Daniela Hantuchova

Daniela Hantuchova was born in Poprad, Slovakia on April 23rd 1983 to parents Igor, a university professor, and Marianna, a toxicologist.

Despite the academic success of her parents, Daniela's career was always going to be tennis. Whilst her entire family were keen players, Daniela was probably inspired most by her grandmother Helena, a former Czechoslovakia national player, who introduced Daniela to the sport at the tender age of three.

Aware of her granddaughter's potential, Helena signed her up at Slavia STU, a prestigious tennis club in Bratislava, where the young Daniela was instructed by Joseph Bulko.

Aged thirteen, Daniela started to spend the winter months at the Bollettieri Academy in Florida, a tennis club with an enviable record for developing talents of the future. Two years later Daniela joined the ITF circuit and went on to win two ITF Challenger titles in 1999, aged just sixteen. By now, Daniela had turned professional and tennis observers were starting to take notice.