Kristína Kučová (; born 23 May 1990) is a former Slovak tennis player. On 12 September 2016, she reached her best singles ranking of world No. 71. On 5 October 2009, she peaked at No. 168 in the WTA doubles rankings. She won one singles title on the WTA Challenger Tour with eleven singles titles and five doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit. She retired at the 2023 Jasmin Open in Monastir.
Kučová was an accomplished junior player, having won the girls' singles title at the 2007 US Open and reaching a combined career-high junior ranking of world No. 3, on 10 September 2009.
Playing for Slovakia Fed Cup team, she has a win–loss record of 1–5.
Personal life Kučová's elder sister Zuzana retired from the professional tour in 2013.
Tennis career Junior years At the 2007 US Open, the unseeded Kučová took the girls' singles title, defeating the 13th seed Julia Glushko in the third round, top seed and defending champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarterfinals, and number two seed Urszula Radwańska in the final. Kučová also reached the 2007 Wimbledon Championships and 2007 French Open girls' doubles quarterfinals. She reached the French Open quarterfinals with her compatriot Klaudia Boczová, losing to the eventual champions and third seeds, Ksenia Milevskaya and Urszula Radwańska. With her compatriot Lenka Juríková, she reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals and lost to the eventual runners-up Misaki Doi and Kurumi Nara.
2014 Kučová started the year in the qualifying for Sydney where she lost to Misaki Doi, then she lost in the first round of qualifying for the Australian Open to Paula Kania in three sets. She lost in qualifying for Doha to Mirjana Lučić-Baroni in straight sets, and also in Dubai where she lost to Flavia Pennetta. She managed to qualify for Katowice and then beat Monica Niculescu 6–1, 6–1 in the first round, before losing to Alizé Cornet. She lost in qualifying for the French Open to the wildcard entrant Irina Ramialison, 1–6, 0–6, and in qualifying for Wimbledon to Maryna Zanevska.
She reached her first WTA Tour semifinal at Bucharest by beating Anna Schmiedlová, Cristina Dinu and Danka Kovinić, before losing to Roberta Vinci 1–6, 3–6 in the semifinals. She won the $50k event in Sobota, Poland by beating Sesil Karatantcheva in the final. She won a $25k event in Fleurus, Belgium by beating Evgeniya Rodina in the final. She lost in the second round of qualifying in Linz to Anna-Lena Friedsam, and in the first round of qualifying for Limoges to Katarzyna Piter.
2016: Breakthrough, Canadian Open semifinalist and top 100 Kučová failed to qualify for the Australian Open. She lost in the final qualifying round to Wang Yafan, despite having a match point in the second set.
After defeating Stefanie Vögele and Hsieh Su-wei, Kučová reached the quarterfinals in Kuala Lumpur, where she lost to the second seed Elina Svitolina despite winning the first set 6–1.
She qualified for the main draw of the Canadian Open by defeating Erin Routliffe and Christina McHale. She upset Yanina Wickmayer in the first round, who had won the singles and doubles titles in Washington the week before. In the second round, she caused a bigger upset by defeating the No. 8 seed, Carla Suárez Navarro, setting up a third-round clash with the Canadian Eugenie Bouchard. Kučová won the match in three sets to reach her first WTA Premier-level quarterfinal, where she beat the 15th seed, Johanna Konta, in straight sets. She was eventually eliminated in the semifinals by the tenth seed, Madison Keys. Following the tournament, she broke into the top 100 for the first time in her career.
2019–23: First WTA 125 title, maiden WTA Tour final, retirement Kučová won her first WTA 125 title at the Sparta Prague Open, defeating Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the final.
At the 2021 Miami Open, she qualified for the main draw and proceeded to face world No. 1 and defending champion, Ashleigh Barty, in the second round, losing the match in three sets
In July 2021, she reached her first WTA 250 final, at the Poland Open, but lost to Maryna Zanevska.
At the 2021 US Open, Kučová qualified for the first time in five years, after entering the main draw as lucky loser, and won her first match at this major against Ann Li. She lost to 12th seed Simona Halep in the second round.
In January 2023, she entered the Australian Open using protected ranking, losing in the first round to qualifier Diana Shnaider in straight sets.
Kučová retired from professional tennis in October 2023, with her final appearance being at the 2023 Jasmin Open.
Performance timeline
Only main-draw results in WTA Tour, Grand Slam tournaments, Fed Cup/Billie Jean King Cup and Olympic Games are included in win–loss records.
Singles Tournament2008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023SRWin%Grand Slam tournaments Australian OpenAA1RAQ1AQ1Q2Q32R1RAQ1Q12R1R0 / 52–5 French OpenAQ1Q1Q1AAQ1Q1Q31R1R2RQ1Q21R1R 0 / 51–5 WimbledonA2RQ1Q1AAQ1Q1Q22RAQ1NHQ22RA0 / 33–3 US OpenQ2Q1Q1Q2AAQ1Q11RAAQ3A2RAA0 / 21–2Win–loss0–01–10–10–00–00–00–00–00–12–30–21–10–01–12–30–20 / 157–15WTA 1000Dubai / Qatar OpenAAAAAAQ1Q1AAQ2AAAQ2Q10 / 00–0Indian Wells OpenAAQ1AAAAAAAQ1A NH2R2RA0 / 21–2Miami OpenAAQ1AAAAAA1RAANH2R1RQ20 / 31–3Madrid OpenAAAAAAAAAAAANHAQ1Q10 / 00–0Italian OpenAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQ2A0 / 00–0Canadian OpenAAAAAAAASFAAANHAAA0 / 14–1Cincinnati OpenAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA0 / 00–0Wuhan OpenAAAAAAAAAAAANHA0 / 00–0China OpenAAAAAAAAAAAANHA0 / 00–0Career statisticsTournaments0332014489551881Career total: 62Titles0000000000000000Career total: 0Finals0000000000000100Career total: 1Overall win–loss0–01–30–42–20–00–14–51–410–83–102–51–50–110–84–80–10 / 6238–65Year-end ranking21710523420528715414314780243265169149109185$1,890,388
WTA Tour finals Singles: 1 (runner-up) LegendWTA 250 (0–1)Finals by surfaceClay (0–1)
ResultDateTournamentTierSurfaceOpponentScoreLossPoland OpenWTA 250Clay Maryna Zanevska4–6, 6–7(3–7)
WTA 125 finals Singles: 1 (title) ResultDateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScoreWinSep 2020Sparta Prague Open, Czech RepublicClay Elisabetta Cocciaretto6–4, 6–3
ITF Circuit finals Legend$100,000 tournaments$80,000 tournaments$60,000 tournaments$25,000 tournaments$10,000 tournaments
Singles: 25 (11 titles, 14 runner-ups) ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfaceOpponentScoreLoss0–1Apr 2007ITF Hvar, Croatia10,000Clay Karolina Jovanović1–6, 4–6Win1–1May 2007ITF Michalovce, Slovakia10,000Clay Katarzyna Piter2–6, 6–3, 6–4Loss1–2May 2008ITF Galați, Romania10,000Clay Valentina Sulpizio2–6, 6–7(2–7)Loss1–3Aug 2008Ladies Open Hechingen, Germany25,000Clay Maša Zec Peškirič6–3, 6–7(1–7), 3–6Loss1–4Sep 2008Maribor Open, Slovenia50,000Clay Maša Zec Peškirič2–6, 6–7(6–8)Loss1–5Mar 2009ITF La Palma, Spain25,000Hard Anastasija Sevastova6–4, 1–6, 1–6Loss1–6Jun 2009Open de Pozoblanco, Spain50,000Hard Angelique Kerber3–6, 4–6Loss1–7Jun 2010ITF Brno, Czech Republic25,000Clay Zuzana Ondrášková3–6, 6–4, 2–6Loss1–8Sep 2010ITF Bucharest, Romania25,000Clay Mădălina Gojnea4–6, 4–6Win2–8Jun 2012ITF Alkmaar, Netherlands10,000Clay Janina Toljan6–3, 6–4Win3–8Jul 2012ITF Denain, France25,000Clay Michaela Hončová6–2, 1–6, 6–2Loss3–9Jun 2013ITF Zlín, Czech Republic25,000Clay Melanie Klaffner3–6, 2–6Win4–9Jul 2013ITF Les Contamines, France25,000Hard7–5, 6–7(3–7), 6–3Win5–9Aug 2013ITF Craiova, Romania50,000Clay Alberta Brianti7–5, 3–6, 6–4Loss5–10Sep 2013Sofia Cup, Bulgaria25,000Clay2–6, 6–1, 3–6Loss5–11Oct 2013ITF Herzliya, Israel25,000Hard Yuliya BeygelzimerWin6–11Jul 2014Powiat Poznański Open, Poland50,000Clay Sesil Karatantcheva1–6, 7–5, 6–3Win7–11Aug 2014ITF Fleurus, Belgium25,000Clay Evgeniya Rodina6–3, 6–4Win8–11Feb 2015ITF Beinasco, Italy25,000Clay (i) Barbora Krejčíková6–4, 7–6(7–3)Win9–11Jul 2015Bella Cup Toruń, Poland25,000Clay Giulia Gatto-Monticone4–6, 6–1, 6–4Win10–11Sep 2015ITF Bucha, Ukraine25,000Clay Alexandra Cadanțu4–6, 7–6(7–5), 6–0Loss10–12Mar 2018ITF Irapuato, Mexico25,000Hard Marie BouzkováLoss10–13Feb 2019Trnava Indoor, Slovakia25,000Hard (i) Lucie HradeckáWin11–13Apr 2019Dothan Pro Classic, United States80,000Clay Lauren Davis3–6, 7–6(11–9), 6–2Loss11–14Nov 2021Dubai Tennis Challenge, UAE100,000+HHard Daria Snigur3–6, 0–6
Doubles: 7 (5 titles, 2 runner-ups) ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreWin1–0Mar 2007ITF Cairo, Egypt10,000Clay Zuzana Kučová Melissa Berry Michelle Gerards6–7(3–7), 6–4, 6–3Win2–0May 2007ITF Michalovce, Slovakia10,000Clay Klaudia Boczová Olga Brózda Justyna Jegiołka7–5, 4–6, 6–3Loss2–1May 2008ITF Jounieh Open, Lebanon50,000Clay Stefanie Vögele Nina Bratchikova Veronika Kapshay5–7, 6–3, [6–10]Win3–1May 2008ITF Galați, Romania10,000Clay Valentina Sulpizio Alexandra Cadanțu Antonia Xenia Tout6–0, 6–2Loss3–2May 2009Soweto Open, South Africa100,000Hard Anastasija Sevastova Naomi Cavaday Lesia Tsurenko2–6, 6–2, [9–11]Win 4–2Jun 2009Zlín Open, Czech Republic50,000Clay Zuzana Kučová Nikola Fraňková Carmen Klaschka6–3, 6–4Win5–2Sep 2015Open de Saint-Malo, France50,000Clay Anastasija Sevastova Maria Marfutina Natalia Vikhlyantseva6–7(1–7), 6–3, [10–5]
Fed Cup/Billie Jean King Cup participation Singles (1–3) EditionStageDateLocationAgainstSurfaceOpponentW/LScore2008WG2 POApr 2008Bratislava () UzbekistanClay (i)Vlada EkshibarovaW2010WG2Apr 2010Bratislava (SVK) ChinaHard (i)Han XinyunL1–6, 1–62014WG POApr 2014Quebec City () CanadaHard (i)Eugenie BouchardL6–7(0–7), 6–2, 1–62017WG POApr 2017Bratislava (SVK) NetherlandsClay (i)Richèl HogenkampL5–7, 4–6
Doubles (0–2) EditionStageDateLocationAgainstSurfacePartnerOpponentsW/LScore2010WG2Feb 2010Bratislava (SVK) ChinaHard (i)Lu Jingjing Zhang ShuaiL3–2 ret.2015WG2Feb 2015Apeldoorn () NetherlandsClay (i)Kristína SchmiedlováRichèl Hogenkamp Michaëlla KrajicekL5–7, 1–6
Junior Grand Slam tournament finals Girls' singles: 1 (title) ResultYearTournamentSurfaceOpponentScoreWin2007US OpenHard Urszula Radwańska6–3, 1–6, 7–6(7–4)
Head-to-head record Top 10 wins #PlayerRankEventSurfaceScore20161. Carla Suárez NavarroNo. 9Canadian OpenHard2R3–6, 6–4, 6–4
Notes
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