ESPN.com | Tennis | Player Index

Jana Novotna
Height: 5-foot-9
Weight: 139
Plays: Right-handed
Career Titles: 24
Birthplace: Brno, Czech Republic
Birthdate: Oct. 2, 1968


Career Highlights

1999

  • Has finished in at least the quarterfinals of four of five tournaments she has played -- falling in the quarterfinals twice (Evert Cup and Lipton Championships), seminfinals once (Pan Pacific Open) and beating Venus Williams to win the Faber Grand Prix, hir first title of the year.

    1998
    Won her first Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon, defeating Nathalie Tauziat 6-4, 7-6. At age 29 years and nine months became the oldest first-time Grand Slam singles winner in the Open Era. She teamed up with Martina Hingis to win the doubles crown to become the first woman since 1988 to win both the titles at Wimbledon.

  • The week before Wimbledon, earned her first grass court title at Eastbourne, joining an elite list of 18 others who have won titles on all four surfaces on the WTA Tour.

    One week after Wimbledon, won the title in Prague in her home country of the Czech Republic, her third straight title and fourth of the year -- she also won the EA-Generali Ladies Open.

  • Reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open, her best showing there in four years, and won the doubles title with Martina Hingis, her third Grand Slam doubles title of the year. She had a mathematical shot to earn the No. 1 ranking at the U.S. Open had she won the tournament

  • She had a 19-match winning streak.

    1997

  • Won the Chase Championships, the season-ending championships of the Tour by defeating No. 7 Mary Pierce in three straight sets of the best-of-five final.

    Reached the finals of Wimbledon, where she lost to Martina Hingis in three sets.

    1996
    Won a career-high four tournaments (Madrid, Zurich, Chicago, Philadelphia).

    Became the 24th player in the open era to reach 400 career wins.

    Surpassed $6 million in career prize money, becoming the seventh woman to do so.

    1995
    Won two of the four Grand Slam doubles titles -- the Australian Open and Wimbledon with Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.

  • 1993
    Played in the second-longest Wimbledon final in history, losing to Steffi Graf after two hours and 14 minutes.


  • TENNIS MEN: Results/Sched  |  Rankings  WOMEN: Results/Sched  |  Rankings

    Copyright 1995-98 ESPN/Starwave Partners d/b/a ESPN Internet Ventures. All rights reserved. Do not duplicate or redistribute in any form.ESPN.com Privacy Policy (Updated 01/08/98). Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service (Updated 01/12/98).