Alina Jidkova

Alina Jidkova
Alina Jidkova at Kremlin Cup (2009)
Country (sports) Russia
ResidenceThe Woodlands, Texas, U.S.
Born (1977-01-18) January 18, 1977
Moscow, Soviet Union
now Russia
Height1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Turned pro1993
Retired2010
PlaysRight (two-handed backhand)
Prize money$1,128,467
Singles
Career record466–421
Career titles9 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 51 (7 March 2005)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open3R (2000)
French Open2R (2002)
Wimbledon1R (2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)
US Open2R (2006)
Doubles
Career record281–332
Career titles1 WTA, 9 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 50 (4 August 2003)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open2R (2003)
French Open2R (2000, 2003, 2004)
Wimbledon2R (2002, 2005, 2008)
US Open2R (2005)

Alina Vladimirovna Jidkova (Алина Владимировна Жидкова; born 18 January 1977) is a former professional tennis player from Russia. Throughout her career, she found success in both singles and doubles. Jidkova reached her career-high singles ranking of world No. 51 in March 2005, achieving strong singles performances against top players. She defeated several high-ranked opponents, including Serena Williams at Generali Linz in 2004, and also claimed wins over Mary Pierce, Jelena Janković, and Samantha Stosur.[1][2][3][4]

In doubles, she won a WTA title at the Mexican Open 2005 and reached three other WTA finals, including the Memphis Open 2003, Québec Open 2006, and Cincinnati Open 2007. Her doubles ranking peaked at No. 50 in August 2003.

Career

In 2004, she reached the quarterfinals of Generali Ladies Linz after beating Serena Williams in straight sets.[5] Aside from Williams, she has career victories against Jelena Janković, Mary Pierce, Samantha Stosur, Alicia Molik, Chanda Rubin, Amanda Coetzer, Brenda Schultz-McCarthy, Amy Frazier, Petra Martić, Mirjana Lučić-Baroni, Vera Dushevina and other notable players. In 2005, she won her single WTA Tour event, the Mexican Open doubles title in Acapulco, partnering with Tatiana Perebiynis. She has also finished runner-up on three other occasions.

Retirement and coaching career

She retired from professional tennis at the beginning of the 2011 season.[6] Her last official singles match played was against Monica Puig, 2016 Olympic champion at the end of 2010 season.[7] Being a PTA Certified Tennis Coach, she worked as a head coach for Galina Voskoboeva, Ksenia Pervak and Kaia Kanepi.[8]

As a coach, Jidkova was part of the 2012 Olympics, coaching Galina Voskoboeva, who represented Team Kazakhstan. In 2017, she also coached Kaia Kanepi to reach the quarterfinals of the US Open.

Alongside her work with established athletes, she mentors young players, helping them reach the skill level needed for potential recruitment by top college tennis programs.

ITF World Tennis Masters Tour (seniors' circuit)

As of 2024, Jidkova has been playing doubles on the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour, now representing the United States of America. Partnering Julie Thu, she won both tournaments she entered so far, an MT1000 in Houston and an MT700 in Austin, Texas.[9]

Personal life

Nicknamed “Alinka”, Alina Jidkova was born in Moscow, then part of the Soviet Union, into an athletic family. Her father, Vladimir, was an engineer and former weightlifter, while her mother, Lina, was a sprinter before becoming a school teacher.[10] She grew up training at the Spartak Moscow Tennis Club and later the Spartak Tennis Academy.

Seeking further development, Jidkova moved to the United States to train at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. She now resides in The Woodlands, Texas with her husband, entrepreneur Sascha Ghods. The couple married on 18 December 2010 in Vienna, Austria, and have two children. Their son, currently training under Jidkova’s guidance, is also pursuing a career in tennis.

WTA Tour Finals

Doubles: 4 (1 title, 3 runner-ups)

Result No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1. Feb 2003 U.S. National Indoors Hard (i) Bryanne Stewart Saori Obata
Akiko Morigami
1–6, 1–6
Win 2. Feb 2005 Mexican Open Clay Tatiana Perebiynis Rosa María Andrés Rodríguez
Conchita Martínez Granados
7–5, 6–3
Loss 3. Oct 2006 Tournoi de Québec, Canada Hard Jill Craybas Carly Gullickson
Laura Granville
3–6, 4–6
Loss 4. Jul 2007 Cincinnati Open, U.S. Hard Tatiana Poutchek Bethanie Mattek
Sania Mirza
6–7(4–7), 5–7

ITF finals

Legend
$100,000 tournaments
$75,000 tournaments
$50,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
$10,000 tournaments

Singles: 17 (9–8)

Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Winner 1. 27 October 1997 ITF Culiacán, Mexico Hard Petya Marinova 6–3, 6–0
Runner-up 2. 11 May 1998 ITF Poza Rica, Mexico Hard Vanessa Menga 2–6, 7–6, 1–6
Winner 3. 18 May 1998 ITF Coatzacoalcos, Mexico Hard Adria Engel 6–3, 6–1
Runner-up 4. 4 January 1999 ITF San Antonio, United States Hard Holly Parkinson 6–3, 4–6, 3–6
Winner 5. 17 January 1999 ITF Miami, United States Hard Helen Crook 6–2, 7–5
Runner-up 6. 31 January 1999 ITF Clearwater, United States Hard Miroslava Vavrinec 0–6, 6–7
Winner 7. 19 July 1999 ITF Peachtree, United States Hard Erika deLone 6–7, 7–6, 6–4
Runner-up 8. 16 July 2000 ITF Peachtree, United States Hard Sandra Cacic 0–6, 2–4 ret.
Winner 9. 11 September 2000 ITF Hopewell Junction, United States Hard Jennifer Hopkins 6–3, 6–0
Winner 10. 9 October 2000 ITF Miramar, United States Clay Rossana de los Ríos 1–6, 7–6, 6–2
Runner-up 11. 27 November 2000 ITF Tucson, United States Hard Katalin Marosi 7–6, 4–6, 3–6
Runner-up 12. 29 January 2001 ITF Clearwater, United States Hard Anikó Kapros 3–6, 2–6
Runner-up 13. 29 January 2001 ITF Fresno, United States Hard Marissa Irvin 2–6, 1–6
Winner 14. 5 November 2001 ITF Pittsburgh, United States Hard (i) Marie-Ève Pelletier 6–4, 6–1
Winner 15. 23 July 2002 ITF Louisville, United States Hard Saori Obata 6–3, 6–4
Winner 16. 9 January 2007 ITF Tampa, United States Hard Olga Vymetálková 6–2, 6–2
Runner-up 17. 5 June 2007 ITF Madrid, Spain Clay Carla Suárez Navarro 2–6, 1–6

Doubles: 30 (9–21)

Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up 1. 21 February 1994 ITF Amadora, Portugal Hard Anna Linkova Teodora Nedeva
Antoaneta Pandjerova
3–6, 1–6
Runner-up 2. 29 January 1996 Open de Saint-Malo, France Hard (i) Pavlina Bartůňková Ariadne Katsouli
Bérangère Quillot
2–6, 2–6
Runner-up 3. 4 August 1996 ITF Catania, Italy Clay Teodora Nedeva Katia Altilia
Laura Fodorean
6–1, 4–6, 3–6
Winner 4. 6 October 1996 ITF Langenthal, Switzerland Carpet (i) Helena Vildová Caecilia Charbonnier
Andrea Schwarz
6–4, 6–4
Winner 5. 23 March 1997 ITF Victoria, Mexico Hard Paola Arrangoiz Karin Palme
Graciela Vélez
5–7, 6–0, 6–2
Runner-up 6. 27 October 1997 ITF Culiacán, Mexico Hard Paola Arrangoiz Lucila Becerra
Isabela Petrov
5–7, 0–6
Runner-up 7. 19 January 1998 ITF Miami, U.S. Hard Aliénor Tricerri Lilia Osterloh
Zuzana Valeková
4–6, 4–6
Winner 8. 4 May 1998 ITF Tampico, Mexico Hard Adria Engel Paula Cabezas
Vanessa Menga
7–6, 7–5
Runner-up 9. 11 May 1998 ITF Poza Rica, Mexico Hard Adria Engel Paula Cabezas
Vanessa Menga
6–3, 2–6, 2–6
Runner-up 10. 18 May 1998 ITF Coatzacoalcos, Mexico Hard Adria Engel Paula Cabezas
Vanessa Menga
3–6, 2–6
Winner 11. 23 November 1998 ITF Culiacán, Mexico Clay Renata Kolbovic Zsófia Gubacsi
Aliénor Tricerri
6–3, 6–2
Runner-up 12. 4 January 1999 ITF San Antonio, U.S. Hard Holly Parkinson Kylie Hunt
Julie Thu
6–7, 4–6
Runner-up 13. 8 February 1999 ITF Rockford, U.S. Hard (i) Holly Parkinson Lilia Osterloh
Katie Schlukebir
6–7, 2–6
Winner 14. 19 September 1999 ITF Hopewell, U.S. Hard Li Fang Dawn Buth
Kim Grant
6–3, 6–3
Runner-up 15. 1 May 2001 ITF Dothan, U.S. Clay Gabriela Voleková Marissa Irvin
Janet Lee
0–6, 2–6
Winner 16. 14 October 2001 ITF Hallandale Beach, U.S. Clay Jessica Steck Erica Krauth
Vanesa Krauth
4–6, 6–2, 6–3
Winner 17. 12 November 2001 ITF Hattiesburg, U.S. Hard Abigail Spears Rika Hiraki
Nana Miyagi
6–3, 6–1
Runner-up 18. 3 December 2001 ITF West Columbia, U.S. Hard Abigail Spears Amanda Augustus
Jennifer Embry
6–0, 3–6, 3–6
Runner-up 19. 3 December 2002 ITF Boynton Beach, U.S. Clay Lina Krasnoroutskaya Katalin Marosi
Samantha Reeves
2–6, 6–7
Runner-up 20. 19 October 2003 ITF Sedona, U.S. Clay Rossana de los Ríos Yan Zi
Zheng Jie
6–7(2–7), 6–7(3–7)
Runner-up 21. 10 November 2003 ITF Eugene, U.S. Hard Tatiana Poutchek Teryn Ashley
Shenay Perry
6–3, 2–6, 4–6
Runner-up 22. 1 December 2003 ITF Palm Beach Gardens, U.S. Clay Tatiana Panova Melinda Czink
Erica Krauth
1–6, 2–6
Runner-up 23. 2 June 2008 Internazionale di Roma, Italy Clay Marie-Ève Pelletier Klaudia Jans
Alicja Rosolska
3–6, 1–6
Winner 24. 18 January 2009 ITF Boca Raton, U.S. Clay Darya Kustova Kimberly Couts
Sharon Fichman
6–4, 6–2
Runner-up 25. 8 February 2009 ITF Rancho Mirage, U.S. Hard Darya Kustova Natalie Grandin
Courtney Nagle
2–6, 6–7(6–8)
Runner-up 26. 27 April 2009 Charlottesville Open, U.S. Hard Angela Haynes Carly Gullickson
Nicole Kriz
5–7, 6–3, [7–10]
Runner-up 27. 10 October 2009 ITF Mexico City Hard Karen Castiblanco María Fernanda Álvarez Terán
Frederica Piedade
3–6, 4–6
Runner-up 28. 8 March 2010 Clearwater Open, U.S. Hard Laura Siegemund Xu Yifan
Zhou Yimiao
4–6, 4–6
Winner 29. 19 April 2010 ITF Dothan Pro, U.S. Clay Anastasiya Yakimova María Irigoyen
Teodora Mirčić
6–4, 6–2
Runner-up 30. 11 October 2010 Classic of Troy, U.S. Hard Laura Siegemund Madison Brengle
Asia Muhammad
2–6, 4–6

References

  1. ^ "Why Does Serena Williams Dominate Top Players but Struggle with Unknowns?". Bleacher Report.
  2. ^ "Alina Jidkova of Russia celebrates her victory to top seed Mary Pierce of France during quarter-final action at the Bell Challenge WTA tournament in Quebec City, Friday, Nov. 5, 2004. (AP Photo/Jacques Boissinot Stock Photo - Alamy".
  3. ^ "H2H Samantha Stosur Vs Alina Jidkova stats, prediction, head 2 head, and draw".
  4. ^ "H2H Alina Jidkova Vs Jelena Jankovic stats, prediction, head 2 head, and draw".
  5. ^ "Serena loses to qualifier in Linz". ABC News. 2004-10-27. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
  6. ^ "Alina Jidkova Women's Doubles Activity". www.itftennis.com. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  7. ^ "Alina Jidkova Women's Singles Activity". www.itftennis.com. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  8. ^ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alina-jidkova-b55a88224
  9. ^ "Alina Jidkova Masters Tour Doubles Activity". www.itftennis.com. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
  10. ^ "Alina Jidkova | Player Stats & More – WTA Official".