Nicole Vaidisova was ranked in the Top Ten at age 17 in 2007. She had reached the Semifinals of the French Open at the age of 16, then in 2007 won her way to the Semifinals of the Australian Open, and the Quarterfinals of the French Open and Wimbledon, while bowing out of the U.S. Open in the 3rd round. She racked up 6 Sonny Ericsson WTA Tour singles titles, plus two ITF Women’s Circuit singles titles, earning over $2.7 million.
It looked like a promising career as she ended 2007 ranked 12th in the world. But she went into a slump and her ranking began to plummet. In 2008 she ended the year ranked 41, and 2009 she dropped to 186. In 2009 she lost in the 1st round of the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon. She didn’t even play in the U.S. Open. What happened? What could have caused such a skid in a potentially great tennis career?
It seems Vaidisova is now content just to watch fiancé Radek Stepanek play tennis, instead of playing tennis herself. Instead of preparing for the upcoming Sony Ericsson Open, Vaidisova was wrapped in a blanket sitting in the stands at the Sunrise Tennis Club cheering on her fiancé, Radek Stepanek, the top seed at the BMW Tennis Championship Challenger last Wednesday evening.
“I’m just a tennis fan,” said Vaidisova, 20, who refused to confirm reports that she has turned down a wild card into the Sony, is retired and will marry her 17th-ranked compatriot. “You can talk to Radek.” However, the Czech Daily Report has quoted her stepfather and former coach Alex Kodat as saying she is, “fed up with tennis.” “Her agent told me last week. She’s fed up with tennis and that’s understandable. She started very young,” Kodat said.
Vaidisova, who is now ranked 216, is no longer listed among the active players on the Sony Ericsson WTA web site. Meanwhile Stepanek admitted that the two will be married, but left the retirement issue to his fiancée. “We are getting married,” said Stepanek, who finished 2009 a career-best 12th. “It’s great to have her by my side supporting me. It means so much to me. “This
So it would appear Vaidisova has turned her love of tennis into love for a tennis player. Her heart, which had been given to tennis for a short time, has now been given away to Stepanek. Instead of serving up love games on the court, she will be serving up love off the court. If that’s where her heart is, I’m all for her. Go Vaidisova!
