Anna Chakvetadze: One of Tennis’s Greatest Fighters
Talent can only take someone so far, to succeed you have to work for it. Anna Chakvetadze was not the strongest, tallest or fastest player growing up in Moscow, Russia. She did not have the greatest success in the junior tennis circuit having reached a high of #22 in 2003. Anna did have one memorable mark in the juniors having made the finals of Wimbledon.
Spending a few years earlier this decade to make an impact on the pro scene, Chakvetadze finally came into her own in 2006. Having won tournaments at Moscow and in China at the end of the year, Chakvetadze made an impact while remaining close with her family at the same time.
Chakvetadze kept her family close to her during her ascent, and this greatly benefited her mental state. It’s often difficult for a young pro to travel around the world alone, without the support of their family. Photographers and magazines quickly took on to Anna’s looks, and she became the focus of many photo shoots as well.
Anna is not afraid of her beauty and as you can tell by the pictures; her personality is front and center. She likes sports cars, the faster the better and has her own collection to prove it Anna was on top of the world during the tennis season in 2007. Her return of serve was considered among the best in the game. Her ability to switch from defense to offense helped her elevate her game to #5 in the world. She reached the semifinals of the US Open and the Year Ending Championships. In all she had wins over both Williams sisters and Jelena Jankovic to go with 4 more titles in her collection.
2007 did not end on a bright note however. On December 18, 2007 burglars broke into her home, tied her up at gun point. Her father was not as lucky as he was beaten severely. The robbers stole over $300,000 worth of jewelry and cash. While the stolen assets can be replaced, the psychological damage inflicted on this day has scarred the Great Russian. She went from cloud nine to being tied up at gun point. Such a traumatic event has ruined many a life and all we can do is hope that it does not claim her as well.
2008 was a struggle to say the least. Anna tried focusing on tennis and living life, but the nerves of steel that brought her to #5 quickly dissipated. Many tennis fans go out of their way to show support to Anna and try and lift her spirits and belief, which has not gone unnoticed by Chakvetadze.
Fast forward to 2009, and Chakvetadze is still working as hard as possible to bounce back from this horrific event. She is slowly regaining her form, but still has a long road ahead. One of her favorite places to play is in New York at the US Open, and the upcoming tournament will be a great challenge for Chakvetadze.
No matter how she does from here, all she can do is fight. Having been a fighter all of her life, there’s no doubt that she’ll continue to do so.
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