Ontennis
Nicole Vaidisova
In less than two years on the WTA Tour, Nicole Vaidisova has known little but success.
Vaidisova debuted in the world rankings after just her fourth pro event, and two weeks ago rose to a career high of No. 17. She arrives in Philadelphia for this week's Advanta Tennis Championships at Villanova having not lost in her last three tournaments.
So, she figures, why worry?
"Of course I get nervous on the court," Vaidisova said. "But if I win, I win. If I lose, I lose. There's no big pressure."
At 16, the native of Prague, the Czech Republic, is the latest rising teen star on the women's tennis circuit.
Fans appreciate her powerful serve, precise ground strokes and endurance. Marketing executives at Reebok and Yonex view her athletic, leggy physique and wholesome good looks as a means to sell products.
From the outside, 16-year-old Nicole Vaidisova appears to have the attributes necessary to become the next "big thing" in women's tennis. But Nick Bollettieri, who has worked with her since her arrival at his academy from the Czech Republic in 1999, says Vaidisova has an unseen quality possessed by champion performers.
"No one has to push her. She has the ambition to be the best in the world, and it's a driving force that comes through loud and clear," Bollettieri said. "Now that she is seeing what the tour is like, she's not content being the young plebe. She wants to be the seasoned veteran who establishes records.
"Nicole has an abundance of natural talent and is surrounded by a tremendous support team, starting with her father (and coach, Ales Kodat) and the people at IMG Academies. But most important, she has that fire. She is a perfect example of the kind of person I like to be involved with."
Some of her recent opponents can be forgiven if they don't share Bollettieri's enthusiasm. By winning the $200,000, Tier III Thailand Open last week in Bangkok with a 6-1, 6-7 (5), 7-5 victory against Nadia Petrova, Vaidisova became the first woman - OK, female - to win three tournaments in three weeks during the 2005 season.
Her previous victories this fall came in the Tier IV Korea Open and the Tier III Japan Open. Vaidisova will carry a 15-match winning streak into her final 2005 appearance at the $585,000, Tier II Advanta Championships in Philadelphia beginning Oct. 31.
"It definitely was a great three weeks, and you can't say you could do any better," Vaidisova said Wednesday during a conference call. "It's hard to stay focused for three weeks and not get satisfied. I really worked hard this whole year getting more consistent because I used to play great one tournament, then not so great the next.
"But I obviously have a long road ahead. I'm not where I want to be, so I can't just sit back. Everything has to get better - my volleys, serve, groundstrokes. Everything."
Vaidisova - who has risen to No. 17 in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour rankings and has 2005 earnings of $360,616 - plans to spend the offseason with Kodat, Bollettieri and her IMG agent, Olivier van Lindonk, formulating a strategy to climb even higher.
Vaidisova reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open and advanced to the third round at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, signs she may be ready to contend at a Grand Slam event as soon as next year.
"She is definitely a contender to keep on going, but how many players are going to win a Grand Slam at 17?" Bollettieri said. "I would just continue to do what she is doing and not change the pattern."
As long as she is enjoying the climb, Vaidisova and her team probably have little to worry about.
"I'm having fun," said Vaidisova. "I like to practice, and I love to travel. It is still exciting, and that makes it easier for me."
Vaidisova, who won twice in 2004, is a shining example to scores of international players at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. She practices on the NBTA courts when she is in town and works out at the International Performance Institute on the IMG Academies campus with physical therapist Dave Hogarth. She also is taking high school courses online.
"I came to the academy for three weeks, and I liked it, so I kept coming back," Vaidisova said. "I'm lucky to have a great professional team around me. Nick helped me a lot, and everything about it is good - the facility, the weather, the training."
But not everyone has taken advantage like Vaidisova, whose love for the sport shines through every time she takes the court.
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Premier tennis site featuring WTA stars, Maria Sharapova, Sania Mirza, Tatiana Golovin, Ana Ivanovic, Nicole Vaidisova, Maria Kirilenko and everything about tennis game in general. Tennis News, Tennis Shots, Tennis Injuries, Tennis Rackets.
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