Ai Sugiyama

Ai Sugiyama was born in Yokohama, Japan. She started playing tennis when she was 17 years old. She was honoured to play against Martina Navratilova in 1993 but lost three sets. In that same year, she made it through the Wimbledon Grand Slam and lost the first round to Gigi Fernandez also in three sets.

Sugiyama became a professional tennis player in 1992. Her mother, Fusako, is her own personal coach. She banks on her own speed and fitness. She is known for her aggressive services in court and strong volleys. In all her career she earned 6 singles titles and 36 doubles titles. She was awarded three Grand Slams in the women doubles titles partnering with Julie Halard-Decugis, from France and Kim Clijsters, from Belgium.

Since 1994 to date, Ai has been exceptionally active in the courts. At the US Open in 2007, she lost a second round game to Ekaterina Mkarova. But Sugiyama partnering with Srebotnik defeated Sun Shengnan and Ji Chunmei, Michaëlla Krajicek and Agnieszka Radwańska, and Loit and Vania King. But the duo lost a game to the then champions Dinara Safina and Nathalie Dechy.

This year was not a good start for Ai when she lost to Gajdosova in Sydney and Azarenka in Gold Coast. Eventually, she may have won a game to Zvonareva , and Perebiynis in Melbourne but again lost a match to Nicole Vaidisova in the singles event and to Yan and Zheng for the doubles event. Ai Sugiyama achieved her singles titles in: Tokyo in 1997; Hope Island and Tokyo in 1998; Scottsdale and Linz in 2003; and Gold Coast in 2004. She as well earned her doubles titles in: Doha and Rome both with Hantuchova in 2006; Canadian Open with Srebotnik in 2007; and Miami and Charlston also with Srebotnik.