Polona Hercog

Polona Hercog (born January 20, 1991) is a Slovenian tennis player. On September 13, 2010, she reached her highest ranking, No. 43 in singles and No. 58 in doubles. Hercog won two WTA Tour doubles title and reached one singles final. She also enjoyed success on the ITF Circuit, winning nine singles and five doubles titles. Partnering with Jessica Moore, she won the 2008 French Open and Wimbledon Championships junior titles in the doubles competition.

Polona Hercog

Polona Hercog in June 2023
Country (sports)	Slovenia
Residence	Maribor, Slovenia
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Turned pro	2006
Plays	Right-handed (two–handed backhand)
Prize money	US$ 561,684
Singles
Career record	39–45 (Tour level only) 162–83
Career titles	0 WTA, 9 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 43 (13 September 2010)
Current ranking	No. 61 (28 March 2011)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	2R (2010)
French Open	3R (2010)
Wimbledon	1R (2010)
US Open	1R (2009, 2010)
Doubles
Career record	30–30 (Tour level only) 63–47
Career titles	2 WTA, 5 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 59 (10 January 2011)
Current ranking	No. 63 (7 March 2011)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	1R (2010)
French Open	1R (2010)
Wimbledon	1R (2010)
US Open	3R (2010)
Last updated on: 8 March 2011.

Early and personal life

Polona Hercog was born to florist Romana and bar owner Vojko. She began playing tennis aged four in the tennis clinic opened by Mima Jaušovec in Maribor, and moved to Italy at age 14 to train professionally. Hercog is fluent in Slovenian, English, and Italian, and cites Justine Henin as her role model. She currently resides in her hometown of Maribor and practices in Budapest. Hercog is a fan of snowboarding, football, basketball and surfing.

Tennis career

2007—2009

Hercog made her WTA Tour debut in Portorož, Slovenia, losing to Elena Vesnina in three sets, 6–3, 6–7(6), 6–4. In 2008, Hercog participated in the İstanbul Cup, where she lost in the first round to Tsvetana Pironkova 6-4, 7-5, but reached the finals of the doubles competition partnering with New Zealand's Marina Erakovic. The same year, Hercog and Australian Jessica Moore won two grand slam junior doubles titles, the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships. She also played the qualifications for the US Open, but lost to Sandra Záhlavová in the first round, 6–3, 6–3.

Hercog entered the 2009 Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem via the qualifying rounds, and beat seventh seed Roberta Vinci to reach the quarterfinals, where she was defeated by Alisa Kleybanova. At that year's French Open she upset 23rd seeded Kleybanova 6–2, 4–6, 6–1, but was in turn beaten by Aravane Rezaï 3–6, 6–4, 6–2. At the US Open, Hercog was beaten by American wildcard Christina McHale 6–3, 6–1 in the first round. She also played the BGL Luxembourg Open, defeating Maria Elena Camerin 3–6, 7–5, 7–5 in the opening round. She then lost to Sabine Lisicki 7–6(1), 6–4.

2010

Hercog opened the season with early losses at her first three tournemtns, including a second round showing at the Australian Open, where she lost to Alona Bondarenko. After playing for Slovenia Fed Cup team, she won the ITF event in Cali, Colombia, but then suffered an opening round loss to Catalina Castaño at the Copa Sony Ericsson Colsanitas.

At the tournament in Acapulco, Mexico, Hercog reached her first WTA Tour singles final and won her first WTA Tour doubles title. She defeated Rossana de los Ríos 6–4, 6–1 in the first round, Alizé Cornet 6–4, 6–2 in the second, Ágnes Szávay retired from the quarterfinals match when Hercog was leading 6–4, 0–1, and Carla Suárez Navarro 6–3, 7–5 in the semifinals. In the final, Hercog faced the first seed and former World No. 1 Venus Williams, and lost 6–2, 2–6, 3–6, despite winning the first set. Partnering with Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová, she won her first Tour doubles title, beating the Italian team of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci 2–6, 6–1, [10–2].

At the 2010 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Hercog defeated Ioana Raluca Olaru 7–5, 6–4 in the first round and was defeated by 11th seed Marion Bartoli in the second round 6–4, 6–2.

Hercog caused an upset in the second round of the 2010 French Open by defeating #24 Lucie Šafářová.

In Portoroz, she reached the semi-finals, leading 6-0 1-0 against Anna Chakvetadze but then lost the match mentally 6-0 2-6 2-6, showing her lack of confidence and experience.

Seeded 6th at the 2010 e-Boks Danish Open in Copenhagen, she had a chance to take revenge on Anna Chakvetadze as they met in the quarterfinals. Hercog lost the match, this time in straight sets 4-6, 3-6.

2011

Hercog began the year with three straight losses, including a first-round loss at the 2011 Australian Open to Anastasija Sevastova. In Fed Cup against Germany, she split her singles rubbers, defeating Julia Görges but losing to Andrea Petkovic. She has reportedly split with her long-time coach, Zoltan Kuharsky. She lost in the first rounds of clay tournaments in Bogota and Acapulco, where she had reached the final in 2010. She then reached the semifinals of Monterrey, where she lost to Jelena Jankovic.

Career statistics

WTA Tour singles finals (0–1)

Legend Grand Slam (0/0) WTA Championships (0/0) Premier Mandatory (0/0) Premier 5 (0/0) Premier (0/0) International (0/1)

Titles by Surface Hard (0) Grass (0) Clay (0) Carpet (0)

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1.	27 February 2010	Acapulco	Clay	Venus Williams	2–6, 6–2, 6–3

WTA Tour doubles finals (2–1)

Legend: Before 2009	Legend: Starting in 2009
Grand Slam (0/0)
Olympic Gold (0/0)
WTA Championships (0/0)
Tier I (0/0)	Premier Mandatory (0/0)
Tier II (0/0)	Premier 5 (0/0)
Tier III (0/1)	Premier (0/0)
Tier IV & V (0/0)	International (2/0)

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Runner-up	1.	19 May 2008	İstanbul	Clay	Marina Erakovic	Jill Craybas Olga Govortsova	6–1, 6–2
Winner	1.	28 February 2010	Acapulco	Clay	Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová	Sara Errani Roberta Vinci	2–6, 6–1, [10–2]
Winner	2.	26 September 2010	Seoul	Hard	Julia Görges	Natalie Grandin Vladimíra Uhlířová	6–3, 6–4

Grand Slam junior doubles finals (2–0)

Outcome	Year	Championships	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Winner	2008	French Open	Clay	Jessica Moore	Lesley Kerkhove Arantxa Rus	5–7, 6–1, [10–7]
Winner	2008	The Championships, Wimbledon	Grass	Jessica Moore	Isabella Holland Sally Peers	6–3, 1–6, 6–2

Fed Cup singles performances (5–4)

Edition	Round	Date	Against	Surface	Opponent	W/L	Result
2007 Europe/Africa Zone Group I	Playoffs SF	21–04–07	Switzerland	Clay	Patty Schnyder	Loss	3–6, 6–3, 2–6
2008 Europe/Africa Zone Group I	RR	01–02–08	Georgia	Carpet	Ekaterine Gorgodze	Win	6–7(3), 7–6(5), 7–5
2010 Europe/Africa Zone Group I	RR	03–02–10	Israel	Hard	Shahar Pe'er	Loss	1–6, 4–6
	RR	04–02–10	Netherlands	Hard	Arantxa Rus	Win	6–7, 7–5, 6–2
	PPO	06–02–10	Switzerland	Hard	Sarah Moundir	Win	6–4, 6–1
2010 World Group II	Playoffs QF	24–04–10	Japan	Clay (i)	Ayumi Morita	Win	3–6, 6–1, 6–3
	Playoffs QF	25–04–10			Kimiko Date Krumm	Loss	4–6, 2–6
World Group II	1R	05–02–11	Germany	Clay (i)	Julia Görges	Win	7–5, 6–4
		06–02–11			Andrea Petković	Loss	1–6, 2–6

Fed Cup doubles performances (2–1)

Edition	Round	Date	Partnering	Against	Surface	Opponents	W/L	Result
2007 Europe/Africa Zone Group I	RR	19–04–07	Tadeja Majerič	Estonia	Clay	Anett Kaasik Margit Rüütel	Win	1–6, 6–1, 6–4
2008 Europe/Africa Zone Group I	RR	31–01–08	Maša Zec Peškirič	Belarus	Carpet	Ima Bohush Tatiana Poutchek	Loss	1–6, 3–6
2010 Europe/Africa Zone Group I	RR	03–02–10	Katarina Srebotnik	Israel	Hard	Julia Glushko Shahar Pe'er	Win	6–1, 7–6(7)
	PPO	06–02–10		Switzerland	Clay	Sarah Moundir Amra Sadikovic	Win	W/O

• PPO = Promotional Play–offs
• NP = Not Played
• W/O = Walkover; this win doesn't count as a win in official statistics

Singles performance timeline

Tournament	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	Career Win-Loss
Grand Slams
Australian Open	A	A	A	A	2R	1R	1–2
French Open	A	A	A	2R	3R		3–2
Wimbledon	A	A	A	LQ	1R		0–1
US Open	A	A	LQ	1R	1R		0–2
Win-Loss	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–2	3–4	0–1	4–7
Premier Mandatory
Indian Wells	A	A	A	A	2R	1R	1–1
Miami	A	A	A	A	3R		2–1
Madrid	Not Held			A	1R		0–1
Beijing	Tier II			Premier	2R		1–1
Win-Loss	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	4–4	0–0	4–4
Premier 5
Rome	A	A	A	A	2R		1–1
Tokyo	A	A	A	A	1R		0–1
Win-Loss	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–2	0–0	1–2
Premier
Stuttgart	A	A	A	A	1R		0–1
Warsaw	A	A	Not Held	A	2R		1–1
Win-Loss	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–2	0–0	1–2
International series
Brisbane	A	A	A	A	A	1R	0–1
Auckland	A	A	A	A	1R	A	0–1
Bogotá	A	A	A	A	1R	2R	1–2
Acapulco	A	A	A	A	F	1R	4–2
Monterrey	Not Held			A	2R	SF	4–2
Marbella	Not Held			2R	2R		2–2
Fes	A	A	A	QF	A		2–1
Budapest	A	A	A	A	QF		2–1
Prague	A	A	A	2R	QF		2–2
Portorož	LQ	1R	1R	1R	SF		3–4
Istanbul	A	A	1R	1R	A		0–2
Copenhagen	Not Held				QF		2–1
Seoul	A	A	A	A	1R		0–1
Linz	A	A	A	LQ	1R		0–1
Luxembourg	A	A	A	2R	QF		2-2
Win-Loss	0–0	0–1	0–2	5–6	16–12	4-4	24–25
Fed Cup
Europe/Africa I & World Group II	A	SF	1R	A	PO	QF	-
Win-Loss	0-0	0-1	1-0	0-0	3-2	1-1	5-4
Statistics
Tour Level Win-Loss	0–0	0-2	1–2	6–8	27-26	5–6	39–44
Tour Level Win %	0%	0%	33%	43%	51%	45%	47%
Overall Win-Loss	14–7	26-8	37–16	48–18	32–26	5–7	162–82
Overall Win %	67%	76%	70%	73%	55%	42%	66%
Year End Ranking	717	345	243	71	48		N/A

* Statistics correct as of March 8, 2011.

External links

• Official Website
• Polona Hercog at the Women's Tennis Association
• Template:ITF junior profile