Vera Zvonareva

Vera Igorevna Zvonareva (Вера Игоревна Звонарёва, pronounced [ˈvʲɛrə zvənɐˈrʲɔvə] ( listen); born September 7, 1984) is a professional tennis player from Russia. She was introduced to tennis at the age of six and turned professional in 2000. She has reached a career high ranking of World No. 2 and is currently ranked World No. 3 by the WTA. Zvonareva has won eleven WTA Tour singles titles[3] and reached the finals of the 2008 WTA Tour Championships, 2010 Wimbledon Championships and 2010 US Open. She also was a bronze medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Early life

Zvonareva was born September 7, 1984 in Moscow to Igor Zvonarev and Nataliya Zvonareva (née Bykova).[2] Igor played Bandy in the USSR championship with Dynamo Moscow, while Nataliya played field hockey and was the bronze medalist at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.[2] Vera was introduced to tennis at the age of six by her mother, although no other members of her family play tennis.

Personal life

In 2007, Zvonareva graduated from the Russian State University of Physical Education with a degree in Physical Education. She is currently studying for a second degree in international economic relations at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow.

Playing style

Zvonareva is a baseline counterpuncher with good offensive capabilities. She is known for her fitness and speed, owing to her excellent lateral movement, and can therefore outrun many opponents during rallies. Her groundstrokes are powerful and are usually hit very flat, with minimal topspin, though she herself admits that she can adjust her style of play to the court conditions when needed. This was proven when Zvonareva won the Indian Wells tournament in 2009 against Ana Ivanović despite the windy conditions. Her best shot is her two-handed backhand. Zvonareva's primary weakness is her mental fragility, which costs her matches when she self-destructs. Many tennis analysts, including Lindsay Davenport and Pam Shriver, have noted that Zvonareva has matured mentally and is able to keep control of her emotions for the duration of a match, evidenced by her runs to the 2010 Wimbledon and 2010 US Open finals.

She is currently coached by former player and model Sergey Demekhin since April 2010.[9] Her doctor is Alexander Bogdanov and Fitness trainer is Sergey Homutov.