Sylvia Hanika

Sylvia Hanika (born 30 November 1959) is a former professional tennis player from Germany. She is remembered for finishing as the runner-up at the French Open in 1981 and for winning the Year End Championships in 1982. She was ranked as high as No. 5 in the world.

Career Hanika turned professional in 1977. In 1981, Hanika reached the women's singles final at the French Open, where she was defeated in two sets by Hana Mandlíková.

In 1982, Hanika posted the biggest win of her career when she defeated world No. 2 Martina Navratilova in three sets in the final of the Avon Series Championships at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Garden was also the site of Hanika's last big singles win: a straight sets victory against No. 3 Chris Evert in the first round of the Virginia Slims Championships in 1987.

Hanika won her final top-level singles title in Athens, Greece in 1986. She retired from the tour in 1990, having won six professional singles titles and one doubles title.

Between serves, she was known to bounce the ball more than anyone tennis commentator and historian Bud Collins remembers: "as many as into the 30s. If she faulted on the first, it was awful, another 30 or so bounces."

Major finals

Grand Slam final

Singles: (1 runner–up) ResultYearTournamentSurfaceOpponentScoreLoss 1981 French Open Clay Hana Mandlíková 2–6, 4–6

Year-End Championships final

Singles: (1 title) ResultYearTournamentSurfaceOpponentScoreWin 1982New York City Carpet (I) Martina Navratilova 1–6, 6–3, 6–4

WTA career finals

Singles: 24 (6–18) LegendGrand Slam tournaments (0–1)WTA Tour Championships (1–0)Tier I (0–0)Tier II (0–0)Tier III (0–0)Tier IV (0–0)Tier V (0–2) Virginia Slims, Avon, Other (6–15) Titles by surfaceHard (0–2)Grass (0–1)Clay (2–7)Carpet (4–8) ResultW/L DateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScoreLoss 1. Jul 1978 Båstad Clay Elly Appel-Vessies 2–6, 4–6Loss 2. Jul 1978 Kitzbühel Clay Virginia Ruzici 4–6, 3–6Loss 3. Nov 1978 Christchurch Grass Regina Maršíková 2–6, 1–6Win 1. Jan 1979 Boise Carpet (i) Sherry Acker 6–3, 6–2Loss 4. May 1979 Rome Clay Tracy Austin 4–6, 6–1, 3–6Loss 5. Jul 1979 Kitzbühel Clay Hana Mandlíková 6–2, 5–7, 3–6Loss 6. Jan 1981 Cincinnati Carpet (i) Martina Navratilova 2–6, 4–6Win 2. Feb 1981 Seattle Carpet (I) Barbara Potter 6–2, 6–4Loss 7. May 1981 French Open Clay Hana Mandlíková 2–6, 4–6Loss 8. Jul 1981 Kitzbühel Clay Claudia Kohde-Kilsch 5–7, 6–7Win 3. Jul 1981 Monte Carlo Clay Hana Mandlíková 2–6, 6–3, 5–6 ab.Loss 9. Mar 1982 Los Angeles Carpet (i) Mima Jaušovec 2–6, 6–7(4–7)Win 4. Mar 1982 Avon Championships Carpet (i) Martina Navratilova 1–6, 6–3, 6–4Loss 10. Jan 1983 Washington Carpet (i) Martina Navratilova 1–6, 1–6Loss 11. Jan 1983 Houston Carpet (i) Martina Navratilova 3–6, 6–7(5–7)Loss 12. Feb 1983 Oakland Carpet (i) Bettina Bunge 3–6, 3–6Loss 13. Mar 1983 Boston Carpet (I) Wendy Turnbull 4–6, 6–3, 4–6Loss 14. Sep 1983 Hartford Carpet (i) Kim Shaefer 4–6, 3–6Win 5. Oct 1984 Brighton Carpet (I) JoAnne Russell 6–3, 1–6, 6–2Win 6. Sep 1986 Athens Clay Angelikí Kanellopoúlou 7–5, 6–1Loss 15. Feb 1987 San Francisco Carpet (i) Zina Garrison 5–7, 6–4, 3–6Loss 16. Aug 1987 Mahwah Hard Manuela Maleeva 6–1, 4–6, 1–6Loss 17. Feb 1988 Wichita Hard (i) Manuela Maleeva 6–7(5–7), 5–7Loss 18. Jul 1988 Aix-en-Provence Clay Judith Wiesner 1–6, 2–6

Doubles: 3 (1–2) LegendGrand Slam tournaments (0–0)WTA Tour Championships (0–0)Tier I (0–0)Tier II (0–0)Tier III (0–0)Tier IV (0–0)Tier V (1–0) Virginia Slims, Avon, Other (0–2) Titles by surfaceHard (1–0)Grass (0–1)Clay (0–0)Carpet (0–1)

Grand Slam singles performance timeline

Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.