembered for being the last French man to win the French Open in 1983, and as a highly-successful captain of France's Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams...
's win in the 1983 French Open
1983 French Open
List of the 1983 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Yannick Noah def. Mats Wilander, 6–2, 7–5, 7–6*It was Noah's 3rd title of the year, and his 14th overall. It was his 1st career Grand Slam title.-Women's singles: Chris Evert def...
on television. It was after his win that her parents bought her her first tennis racket. Later on in 1998 Yannick Noah picked her on the French team for the Fed Cup. Her mother, Françoise is a homemaker and her father Francis, who died in March 2004, was an engineer. She also has a brother Fabien who is an engineer.
In 1996, Mauresmo captured both the junior French Open
1996 French Open
List of the 1996 French Open champions:- Men's singles : Yevgeny Kafelnikov def. Michael Stich, 7–6, 7–5, 7–6*It was Kafelnikov's 3rd title of the year, and his 10th overall. It was his 1st career Grand Slam title.- Women's singles :...
and Wimbledon
1996 Wimbledon Championships
The 1996 Wimbledon Championships was a tennis tournament played on :grass courts at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon in London in England...
titles. She was named 1996 Junior World Champion by the International Tennis Federation
International Tennis Federation
The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913...
.
Career
The unseeded Mauresmo reached the Australian Open1999 Australian Open
The 1999 Australian Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at Melbourne Park in Melbourne in Victoria in Australia. It was the 87th edition of the Australian Open and was held from 18 through 31 January 1999. This was the first Grand Slam of the calendar year.In the singles...
final in 1999 with wins over three seeded players, including world no. 1 Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay Ann Davenport is a former World No. 1 American professional tennis player. She has won three Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal in singles. In 2005, TENNIS Magazine ranked her as the 29th-best player of the preceding forty years...
, before falling to world no. 2 Martina Hingis
Martina Hingis
Martina Hingis is a retired Swiss professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles...
. Mauresmo was only the second Frenchwoman ever to reach the Australian Open final; (Mary Pierce
Mary Pierce
Mary Pierce is a French-American tennis professional playing on the Women's Tennis Association tour. She is a citizen of France, Canada, and the United States but plays for France in team competitions and the Olympics.Pierce has won four Grand Slam titles, two in singles and two in doubles...
was the first, winning the championship in 1995). She was only the third Frenchwoman to reach any Grand Slam final during the Open Era.
Mauresmo defeated Hingis later in the year, en route to the final of the Paris indoor
Open Gaz de France
Open GDF Suez, formerly Open Gaz de France, is a Premier level tennis tournament on the WTA Tour held in Paris, France. Held since 1993, the tournament is played on indoor hardcourts....
event.
After the defeat of Davenport at the Australian Open Mauresmo, 19 at the time, came out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
as a lesbian to the international press.
2004
Mauresmo reached the semifinals at WimbledonThe Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
, where she lost to Serena Williams
Serena Williams
Serena Jameka Williams is an American professional tennis player and a former world no. 1. The Women's Tennis Association has ranked her world no. 1 in singles on five separate occasions. She became the world no. 1 for the first time on July 8, 2002 and regained this ranking for the fifth time on...
in three sets after Mauresmo had won the first set and was up a break in the second set. Mauresmo reached the quarterfinals of the three other Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
tournaments and won three Tier I titles in Rome
Rome Masters
The Italian Open is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. It is the most prestigious red clay tennis tournament in the world after the French Open, with the men's competition being an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, and the women's...
, Berlin
Qatar Telecom German Open
The German Open, sponsored from 2006 through 2008 as the Qatar Telecom German Open, was a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women played in Berlin, Germany. Held since 1896, it was one of the oldest tournaments for women...
, and Montreal
Canada Masters
The Canada Masters , currently sponsored as the Rogers Cup, is an annual tennis tournament held in Canada. The men's competition is a Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 tournament on the Women's Tennis Association tour...
.
Mauresmo won a silver medal in singles at the Olympic Games in Athens, where she was defeated by Belgian Justine Henin in the final.
On 13 September 2004, Mauresmo became the first French tennis player to become world no. 1 since the computer rankings began in the 1970s. She held that ranking for five weeks and was the second woman, after Kim Clijsters
Kim Clijsters
Kim Antonie Lode Clijsters is a Belgian professional tennis player. As of 7 November 2011, Clijsters is ranked No. 13 in singles. Clijsters is a former World No. 1 in both singles and doubles....
, to have attained the top spot without having won a Grand Slam title.
2005
Mary Pierce
Mary Pierce is a French-American tennis professional playing on the Women's Tennis Association tour. She is a citizen of France, Canada, and the United States but plays for France in team competitions and the Olympics.Pierce has won four Grand Slam titles, two in singles and two in doubles...
in the quarterfinals, 4–6, 1–6.
Mauresmo claimed her first singles title at the WTA Tour Championships
2005 WTA Tour Championships
The 2005 Sony Ericsson Championships were held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, United States from 8 November to 13 November 2005.-Singles: Amélie Mauresmo def. Mary Pierce, 5–7, 7–6, 6–4-Doubles:...
. She defeated Pierce in the final after losing to Pierce in a round-robin match at that tournament, 2–6, 6–4, 6–2.
2006
At the Australian Open2006 Australian Open
The 2006 Australian Open was played between 16 and 29 January 2006.- Leadup :Several leading men's players declined to attend the Open due to injury, including Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and defending champion Marat Safin....
, Mauresmo captured her first Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
singles title, defeating Belgian former world no. 1 players Kim Clijsters
Kim Clijsters
Kim Antonie Lode Clijsters is a Belgian professional tennis player. As of 7 November 2011, Clijsters is ranked No. 13 in singles. Clijsters is a former World No. 1 in both singles and doubles....
and Justine Henin en route. Both opponents retired from their respective matches, Clijsters with a right ankle sprain in the third set of their semifinal and Henin from gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis is marked by severe inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract involving both the stomach and small intestine resulting in acute diarrhea and vomiting. It can be transferred by contact with contaminated food and water...
in the final. Mauresmo was leading in both matches at the time of the retirements, by 6–1, 2–0 against Henin.
Mauresmo then won her next two tournaments, the Open Gaz de France
Open Gaz de France
Open GDF Suez, formerly Open Gaz de France, is a Premier level tennis tournament on the WTA Tour held in Paris, France. Held since 1993, the tournament is played on indoor hardcourts....
tournament in Paris (defeating Mary Pierce
Mary Pierce
Mary Pierce is a French-American tennis professional playing on the Women's Tennis Association tour. She is a citizen of France, Canada, and the United States but plays for France in team competitions and the Olympics.Pierce has won four Grand Slam titles, two in singles and two in doubles...
in the final) and the Proximus Diamond Games
Proximus Diamond Games
The Proximus Diamond Games was a professional tennis tournament held in Antwerp, Belgium. Held since 2002, the tournament takes place in the Sportpaleis, and was played at the beginning of February...
in Antwerp (defeating Clijsters in the final).
At the Qatar Total Open
Qatar Total Open
The Qatar Ladies Open , known as the Qatar Total Open for sponsorship reasons, is tennis tournament held in Doha, Qatar. Held since 2001, this WTA Tour event was a Tier I-tournament in 2008, and was played on outdoor hardcourts. Total S.A. was the main tournament sponsor...
in Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
, Mauresmo defeated Martina Hingis
Martina Hingis
Martina Hingis is a retired Swiss professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles...
in a semifinal, 6–2, 6–2, but lost to Nadia Petrova
Nadia Petrova
Nadezhda Viktorovna Petrova is a Russian professional tennis player.Overall, she has won 28 WTA Titles, ten in singles and eighteen in doubles. In singles, Petrova has reached a career high ranking of World No. 3 in May 2006 and has reached the semi-finals of the French Open in 2003 and 2005...
in the final. Had she won the final, she would have immediately regained the world no. 1 ranking from Clijsters. Nonetheless, the outcome was sufficient to ensure Mauresmo's return to the world no. 1 ranking on 20 March 2006.
Mauresmo then reached the semifinals of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida
Key Biscayne, Florida
Key Biscayne is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States on the island of Key Biscayne. The population was 10,507 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,324....
, where she lost to the eventual champion Svetlana Kuznetsova
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Svetlana Aleksandrovna Kuznetsova ; born June 27, 1985) is a Russian professional tennis player and as of October 10, 2011 ranked No. 21 in the WTA singles and No. 90 in the doubles ranking. Kuznetsova has appeared in four singles Grand Slam finals, winning two, and has also appeared in six doubles...
.
Mauresmo lost in the fourth round of the French Open
2006 French Open
The 2006 French Open was held in Paris, France from May 28 to June 11, 2006. Both defending champions, Rafael Nadal and Justine Henin-Hardenne, retained their titles. It is one of the four tennis Grand Slams. This edition made history as it became the first Grand Slam tournament to start on a...
to Czech teenager Nicole Vaidišová
Nicole Vaidišová
Nicole Vaidišová is a retired Czech tennis player.Vaidišová was an Australian Open and French Open semifinalist and also reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. Vaidišová started playing tennis when she was six years old, enrolling to train at Nick Bollettieri's tennis academy in Bradenton,...
, 6–7(5–7), 6–1, 6–2. Mauresmo next suffered a first-round loss at the Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
warm-up tournament in Eastbourne
The Hastings Direct International Championships
The Eastbourne International is a tennis tournament on the Women's Tennis Association Tour and the ATP World Tour held at the Devonshire Park Lawn Tennis Club Eastbourne, United Kingdom. Held since 1974, it is classified as a WTA Premier tournament on the WTA Tour and as an ATP World Tour 250...
. However, Mauresmo and Kuznetsova won the doubles title there, their first as a team and Mauresmo's second overall.
Mauresmo was the top seed at Wimbledon
2006 Wimbledon Championships
The 2006 Wimbledon Championships began on 26 June and finished on 9 July 2006.-Gentlemen's singles: Roger Federer defeated Rafael Nadal 6-0 7-6 6-7 6-3-Ladies' singles: Amélie Mauresmo defeated Justine Henin-Hardenne 2-6 6-3 6-4...
. She defeated Anastasia Myskina
Anastasia Myskina
Anastasiya Andreyevna Myskina is a professional tennis player from Russia. She won the 2004 French Open singles title, becoming the first Russian female tennis player to win a Grand Slam main draw singles title. Subsequent to this victory she rose to number 3 on the WTA ranking, becoming the first...
in a quarterfinal and Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova ,. is a Russian professional tennis player and a former world no. 1. A US resident since 1994, Sharapova has won 24 WTA singles titles, including three Grand Slam singles titles at the 2004 Wimbledon, 2006 US Open and 2008 Australian Open...
in a semifinal, and then came back to defeat Henin in the final. The victory was Mauresmo's second Grand Slam singles title and the first on grass. She was also the first Frenchwoman since Suzanne Lenglen
Suzanne Lenglen
Suzanne Rachel Flore Lenglen was a French tennis player who won 31 Championship titles between 1914 and 1926...
to win Wimbledon.
She then pulled out of the Fed Cup
Fed Cup
Fed Cup is the premier team competition in women's tennis, launched in 1963 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the International Tennis Federation...
World Group I playoff tie against the Czech Republic
Czech Republic Fed Cup team
The Czech Republic Fed Cup team is the representative national team of Czech Republic in Fed Cup competition. The Czech Republic team in its current incarnation only began competing in 1993...
due to a groin injury sustained during Wimbledon. She also withdrew from the Rogers Cup
Canada Masters
The Canada Masters , currently sponsored as the Rogers Cup, is an annual tennis tournament held in Canada. The men's competition is a Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 tournament on the Women's Tennis Association tour...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
Her next tournament was the Pilot Pen Tennis
Pilot Pen Tennis
This article is about the former New Haven joint tennis event. It is now a women's-only event. For the New Haven men's tennis event known as Volvo International , click here....
tournament in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, where she lost in the quarterfinals to Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay Ann Davenport is a former World No. 1 American professional tennis player. She has won three Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal in singles. In 2005, TENNIS Magazine ranked her as the 29th-best player of the preceding forty years...
, 4–6, 5–7.
At the US Open, Mauresmo lost to Sharapova in the semifinals 0–6, 6–4, 0–6. This was the first time in the open era that a female had lost two sets at love in a US Open semifinal.
Mauresmo then reached the final of the China Open
China Open (tennis)
The China Open is an annual professional tennis tournament held in Beijing, China. The men's singles and doubles events were first held in 1993, the year in which the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championships were also introduced to the men's tour, as the ATP opened a series of new tournaments in...
, losing to Kuznetsova. During the tournament, Mauresmo won 137 ranking points to help preserve her world no. 1 ranking and ended a nine-match losing streak to Davenport stretching back to January 2000 in Sydney.
To conclude the year, Mauresmo reached the final of the WTA Tour Championships
WTA Tour Championships
The WTA Tour Championships is a tennis tournament played annually at the end of the season for the top-ranked players on the Women's Tennis Association tour. The month, city and number of players has changed since the first edition in 1972...
in Madrid, losing to Henin, 4–6, 3–6. Mauresmo finished the year ranked world no. 3, behind Henin and Sharapova.
2007
Jelena Janković
Jelena Janković is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from Serbia. She reached the final of the 2008 US Open and won the 2007 Wimbledon Mixed Doubles title. Janković is ranked world no...
at the tournament in Sydney. At the Australian Open
2007 Australian Open
The 2007 Australian Open was a Grand Slam tennis tournament held in Melbourne, Australia from 15 January until 28 January 2007.The total prize pool was set at exactly A$20 million, with the winners of both the men's and women's singles competition each receiving A$1,281,000. Over 500 players...
, Mauresmo lost in the fourth round to Lucie Šafářová
Lucie Šafárová
Lucie Šafářová is a professional Czech tennis player. She was born in Brno.Šafářová has won four WTA tour singles titles and reached the quarterfinals of the 2007 Australian Open, upsetting defending champion Amélie Mauresmo en-route...
, 4–6, 3–6, after winning her first three matches in straight sets.
Mauresmo's next tournament was the Open Gaz de France
Open Gaz de France
Open GDF Suez, formerly Open Gaz de France, is a Premier level tennis tournament on the WTA Tour held in Paris, France. Held since 1993, the tournament is played on indoor hardcourts....
, where she lost in the semifinals to Nadia Petrova
Nadia Petrova
Nadezhda Viktorovna Petrova is a Russian professional tennis player.Overall, she has won 28 WTA Titles, ten in singles and eighteen in doubles. In singles, Petrova has reached a career high ranking of World No. 3 in May 2006 and has reached the semi-finals of the French Open in 2003 and 2005...
, 7–5, 4–6, 6–7(7), after Mauresmo led 4–1 in the final set and had a match point in the tiebreak. This was Mauresmo's third loss in the last four matches with Petrova. In her next tournament at the Proximus Diamond Games
Proximus Diamond Games
The Proximus Diamond Games was a professional tennis tournament held in Antwerp, Belgium. Held since 2002, the tournament takes place in the Sportpaleis, and was played at the beginning of February...
in Antwerp, Belgium, Mauresmo defeated Kim Clijsters
Kim Clijsters
Kim Antonie Lode Clijsters is a Belgian professional tennis player. As of 7 November 2011, Clijsters is ranked No. 13 in singles. Clijsters is a former World No. 1 in both singles and doubles....
in the final. This was Mauresmo's third consecutive title there, earning her the diamond-encrusted racquet
Racquet
A racquet or racket is a sports implement consisting of a handled frame with an open hoop across which a network of cord is stretched tightly. It is used for striking a ball in such games as squash, tennis, racquetball, and badminton...
that comes with winning the title at least three times in five years. The trophy cost US$1.3 million. Mauresmo then played the Dubai Duty Free Women's Open, where she lost to Justine Henin in the final.
On 16 March 2007, Mauresmo received the Chevalier
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
of the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
from President Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
.
Mauresmo was scheduled to play the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida
Key Biscayne, Florida
Key Biscayne is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States on the island of Key Biscayne. The population was 10,507 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,324....
, but was forced to withdraw because of acute appendicitis
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
. She also withdrew from the Bausch & Lomb Championships
Bausch & Lomb Championships
The MPS Group Championships was a women's tennis tournament held in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, United States. The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event was an International series tournament played on outdoor green clay courts from 1980 to 2010.-History:...
in Amelia Island, Florida for the same reason. Although she had resumed training, she was not fit enough to compete at the J & S Cup in Warsaw, Poland.
At the Qatar Telecom German Open
Qatar Telecom German Open
The German Open, sponsored from 2006 through 2008 as the Qatar Telecom German Open, was a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women played in Berlin, Germany. Held since 1896, it was one of the oldest tournaments for women...
in Berlin, Mauresmo lost in the third round to Julia Vakulenko
Julia Vakulenko
Julia Olegovna Vakulenko is a professional Ukraine-born female tennis player. She achieved her career high ranking of No...
of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, and at the Internazionali d'Italia
Rome Masters
The Italian Open is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. It is the most prestigious red clay tennis tournament in the world after the French Open, with the men's competition being an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, and the women's...
in Rome, she lost in the second round to Australian Samantha Stosur
Samantha Stosur
Samantha "Sam" Jane Stosur is an Australian professional tennis player. She won the 2011 US Open singles title and was a finalist at the 2010 French Open. Stosur is ranked World No. 6 and her career high in singles is World No. 4, achieved on 21 February 2011. She is a former world No...
, 7–5, 7–6(4), 6–7(7), after Mauresmo led 5–3 in the third set. Going into the French Open
2007 French Open
The 2007 French Open was held in Paris, France from 27 May through to 10 June 2007. Followed two weeks later, as usual, by Wimbledon in London, United Kingdom. Rafael Nadal became the first man to win the tournament 3 times consecutively since Björn Borg, 1978–81; and maintained his unbeaten run...
, Mauresmo had played only three tournaments since the end of February. Mauresmo lost to Czech Lucie Šafářová
Lucie Šafárová
Lucie Šafářová is a professional Czech tennis player. She was born in Brno.Šafářová has won four WTA tour singles titles and reached the quarterfinals of the 2007 Australian Open, upsetting defending champion Amélie Mauresmo en-route...
in the third round, 3–6, 6–7(4), committing eight double faults and 49 unforced errors.
After losing to Henin in the final of the International Women's Open in Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
, 5–7, 7–6(4), 6–7(2), after being up 4–1 in the deciding set, defending champion Mauresmo went into Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
saying that she was ready to win another major title. However, she lost her fourth round match against Czech teen Nicole Vaidišová
Nicole Vaidišová
Nicole Vaidišová is a retired Czech tennis player.Vaidišová was an Australian Open and French Open semifinalist and also reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. Vaidišová started playing tennis when she was six years old, enrolling to train at Nick Bollettieri's tennis academy in Bradenton,...
, 6–7(6), 6–4, 1–6. The loss dropped her to world no. 6, her first time outside the top five since November 2003.
Mauresmo withdrew from the last Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
tournament of the year, the US Open, because of a lack of fitness.
She made her return to the tour at the China Open
China Open (tennis)
The China Open is an annual professional tennis tournament held in Beijing, China. The men's singles and doubles events were first held in 1993, the year in which the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championships were also introduced to the men's tour, as the ATP opened a series of new tournaments in...
in Beijing. However, she lost in the quarterfinals to homecrowd favourite Peng Shuai
Peng Shuai
Peng Shuai is a Chinese professional female tennis player. She won a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games, defeating Akgul Amanmuradova in the final...
. She then entered the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is a tennis tournament held in Stuttgart, Germany . Held since 1978, the tournament is the oldest women's indoor tournament in Europe. Currently it is a Tier II tournament on the WTA Tour. The singles champion also receives a Porsche 911 Carrera sports car in addition...
, where she lost to Elena Dementieva
Elena Dementieva
Elena Viatcheslavovna Dementieva is a retired Russian professional tennis player. Dementieva is most notable for winning the singles gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She won 16 WTA singles titles and reached the finals of the 2004 French Open and 2004 US Open. Dementieva achieved a...
in straight sets. At the Kremlin Cup
Kremlin Cup
The Kremlin Cup is a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the ATP Tour and is a Premier Tournament on the WTA Tour...
in Moscow, Mauresmo lost in the first round to Vera Zvonareva
Vera Zvonareva
Vera Zvonareva is a professional tennis player from Russia. She was introduced to tennis at the age of six and turned professional in 2000. Her career high is World No. 2 by the WTA, and she is currently ranked as the World No. 7. Zvonarёva has won twelve WTA Tour singles titles and reached the...
. In Zürich
2007 Zürich Open
2007 Zurich Open is a Tier I tennis event on the 2007 WTA Tour.Justine Henin won her second title here, her first coming in 2003. Tatiana Golovin reached her first Tier I tournament final.-Women's Singles:...
, Mauresmo lost in the second round to Alona Bondarenko in three sets.
Mauresmo left Dunlop
Slazenger
Slazenger is a British sports equipment brand name sold throughout the world, involving a variety of sporting categories namely cricket, tennis and hockey...
for HEAD
Head (company)
Head N.V. is a sports equipment and clothing company, known mainly for their alpine skis and tennis racquets. Founded as a ski company in Baltimore, Maryland, the company is currently headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Kennelbach, Austria...
racquets. The partnership was to run through 2010.
2008
Her first tournament of the year was the Tier III Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts in Gold Coast, Australia, where she lost in the quarterfinals to fourth-seeded Patty SchnyderPatty Schnyder
Patty Schnyder is a retired Swiss professional tennis player. She played on the WTA tour from 1993 to 2011 and is a former World No. 7. She defeated several World No...
. At the Australian Open
2008 Australian Open
The 2008 Australian Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 96th edition of the Australian Open, and the first Grand Slam event of the year. It took place at the Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, from 14 through 27 January 2008.After twenty years of playing on...
in Melbourne, Mauresmo lost in the third round to Australian Casey Dellacqua
Casey Dellacqua
Casey Dellacqua is an Australian professional tennis player who currently resides in Perth, Western Australia. She was previously coached by former Australian player Nicole Pratt, before the two decided to part ways prior to the 2009 Australian Open...
, 6–3, 4–6, 4–6.
At her next tournament, the Tier II Open Gaz de France
Open Gaz de France
Open GDF Suez, formerly Open Gaz de France, is a Premier level tennis tournament on the WTA Tour held in Paris, France. Held since 1993, the tournament is played on indoor hardcourts....
in Paris, Mauresmo lost in the quarterfinals to Anna Chakvetadze
Anna Chakvetadze
Anna Djambulilovna Chakvetadze is a Russian professional tennis player . On September 10, 2007, she reached her career-high professional singles ranking of World No. 5. She has won eight WTA Singles Titles and appeared in the 2007 US Open semifinals. As of July 4, 2011, Chakvetadze is ranked World...
,6–3, 3–6, 3–6.
Mauresmo played both tournaments in the Middle East. At the Tier I Qatar Total Open
Qatar Total Open
The Qatar Ladies Open , known as the Qatar Total Open for sponsorship reasons, is tennis tournament held in Doha, Qatar. Held since 2001, this WTA Tour event was a Tier I-tournament in 2008, and was played on outdoor hardcourts. Total S.A. was the main tournament sponsor...
in Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
, she lost in the second round to Tamarine Tanasugarn
Tamarine Tanasugarn
Tamarine Tanasugarn is a professional Thai tennis player. She was born in Los Angeles, United States, and turned professional in 1994. She has been in the top 20 in both singles and doubles....
, 6–7(7), 5–7. At the Tier II Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships
Dubai Tennis Championships
The Dubai Tennis Championships is a professional tennis tournament owned and organized by Dubai Duty Free and held annually in Dubai, United Arab...
, Mauresmo reached her third quarterfinal of the year, but was unable to hold off second seed and eventual finalist Svetlana Kuznetsova
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Svetlana Aleksandrovna Kuznetsova ; born June 27, 1985) is a Russian professional tennis player and as of October 10, 2011 ranked No. 21 in the WTA singles and No. 90 in the doubles ranking. Kuznetsova has appeared in four singles Grand Slam finals, winning two, and has also appeared in six doubles...
, losing 1–6, 6–7.
Mauresmo then lost in the third round of Tier I events, the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California
Indian Wells, California
Indian Wells is a city in Riverside County, California, in the Coachella Valley , in between Palm Desert and La Quinta. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,958....
and the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida
Key Biscayne, Florida
Key Biscayne is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States on the island of Key Biscayne. The population was 10,507 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,324....
.
On clay
Clay court
A clay court is one of the four different types of tennis court. Clay courts are made of crushed shale, stone or brick. The red clay is slower than the green, or Har-Tru "American" clay. The French Open uses clay courts, making it unique among the Grand Slam tournaments.Clay courts are more common...
at the Bausch & Lomb Championships
Bausch & Lomb Championships
The MPS Group Championships was a women's tennis tournament held in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, United States. The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event was an International series tournament played on outdoor green clay courts from 1980 to 2010.-History:...
in Amelia Island, Florida, Mauresmo lost in the quarterfinals to eventual runner-up Dominika Cibulková
Dominika Cibulková
Dominika Cibulková is a Slovak professional tennis player. She is also a former World Junior No. 3, achieving that ranking in May 2005. Her career-high ranking of World No. 12 was achieved on 6 July 2009...
.
At the French Open, Mauresmo lost in the second round to a Spanish qualifier, Carla Suárez Navarro
Carla Suarez Navarro
Carla Suárez Navarro is a Spanish tennis player. She began playing for Spain in the 2008 Fed Cup. On May 18, 2009, she reached her career high ranking at World No. 22.-2008:...
, 3–6, 4–6.
At the International Women's Open in Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
, United Kingdom, Mauresmo defeated sixth-seeded French woman Alizé Cornet
Alizé Cornet
Alizé Cornet is a French professional tennis player and the current French number three . She was born in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, and has a career-high ranking of No. 11, achieved on 16 February 2009; as of 4 July 2011 she is ranked World No. 69...
in the first round, 6–1, 4–6, 7–5, but lost in the second round after retiring due to injury from her match with Australian Samantha Stosur
Samantha Stosur
Samantha "Sam" Jane Stosur is an Australian professional tennis player. She won the 2011 US Open singles title and was a finalist at the 2010 French Open. Stosur is ranked World No. 6 and her career high in singles is World No. 4, achieved on 21 February 2011. She is a former world No...
while Mauresmo was leading 2–1.
At Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
, Mauresmo lost in the third round to two-time former champion Serena Williams
Serena Williams
Serena Jameka Williams is an American professional tennis player and a former world no. 1. The Women's Tennis Association has ranked her world no. 1 in singles on five separate occasions. She became the world no. 1 for the first time on July 8, 2002 and regained this ranking for the fifth time on...
, 6–7(5), 1–6. Hampered by a thigh injury, Mauresmo trailed 5–0 in the second set before breaking Williams's serve, only to be broken herself in the next game and lose the match. Mauresmo said after the match, "I was not 100% in my movement but overall I thought there were some good moments in the first set. But I really started to feel the injury in the tiebreak, and I'm not going to talk about the second set."
Mauresmo declined the nomination by the French Tennis Federation to play in the Olympic Games
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
after Mary Pierce
Mary Pierce
Mary Pierce is a French-American tennis professional playing on the Women's Tennis Association tour. She is a citizen of France, Canada, and the United States but plays for France in team competitions and the Olympics.Pierce has won four Grand Slam titles, two in singles and two in doubles...
withdrew. Pauline Parmentier
Pauline Parmentier
Pauline Parmentier is a professional tennis player from France. Her career high was #40, achieved on 21 July 2008 and her highest ranking in doubles was World Number 146 on 15 June 2009.-Background:...
was then nominated.
Mauresmo, after a two-month hiatus from tennis due to a thigh injury sustained at Wimbledon, lost in the semifinals of the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
to Nathalie Dechy
Nathalie Dechy
Nathalie Dechy is a French former professional tour tennis player.Dechy is a three-time doubles Grand Slam champion, winning the 2006 US Open women's doubles title with Vera Zvonareva, the 2007 French Open mixed doubles title with Andy Ram, and the 2007 US Open women's doubles title with Dinara...
, 4–6, 6–3, 2–6. After the match, Mauresmo, sounding optimistic about her chances at the upcoming US Open
U.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...
, said "I got four matches in this week, which is what I was looking for. It would have been great to play five but I'll go to New Haven
Pilot Pen Tennis
This article is about the former New Haven joint tennis event. It is now a women's-only event. For the New Haven men's tennis event known as Volvo International , click here....
(Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
) hoping to find a little more rhythm and build up to the US Open." Mauresmo then lost in the semifinals of the Pilot Pen Tennis
Pilot Pen Tennis
This article is about the former New Haven joint tennis event. It is now a women's-only event. For the New Haven men's tennis event known as Volvo International , click here....
tournament (in New Haven) to top-seeded Chakvetadze 6–3, 3–6, 6–1. At the US Open, Mauresmo lost in the fourth round to 16th-seeded Flavia Pennetta
Flavia Pennetta
Flavia Pennetta is an Italian professional tennis player. She became Italy's first top 10 female singles player on 17 August 2009 and also the first ever Italian Tennis player to be ranked No.1 in Doubles on 28 February 2011. As of 10 October 2011, Pennetta is ranked World No. 18 in singles and...
6–3, 6–0.
On 29 September, Mauresmo announced that she would split from her long-time coach, Loic Courteau
Loïc Courteau
Loïc Courteau is a former French tennis player. Courteau has coached the French Fed Cup team in years past, and has been the coach of Amélie Mauresmo, the winner of two Grand Slams, since 2002. He reached a career high ranking of World No. 159 on 22 November 1982...
.
Mauresmo lost in the first round at Tokyo and Beijing, both times in long three-set defeats by Dominika Cibulková
Dominika Cibulková
Dominika Cibulková is a Slovak professional tennis player. She is also a former World Junior No. 3, achieving that ranking in May 2005. Her career-high ranking of World No. 12 was achieved on 6 July 2009...
. She reached the second round in Moscow, falling to Dinara Safina
Dinara Safina
Dinara Mikhailovna Safina , born April 27, 1986 in Moscow, is a Russian professional tennis player of Tatar background. Safina's career high ranking is World No. 1....
, 7–6(2), 4–6, 4–6, and fell in the first round at Zurich to Belarusian teenager Victoria Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka is a Belarusian professional tennis player. Her career high and current ranking is world no. 3, which she first achieved on 12 September 2011. She became the highest-ranked Belarusian player ever, surpassing Natasha Zvereva by two spots....
.
She ended her year with a quarterfinal result at Luxembourg, losing to eventual champion Elena Dementieva
Elena Dementieva
Elena Viatcheslavovna Dementieva is a retired Russian professional tennis player. Dementieva is most notable for winning the singles gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She won 16 WTA singles titles and reached the finals of the 2004 French Open and 2004 US Open. Dementieva achieved a...
. Mauresmo ended the year ranked world no. 24, with a singles record of 32–19.
2009
Brisbane International
The Brisbane International is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour and of the WTA Premier tournaments of the Women's Tennis Association Tour...
tournament, Mauresmo defeated world no. 177 Jelena Dokić
Jelena Dokic
Jelena Dokić is an Australian female professional tennis player.During the height of her career, she played for Serbia and Montenegro and reached a career-high ranking of World No. 4 on 19 August 2002. After several family-related difficulties , she slowly slipped down the rankings in 2006...
in the first round, 7–6(9), 7–6(5), before defeating French compatriot Julie Coin
Julie Coin
Julie Coin is a professional French tennis player. Coin recorded the largest victory of her career by defeating the world's #1 ranked female singles player, and #1 seed, Ana Ivanović at the 2008 US Open. Her career high singles ranking is World No. 60, achieved on 27 July 2009. Her career high...
in the second round, 5–7, 6–2, 7–6(11) in 3 hours, 14 minutes. The fifth-seeded Mauresmo then upset top-seeded Ana Ivanović
Ana Ivanovic
Ana Ivanović is a former world no. 1 Serbian tennis player. As of November 7, 2011, she is ranked 22th on the WTA rankings. She beat Dinara Safina to win the 2008 French Open and was the runner-up in singles at the 2007 French Open and the 2008 Australian Open...
in the quarterfinals, 6–3, 6–2, before retiring in her semifinal match against third-seeded Frenchwoman, Marion Bartoli
Marion Bartoli
Marion Bartoli is a French professional tennis player and the current French no. 1. She has won seven Women's Tennis Association singles titles and three doubles titles. She was also a runner-up at the 2007 Wimbledon Championships....
, while trailing 0–4 in the first set. At the Australian Open
2009 Australian Open - Women's Singles
Maria Sharapova was the defending champion, but chose not to participate this year, due to a shoulder injury.Serena Williams won in the final 6–0, 6–3, against Dinara Safina.-Seeds:# Jelena Janković ...
, Mauresmo lost in the third round to Victoria Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka is a Belarusian professional tennis player. Her career high and current ranking is world no. 3, which she first achieved on 12 September 2011. She became the highest-ranked Belarusian player ever, surpassing Natasha Zvereva by two spots....
.
Mauresmo won her first tournament since 2007 by defeating Elena Dementieva
Elena Dementieva
Elena Viatcheslavovna Dementieva is a retired Russian professional tennis player. Dementieva is most notable for winning the singles gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She won 16 WTA singles titles and reached the finals of the 2004 French Open and 2004 US Open. Dementieva achieved a...
in the final of the Open GDF SUEZ
Open Gaz de France
Open GDF Suez, formerly Open Gaz de France, is a Premier level tennis tournament on the WTA Tour held in Paris, France. Held since 1993, the tournament is played on indoor hardcourts....
tournament in Paris.
Mauresmo lost in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California
Indian Wells, California
Indian Wells is a city in Riverside County, California, in the Coachella Valley , in between Palm Desert and La Quinta. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,958....
, the first Premier Mandatory
WTA Premier tournaments
Premier Tournaments is a category of tennis tournaments in the Women's Tennis Association tour.Premier events include:*Four "Premier Mandatory" events in Indian Wells, Key Biscayne, Madrid, and Beijing with prize money of $4.5 million....
event of the year, to Li Na
Li Na (tennis)
Li Na , goes first before the equivalent of a first name in some other nations. Her name off court in China is Li Na. When listed on the , she is known as Na Li. However, in the match, the commentators call her Li Na, and when her full name is listed in text on court, it is also written as Li Na.;...
, 5–7, 2–6. The next event on the WTA tour was another Premier Mandatory tournament, the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida
Key Biscayne, Florida
Key Biscayne is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States on the island of Key Biscayne. The population was 10,507 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,324....
. Mauresmo was seeded 20th there and lost in the fourth round to unseeded Australian Samantha Stosur
Samantha Stosur
Samantha "Sam" Jane Stosur is an Australian professional tennis player. She won the 2011 US Open singles title and was a finalist at the 2010 French Open. Stosur is ranked World No. 6 and her career high in singles is World No. 4, achieved on 21 February 2011. She is a former world No...
, 4–6, 4–6, but ended up winning the doubles event with her tennis partner Svetlana Kuznetsova
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Svetlana Aleksandrovna Kuznetsova ; born June 27, 1985) is a Russian professional tennis player and as of October 10, 2011 ranked No. 21 in the WTA singles and No. 90 in the doubles ranking. Kuznetsova has appeared in four singles Grand Slam finals, winning two, and has also appeared in six doubles...
, after ousting the world champions on their way to the cup.
At the Madrid Masters
Madrid Masters
There are two sporting events named the Madrid Masters:*Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open — a men's and women's tennis tournament*Madrid Masters...
, Mauresmo defeated Zheng Jie
Zheng Jie
Zheng Jie is a Chinese professional tennis player. Her career high ranking is World No. 15 which she achieved on May 18, 2009. As of August 15, 2011, Zheng is ranked World No. 65 in singles and World No. 20 in doubles....
in the second round, 6–2, 7–5. She then came from behind to defeat Elena Dementieva
Elena Dementieva
Elena Viatcheslavovna Dementieva is a retired Russian professional tennis player. Dementieva is most notable for winning the singles gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She won 16 WTA singles titles and reached the finals of the 2004 French Open and 2004 US Open. Dementieva achieved a...
, 1–6, 6–4, 6–2, and Ágnes Szávay
Ágnes Szávay
Ágnes Szávay is a professional tennis player from Hungary. She is the country's highest ranked tennis player. She was the WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2007. She achieved her career high ranking of World No. 13 on April 14, 2008.- Background :...
, 5–7, 6–1, 6–1, in the third round and quarterfinal respectively. She lost against fast-rising teenager star Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline Wozniacki is a Danish professional tennis player. She is the current world no. 1 on the WTA Tour. As of 7 November 2011, she has held this position for 56 weeks...
, 6–7(1) 3–6, in the semifinals.
Mauresmo lost against Anna-Lena Grönefeld
Anna-Lena Grönefeld
Anna-Lena Grönefeld is a professional tennis player from Germany. She turned professional in April 2003.As of September 2011, Grönefeld is the No. 12 tennis player from Germany. She was coached and trained by Rafael Font de Mora in Scottsdale, Arizona until 2006...
, 4–6, 3–6, in the first round of the French Open
2009 French Open
The 2009 French Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 108th edition of the French Open, and the second Grand Slam event of the year...
.
Mauresmo was the 17th seed at the 2009 Wimbledon Championships
2009 Wimbledon Championships
The 2009 Wimbledon Championships took place on the outdoor grass courts at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, from Monday 22 June through to Sunday 5 July 2009...
. She opened with a 6–1, 4–6, 6–2 win over Melinda Czink
Melinda Czink
Melinda Czink is a Hungarian professional female tennis player. On September 21, 2009 Czink reached her career-high singles ranking of World No. 37....
. She then defeated Kristína Kučová
Kristína Kucová
Kristína Kučová is a tennis player from Slovakia. Her highest juniors ranking was World Number 3. According to the International Tennis Federation, Kučová's favorite type of court is the clay court, she hits a two-handed forehand and backhand , and her father, Jozef Kuča, also coaches her...
and Flavia Pennetta
Flavia Pennetta
Flavia Pennetta is an Italian professional tennis player. She became Italy's first top 10 female singles player on 17 August 2009 and also the first ever Italian Tennis player to be ranked No.1 in Doubles on 28 February 2011. As of 10 October 2011, Pennetta is ranked World No. 18 in singles and...
. Her fourth round match against the first seed Dinara Safina
Dinara Safina
Dinara Mikhailovna Safina , born April 27, 1986 in Moscow, is a Russian professional tennis player of Tatar background. Safina's career high ranking is World No. 1....
became a part of tennis history as it was the first competitive match in which the new, multimillion-pound roof closed due to rain. Mauresmo went on to lose the match, 6–4, 3–6, 4–6.
At the 2009 US Open
2009 US Open (tennis)
The 2009 US Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts, held from August 31 to September 14, 2009 in the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows, New York City, United States. Originally, it was scheduled to end with the mens' singles final match on Sunday,...
, Mauresmo was the 17th seed, but lost to unseeded Aleksandra Wozniak
Aleksandra Wozniak
Aleksandra Wozniak is a Canadian professional tennis player. She turned professional in November 2005. Wozniak achieved a career-best ranking of no. 21 on June 22, 2009, making her the fourth-highest ranked Canadian singles player of all time. She has won one WTA and eight ITF tournaments...
, 4–6, 0–6, in the second round.
Mauresmo announced at a press conference on 8 October 2009 that she was considering retiring from tennis. On 3 December 2009, she officially announced her retirement from tennis at a press conference in Paris.
2010–11
In June and July 2010, Mauresmo temporarily coached fellow French male player Michaël Llodra during the grass season.On 7 November, Mauresmo ran her first marathon at the 2010 New York City Marathon
2010 New York City Marathon
The 41st New York City Marathon took place on Sunday , 2010. Sponsored by ING, the competition was the fifth World Marathon Major of 2010 and an IAAF Gold Label Road Race. A record 45,344 people were entered into the race. Ethiopian runner Gebregziabher Gebremariam won the men's race in a time of...
, finishing 3hr: 40m: 20s.
At the 2011 French Open
2011 French Open
The 2011 French Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 110th edition of the French Open, and the second Grand Slam event of the year...
, Mauresmo was set to be reunited with Llodra, making her professional return in the mixed doubles competition, but was disqualified before competing, as she had not re-registered for the anti-doping procedures required to compete on the tour.
Performance at Grand Slam tournaments
Although Mauresmo had been one of the top singles players for several years, she did not have success in winning Grand SlamGrand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
tournaments until 2006. Her talents were never questioned, but Mauresmo was criticized for her mental strength after succumbing to nerves in those events. In consecutive Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
championships, she lost to Serena Williams
Serena Williams
Serena Jameka Williams is an American professional tennis player and a former world no. 1. The Women's Tennis Association has ranked her world no. 1 in singles on five separate occasions. She became the world no. 1 for the first time on July 8, 2002 and regained this ranking for the fifth time on...
and Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay Ann Davenport is a former World No. 1 American professional tennis player. She has won three Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal in singles. In 2005, TENNIS Magazine ranked her as the 29th-best player of the preceding forty years...
after leading comfortably. Before her 2006 Australian Open
2006 Australian Open
The 2006 Australian Open was played between 16 and 29 January 2006.- Leadup :Several leading men's players declined to attend the Open due to injury, including Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and defending champion Marat Safin....
title, Mauresmo was often touted as "the greatest women's player never to win a Grand Slam." After winning the 2006 Wimbledon title, Mauresmo openly joked, "I don’t want anyone to talk about my nerves any more."
Mauresmo is one of the few tennis players, male or female, to have reached the top ranking without first winning a Grand Slam singles title. Other players who had done so were Belgian Kim Clijsters
Kim Clijsters
Kim Antonie Lode Clijsters is a Belgian professional tennis player. As of 7 November 2011, Clijsters is ranked No. 13 in singles. Clijsters is a former World No. 1 in both singles and doubles....
, who ascended to the top spot in 2003, two years before winning her first Grand Slam singles title at the 2005 U.S. Open; Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis...
, who first reached world no. 1 in 1983, before winning any of his eight Grand Slam singles titles; Marcelo Ríos
Marcelo Ríos
Marcelo Andrés Ríos Mayorga is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Chile. Nicknamed El Chino and El zurdo de Vitacura , he became the first Latin American player to reach the top position on the Association of Tennis Professionals singles rankings in 1998. He held the World No...
of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, who reached world no. 1 in 1998 but never won a Grand Slam singles title; Jelena Janković
Jelena Janković
Jelena Janković is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from Serbia. She reached the final of the 2008 US Open and won the 2007 Wimbledon Mixed Doubles title. Janković is ranked world no...
of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
who reached world no. 1 in 2008 without winning a Grand Slam singles title; Dinara Safina
Dinara Safina
Dinara Mikhailovna Safina , born April 27, 1986 in Moscow, is a Russian professional tennis player of Tatar background. Safina's career high ranking is World No. 1....
, who reached World No. 1 in 2009 without winning a Grand Slam singles title; and Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline Wozniacki is a Danish professional tennis player. She is the current world no. 1 on the WTA Tour. As of 7 November 2011, she has held this position for 56 weeks...
, who reached world no. 1 in 2010.
Fed Cup and Olympic teams
- French Fed CupFrance Fed Cup teamThe France Fed Cup team represents France in Fed Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Fédération Française de Tennis. They currently compete in the World Group.-Current Team:* Alizé Cornet* Mathilde Johansson* Pauline Parmentier...
team: 1998–99, 2001–05. - French OlympicSummer Olympic GamesThe Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
team: 2000, 2004