Varvara Lepchenko
![]() Lepchenko at the 2016 Wimbledon Championships | |
Full name | Varvara Lepchenko |
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Country (sports) |
![]() ![]() |
Residence | Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States |
Born |
Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union | May 21, 1986
Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
Turned pro | 2001 |
Plays | Left-handed (two-handed backhand) |
Prize money | US$ 3,348,124 |
Singles | |
Career record | 435–317 (57.85%) |
Career titles | 0 WTA, 11 ITF |
Highest ranking | No. 19 (1 October 2012) |
Current ranking | No. 51 ( 29 February 2016) |
Grand Slam Singles results | |
Australian Open | 3R (2015, 2016) |
French Open | 4R (2012) |
Wimbledon | 3R (2012) |
US Open | 4R (2015) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 102–131 |
Career titles | 0 WTA, 1 ITF |
Highest ranking | No. 40 (17 June 2013) |
Current ranking | No. 234 (8 February 2016) |
Grand Slam Doubles results | |
Australian Open | SF (2013) |
French Open | QF (2013) |
Wimbledon | 2R (2012, 2013) |
US Open | 2R (2013) |
Last updated on: 8 February 2016. |
Varvara Lepchenko (ukr. Варвара Петрiвна Лепченко); born May 21, 1986, Tashkent, Uzbekistan) is an American professional tennis player of Ukrainian descent. As of February 29, 2016, she is ranked No. 51 in the world.[1] She has won eleven ITF singles titles during her career.[2]
Early life and junior career
Lepchenko was born into a Ukrainian family residing in Tashkent in 1986 and started playing tennis at age seven; her father Petr became her coach.[3] She reached a junior career high of no. 244 on January 5, 2004.[4] She turned pro in 2001.[3]
Professional career
2006–2011
In 2006, she reached the second round of the US Open, and later that year she reached her career high of no. 84 on October 2, 2006.[2] She has won eleven ITF titles in her career, all in the United States. Her most recent title came in 2011 in Kansas City, Missouri.[2]
In the 2009 MPS Group Championships, as a lucky loser, she upset the 4th seed Patty Schnyder in the first round.[5] She also reached the final of an ITF tournament in Cuneo this year.[5]
Lepchenko reached the second rounds of the French Open and Wimbledon in 2010. She lost to Dominika Cibulková and Alona Bondarenko respectively. In 2011, Lepchenko recorded the biggest win of her career by defeating 18th seed Flavia Pennetta in the first round of the French Open.
2012

Varvara started the year failing to qualify at Auckland and Sydney. She lost in the first round of the 2012 Australian Open to 20th seed Daniela Hantuchová 6–4, 3–6, 2–6. At the Qatar Total Open, Lepchenko advanced to the 3rd round where she lost to World Number 6 Agnieszka Radwańska 7–5, 6–1, after holding set points in the first set. Her next tournament was the Memphis International where she made the quarterfinals and lost to Italian Alberta Brianti 7–5, 6–3. After qualifying for the main draw at the Mutua Madrid Open she beat 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone in three sets 6–4, 6–7, 6–3 in the first round. She then defeated Shahar Pe'er 7–6, 6–4 and Anabel Medina 6–1, 6–7, 6–3. Lepchenko's run was ended by Agnieszka Radwańska 6–4, 6–4. After the tournament she rose to a career high number 59.
French Open breakthrough: Varvara started her 2012 French Open with a 6–2, 6–7, 6–4 win over the also unseeded Ksenia Pervak. In round 2 she upset 19 seed and former world number one Jelena Janković 7–6, 4–6, 6–4. In round 3 she defeated 14th seed 2010 French Open champion and defending finalist Francesca Schiavone 3–6, 6–3, 8–6. In round 4, she lost to 4th seed and 2011 Wimbledon Champion Petra Kvitová, 6–2, 6–1, however it was a breakthrough tournament for Lepchenko as she had never advanced further than the 2nd round of a Grand Slam tournament previously.
Her next tournament was the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, where in the first round she defeated Austrian Patricia Mayr-Achleitner 6–2 6–3. In the second round she defeated 31 seed and former top twenty player Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7–6 6–4. Lepchenko's next match was against defending champion Petra Kvitová, where she lost in straight sets, 6–1, 6–0. Varvara Lepchenko advanced to the second round of the Mercury Insurance Open after defeating Nicole Gibbs ( 6–3, 6–1 ).[6] She lost in the quarterfinals to Nadia Petrova, 4–6 6–2 6–7(5).[7]
Lepchenko then advanced to the third round of the 2012 U.S. Open, where she was defeated in straight sets by defending champion Samantha Stosur.
2013
Lepchenko began 2013 by playing at the 2013 Brisbane International where she lost in the 1st round to Serena Williams 6-2,6-1; who went on to win the tournament without dropping a set. In the 2013 Australian Open Vavara defeated Slovenian Polona Hercog in the first round and lost to Elena Vesnina from Russia in the second. However she reached the semifinal of the women's doubles competition with Chinese partner Zheng Saisai. At the French Open she won the first and second rounds in straight sets to Mirjana Lučić-Baroni and Elina Svitolina. Lepchenko lost in a tough three set match to world number 8 Angelique Kerber in the third round.
At Wimbledon 2013, she lost in the first round to qualifier Eva Birnerová 6–2, 4–6, 6–4.
Personal life
In September 2007, it was revealed that Lepchenko had become a U.S. citizen and that she would represent the United States in WTA and ITF tournaments. Lepchenko and her family, whose Russian–Ukrainian heritage allegedly made them a target of persecution in their homeland,[8][9] were granted political asylum by the United States. They had lived in the U.S. for more than five years when Lepchenko began representing the United States.[8] Lepchenko represented the United States at the 2012 Summer Olympics.[10] Lepchenko currently resides in Allentown, Pennsylvania and trains with the USTA in New York City.
WTA career finals
Singles: 1 (1 runner-up)
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Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1. | 21 September 2014 | Kia Korea Open, Seoul, South Korea | Hard | ![]() |
3–6, 7–6(7–5), 2–6 |
ITF Circuit Finals
Singles: 22 (11–11)
$100,000 tournaments |
$75,000 tournaments |
$50,000 tournaments |
$25,000 tournaments |
$10,000 tournaments |
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1. | 29 July 2002 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
2–6 0–6 |
Runner-up | 2. | 24 May 2004 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
1–6 4–6 |
Runner-up | 3. | 7 June 2004 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
4–6 2–6 |
Runner-up | 4. | 5 April 2005 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
3–6 6–4 3–6 |
Winner | 1. | 12 April 2005 | ![]() |
Clay | ![]() |
6–3 6–2 |
Runner-up | 5. | 19 April 2005 | ![]() |
Clay | ![]() |
6–2 2–6 4–6 |
Runner-up | 6. | 10 May 2005 | ![]() |
Clay | ![]() |
6–4 6–4 |
Winner | 2. | 7 June 2005 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
7–6 (7–3) 6–4 |
Runner-up | 7. | 18 April 2006 | ![]() |
Clay | ![]() |
6–4 4–6 2–6 |
Winner | 3. | 13 June 2006 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
6–1 6–4 |
Winner | 4. | 4 July 2006 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
6–3 7–5 |
Winner | 5. | 10 July 2007 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
6–2 5–7 5–0 ret. |
Runner-up | 8. | 25 September 2007 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
1–6 6–2 4–6 |
Runner-up | 9. | 22 April 2008 | ![]() |
Clay | ![]() |
2–6 6–7 (3–7) |
Winner | 6. | 23 September 2008 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
5–7 6–0 6–2 |
Runner-up | 10. | 7 October 2008 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
2–6 6–3 1–6 |
Runner-up | 11. | 30 June 2009 | ![]() |
Clay | ![]() |
1–6 2–6 |
Winner | 7. | 10 November 2009 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
6–0 6–0 |
Winner | 8. | 28 September 2010 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
6–2 6–2 |
Winner | 9. | 2 November 2010 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
7–6 (7–1) 6–4 |
Winner | 10. | 9 November 2010 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
6–3 7–6 (7–5) |
Winner | 11. | 4 October 2011 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
6–4 6–1 |
Runner-up | 11. | 11 October 2011 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
1–6 2–6 |
Doubles: 11 (1–10)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1. | 21 April 2003 | ![]() |
Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
7–5 1–6 2–6 |
Winner | 1. | 31 May 2004 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–2 3–6 6–3 |
Runner-up | 2. | 7 June 2004 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
0–6 2–6 |
Runner-up | 3. | 5 April 2005 | ![]() |
Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
2–6 4–6 |
Runner-up | 4. | 18 April 2006 | ![]() |
Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
4–6 6–3 4–6 |
Runner-up | 5. | 25 July 2006 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
1–6 1–6 |
Runner-up | 6. | 31 July 2006 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
2–6 6–1 0–6 |
Runner-up | 7. | 18 September 2007 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
5–7 4–6 |
Runner-up | 8. | 1 July 2008 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
4–6 3–6 |
Runner-up | 9. | 27 September 2011 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
4–6 2–6 |
Runner-up | 10. | 11 October 2011 | ![]() |
Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–7 (6–8) 3–6 |
Singles performance timeline
Tournament | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | W–L | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grand Slam Tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||
Australian Open | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 3R | 3R | 6–8 | |||||||
French Open | LQ | 1R | LQ | 1R | 2R | 2R | 4R | 3R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 8–9 | |||||||
Wimbledon | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | 2R | 1R | 3R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 5–8 | |||||||
US Open | 2R | LQ | LQ | 1R | LQ | 1R | 3R | 1R | 3R | 4R | 8–7 | ||||||||
Win–Loss | 1–1 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 7–4 | 3–4 | 5–4 | 5–4 | 3-3 | 27–32 |
Doubles performance timeline
Tournament | 2007 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | W–L | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grand Slam Tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||
Australian Open | 1R | 1R | A | SF | 2R | 1R | 6–5 | ||||||||||||
French Open | A | 1R | 1R | QF | 1R | 3–4 | |||||||||||||
Wimbledon | A | 1R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 2–4 | |||||||||||||
US Open | A | 1R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 2–4 | |||||||||||||
Win–Loss | 0–1 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 9–4 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 13–17 |
References
- ↑ "Player Overview – Varvara Lepchenko".
- 1 2 3 Profile at itftennis.com
- 1 2 , sonyericssonwtatour.com; retrieved September 17, 2009.
- ↑ Junior profile at itftennis.com Retrieved September 17, 2009
- 1 2 Results at itftennis.com Retrieved September 17, 2009
- ↑ "Radwańska upsets Hantuchova at Carlsbad". 17 July 2012.
- ↑ "Petrova Reaches SFs, Chan Upsets Jankovic". Retrieved 2012-07-22.
- 1 2 Lepchenko Adjusts Well to Life in the U.S. Retrieved September 19, 2007
- ↑ Although Amnesty International is very critical about the Human rights in Uzbekistan it has never reported that a Russian–Ukrainian heritage was a reason for persecution there (Source: Amnesty International Report on Uzbekistan)
- ↑ Associated Press (July 31, 2012). "American Lepchenko loses in Olympic tennis". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 5, 2013.