Jana Čepelová (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈjana ˈtʂepelɔʋaː]; born 29 May 1993) is a Slovak former professional tennis player.

Jana Čepelová
Country (sports) Slovakia
ResidenceKošice, Slovakia
Born (1993-05-29) 29 May 1993 (age 31)
Košice
Height1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Turned pro2012
Retired2023
PlaysRight (two-handed backhand)
CoachMartin Zathurecký
Prize moneyUS$ 1,851,210
Singles
Career record322–235
Career titles7 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 50 (12 May 2014)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open2R (2013)
French Open2R (2013)
Wimbledon3R (2012, 2016)
US Open2R (2014)
Doubles
Career record61–53
Career titles3 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 158 (18 May 2015)
Grand Slam doubles results
French Open2R (2014, 2017)
Wimbledon2R (2013)
US Open2R (2017)
Team competitions
Fed CupSF (2013), record 8–10
Medal record
Representing  Slovakia
Youth Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2010 Singapore Girls' doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Singapore Girls' singles

Čepelová won seven singles and three doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit. On 12 May 2014, she reached her best singles ranking of world No. 50. On 18 May 2015, she peaked at No. 158 in the doubles rankings.

Her best result at a major event was the third round of the 2012 and 2016 Wimbledon Championships. As a junior, she won the girls' doubles at the 2010 Australian Open with Chantal Škamlová.[1]

Following the birth of the daughter in 2020, Čepelová took a break from her tennis career. In 2023, she made a "quick comeback, just to say good bye and play the final Grand Slam tournaments".

Personal life

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Čepelová was born in Košice to Peter and Jarmila and was coached by Martin Zathurecký.[2]

Career

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Junior career

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Jana Čepelová and Chantal Škamlová won the girls' doubles at 2010 Australian Open. They also won silver medals in doubles at 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. At the same event, Čepelová won the bronze medal in singles.

2012: Coming onto the WTA Tour

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Čepelová spent most of her 2012-year on the ITF Circuit. Her best achievement on the WTA Tour was at the Wimbledon Championships. She qualified for the main draw by defeating Alla Kudryavtseva, Chanel Simmonds and Ekaterina Bychkova. In round one, she beat fellow qualifier Kristina Mladenovic in three sets. In the second round, she upset 26th seed Anabel Medina Garrigues before she lost to world No. 2, Victoria Azarenka.

2014: First WTA Tour final

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At the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, Čepelová scored the biggest win of her career, defeating world No. 1 Serena Williams in the second round. Čepelová would go on to reach her first WTA tournament final with victories over Elena Vesnina, Daniela Hantuchová, and Belinda Bencic. Her run ended there as she lost to Andrea Petkovic.

2015

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Čepelová at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships

Čepelová started the year at the Auckland Open. She lost in the first round to third seed, last year finalist, and eventual champion Venus Williams.[3] At the Hobart International, Čepelová was defeated in the first round by Annika Beck.[4]

Playing at the Indian Wells Open, Čepelová lost in the first round to qualifier Lucie Hradecká.[5] At Miami, she was defeated in the first round by Julia Görges.[6] Seeded second at The Oaks Club Challenger in Florida, Čepelová fell in the first round to Laura Siegemund.

Last year finalist at the Family Circle Cup, Čepelová lost in the second round to fourth seed Sara Errani.[7] At the Prague Open, she was defeated in the first round by Elena Vesnina. Competing at the Slovak Open, Čepelová lost in the first round to Tereza Smitková.[8] Seeded eighth at the Open Saint-Gaudens, she reached the final where she was defeated by María Teresa Torró Flor.[9] At the French Open, Čepelová lost in the second round of qualifying to Kateryna Bondarenko. At the Open Féminin de Marseille, she was defeated in the second round by sixth seed Denisa Allertová.

At the Nottingham Open, Čepelová's first grass-court tournament of the season, she lost in the first round of qualifying to Donna Vekić. At the Birmingham Classic, she was defeated in the first round of qualifying by Mariana Duque Mariño. Coming into Wimbledon ranked 106 in the world, Čepelová upset third seed Simona Halep in the first round.[10] She lost in the second round to Monica Niculescu.[11]

2016

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At Wimbledon in 2016, Čepelová defeated Garbiñe Muguruza in the second round, her third top-three win, before losing to Lucie Šafářová in an epic three-set match.

2020

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Beginning the season at the Australian Open, Čepelová withdrew from her first round of qualifying match against Kurumi Nara.[12]

At the Qatar Ladies Open, she lost in the final round of qualifying to Jil Teichmann. Playing at the first edition of the Lyon Open, Čepelová was defeated in the first round of qualifying by Margot Yerolymos.

2023: Comeback and retirement

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In June 2023, Čepelová announced her retirement from professional tour, with her last tournament being the 2023 US Open.[13]

Grand Slam performance timeline

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Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# P# DNQ A Z# PO G S B NMS NTI P NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (P#) preliminary round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (Z#) Davis/Fed Cup Zonal Group (with number indication) or (PO) play-off; (G) gold, (S) silver or (B) bronze Olympic/Paralympic medal; (NMS) not a Masters tournament; (NTI) not a Tier I tournament; (P) postponed; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.

Singles

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Tournament 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 SR W–L !Win %
Australian Open Q1 2R 1R A Q2 1R 1R Q1 Q1 A 0 / 4 1–4 20%
French Open Q1 2R 1R Q2 Q2 1R A A Q1 A 0 / 3 1–3 25%
Wimbledon 3R 2R 1R 2R 3R 1R Q1 Q3 NH A 0 / 6 6–6 50%
US Open Q3 1R 2R Q2 Q3 1R A 1R A A 0 / 4 1–4 20%
Win–loss 2–1 3–4 1–4 1–1 2–1 0–4 0–1 0–1 0–0 0–0 0 / 17 9–17 35%
WTA 1000
Dubai / Qatar Open[n 1] A A 3R A 1R A A A Q2 A 0 / 2 2–2 50%
Indian Wells Open A Q1 1R 1R Q2 A Q2 A NH 0 / 2 0–2 0%
Miami Open A 1R 2R 1R 1R 3R Q2 A NH A 0 / 5 2–5 29%
Madrid Open A A Q2 A A A A A NH A 0 / 0 0–0  – 
Italian Open A A Q1 A A Q1 A A A A 0 / 0 0–0  – 
Canadian Open 2R 1R A A A Q1 A Q1 NH 0 / 2 1–2 33%
Cincinnati Open Q1 1R A Q2 A A A A A 0 / 1 0–1 0%
China Open A A A A Q1 A A A NH 0 / 0 0–0  – 
Win–loss 1–1 0–3 2–3 0–2 0–2 2–1 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0 / 12 5–12 29%

Notes

  1. ^ The first Premier 5 event of the year has switched back and forth between the Dubai Tennis Championships and the Qatar Ladies Open since 2009. Dubai was classified as a Premier 5 event from 2009 to 2011 before being succeeded by Doha for the 2012–2014 period. In 2015, Dubai regained its Premier 5 status while Doha was demoted to Premier status. The two tournaments have since alternated status every year.

WTA Tour finals

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Singles: 1 (runner–up)

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Legend
Grand Slam tournaments
Premier M & Premier 5
Premier (0–1)
International
Finals by surface
Hard (0–0)
Clay (0–1)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (0–0)
Result W–L Date Tournament Tier Surface Opponent Score
Loss 0–1 Apr 2014 Charleston Open, United States Premier Clay (green)   Andrea Petkovic 5–7, 2–6

ITF Circuit finals

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Singles: 13 (7 titles, 6 runner–ups)

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Legend
$100,000 tournaments (1–1)
$75,000 tournaments (1–0)
$50,000 tournaments (0–1)
$25,000 tournaments (3–2)
$10,000 tournaments (2–2)
Finals by surface
Hard (3–4)
Clay (4–2)
Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Opponent Score
Loss 0–1 Feb 2010 ITF Eilat, Israel 10,000 Hard   Janina Toljan 1–6, 2–6
Loss 0–2 Oct 2010 ITF Monastir, Tunisia 10,000 Hard   Martina Borecká 5–7, 1–6
Win 1–2 Oct 2010 ITF Monastir, Tunisia 10,000 Hard   Diāna Marcinkēviča 6–2, 6–2
Win 2–2 Jan 2011 ITF Stuttgart, Germany 10,000 Hard (i)   Nina Zander 6–4, 6–4
Win 3–2 Jue 2011 ITF Kristinehamn, Sweden 25,000 Clay   Alexandra Cadanțu 6–4, 3–6, 6–4
Loss 3–3 Jun 2011 ITF Ystad, Sweden 25,000 Clay   Dia Evtimova 3–6, 4–6
Win 4–3 Aug 2011 ITF Prague-Neride, Czech Republic 25,000 Clay   Bibiane Schoofs 7–6(6), 6–4
Loss 4–4 Nov 2011 ITF Helsinki, Finland 25,000 Hard (i)   Tímea Babos 3–6, 1–6
Win 5–4 Nov 2013 Dubai Tennis Challenge, UAE 75,000 Hard   Maria Elena Camerin 6–1, 6–2
Loss 5–5 May 2015 Open Saint-Gaudens, France 50,000 Clay   María Teresa Torró Flor 1–6, 0–6
Win 6–5 Jul 2017 Budapest Ladies Open, Hungary 100,000 Clay   Danka Kovinić 6–4, 6–3
Loss 6–6 Oct 2018 Suzhou Ladies Open, China 100,000 Hard   Zheng Saisai 5–7, 1–6
Win 7–6 Sep 2020 ITF Prague, Czech Republic 25,000 Clay   Renata Zarazúa 6–4, 7–6(4)

Doubles: 8 (3 titles, 5 runner–ups)

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Legend
$100,000 tournaments (0–1)
$75,000 tournaments (0–1)
$50,000 tournaments (0–1)
$25,000 tournaments (3–1)
$10,000 tournaments (0–1)
Finals by surface
Hard (1–1)
Clay (2–4)
Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 0–1 Jan 2011 ITF Stuttgart, Germany 10,000 Hard (i)   Michaela Pochabová   Daniëlle Harmsen
  Marina Melnikova
6–3, 4–6, [12–14]
Loss 0–2 Aug 2011 Empire Slovak Open, Slovakia 50,000 Clay   Lenka Wienerová   Janette Husárová
  Renata Voráčová
6–7(2), 1–6
Loss 0–3 Aug 2011 ITF Prague-Neride,
Czech Republic
25,000 Clay   Katarzyna Piter   Iveta Gerlová
  Lucie Kriegsmannová
7–6(8), 1–6, [8–10]
Win 1–3 Oct 2011 ITF Sant Cugat del Vallès, Spain 25,000 Clay   Katarzyna Piter   Leticia Costas
  Inés Ferrer Suárez
6–3, 2–6, [10–6]
Win 2–3 Feb 2012 ITF Rabat, Morocco 25,000 Clay   Réka Luca Jani   Anastasia Grymalska
  Ilona Kremen
6–7(4), 6–1, [10–4]
Win 3–3 Mar 2012 ITF Poza Rica, Mexico 25,000 Hard   Lenka Wienerová   Maria Elena Camerin
  Mariya Koryttseva
7–5, 2–6, [10–3]
Loss 3–4 May 2013 Empire Slovak Open, Slovakia 75,000 Clay   Anna Karolína Schmiedlová   Mervana Jugić-Salkić
  Renata Voráčová
1–6, 1–6
Loss 3–5 May 2016 Open de Marseille, France 100,000 Clay   Lourdes Domínguez Lino   Hsieh Su-wei
  Nicole Melichar
6–1, 3–6, [3–10]

Junior Grand Slam tournament finals

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Girls' doubles: 1 (title)

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Result Year Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 2010 Australian Open Hard   Chantal Škamlová   Tímea Babos
  Gabriela Dabrowski
7–6(1), 6–2

Head-to-head record

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No. 1 wins

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# Player Event Surface Rd Score Result
1.   Serena Williams 2014 Family Circle Cup, United States Clay 2R 6–4, 6–4 Final

Top 10 wins

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# Player Rank Event Surface Rd Score
2014
1.   Serena Williams No. 1 Family Circle Cup, United States Clay 2R 6–4, 6–4
2015
2.   Simona Halep No. 3 Wimbledon, United Kingdom Grass 1R 5–7, 6–4, 6–3
2016
3.   Garbiñe Muguruza No. 2 Wimbledon, United Kingdom Grass 2R 6–3, 6–2

References

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  1. ^ Hemmings, Mark (2 February 2010). "Teen Gosling tennis star Babos sure of success in 2010". Welwyn Hatfield Times. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  2. ^ "Getting to know... Jana Cepelova". Women's Tennis Association. 5 April 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  3. ^ "As it happened: Kiwi, superstars win on Day Two at ASB Classic". tvnz.co.nz. 6 January 2015. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  4. ^ "Annika Beck bites through, Mona Barthel loses with a match ball". tennisnet.com. 12 January 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  5. ^ PISANI, SACHA (13 March 2015). "Americans shine at Indian Wells". sportingnews.com. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  6. ^ "Azarenka advances in Miami, Vaidisova claims first win since retirement". beinsports.com. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Bouchard falls at Family Circle Cup". tsn.ca. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  8. ^ "The Slovaks were not successful, the Czechs were". empireslovakopen.sk. 7 May 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  9. ^ "TITA TORRO WINS THE SAINT-GAUDENS TOURNAMENT IN FRANCE". deportevillena.com. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  10. ^ Cambers, Simon (30 June 2015). "Wimbledon No3 seed Simona Halep loses to world No106 Jana Cepelova". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  11. ^ "Petra Kvitova and Agnieszka Radwanska in ruthless form to reach Wimbledon third round". The National. Abu Dhabi. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  12. ^ Williams, Peter (16 January 2020). "Australian Open: Qualifying Round 1 – Novak advances to Round 2 as rain interrupts Open". tennis.draftcentral.com.au. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  13. ^ "Vrátila sa, aby sa rozlúčila. Mama Čepelová sa chystá na Wimbledon aj US Open". sportnet.sme.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 20 October 2023.
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