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.
After a few years of struggling to make her mark at the professional level, Anna adjusted to the professional life and game in 2006. She capped the year off with titles in Moscow and Guangzhou (China). To keep herself grounded and maintain her strong family ties, she spends a lot of time with her family.
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.
In 2007, Chakvetadze really hit her stride. Her return looked better than ever, and through the course of the year, she won five tournaments. This brought her to a career best #5 ranking, and she capped off a great year with a run to the semifinals at the US Open.
A horrible event occurred just a few short months later, right when it looked like things couldn't get much better for Chakvetadze. During the off-season in December 2007, Chakvetadze was at her home in Russia, which was intruded upon by burglars. They tied her up and threatened her with a gun, severely beat her father, and stole over $300,000 in jewelry and other things from Chakvetadze's house. Needless to say, she was very shaken up.
As a result, the 2008 tennis season was very difficult for Chakvetadze. She did her best to return her focus to her tennis career, but struggled in her tournaments, as her number five ranking steadily dropped.
She continues to fight on the court and with herself to regain her former form. This uphill battle is likely to be a challenge for the remainder of the season, but the US Open crowd will do their best to elevate her nonetheless.
Anna continues her quest for tennis glory and living life. She tries daily to move on from the traumatic event on Dec 18, 2007 and one can only hope she does. The criminals may have taken some of her things, but she has hope, health and dignity and the support of crowds where she goes.
After a few years of struggling to make her mark at the professional level, Anna adjusted to the professional life and game in 2006. She capped the year off with titles in Moscow and Guangzhou (China). To keep herself grounded and maintain her strong family ties, she spends a lot of time with her family.
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.
In 2007, Chakvetadze really hit her stride. Her return looked better than ever, and through the course of the year, she won five tournaments. This brought her to a career best #5 ranking, and she capped off a great year with a run to the semifinals at the US Open.
A horrible event occurred just a few short months later, right when it looked like things couldn't get much better for Chakvetadze. During the off-season in December 2007, Chakvetadze was at her home in Russia, which was intruded upon by burglars. They tied her up and threatened her with a gun, severely beat her father, and stole over $300,000 in jewelry and other things from Chakvetadze's house. Needless to say, she was very shaken up.
As a result, the 2008 tennis season was very difficult for Chakvetadze. She did her best to return her focus to her tennis career, but struggled in her tournaments, as her number five ranking steadily dropped.
She continues to fight on the court and with herself to regain her former form. This uphill battle is likely to be a challenge for the remainder of the season, but the US Open crowd will do their best to elevate her nonetheless.
Anna continues her quest for tennis glory and living life. She tries daily to move on from the traumatic event on Dec 18, 2007 and one can only hope she does. The criminals may have taken some of her things, but she has hope, health and dignity and the support of crowds where she goes.
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