Radwańska reached the final of the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, becoming the first Polish player in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam singles final. In 2007, she also became the first Polish player to claim a WTA singles title when she won the Nordea Nordic Light Open. Radwańska has won two WTA Awards, being voted Most Impressive Newcomer in 2006, and Fan Favorite Singles Player in 2011.
Born in Kraków, Agnieszka Radwańska began playing tennis at the age of four after her father introduced her to the sport. Her younger sister, Urszula, also plays tennis. Radwańska has named Pete Sampras and Martina Hingis as inspirations.
In 2009 Radwańska became a WTA ambassador for Habitat for Humanity. She has also studied tourism at universities in Kraków.
2012: World No 2 & first Grand Slam final
During the first four months of 2012, Radwańska won two singles titles and amassed a record of 28–5, defeating all opponents but then-world no. 1 Victoria Azarenka.Following losses in the Apia International, the Australian Open, and the Qatar Total Open, she won her first title of the season at the Dubai Tennis Championships, defeating Julia Görges in straight sets. After advancing to the quarterfinals in Indian Wells, she reached a new ranking of world no. 4. Her second title came at the Sony Ericsson Open, where she defeated Venus Williams in the quarterfinals and Marion Bartoli in the semifinals, advancing to a championship match against Maria Sharapova. Radwańska won the championship without losing a set throughout the tournament.
Her fifth loss of the season, and fifth to Azarenka, came in the semifinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. She then entered the Mutua Madrid Open, where she lost to Azarenka in the semifinals, securing the world no. 3 ranking. At the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, she lost her opening-round match to Petra Cetkovská,
marking her first loss of the year to someone other than Azarenka. In
the final of the Brussels Open, Radwańska defeated Simona Halep in
straight sets, winning her third WTA title of the year and tenth in her
career. At the French Open, she defeated Venus Williams in the second round, but then fell in the third round to Svetlana Kuznetsova.Radwańska reached her first career Grand Slam final at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships. She defeated Maria Kirilenko in the quarterfinals and Angelique Kerber in the semifinals, losing the championship match to Serena Williams in three sets. By advancing to the final, she became the first Polish player in the Open Era to reach the championship round of a Grand Slam singles tournament, and attained a new ranking of world no. 2. Radwańska was the flag bearer for Poland in the 2012 Summer Olympics. She lost in the opening round to Julia Görges.
She reached the quarterfinals of the Rogers Cup and the Western & Southern Open, losing to Li Na in both tournaments. Radwańska was defeated in the fourth round of the 2012 US Open by Roberta Vinci of Italy
Rivalries
Radwańska vs. Zvonareva
Radwańska has a rivalry with Russian player Vera Zvonareva, which began in 2007. Radwańska leads the series 4–2.
Their first match occurred during the 2007 Kremlin Cup, with Zvonareva winning in straight sets. The two did not play again until the 2011 season, when Radwańska won four of their five matches—including the finals of the Mercury Insurance Open and the Pan Pacific Open. Their final meeting of 2011 was an acclaimed match at the WTA Championships. Trailing 3–5 in the third set, Radwańska saved three match points and went on to win 1–6, 6–2, 7–5. The victory marked her fourth straight win against Zvonareva, who she described as "very consistent and always tough to beat."
Radwańska vs. Azarenka
Radwańska and Victoria Azarenka first played in 2006. Azarenka leads their head-to-head 11–3. During the 2006 Wimbledon Championships, Radwańska won their first meeting in straight sets. The two would go on to meet regularly in the following seasons, often in quarterfinal or semifinal matches. Throughout the first four months of 2012, the only player to defeat Radwańska was Azarenka
Playing style and equipment
In 2012, Tom Perrotta of The Wall Street Journal called Radwańska "the most tactically sound, subtle tennis player in the world."
Radwańska's game is founded on variety, mobility, and a tendency to anticipate her opponent's movements.She often uses this style to construct rallies—either opening the court up for a winner, or prompting a surprised opponent to hit a misplaced return. Her primary weapons include a mixture of slices and lobs, along with her ability to hit the ball at a variety of angles.She also makes use of a disguised drop shot, often swung with the same motion as a normal stroke during a rally. She is also noted for her crouching shots, during which she quickly drops in place to return or redirect a low ball, along with her use of an overhead backhand while on defense.
Tennis commentators, including former pro Wojciech Fibak, have compared her playing style to that of Martina Hingis, with Fibak describing her as "a natural mover who understands the geometry of the court". Radwańska has cited Hingis as an inspiration. She and Hingis had their lone career meeting in 2007, with Radwańska winning in three sets.
Radwańska uses Babolat Pure Drive Lite GT racquets, and is sponsored by Lotto apparel.
