Katarina Srebotnik


Katarina Srebotnik is a professional tennis player from Slovenia. She reached her career-high singles ranking of world No. 20 on 7 August 2006. On 4 July 2011, she reached No. 1 of the WTA doubles rankings.
Srebotnik won four singles titles on the WTA Tour and was a steady top-30 player for several years. However, she had her best results on the doubles circuit, winning 39 titles, including one Grand Slam title as well as five Grand Slam titles in mixed doubles.

Career

As junior, she won the 1998 Wimbledon singles title and was singles runner-up at the US Open. Srebotnik attained the second spot on the junior rankings in 1997 and 1998. She was mentored by Gabriela Sabatini.

Tour debut (1995–1999)

Srebotnik made her ITF debut in 1995.
She won the ITF singles tournament in Ismailia, Zadar ; Šibenik and in Dubai. In 1998, Srebotnik won her first Tour doubles title at the Makarska Open, and later that year was a doubles finalist at Maria Lankowitz.
In 1999, her win at the ITF tournament in Dubai, gave her direct entry into her first singles Tour event at Estoril, where she became the fourth player to win her Tour debut event by defeating Rita Kuti-Kis in the final. She broke into the top 100 on April 12, 1999 at No. 88.
Srebotnik reached the semifinals at Palermo, and played in her first Grand Slam main draw at Roland Garros. She won the mixed-doubles tournament with Piet Norval.

2000–2004

Srebotnik reached her first Tier I semifinal in Tokyo at the Pan Pacific, which she lost to Sandrine Testud. On 7 February 2000, Srebotnik broke into the top 50 at No. 49. She won her fourth career doubles title at Estoril.
Srebotnik and Križan won their only doubles title of 2001 at Hawaii. They reached their biggest doubles final of their career in Toronto at the Canadian Open by defeating Martina Navratilova and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the semifinals, and they were doubles finalists at Estoril. They qualified for their debut doubles season-ending championships. Srebotnik reached a career-high doubles of No. 19 on 8 October.
In 2002, Srebotnik reached the finals at Bogotá and Acapulco in the final. She reached the fourth round at Roland Garros, which is her career-best Grand Slam. Srebotnik later achieved her then-best win at Los Angeles by defeating No. 6 Kim Clijsters. She reached the semifinals in Luxembourg. She achieved her second appearance at the doubles season-ending championships with Krizan.
2003 saw Srebotnik reaching her fourth tour final at Palermo. She won the Bogotá doubles title with Asa Svensson, and reached her second Tier I quarterfinals in Toronto at the Canadian Open. She won her second Grand Slam mixed-doubles title at the US Open, this time with Bob Bryan.
Her 2004 season was highlighted by reaching the semifinals at Palermo and the quarterfinals at Strasbourg and Forest Hills.
Srebotnik won her seventh doubles title in Tokyo at the Japan Open.

2005

Her best season to date was highlighted by two singles and four doubles titles as well as a career-best victory over Amélie Mauresmo.
Srebotnik captured her third and fourth career WTA Tour singles titles at Auckland and in Stockholm.
She was the only player in 2005 to sweep singles and doubles titles twice. She also finished runner-up at Portorož, losing to Klára Zakopalová in three sets in the final. She also became runner-up in doubles with Jelena Kostanic.
Srebotnik reached the quarterfinals five times: at Tier II at Antwerp, Tier I Charleston, Budapest, Tier I Zurich, and Hasselt.
Her best finish in a major was a third-round loss at Wimbledon to Maria Sharapova.
A new career-high singles ranking of No. 28 came on 7 November.
In addition to Auckland and Stockholm, Srebotnik won doubles titles at Budapest and Hasselt. She reached the US Open mixed-doubles final.

2006

Srebotnik opened the 2006 season with an early exit at the Auckland Open. Two weeks later at the Australian Open, with partner Shinobu Asagoe, she made it to the semifinals in doubles, losing to Yan Zi and Zheng Jie. She won doubles titles in Antwerp and Amelia Island. At the French Open, she won the mixed doubles championship with Nenad Zimonjić.
At the US Open, she reached the doubles final partnering Dinara Safina. In Stuttgart, she reached the semifinals in doubles with Dinara Safina. At the Zurich Open, Srebotnik reached the semifinals of a Tier I tournament for the first time in six years. Also, Srebotnik and Liezel Huber reached the doubles final. In her final event of the season at the Linz Open, Srebotnikreached the doubles final with Corina Morariu.

2008

At the French Open, Srebotnik caused an upset when she defeated Serena Williams, whom she had never beaten in four previous attempts, in the third round. At the US Open in the same year, she upset former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the third round. On both occasions, she lost to Patty Schnyder in the next round.

2010

In that year, Srebotnik teamed with Květa Peschke, and won the WTA tournaments of Indian Wells and New Haven, and reached the final of the WTA Championships in Doha.
Srebotnik had an excellent doubles outing at the French Open. In the ladies' doubles, she and Peschke defeated the second seeds Nuria Llagostera Vives and María José Martínez Sánchez in the semifinals, but lost to Serena and Venus Williams in the final. She also partnered with Nenad Zimonjić to win the mixed doubles title with a thrilling tiebreak win against Yaroslava Shvedova and Julian Knowle.
Srebotnik and Peschke reached the Rogers Cup doubles final. It was the second time this year that Srebotnik and Peschke reached a final of a Premier-5 tournament after Dubai in February.
At the end of the 2010 season, Srebotnik announced that she would focus on doubles for the remainder of her career.

Major finals

Women's doubles: 5 (1–4)

Mixed doubles: 11 (5–6)

WTA career finals

Singles: 10 (4 titles, 6 runner-ups)

OutcomeNo.DateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Winner1.11 April 1999Portugal Open, EstorilClay Rita Kuti-Kis6–3, 6–1
Runner-up1.24 February 2002Copa Colsanitas, BogotáClay Fabiola Zuluaga1–6, 4–6
Winner2.3 March 2002Abierto Mexicano Telcel, AcapulcoClay Paola Suárez6–7, 6–4, 6–2
Runner-up2.13 July 2003Internazionali Femminili di PalermoClay Dinara Safina3–6, 4–6
Winner3.8 January 2005Auckland OpenHard Shinobu Asagoe5–7, 7–5, 6–4
Winner4.14 August 2005Nordic Light Open, StockholmHard Anastasia Myskina7–5, 6–2
Runner-up3.25 September 2005Slovenia Open, PortorožHard Klára Koukalová2–6, 6–4, 3–6
Runner-up4.25 July 2006Western & Southern Open, CincinnatiHard Vera Zvonareva2–6, 4–6
Runner-up5.23 September 2007Slovenia Open, PortorožHard Tatiana Golovin6–2, 4–6, 4–6
Runner-up6.25 May 2008Internationaux de StrasbourgClay Anabel Medina Garrigues6–4, 6–7, 0–6

Doubles: 82 (39 titles, 43 runner-ups)

OutcomeNo.DateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Winner1.19 April 1998Makarska International ChampionshipsClay Tina Križan Karin Kschwendt
Evgenia Kulikovskaya
7–6, 6–1
Runner-up1.12 July 1998Austrian Open, Maria LankowitzClay Tina Križan Laura Montalvo
Paola Suárez
1–6, 2–6
Winner2.16 May 1999Proximus Diamond Games, AntwerpHard Laura Golarsa Louise Pleming
Meghann Shaughnessy
6–4, 6–2
Winner3.18 July 1999Internazionali Femminili di PalermoClay Tina Križan Åsa Carlsson
Sonya Jeyaseelan
4–6, 6–3, 6–0
Runner-up2.26 September 1999BGL Luxembourg OpenHard Tina Križan Irina Spîrlea
Caroline Vis
1–6, 2–6
Winner4.16 April 2000Portugal Open, EstorilClay Tina Križan Amanda Hopmans
Cristina Torrens Valero
6–0, 7–6
Runner-up3.7 May 2000Croatian Bol Ladies OpenClay Tina Križan Julie Halard-Decugis
Corina Morariu
2–6, 2–6
Runner-up4.15 October 2000Japan Open, TokyoHard Tina Križan Julie Halard-Decugis
Corina Morariu
1–6, 2–6
Runner-up5.19 November 2000PTT Pattaya Open, Pattaya CityHard Tina Križan Yayuk Basuki
Caroline Vis
3–6, 3–6
Runner-up6.15 April 2001Portugal Open, EstorilClay Tina Križan Květa Hrdličková
Barbara Rittner
6–3, 5–7, 1–6
Runner-up7.19 August 2001Canadian Open, TorontoHard Tina Križan Kimberly Po-Messerli
Nicole Pratt
3–6, 1–6
Winner5.10 September 2001Waikoloa Championships, HawaiiHard Tina Križan Els Callens
Nicole Pratt
6–2, 6–3
Runner-up8.24 February 2002Copa Colsanitas, BogotáClay Tina Križan Virginia Ruano Pascual
Paola Suárez
2–6, 1–6
Runner-up9.3 March 2002Abierto Mexicano Telcel, AcapulcoClay Tina Križan Virginia Ruano Pascual
Paola Suárez
5–7, 1–6
Winner6.17 February 2003Copa Colsanitas, BogotáClay Åsa Svensson Tina Križan
Tatiana Perebiynis
6–2, 6–1
Runner-up10.11 April 2004Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem, CasablancaClay Els Callens Marion Bartoli
Émilie Loit
4–6, 2–6
Runner-up11.23 May 2004Internationaux de StrasbourgClay Tina Križan Lisa McShea
Milagros Sequera
4–6, 1–6
Winner7.4 October 2004Japan Open, TokyoHard Shinobu Asagoe Jennifer Hopkins
Mashona Washington
6–1, 6–4
Winner8.3 January 2005Auckland OpenHard Shinobu Asagoe Leanne Baker
Francesca Lubiani
6–3, 6–3
Winner9.25 July 2005Budapest Grand PrixClay Émilie Loit Lourdes Domínguez Lino
Marta Marrero
6–1, 3–6, 6–2
Winner10.8 August 2005Nordic Light Open, StockholmHard Émilie Loit Eva Birnerová
Mara Santangelo
6–4, 6–3
Runner-up12.25 September 2005Slovenia Open, PortorožHard Jelena Kostanić Anabel Medina Garrigues
Roberta Vinci
4–6, 7–5, 2–6
Winner11.24 October 2005Gaz de France Stars, HasseltHard Émilie Loit Michaëlla Krajicek
Ágnes Szávay
6–3, 6–4
Winner12.13 February 2006Proximus Diamond Games, AntwerpHard Dinara Safina Stéphanie Foretz
Michaëlla Krajicek
6–1, 6–1
Winner13.3 April 2006Bausch & Lomb Championships, Amelia IslandClay Shinobu Asagoe Liezel Huber
Sania Mirza
6–2, 6–4
Runner-up13.7 May 2006Warsaw Open, PolandClay Anabel Medina Garrigues Elena Likhovtseva
Anastasia Myskina
3–6, 4–6
Runner-up14.8 September 2006US OpenHard Dinara Safina Nathalie Dechy
Vera Zvonareva
6–7, 5–7
Runner-up15.22 October 2006Zurich Open, SwitzerlandHard Liezel Huber Cara Black
Rennae Stubbs
5–7, 5–7
Runner-up16.29 October 2006Generali Ladies Linz, AustriaHard Corina Morariu Lisa Raymond
Samantha Stosur
3–6, 0–6
Winner14.1 January 2007Brisbane International, Gold CoastHard Dinara Safina Iveta Benešová
Galina Voskoboeva
6–3, 6–4
Winner15.8 April 2007Bausch & Lomb Championships, Amelia IslandClay Mara Santangelo Anabel Medina Garrigues
Virginia Ruano Pascual
6–3, 7–6
Runner-up17.25 May 2007French OpenClay Ai Sugiyama Alicia Molik
Mara Santangelo
6–7, 4–6
Runner-up18.24 June 2007Wimbledon, LondonGrass Ai Sugiyama Cara Black
Liezel Huber
6–3, 3–6, 2–6
Winner16.19 August 2007Canada Masters, TorontoHard Ai Sugiyama Cara Black
Liezel Huber
6–4, 2–6,
Runner-up19.28 October 2007Generali Ladies LinzHard Ai Sugiyama Cara Black
Liezel Huber
2–6, 6–3,
Runner-up20.5 November 2007WTA Tour Championships, MadridHard Ai Sugiyama Cara Black
Liezel Huber
7–5, 3–6,
Winner17.6 April 2008Miami Masters, United StatesHard Ai Sugiyama Cara Black
Liezel Huber
7–5, 4–6,
Winner18.20 April 2008Family Circle Cup, CharlestonClay Ai Sugiyama Edina Gallovits
Olga Govortsova
6–2, 6–2
Winner19.12 October 2008Kremlin Cup, MoscowCarpet Nadia Petrova Cara Black
Liezel Huber
6–4, 6–4
Winner20.26 October 2008Generali Ladies LinzHard Ai Sugiyama Cara Black
Liezel Huber
6–4, 7–5
Winner21.18 October 2009Generali Ladies LinzHard Anna-Lena Grönefeld Klaudia Jans
Alicja Rosolska
6–1, 6–4
Runner-up21.21 February 2010Dubai Tennis ChampionshipsHard Květa Peschke Nuria Llagostera Vives
María José Martínez Sánchez
6–7, 4–6
Winner22.20 March 2010BNP Paribas Open, Indian WellsHard Květa Peschke Nadia Petrova
Samantha Stosur
6–4, 2–6,
Runner-up22.24 April 2010Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, StuttgartClay Květa Peschke Gisela Dulko
Flavia Pennetta
6–3, 6–7,
Runner-up23.25 May 2010French OpenClay Květa Peschke Serena Williams
Venus Williams
2–6, 3–6
Runner-up24.19 June 2010Eastbourne International, UKGrass Květa Peschke Lisa Raymond
Rennae Stubbs
6–2, 2–6,
Runner-up25.23 August 2010Canadian Open, MontrealHard Květa Peschke Gisela Dulko
Flavia Pennetta
5–7, 6–3,
Winner23.28 August 2010Pilot Pen Tennis, New HavenHard Květa Peschke Bethanie Mattek-Sands
Meghann Shaughnessy
7–5, 6–0
Runner-up26.17 October 2010Generali Ladies LinzHard Květa Peschke Renata Voráčová
Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová
5–7, 6–7
Runner-up27.31 October 2010WTA Tour Championships, DohaHard Květa Peschke Gisela Dulko
Flavia Pennetta
5–7, 4–6
Winner24.8 January 2011Auckland Open, AustraliaHard Květa Peschke Sofia Arvidsson
Marina Erakovic
6–3, 6–0
Runner-up28.14 January 2011Medibank International SydneyHard Květa Peschke Iveta Benešová
Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová
6–4, 4–6,
Runner-up29.20 February 2011Dubai Tennis ChampionshipsHard Květa Peschke Liezel Huber
María José Martínez Sánchez
6–7, 3–6
Winner25.26 February 2011Qatar Ladies Open, DohaHard Květa Peschke Liezel Huber
Nadia Petrova
7–5, 6–7,
Runner-up30.7 May 2011Madrid Open, SpainClay Květa Peschke Victoria Azarenka
Maria Kirilenko
4–6, 3–6
Winner26.18 June 2011Eastbourne International, UKGrass Květa Peschke Liezel Huber
Lisa Raymond
6–3, 6–0
Winner27.26 June 2011Wimbledon, LondonGrass Květa Peschke Sabine Lisicki
Samantha Stosur
6–3, 6–1
Winner28.7 August 2011Mercury Insurance Open, CarlsbadHard Květa Peschke Raquel Kops-Jones
Abigail Spears
6–0, 6–2
Winner29.8 October 2011China Open, BeijingHard Květa Peschke Gisela Dulko
Flavia Pennetta
6–3, 6–4
Runner-up31.30 October 2011WTA Tour Championships, IstanbulHard Květa Peschke Liezel Huber
Lisa Raymond
4–6, 4–6
Winner30.13 January 2012Apia International SydneyHard Květa Peschke Liezel Huber
Lisa Raymond
6–1, 4–6,
Runner-up32.12 August 2012Canadian Open, MontrealHard Nadia Petrova Klaudia Jans-Ignacik
Kristina Mladenovic
5–7, 6–2,
Runner-up33.19 August 2012Western & Southern Open, CincinnatiHard Zheng Jie Andrea Hlaváčková
Lucie Hradecká
1–6, 3–6
Winner31.11 January 2013Apia International SydneyHard Nadia Petrova Sara Errani
Roberta Vinci
6–3, 6–4
Runner-up34.17 February 2013Qatar Open, DohaHard Nadia Petrova Sara Errani
Roberta Vinci
6–2, 3–6,
Runner-up35.23 February 2013Dubai Tennis ChampionshipsHard Nadia Petrova Bethanie Mattek-Sands
Sania Mirza
4–6, 6–2,
Runner-up36.16 March 2013BNP Paribas Open, Indian WellsHard Nadia Petrova Ekaterina Makarova
Elena Vesnina
0–6, 7–5,
Winner32.31 March 2013Miami Open, United StatesHard Nadia Petrova Lisa Raymond
Laura Robson
6–1, 7–6
Winner33.22 June 2013Aegon International, EastbourneGrass Nadia Petrova Monica Niculescu
Klára Zakopalová
6–3, 6–3
Winner34.11 August 2013Canadian Open, TorontoHard Jelena Janković Anna-Lena Grönefeld
Květa Peschke
5–7, 6–2,
Runner-up37.24 August 2013New Haven Open at Yale, U.S.Hard Anabel Medina Garrigues Sania Mirza
Zheng Jie
3–6, 4–6
Runner-up38.16 February 2014Qatar Open, DohaHard Květa Peschke Hsieh Su-wei
Peng Shuai
4–6, 0–6
Winner3518 May 2014Internazionali BNL d'Italia, RomeClay Květa Peschke Sara Errani
Roberta Vinci
4–0 ret.
Runner-up39.10 January 2015Brisbane InternationalHard Caroline Garcia Martina Hingis
Sabine Lisicki
2–6, 5–7
Runner-up40.26 April 2015Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, StuttgartClay Caroline Garcia Bethanie Mattek-Sands
Lucie Šafářová
4–6, 3–6
Winner36.27 June 2015Aegon International, EastbourneGrass Caroline Garcia Chan Yung-jan
Zheng Jie
7–6, 6–2
Runner-up41.16 August 2015Canadian Open, TorontoHard Caroline Garcia Bethanie Mattek-Sands
Lucie Šafářová
1–6, 2–6
Winner37.18 February 2017Qatar Open, DohaHard Abigail Spears Olga Savchuk
Yaroslava Shvedova
6–3, 7–6
Runner-up42.30 April 2017Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, StuttgartClay Abigail Spears Raquel Atawo
Jeļena Ostapenko
4–6, 4–6
Runner-up43.4 February 2018St. Petersburg Ladies' TrophyHard Alla Kudryavtseva Timea Bacsinszky
Vera Zvonareva
6–2, 1–6,
Winner38.8 April 2018Charleston Open, U.S.Clay Alla Kudryavtseva Andreja Klepač
María José Martínez Sánchez
6–3, 6–3
Winner39.26 May 2018Nuremberg Cup, NürnbergClay Demi Schuurs Kirsten Flipkens
Johanna Larsson
3–6, 6–3,

ITF Circuit finals

Singles: 9 (6–3)

OutcomeNo.DateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Winner1.24 November 1996Ismailia, EgyptClay Nina Schwarz7–5, 7–6
Runner-up1.21 September 1997Biograd na Moru, CroatiaClay Ľudmila Cervanová4–6, 2–6
Winner2.29 September 1997Zadar, CroatiaClay Jelena Kostanić Tošić4–6, 6–4, 6–4
Runner-up2.2 November 1997Ramat HaSharon, IsraelHard Adriana Serra Zanetti4–6, 2–6
Runner-up3.12 April 1998Dubrovnik, CroatiaClay Nadia Petrova4–6, 5–7
Winner3.21 September 1998Šibenik, CroatiaClay Eszter Molnár6–1, 6–2
Winner4.1 March 1999Dubai, United Arab EmiratesHard Anne Kremer6–1, 6–1
Winner5.9 May 1999Bratislava, SlovakiaClay Kristie Boogert6–3, 6–1
Winner6.30 July 2001Lexington, United StatesHard Sabine Klaschka6–4, 7–5

Doubles: 22 (19–3)

Performance timelines

Singles

Doubles

Top 10 wins

Records