Eleni Daniilidou
Eleni Daniilidou (Greek: Ελένη Δανιηλίδου; [eleˈni ðaniˈiliðu]; born 19 September 1982) is a Greek former tennis player from the island of Crete.
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Country (sports) | ![]() |
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Residence | Thessaloniki |
Born | Chania, Crete | 19 September 1982
Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) |
Turned pro | 1996 |
Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
Prize money | $2,929,165 |
Singles | |
Career record | 509–431 |
Career titles | 5 WTA, 11 ITF |
Highest ranking | No. 14 (12 May 2003) |
Grand Slam Singles results | |
Australian Open | 4R (2003) |
French Open | 3R (2003) |
Wimbledon | 4R (2002) |
US Open | 4R (2004) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 298–277 |
Career titles | 3 WTA, 16 ITF |
Highest ranking | No. 21 (29 January 2007) |
Grand Slam Doubles results | |
Australian Open | QF (2005) |
French Open | SF (2006) |
Wimbledon | QF (2006) |
US Open | 2R (2004, 2007) |
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results | |
Australian Open | F (2003) |
French Open | 1R (2007) |
Wimbledon | 2R (2006) |
US Open | 2R (2003) |
Team competitions | |
Fed Cup | 29–15 |
She is considered as one of the best Greek tennis players of the Open Era, winning five singles titles and three doubles titles on the WTA Tour. In 2003, she reached the mixed-doubles final of the Australian Open, making her the first Greek player to have reached a Grand Slam final. Her highest singles ranking is world No. 14, making her the only female tennis player from Greece to have reached the top 20. No male tennis player had achieved this until Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the 15th place on August 13, 2018. By beating Justine Henin in the first round of the 2005 Wimbledon Championships, she became the first player to defeat a reigning French Open champion in the first round of Wimbledon.
Career summary
Daniilidou began her professional career in 1996, making the final of her first ITF event, having barely turned 14. She achieved her first ranking in 1998, finishing that year as the world No. 294. In 2001, she broke into the top 100 following a third round appearance at the US Open.
2002 was the best year of Daniilidou's career, finishing it at No. 22 in the world. She won her first WTA Tour singles title at the Ordina Open, beating Amélie Mauresmo, Elena Dementieva and Henin; and reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time at Wimbledon. At the end of the year, she reached her second WTA final at the Brasil Open, beating Monica Seles en route, but lost to Anastasia Myskina.
Daniilidou started 2003 by winning her second WTA title at the ASB Classic and reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open, results which saw her break into the top 20 for the first time, reaching a career high of No. 14 after the German Open. She also reached the semifinals of the Open Gaz de France and the DFS Classic.
Daniilidou successfully defended her title at the ASB Classic in 2004, her third WTA singles title. She reached the semifinals at the prestigious NASDAQ-100 Open, beating Jennifer Capriati en route. Later that year she equalled her best Grand Slam performance at the US Open by reaching the fourth round.
2005 was a relatively poor year for Daniilidou, becoming the first since 2001 where she did not win a title. She did, however, cause a huge upset at Wimbledon, beating the reigning French Open champion, Justine Henin. It was the first time the French Open champion had ever lost in the first round of Wimbledon. It also brought the end of Henin's 24-match win streak dating back to the beginning of the clay season. Daniilidou eventually lost in the third round, her best Grand Slam performance of the year. She also reached the semifinals of a lower level WTA event in Portoroz, Slovenia.
She recovered slightly in 2006, going back into the top 50 and winning her fourth WTA singles title at the Hansol Korea Open. She also reached the semifinals of the Ordina Open, and remained in the top 50 in 2007 with her best result being a semifinal at the Pilot Pen Tennis, where she beat Dinara Safina in the quarterfinals after saving a match point.
2008 was an injury-plagued season for Daniilidou, missing almost half the year with a right knee injury. She won her fifth – and to date, last – WTA singles title at the Hobart International, but missed several months of events from March. She returned at the Summer Olympics in August, but failed to win a match for the rest of the season, ultimately finishing the year outside the top 100 for the first time since 2000.
Grand Slam finals
Mixed doubles: 1 (runner-up)
Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
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Loss | 2003 | Australian Open | Hard | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 4–6, 5–7 |
WTA Tour career finals
Singles: 6 (5 titles, 1 runner–up)
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Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
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Win | 1–0 | Jun 2002 | Rosmalen Championships, Netherlands | Tier III | Grass | ![]() |
3–6, 6–2, 6–3 |
Loss | 1–1 | Sep 2002 | Brasil Open, Brazil | Tier II | Hard | ![]() |
3–6, 6–0, 2–6 |
Win | 2–1 | Jan 2003 | Auckland Open, New Zealand | Tier IV | Hard | ![]() |
6–4, 4–6, 7–6(7–2) |
Win | 3–1 | Jan 2004 | Auckland Open, New Zealand (2) | Tier IV | Hard | ![]() |
6–3, 6–2 |
Win | 4–1 | Oct 2006 | Korea Open, South Korea | Tier IV | Hard | ![]() |
6–3, 2–6, 7–6(7–3) |
Win | 5–1 | Jan 2008 | Hobart International, Australia | Tier IV | Hard | ![]() |
w/o |
Doubles: 12 (3 titles, 9 runner–ups)
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Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
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Loss | 0–1 | May 2003 | Warsaw Open, Poland | Tier II | Clay | ![]() |
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6–3, 4–6, 2–6 |
Loss | 0–2 | Feb 2004 | Diamond Games, Belgium | Tier II | Hard | ![]() |
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2–6, 1–6 |
Win | 1–2 | Jun 2004 | Bank of the West Classic, United States | Tier II | Hard | ![]() |
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6–2, 6–4 |
Loss | 1–3 | Jun 2005 | Birmingham Classic, Great Britain | Tier III | Grass | ![]() |
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2–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 1–4 | Nov 2006 | Gaz de France Stars, Belgium | Tier III | Carpet | ![]() |
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2–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 1–5 | Sep 2007 | Korea Open, South Korea | Tier IV | Hard | ![]() |
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2–6, 2–6 |
Loss | 1–6 | Jan 2008 | Hobart International, Australia | Tier IV | Hard | ![]() |
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2–6, 4–6 |
Win | 2–6 | Jul 2010 | İstanbul Cup, Turkey | International | Hard | ![]() |
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6–4, 1–6, [11–9] |
Loss | 2–7 | Apr 2011 | Estoril Open, Portugal | International | Clay | ![]() |
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4–6, 2–6 |
Win | 3–7 | Sep 2011 | Tashkent Open, Uzbekistan | International | Hard | ![]() |
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6–4, 6–3 |
Loss | 3–8 | Jul 2013 | Gastein Ladies, Austria | International | Clay | ![]() |
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1–6, 4–6 |
Loss | 3–9 | Jul 2013 | Baku Cup, Azerbaijan | International | Hard | ![]() |
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4–6, 7–6(7–3), [10–4] |
ITF Circuit finals
$100,000 tournaments |
$75,000 tournaments |
$50,000 tournaments |
$25,000 tournaments |
$10,000 tournaments |
Singles: 16 (11–5)
Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
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Loss | 1. | 30 September 1996 | ITF Thessaloniki, Greece | Hard | ![]() |
3–6, 2–6 |
Win | 1. | 8 August 1998 | ITF Southsea, Great Britain | Grass | ![]() |
7–6(7–5), 6–3 |
Win | 2. | 15 August 1998 | ITF İstanbul, Turkey | Hard | ![]() |
6–0, 6–1 |
Win | 3. | 24 August 1998 | ITF Skiathos, Greece | Carpet | ![]() |
6–3, 6–4 |
Win | 4. | 31 August 1998 | ITF Xanthi, Greece | Hard | ![]() |
6–2, 6–0 |
Win | 5. | 20 September 1999 | ITF Thessaloniki, Greece | Carpet | ![]() |
6–2, 6–2 |
Win | 6. | 21 August 2000 | ITF Kastoria, Greece | Carpet | ![]() |
6–3, 6–1 |
Win | 7. | 2 April 2001 | ITF Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Hard | ![]() |
6–4, 6–4 |
Win | 8. | 30 April 2001 | ITF Taranto, Italy | Clay | ![]() |
7–5, 6–2 |
Loss | 2. | 15 February 2009 | ITF Midland, United States | Hard (i) | ![]() |
3–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 3. | 17 August 2009 | ITF Westende, Belgium | Hard | ![]() |
1–6, 2–6 |
Loss | 4. | 28 September 2009 | ITF Athens, Greece | Hard | ![]() |
2–6, 1–6 |
Win | 9. | 3 October 2010 | ITF Athens, Greece | Hard | ![]() |
6–4, 6–1 |
Win | 10. | 30 May 2011 | ITF Nottingham, Great Britain | Grass | ![]() |
1–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
Win | 11. | 3 July 2011 | ITF Pozoblanco, Spain | Hard | ![]() |
6–3, 6–2 |
Loss | 5. | 29 October 2012 | ITF Barnstaple, Great Britain | Hard (i) | ![]() |
7–6(7–1), 2–6, 2–6 |
Doubles: 29 (16–13)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
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Runner-up | 1. | 3 August 1998 | Southsea, Great Britain | Grass | ![]() |
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2–6, 3–6 |
Winner | 1. | 10 August 1998 | İstanbul, Turkey | Hard | ![]() |
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3–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
Winner | 2. | 24 August 1998 | Skiathos, Greece | Carpet | ![]() |
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3–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
Winner | 3. | 31 August 1998 | Xanthi, Greece | Hard | ![]() |
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6–0, 6–3 |
Winner | 4. | 28 September 1998 | Thessaloniki, Greece | Clay | ![]() |
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7–6(7–5), 4–6, 7–5 |
Winner | 5. | 20 September 1999 | Thessaloniki, Greece | Carpet | ![]() |
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6–2, 6–3 |
Winner | 6. | 21 August 2000 | Kastoria, Greece | Carpet | ![]() |
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6–3, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 2. | 4 September 2000 | Fano, Italy | Clay | ![]() |
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2–6, 4–6 |
Winner | 7. | 16 October 2000 | Joué-lès-Tours, France | Hard (i) | ![]() |
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5–3, 4–1, 4–0 |
Runner-up | 3. | 29 January 2001 | Tipton, Great Britain | Hard (i) | ![]() |
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6–2, 4–6, 4–6 |
Winner | 8. | 12 February 2001 | Sutton, Great Britain | Hard (i) | ![]() |
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6–0, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 4. | 25 March 2001 | Cholet, France | Clay (i) | ![]() |
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1–6, 6–7(5–7) |
Winner | 9. | 9 April 2001 | Dinan, France | Clay (i) | ![]() |
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6–3, 7–6(7–4) |
Runner-up | 5. | 27 March 2009 | La Palma, Spain | Hard | ![]() |
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2–6, 7–5, [5–10] |
Runner-up | 6. | 5 June 2009 | Nottingham, Great Britain | Grass | ![]() |
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3–6, 6–2, [7–10] |
Winner | 10. | 28 September 2009 | Athens, Greece | Hard | ![]() |
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6–2, 5–7, [10–4] |
Winner | 11. | 2 November 2009 | Ismaning, Germany | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
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6–2, 4–6, [10–5] |
Winner | 12. | 13 September 2010 | Sofia, Bulgaria | Hard | ![]() |
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6–3, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 7. | 3 October 2010 | Athens, Greece | Hard | ![]() |
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w/o |
Winner | 13. | 9 June 2012 | Nottingham, Great Britain | Grass | ![]() |
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6–4, 6–2 |
Winner | 14. | 16 September 2013 | Albuquerque, United States | Hard | ![]() |
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6–4, 7–6(7–2) |
Runner-up | 8. | 20 December 2013 | Ankara, Turkey | Hard | ![]() |
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3–6, 3–6 |
Runner-up | 9. | 24 March 2014 | Croissy-Beaubourg, France | Hard (i) | ![]() |
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2–6, 4–6 |
Runner-up | 10. | 5 May 2014 | Fukuoka, Japan | Grass | ![]() |
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3–6, 4–6 |
Winner | 15. | 9 March 2015 | Amiens, France | Clay | ![]() |
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6–1, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 11. | 21 February 2016 | Antalya, Turkey | Clay | ![]() |
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6–7(0–7), 4–6 |
Runner-up | 12. | 25 April 2016 | Manisa, Turkey | Hard | ![]() |
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4–6, 4–6 |
Winner | 16. | 11 July 2016 | Imola, Italy | Carpet | ![]() |
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4–6, 6–2, [10–4] |
Runner-up | 13. | 27 March 2017 | İstanbul, Turkey | Hard (i) | ![]() |
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1–6, 3–6 |
Grand Slam performance timelines
Singles
Tournament | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | W–L |
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Australian Open | A | 3R | 4R | 3R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | Q2 | Q2 | Q2 | 2R | 2R | Q1 | 9–9 |
French Open | Q3 | 2R | 3R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | A | A | Q1 | 1R | 1R | Q2 | A | 3–8 |
Wimbledon | 2R | 4R | 2R | 1R | 3R | 1R | 2R | A | A | 1R | 2R | 1R | Q2 | A | 10–10 |
US Open | 3R | 1R | 1R | 4R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 1R | A | Q1 | 1R | 1R | 1R | A | 7–11 |
Win–Loss | 3–2 | 6–4 | 7–4 | 5–4 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 1–4 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 29–38 |
Doubles
Tournament | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | W–L |
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Australian Open | 3R | 1R | 1R | QF | 1R | 3R | 1R | A | A | 2R | 1R | 1R | A | 8–10 |
French Open | A | 3R | 1R | 1R | SF | 2R | A | A | 1R | 1R | 2R | A | A | 8–8 |
Wimbledon | A | 1R | 1R | 2R | QF | 2R | A | A | 1R | 1R | 1R | A | 1R | 5–9 |
US Open | A | 1R | 2R | 1R | A | 2R | 1R | A | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | A | 3–9 |
Win–Loss | 2–1 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 4–4 | 7–3 | 5–4 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 24–36 |
Head-to-head records
- Serena Williams: 0–8
- Venus Williams: 0–2
- Kim Clijsters: 0–2
- Lindsay Davenport: 0–3
- Jelena Jankovic: 0–1
- Nadia Petrova: 1–3
- Dinara Safina: 2–2
- Justine Henin: 2–2
- Maria Sharapova: 0–5
External links
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