In an era when the vast majority of professional tennis players focused on either singles or doubles, Svetlana Kuznetsova proved highly skilled and accomplished in both disciplines.   

At the 2004 US Open, the 19-year-old Kuznetsova took the title, along the way earning wins over Hall of Famers Mary Pierce and Lindsay Davenport before beating her compatriot, Elena Dementieva, in the final.   

In June 2009, this time at Roland-Garros, Kuznetsova earned a second singles major. In the last three rounds, Kuznetsova defeated 23-time major singles champion Serena Williams in the quarterfinals, 2011 US Open winner Samantha Stosur in the semis, and world number one Dinara Safina in the finals. 

Kuznetsova won another two majors in doubles – victories at the Australian Open in 2005 with Australian Alicia Molik and in 2012 alongside Vera Zvonareva. 

She also helped lead Russia to three Fed Cup (now Billie Jean King Cup) titles (’04, ’07-’08) 

Across her career, Kuznetsova displayed skilled versatility through a wide range of tools, honed sharply during her teen years spent training in Barcelona, Spain.