Profile: Andrea Petkovic, and what makes her stand out from the rest
Most tennis players are divided into two stereotypes: there are glamour queens, such as Maria Sharapova or Ana Ivanovic, and there are athletes who do not make an attempt to do anything but play tennis, such as Francesca Schiavone
or Amelie Mauresmo. Some, like Serena Williams, are a little bit of both. However, German tennis player Andrea Petkovic breaks the mould by being none of the above.
The 23-year-old tennis player is one of the more attractive players on tour, and she couples this skill with a charming personality. Currently the Number 1 player in Germany, she reached her career-high ranking of World Number
24 last week. The tennis pro has won eight International Tennis Federation [ITF] titles and one Women’s Tennis Association [WTA] title. She was awarded the title of the German national champion twice, once in 2007 and once in 2009.
Her tennis resume is not as impressive as that of many other players. She is not as glamorous or attractive as Sharapova and her fan base is not inordinately large. However, this may be about to change; she is quickly becoming
one of the most adored players on the circuits.
For one, Petkovic is different. In a world of dignified tennis players, she sets herself apart by being quirky and amusing; any fan who witnessed her straight-sets defeat of Sharapova at the Australian Open will testify to this.
Her “Petko dance”, a jig she launches into after winning the match, is one of the most enjoyable parts of any tournament she progresses in.
Andrea Petkovic is an unusual player, because she grew up in a world which balanced both tennis and the “real world” in reasonable doses. Her father, Zoran Petkovic, played for the Yugoslavian Davis Cup team; however, unlike most
tennis parents, he did not push his daughter onto the court. In fact, Petkovic recalls that he had shown objections to her decision to become a tennis pro.
As a consequence of this, the younger Petkovic grew up in a considerably different way from most of her peers. Along with a tennis regime, she concentrated on her political science courses at university. As her rankings climbed,
she put her education on hold; however, she had studied long enough to ensure that she had more substance and intelligence than many, many players on the WTA.
Andrea Petkovic is effortlessly humorous, and refreshingly involved in life off the court; despite her schedule, she has revealed a great interest in reading Goethe, and even has an alter-ego which she uses to put up videos on
YouTube. Her winning dances are another extracurricular activity that make her popular.
So far, it’s impossible to know whether or not Petkovic possesses the drive and dedication required to become a Top 10 player. However, she has
proven herself to be capable of great tennis on the court, and her ranking seems to jump several spots every year. Given that a revolution seems to be taking place on the WTA, Petkovic may stand a good chance of cracking the Top Twenty in 2011 at the very
least.
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