2001

Jan

Returned to the Hong Kong exhibition as defending champion, losing in the semi-finals to #9 Anna Kournikova 6-3 5-7 0-6, losing ten straight games from 6-3 5-3 ahead. Withdrew from the doubles event, where she and Elena Dementieva had been 2nd-seeds, with a right leg injury. At Sydney, lost in the second round to #29 Lisa Raymond 6-2 3-6 5-7, despite having served for the match at 5-4 in the final set. The exact same thing had happened at their last meeting in Birmingham the previous year. Belgian newspapers announce that her relationship with Xavier Malisse is over. Played the tennis of her life to defeat #4 Monica Seles, #2 Lindsay Davenport (6-3 6-4) and #1 Martina Hingis (6-4 6-3) in the quarterfinals, semi-finals and finals of the Australian Open, to win her first ever Grand Slam title, and 10th career singles title, in her first ever Grand Slam final. In doubles teamed again with former Australian Jelena Dokic, playing her first event for Yugoslavia, falling to Martina Hingis and Monica Seles in the second round. On 29th January, returned to the Sanex WTA Singles Rankings Top 10 for the first time since 10th January 1994. Ranked #7, it was her highest ranking since she held the same ranking on 10th May 1993. Named the US Olympic Committee's athlete of the month and first-ever Sanex WTA Tour/Nasdaq player of the month.

Feb

On the 12th February, returned to her career high of #6 for the first time since 5th April 1993. After a three week break returned as second seed at Oklahoma. Avenged two consecutive losses to #25 Lisa Raymond in the quarterfinals in three sets, and by reaching the final assured herself of a new career high singles ranking of #5 on the 26th February Sanex WTA singles rankings, ten years after she first reached #6 in the world. Lost in the final to #4 Monica Seles 3-6 7-5 2-6.

Mar

Reached the semi-finals at Scottsdale, losing 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 1-6 to top seed #2 Lindsay Davenport. Reached the doubles quarterfinals for the second year running with Monica Seles, upset by Kveta Hrdlickova and Tina Pisnik. Her run to the semi-finals pushed her over the $3m mark in career prize money earnings, just fourteen months after crossing the $2m barrier. Was the only Top 10 ranked player not to enter Indian Wells. At Miami, defeated #7 Serena Williams (6-1 7-6) and #11 Elena Dementieva (6-2 6-0) on her way to her third final in four tournaments, where she had eight championship points against #3 Venus Williams before falling 6-4 1-6 6-7 (4-7).

Apr

Withdrew from Amelia Island to spend more time with her mother, who had recently undergone hip surgery. Returned in tremendous style at Charleston, where she reached the final without dropping a set, before a second win of the year against World #1 Martina Hingis 6-0 4-6 6-4, winning the first set in just 19 minutes and holding on after losing a 5-1 lead in the final set to win her 11th career singles title. By reaching the semi-finals she had also assured herself of a new career high singles ranking of #4 in the world on the April 23rd singles rankings. Doubles too proved a success, as she reached the semi-finals of a WTA doubles event for only the third time in her career, and for the first time since 1992, with Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, where they bowed out 3-6 6-7 (4-7) to top seeds and eventual champions Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs. Named Sanex WTA Tour/Nasdaq player of the month for the second time in 2001. This website received favourable praise in an issue of US tennis magazine "Tennis Week". Click here to read the article.

May

At Berlin defeated #23 Jelena Dokic, #20 Sandrine Testud, #7 Conchita Martinez and #18 Justine Henin to reach her fifth final of the year, where she fell in three sets to #9 Amelie Mauresmo. But in Rome the following week was not so fortunate, falling on a final set tiebreak in her opening match against #59 Rita Kuti-Kis, who had also beaten her on clay in Strasbourg the previous year. Named Comeback Athlete of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Monaco. At the French Open defeated #7 Serena Williams and World #1 Martina Hingis (6-4 6-3) to reach the final, where she won her second consecutive Grand Slam title against #14 Kim Clijsters 1-6 6-4 12-10. Became #1 in the Race to the Championships rankings for the year, and crossed the $1m prize money barrier for the year, and $4m barrier for career prize money, just two months after crossing the $3m barrier.

Jun

Withdrew from 's-Hertogenbosch, where she would have been top seed, with exhaustion. Won the Tennis Comeback Award at the 35th Annual Academy of Victor Sports Awards in Las Vegas. At Wimbledon, trying for her third successive Grand Slam title, defeated #5 Serena Williams in the quarterfinals, recovering from a set and 3-5 down to win 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 6-3. Grand Slam run came to an end after 19 successive wins with a semi-final loss to #9 Justine Henin 6-2 4-6 2-6. By reaching the semi-finals advanced to a new career high of #3 in singles rankings on 9 July. Could have reached #2 if she had reached the final, or if Henin had beaten Venus Williams in the final. Named Sanex WTA Tour/Nasdaq player of the month for the third time in 2001 and the US Olympic Committee's athlete of the month for the second time in 2001.

Jul

Wins fourth Mahwah exhibition title, appearing in sixth final there, with a 6-3 6-4 win over #12 Amanda Coetzer in the final. Withdrew from Stanford the following week, where she could have played to capture the #2 ranking, purely to make a change to her schedule, adding San Diego instead. Reached a career high of #2 anyway on 30th July, after Venus Williams lost early at Stanford.

Aug

Suffered first straight sets defeat of the year at San Diego quarterfinals, losing 3-6 3-6 to #10 Monica Seles, having beaten #20 Jelena Dokic 6-4 6-2 in previous round. Suffered negative press after criticising the level of Seles' grunting during match. In San Diego doubles reached another semi-final with Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, losing 2-6 7-5 3-6 to top seeds Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova. Lost the #2 ranking after two weeks to Lindsay Davenport on 13th August, but a week later was back there after reaching her seventh WTA final of the year at Toronto, defeating #14 Meghann Shaughnessy and #20 Anke Huber along the way. Lost in the final 1-6 7-6 (9-7) 3-6 to #10 Serena Williams. Defeated #17 Anke Huber 0-6 6-3 6-2 and #14 Jelena Dokic in straight sets to reach New Haven semi-finals the following week, losing 4-6 6-7 (1-7) to eventual champion #4 Venus Williams. Went into the US Open ranked #2, seeded #2, and with a mathematical chance of claiming the #1 ranking.

2000

Jan

Defeated #22 Chanda Rubin (6-7 7-5 7-5), #5 Mary Pierce (6-4 6-4) and World #1 Martina Hingis (7-6 4-6 6-3) to win the Millennium Cup exhibition in Hong Kong. Cruised past #14 Sandrine Testud in the first round at Sydney, before a 4-6 5-7 second round loss to #13 Anna Kournikova. Her appearances at Sydney took her over the $2m career earnings mark, eight years after she had become the youngest ever to earn $1m (now second behind Martina Hingis), amassed between March 1990 and June 1992. Signed endorsement deal with TSR Wireless. At the Australian Open reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final since 1993, and her first Grand Slam semi-final since 1991, with wins over #16 Dominique Van Roost, #24 Ai Sugiyama and #29 Patty Schnyder. Lost to eventual champion, #2 Lindsay Davenport 2-6 6-7 (4-7). Her appearence in the semi-finals meant that she had reached the semi-finals at all four Grand Slams in her career. Ranking improved into the Top 20 for the first time since 4th April 1994 at #17.

Feb

After a four week break returned at Scottsdale with her ranking at #14, defeating #39 Alexandra Stevenson 6-3 6-0 in the first round, before another loss to #2 Lindsay Davenport. This time the score was closer, 6-3 2-6 3-6, and she became one of the few to take a set off Davenport at the start of the year. Reached the quarterfinals in doubles with Monica Seles, in their first pairing since they won Rome together in 1991. They defeated Chanda Rubin and Sandrine Testud 6-2 6-1 in the first round, before losing to third seeds Martina Hingis and Mary Pierce in the last-eight.

Mar

Seeded twelfth at Indian Wells and with a first round bye, crashed 7-5 1-6 2-6 to #51 Cara Black in the second round, her first loss to a player ranked outside the Top 16 since July 1999. Fared better in doubles, reaching another quarterfinal with Monica Seles. Having defeated top seeded pair #2 Lisa Raymond and #3 Rennae Stubbs in the first round in three sets, they advanced to the last-eight, where Chanda Rubin and Sandrine Testud needed three sets to gain revenge for their shockingly easy loss at Scottsdale the previous week. Began dating ATP player, Xavier Malisse. At Miami, reached the quarterfinals, defeating reigning US Open champion #6 Serena Williams 7-6 (7-2) 1-6 6-3 in the fourth round. Lost in the last-eight to #12 Sandrine Testud in straight sets. Won the EuroSport Spirit of Co-Operation Award at the Sanex WTA Tour Awards, but lost out to Serena Williams for the Most Improved Player Award, for which she had also been nominated.

Apr

Ranking continued to improve, up to #12 on 10th April, her highest ranking since 1994. Withdrew from Hilton Head with tendonitis of the right Achilles tendon. Split with coach Harold Solomon, with whom she had worked for a year, saying she was seeking someone to work with on a full-time basis.

May

Returning at Rome after six weeks off, fell in the first round to #31 Anne-Gaelle Sidot in straight sets. As defending champion, lost her first match at Strasbourg in straight sets to #72 Rita Kuti-Kis in the second round, after first round bye. Gained her first Grand Slam seeding since the 1993 US Open at the French Open, seeded 15th, but failed to take advantage, crashing 3-6 5-7 to #34 Fabiola Zuluaga in the first round. Fared better in the doubles, reaching the third round with Jelena Dokic, before falling to eventual champions Martina Hingis and Mary Pierce. Interviews with Harold Solomon suggested that their split was far from amicable. He felt she was not fully committed to her training and her tennis since beginning her relationship with Xavier Malisse. Rather than seeking a full-time coach, seemed happy to be coached by her father, Stefano.

Jun