The Birmingham Post (newspaper)
8th June 2004
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Beauty's back in shape of her life

Daniela Hantuchová tells Hyder Jawad why she's happy to be hitting
it hard on grass again


Daniela Hantuchová is back smiling again, back whacking tennis balls
at 100 miles an hour, and back breaking our hearts. It is 2004, so
she should be happy.

Even with her natural beauty, and stoical demeanour, she could not
conceal the problems that made 2003 such a bad time for her.

It was the year when her results deteriorated, when talk about her
perceived weight loss became an obsession, and when she parted -
temporarily, as it turns out - with her English coach.

And yet, through the black clouds, she has found the sunshine.
Hantuchová has learnt how to enjoy herself.

It probably helps that she has just been awarded the honour of being
the sexiest female player in the world by Ace Tennis magazine, but
the real reason for her renaissance has been what she managed to put
right in her own mind.

The tears at Wimbledon last year, so ubiquitous after her defeat to
Shinobu Asagoe, have been replaced by the laughter seen so much at
Edgbaston Priory yesterday. When Hantuchová plays her first-round
match at the DFS Classic today against Yoon Jeong Cho of Korea, she
will perform in the knowledge that everything in her life is now in
perspective.

"Everything I had to go through, the tough times, and all things
like that, were good for me. I know that now," she says. "I am
grateful for what I have learnt because the lessons have made me a
stronger person. Hopefully this will help me for the future.

"Last year was a tough year, for sure, but it showed me that life
has more things than just tennis. The year also showed to me how
much I love tennis but also how important other things are. The
tough year proved to me that tennis is what I want to do.

"I am definitely a better player. I am more aware of what I do on
the court, I keep things in perspective, and I am more relaxed about
everything.

"I have been around for a long time but I am still only young. It
feels like I have just started again, even though I have been on the
tour for four years. I cannot believe how fast time is going. I have
learnt so much and there is still so much for me to learn.

"I no longer panic when things go wrong. I enjoy what I do more now,
because it [being a professional tennis player] was something I
always wanted to be.

"I think that, as I get better, so women's tennis gets better and I
just cannot wait to get out on the court to play. I hit the ball so
much harder than I did a year ago and with so much more confidence.

"And, you know something, I have fun on the court again, which is
the most important thing for me."

She has slipped from a high of No 5 in the world in February 2003 to
No 50 but that matters less than how she feels about herself and her
career.

As we sit in a quiet corner of the clubhouse at Edgbaston Priory, I
notice the ease with which she speaks, and contrast it with the
torment she seemed to be suffering at Wimbledon last year.

Concern for her at the time was rife. She denied that there was a
problem, merely putting the weight loss down to "burning off more
calories than I eat."

Most of the criticism was unfair. If she was suffering from an
eating disorder, how was she able to play a two-hour match at
Wimbledon? And how was she still able to look so radiant?

The mystery remains and, now that she has rediscovered her zest for
life, has become largely irrelevant.

Born in Poprad, Czechoslovakia on April 23, 1983, she now represents
Slovakia in Fed Cup matches, speaks five languages, and plays the
piano. She is a three-dimensional character - unlike some players on
the tour - and has learnt to appreciate the myriad gifts that have
been bestowed on her. She turned professional in 1999 but it was
only in 2002, when she reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon and
the US Open, that she started to perform like a top-ten player.

"I had a great year in 2002 and I won an award for being the
newcomer of the year, or something like that," she says. "That was
an important time for me and my form was partly because of how well
I played at Wimbledon.

"It is hard because the surface can vary from tournament to
tournament, and it is not always easy to get the slice right. But
after spending time on grass, getting my game right, and enjoying my
preparation, I think it suits my game. Birmingham is great
preparation for Wimbledon, for sure. You need to play tournaments
like Birmingham and Eastbourne because of the confidence it can give
you. It is not just about practising, it is about winning as many
matches as possible and getting to know the courts."

In one sense, it all started for Hantuchová when she arrived in
Birmingham for the DFS Classic in 2001. She was new to grass, still
inclined towards playing on the clay courts of Slovakia, and wide-
eyed.

It did not take long for her to charm the public with her easy
manner and enthusiasm for tennis.

"I have so many nice memories of the first time I came to Birmingham
and that was a factor in my decision to come back here this week,"
she says. "That was where I made my first breakthrough on grass, so
I have a special feeling about the place.

"The people are always so nice. They work so hard to make it such a
nice tournament. Birmingham was where it first happened for me on
grass.

"The atmosphere is so nice, so relaxed, and I feel comfortable every
time I come here. That can only help me in my preparations for
Wimbledon. Yes, it is a special place and I am looking forward to my
time here.

"Grass was always something I wanted to play on. Actually, I
couldn't wait to get off the clay and play on grass. I am always
excited to play on grass. I love the surface because I can play
aggressive tennis."

The aggressive tennis suits her and contrasts nicely with her Bambi-
like appearance. She is tall - 5ft 11in - and has the physique that
would look good on the catwalk.

It would be wrong to call her the next Anna Kournikova, primarily
because she is prettier, sexier and better at tennis. She is the
first Daniela Hantuchová, a tennis player first and foremost.

"Yes, I know about the award and it was nice to win it," she says,
with a look of genuine humility engraved on her perfect
features. "It was nice to know that people think about me and like
me. It is good that, wherever I go, and no matter what happens, I
always have fans.

"That definitely helps me in my game; helps me with my confidence.
It is an award that means a lot to me, for sure, but my main concern
is what I do on the tennis court. That is where I want to be judged."
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