Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russian tennis player
Svetlana Aleksandrovna Kuznetsova (born 27 June 1985) is a Russian professional tennis player. She has appeared in four Grand Slam singles finals, winning two, and has also appeared in seven doubles finals, winning twice. As a doubles player, Kuznetsova has reached the finals of each Grand Slam event at least once, winning the Australian Open twice.
Born to an athletic family, Kuznetsova moved at the age of seven to Spain to attend the Sanchez-Casal Academy. In 2001, she first took part in a WTA tournament, the Madrid Open, and a year later won her first WTA title at the Nordea Nordic Light Open in Helsinki, Finland. Her first appearance in a Grand Slam tournament was at the 2002 Australian Open and her first Grand Slam title came at the 2004 US Open over countrywoman Elena Dementieva, making her the third Russian woman to win a Grand Slam title, after Anastasia Myskina and Maria Sharapova. Kuznetsova's second Grand Slam title was the 2009 French Open, defeating compatriot Dinara Safina in the final in straight sets. At the 2006 French Open and the 2007 US Open singles tournament she was the runner-up, both times to Belgian player Justine Henin. As a result, Kuznetsova obtained a career-high No. 2 WTA ranking, holding that position for 24 weeks in 2007 and 2008. Since the 2010 season, Kuznetsova lost her top 10 position and even dropped down to a year-end ranking of 72 in 2012, until recovering in 2016, when she progressed to the top ten and reached the semifinals of the WTA Finals, her best result in that tournament to date.
Apart from singles tournaments, Kuznetsova was also successful in doubles. She won her first five WTA doubles titles with Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. After a series of disappointing results with her she paired with Martina Navratilova, Elena Likhovtseva, Alicia Molik, and Amélie Mauresmo. Pairing with Likhovtseva, she climbed to No. 3 in doubles in 2004, holding that position for eight weeks, which remains her career-high. She won the Australian Open twice in doubles, in 2005 alongside Alicia Molik and in 2012 partnering Vera Zvonareva. Kuznetsova also played various times mixed doubles events, most prominently in 2003, but never went beyond the quarterfinals. She has won a total of 18 WTA singles and 16 WTA doubles titles to date.