Svetlana Aleksandrovna Kuznetsova (Светла́на Алекса́ндровна Кузнецо́ва); born June 27, 1985 in St. Petersburg (then Leningrad) is a Russian professional tennis player who is currently ranked World No. 6. She won the 2004 US Open and 2009 French Open singles titles and was the runner-up in singles at the 2006 French Open and the 2007 US Open.Kuznetsova was born in Leningrad. Her father, Alexander Kuznetsov has coached five Olympic and world cycling champions. Her father's protégés include her mother, Galina Tsareva, a six-time world champion and holder of 20 world records, and Svetlana's brother, Nikolai Kuznetsov, a silver medalist at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Kuznetsova also tried out cycling in her early years, but it bored her. She focused on tennis instead and was sent to Spain when she was 13 years old for better training and coaching also leading her to speak fluent Spanish. Despite training in Barcelona, the Spanish Tennis Federation did not see Kuznetsova as a possible future champion.
Kuznetsova is an all-around player as she has adapted her game to all surfaces. Her game is characterized by her strong serve and her heavy forehand. Kuznetsova's serve is aided by her powerful physique, and she is often considered to be one of the physically strongest players on the tour along with Venus and Serena Williams. Many tennis experts say that her powerful inside-out forehand is one of the best in the women's game. Kuznetsova is capable of hitting winners of both wings. Her volleys are very effective, and she is capable of producing deft touch.
Her game is strengthened by her footwork and movement around the court. She is among the few players (along with Jelena Janković and Kim Clijsters) who are capable of sliding on all the major playing surfaces. She is also capable of producing spectacular shots like running shots, passing shots, and between-the-legs shots when in form, but, on an off-day, her shots can fly all over the court.
Although a 2-time Grand Slam champion, Kuznetsova struggles in high pressure matches with the very best in the world and succumbs to her nerves, but she is significantly showing improvement. She is known for her competitiveness and fighting spirit. Tennis Hall-of-Famer Jana Novotná referred to her as a "fighter".This quality was pivotal in Kuznetsova winning the 2009 French Open as she won a penultimate match against Serena Williams in the quarterfinal after being a break down in the third set.
