Iva Majoli
Encyclopedia
Iva Majoli Marić (born August 12, 1977 in Zagreb
, Croatia
) is a former professional tennis
player from Croatia. She upset Martina Hingis
to win the women's singles title at the French Open in 1997. Majoli also won eight singles titles and one women's doubles title during her career.
singles title, defeating Martina Hingis
in straight sets. Most had expected Hingis, 16 years old, to win the title. Majoli, however, played aggressively from the baseline and ended Hingis's 37-match winning streak and handed Hingis her first sound defeat in a final of a grand slam. Her adept ground-strokes kept Hingis moving, therefore Hingis was not allowed to control the rallies.
Majoli played her best tennis as a teenager, reaching her career high ranking of World No. 4 in 1996. After a quarterfinal appearance at the 1998 French Open
, she failed to reach the fourth round of any subsequent Grand Slam
singles tournament. Her game steadily declined, with her ranking plummeting to World No. 131 in 2003. In the final years of her tennis career, Majoli suffered from a series of injuries – most notably a shoulder injury – and struggled to play consistently. Her jet-setting lifestyle, well documented by the press, may have contributed. Not living up to high expectations after her French Open title, she has been called yet another "One Slam Wonder."
In 2002, Majoli, ranked World No. 58, defeated Patty Schnyder
, ranked World No. 30, in the final of the Family Circle Cup
in Charleston, South Carolina
. The victory increased Majoli's ranking to World No. 33. She reached another final shortly thereafter, prompting some to believe that she was climbing back to the top of the game. This, however, was wishful thinking, as Majoli's ranking then plummeted even further. On June 12, 2004, Majoli announced her retirement from the game.
In 2006, she announced that she was engaged and pregnant with her first child. She married a local businessman, Stipe Marić, on September 9, 2006, with Jennifer Capriati
and Mary Pierce
attending the wedding. She gave birth to her daughter Mia on October 31, 2006.
In 2007, Majoli participated in the second season of the Croatian version of Dancing with the Stars. Her partner was Marko Herceg. She was eliminated in the fourth episode.
A = did not participate in the tournament.
SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
) is a former professional tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player from Croatia. She upset Martina Hingis
Martina Hingis
Martina Hingis is a retired Swiss professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles...
to win the women's singles title at the French Open in 1997. Majoli also won eight singles titles and one women's doubles title during her career.
Career
Majoli turned professional in 1991 at the age of 14. At age 19, Majoli won the 1997 French Open1997 French Open
List of the 1997 French Open champions:-Men's Singles: Gustavo Kuerten def. Sergi Bruguera, 6–3, 6–4, 6–2*It was Kuerten's 1st overall title.-Women's Singles: Iva Majoli def. Martina Hingis, 6–4, 6–2...
singles title, defeating Martina Hingis
Martina Hingis
Martina Hingis is a retired Swiss professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles...
in straight sets. Most had expected Hingis, 16 years old, to win the title. Majoli, however, played aggressively from the baseline and ended Hingis's 37-match winning streak and handed Hingis her first sound defeat in a final of a grand slam. Her adept ground-strokes kept Hingis moving, therefore Hingis was not allowed to control the rallies.
Majoli played her best tennis as a teenager, reaching her career high ranking of World No. 4 in 1996. After a quarterfinal appearance at the 1998 French Open
1998 French Open
List of the 1998 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Carlos Moyá def. Àlex Corretja, 6–3, 7–5, 6–3*It was Moyá's 2nd title of the year, and his 5th overall. It was his 1st career Grand Slam title.-Women's singles:...
, she failed to reach the fourth round of any subsequent Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
singles tournament. Her game steadily declined, with her ranking plummeting to World No. 131 in 2003. In the final years of her tennis career, Majoli suffered from a series of injuries – most notably a shoulder injury – and struggled to play consistently. Her jet-setting lifestyle, well documented by the press, may have contributed. Not living up to high expectations after her French Open title, she has been called yet another "One Slam Wonder."
In 2002, Majoli, ranked World No. 58, defeated Patty Schnyder
Patty Schnyder
Patty Schnyder is a retired Swiss professional tennis player. She played on the WTA tour from 1993 to 2011 and is a former World No. 7. She defeated several World No...
, ranked World No. 30, in the final of the Family Circle Cup
Family Circle Cup
The Family Circle Cup is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, held every year since 1973. The tournament is currently played on the green clay courts at the Daniel Island Tennis Center in Charleston, South Carolina, USA...
in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. The victory increased Majoli's ranking to World No. 33. She reached another final shortly thereafter, prompting some to believe that she was climbing back to the top of the game. This, however, was wishful thinking, as Majoli's ranking then plummeted even further. On June 12, 2004, Majoli announced her retirement from the game.
In 2006, she announced that she was engaged and pregnant with her first child. She married a local businessman, Stipe Marić, on September 9, 2006, with Jennifer Capriati
Jennifer Capriati
Jennifer Marie Capriati is a former world number one ranked professional tennis player, and the winner of three women's singles championships in Grand Slam tournaments. Capriati made her professional debut in 1990 at the age of 14 when she reached the finals of the hard court tournament in Boca...
and Mary Pierce
Mary Pierce
Mary Pierce is a French-American tennis professional playing on the Women's Tennis Association tour. She is a citizen of France, Canada, and the United States but plays for France in team competitions and the Olympics.Pierce has won four Grand Slam titles, two in singles and two in doubles...
attending the wedding. She gave birth to her daughter Mia on October 31, 2006.
In 2007, Majoli participated in the second season of the Croatian version of Dancing with the Stars. Her partner was Marko Herceg. She was eliminated in the fourth episode.
Singles: 1 (1–0)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| Winner (1/1) | 1997 1997 French Open - Women's Singles Steffi Graf was the defending champion, but she was knocked out in the quarterfinals by Amanda Coetzer.Iva Majoli won the title, defeating World No... |
French Open | Clay |  Martina HingisMartina Hingis Martina Hingis is a retired Swiss professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles... |
6–4, 6–2 |
Singles (10)
| Legend |
| Grand Slam (1) |
| WTA Championships (0) |
| Tier I (3) |
| Tier II (4) |
| Tier III (0) |
| Tier IV & V (0) |
| ITF Titles (2) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 1. | June 21, 1992 | St. Simons, Georgia St. Simons, Georgia St. Simons is a census-designated place located on St. Simons Island in Glynn County, Georgia, United States. Both the community and the island are commonly considered to be one location, known simply as "St. Simons Island", or locally as "The Island". St... , USA |
Clay |  Beverly Bowes-Hackney |
7–6(7), 7–6(5) |
| 2. | July 19, 1992 | Evansville, Indiana Evansville, Indiana Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the... , USA |
Hard |  Ai SugiyamaAi Sugiyama is a retired Japanese professional tennis player. She reached No. 1 in women's doubles on the WTA Tour. Her career-high singles ranking was No. 8, achieved on February 9, 2004. She turned professional in 1992... |
6–3, 6–1 |
| 3. | October 8, 1995 | Zürich, Switzerland Zurich Open The Zurich Open was a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, formerly held every winter in Zurich, Switzerland. It was classified on the WTA Tour as a Tier I tournament from 1993 until 2007. In its final year, 2008, it was downgraded to a Tier II event.The Open was held at... |
Carpet (I) |  Mary PierceMary Pierce Mary Pierce is a French-American tennis professional playing on the Women's Tennis Association tour. She is a citizen of France, Canada, and the United States but plays for France in team competitions and the Olympics.Pierce has won four Grand Slam titles, two in singles and two in doubles... |
6–4, 6–4 |
| 4. | October 15, 1995 | Filderstadt, Germany Porsche Tennis Grand Prix The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is a tennis tournament held in Stuttgart, Germany . Held since 1978, the tournament is the oldest women's indoor tournament in Europe. Currently it is a Tier II tournament on the WTA Tour. The singles champion also receives a Porsche 911 Carrera sports car in addition... |
Hard (I) |  Gabriela SabatiniGabriela Sabatini Gabriela Beatriz Sabatini is a former professional Argentine tennis player. She was one of the leading players on the women's circuit in the late-1980s and early-1990s... |
6–4, 7–6(4) |
| 5. | February 4, 1996 | Tokyo, Japan Toray Pan Pacific Open The is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, held every year since 1984 on in Tokyo, Japan. It is classified on the WTA Tour as a Tier I tournament since 1993. The event has traditionally been played on indoor carpet at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, but the 2008 event... |
Carpet (I) |  Arantxa Sánchez VicarioArantxa Sánchez Vicario Aránzazu 'Arantxa' Isabel Maria Sánchez Vicario is a Spanish former professional tennis player... |
6–4, 6–1 |
| 6. | February 25, 1996 | Essen Essen - Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of... , Germany |
Carpet (I) |  Jana NovotnáJana Novotná Jana Novotná is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. She played a serve and volley game, an increasingly rare style of play among women during her career. She won the women's singles title at Wimbledon in 1998 and was runner-up in three previous Grand Slam tournaments... |
7–5, 1–6, 7–6(6) |
| 7. | February 23, 1997 | Hannover, Germany | Carpet (I) | Jana Novotná |
4–6, 7–6(2), 6–4 |
| 8. | May 4, 1997 | Hamburg Hamburg -History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808... , Germany |
Clay |  Ruxandra DragomirRuxandra Dragomir Ruxandra Dragomir Ilie is a retired female tennis player from Romania, who won four singles and five doubles titles during her career. The right-hander reached her highest individual ranking on the WTA Tour on August 25, 1997, when she became the number 15 of the world... |
6–3, 6–2 |
| 9. | June 8, 1997 | French Open 1997 French Open - Women's Singles Steffi Graf was the defending champion, but she was knocked out in the quarterfinals by Amanda Coetzer.Iva Majoli won the title, defeating World No... |
Clay | Martina Hingis Martina Hingis Martina Hingis is a retired Swiss professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles... |
6–4, 6–2 |
| 10. | April 21, 2002 | Charleston, South Carolina Family Circle Cup The Family Circle Cup is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, held every year since 1973. The tournament is currently played on the green clay courts at the Daniel Island Tennis Center in Charleston, South Carolina, USA... , USA |
Clay | Patty Schnyder Patty Schnyder Patty Schnyder is a retired Swiss professional tennis player. She played on the WTA tour from 1993 to 2011 and is a former World No. 7. She defeated several World No... |
7–6(5), 6–4 |
Doubles (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents in final | Score in final |
| 1. | February 11, 2001 | Paris Open Gaz de France Open GDF Suez, formerly Open Gaz de France, is a Premier level tennis tournament on the WTA Tour held in Paris, France. Held since 1993, the tournament is played on indoor hardcourts.... , France |
Carpet | Virginie Razzano Virginie Razzano Virginie Razzano , is a French professional tennis player and the current French No. 4. Razzano, who was born in Dijon, has won two WTA singles titles, both in 2007 in Guangzhou and Tokyo. Razzano reached her career high ranking of World No. 16 on September 14, 2009. As of May 2011, she is ranked... |
Kimberly Po Kimberly Po Kimberly Po-Messerli is a former professional tennis player from the United States.During her career, Po won the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon in 2000... & Nathalie TauziatNathalie Tauziat Nathalie Tauziat is a former professional tennis player from France. She was the runner-up in women's singles at the 1998 Wimbledon Championships. Her career-high singles ranking was third in 2000.... |
6–3, 7–5 |
Singles (9)
- 1994: Osaka (lost to Manuela Maleeva-Fragnière)
- 1994: Barcelona (lost to Arantxa Sánchez VicarioArantxa Sánchez VicarioAránzazu 'Arantxa' Isabel Maria Sánchez Vicario is a Spanish former professional tennis player...
) - 1994: Essen (lost to Jana NovotnáJana NovotnáJana Novotná is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. She played a serve and volley game, an increasingly rare style of play among women during her career. She won the women's singles title at Wimbledon in 1998 and was runner-up in three previous Grand Slam tournaments...
) - 1995: Barcelona (lost to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario)
- 1996: ParisOpen Gaz de FranceOpen GDF Suez, formerly Open Gaz de France, is a Premier level tennis tournament on the WTA Tour held in Paris, France. Held since 1993, the tournament is played on indoor hardcourts....
(lost to Julie Halard-DecugisJulie Halard-DecugisJulie Halard-Decugis is a former professional female tennis player.Halard-Decugis lived in La Baule, France during the initial stages of her career and later moved to Pully, Switzerland...
) - 1996: Leipzig (lost to Anke HuberAnke HuberAnke Huber is a German retired professional tennis player. She was the runner-up in women's singles at the 1996 Australian Open. Her career-high singles ranking was fourth, also in 1996.-Early life:...
) - 2000: Kuala Lumpur (lost to Henrieta NagyováHenrieta NagyováHenrieta Nagyová is a Slovak female professional tennis player. She turned professional in 1994 and has been ranked as high as the 21st in the world . In recent years her ranking has fallen due to constant injury. In late 2005, she brought her ranking up to a year ending 145, after it fell below 200...
) - 2001: Quebec (lost to Meghann ShaughnessyMeghann ShaughnessyMeghann Shaughnessy is an American professional tennis player. She achieved a career-high singles ranking of #11 in 2001, and has won six WTA Tour singles titles...
) - 2002: Bol (lost to Åsa SvenssonÅsa SvenssonÅsa Svensson is a female tennis player from Sweden, who turned professional in 1992. She won two singles and seven doubles titles in her career. The right-hander reached her highest individual ranking on the WTA Tour on 1 April 1996, when she became the number 28 of the world.-Singles :-Won :-...
)
Doubles (4)
- 1995: Linz (with Petra SchwarzPetra SchwarzPetra Schwarz is a former Austrian female professional tennis player, active between 1987 and 1997....
) (lost to Meredith McGrathMeredith McGrathMeredith McGrath is a former professional tennis player. She was born on April 28, 1971 in Midland, Michigan, USA and made her debut on the Women's Tennis Association tour in 1988. She won three singles titles in a ten year career, at Oklahoma City and Eastbourne in 1994 and Birmingham in 1996. ...
and Nathalie TauziatNathalie TauziatNathalie Tauziat is a former professional tennis player from France. She was the runner-up in women's singles at the 1998 Wimbledon Championships. Her career-high singles ranking was third in 2000....
) - 1995: Barcelona (with Mariaan de SwardtMariaan de SwardtMariaan de Swardt is a former tennis player from South Africa, who played as a professional from 1988 to 2001. She twice represented her native country at the Summer Olympics, in 1992 and 1996, and was a member of the South African Fed Cup Team in 1992 and 1994-1997. In 2006, de Swardt became a U.S...
) (lost to Arantxa Sánchez VicarioArantxa Sánchez VicarioAránzazu 'Arantxa' Isabel Maria Sánchez Vicario is a Spanish former professional tennis player...
and Larisa NeilandLarisa NeilandLarisa Savchenko Neiland is a former tennis player who represented Latvia. A former number-one ranked doubles player, Neiland won two women's doubles Grand Slam titles. She also won two singles titles and sixty-five doubles titles.-Career:Neiland turned professional in 1983...
) - 1995: Rogers CupCanada MastersThe Canada Masters , currently sponsored as the Rogers Cup, is an annual tennis tournament held in Canada. The men's competition is a Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 tournament on the Women's Tennis Association tour...
(with Martina HingisMartina HingisMartina Hingis is a retired Swiss professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles...
) (lost to Gabriela SabatiniGabriela SabatiniGabriela Beatriz Sabatini is a former professional Argentine tennis player. She was one of the leading players on the women's circuit in the late-1980s and early-1990s...
and Brenda Schultz-McCarthyBrenda Schultz-McCarthyBrenda Anne Marie Schultz-McCarthy is a Dutch tennis player. Primarily known for her maiden name Brenda Schultz, she married Sean McCarthy, a former American football player at University of Cincinnati, on 8 April 1995 and adopted his surname...
) - 1997: Hamburg (with Ruxandra DragomirRuxandra DragomirRuxandra Dragomir Ilie is a retired female tennis player from Romania, who won four singles and five doubles titles during her career. The right-hander reached her highest individual ranking on the WTA Tour on August 25, 1997, when she became the number 15 of the world...
) (lost to Anke HuberAnke HuberAnke Huber is a German retired professional tennis player. She was the runner-up in women's singles at the 1996 Australian Open. Her career-high singles ranking was fourth, also in 1996.-Early life:...
and Mary PierceMary PierceMary Pierce is a French-American tennis professional playing on the Women's Tennis Association tour. She is a citizen of France, Canada, and the United States but plays for France in team competitions and the Olympics.Pierce has won four Grand Slam titles, two in singles and two in doubles...
)
Grand Slam singles performance timeline
| Tournament | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | Career SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... |
A | A | A | A | QF | 1R | 3R | A | A | 3R | 2R | 1R | 0 / 6 |
| French Open | A | 4R | 4R | QF | QF | W | QF | A | 2R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 1 / 10 |
| Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... |
A | A | 1R | 1R | A | QF | 2R | A | A | 1R | 3R | 1R | 0 / 7 |
| US Open | 2R | 2R | 4R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 1R | A | 3R | 3R | 1R | 0 / 11 |
| SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 1 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 1 / 34 |
A = did not participate in the tournament.
SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.