Varvara Lepchenko
Varvara Petrivna Lepchenko is an Uzbekistan-born American professional tennis player. She played for Uzbekistan before relocating to the United States. Lepchenko won a singles title on the WTA Challenger Tour and 13 singles titles and one doubles title on the ITF Women's Circuit. She won all her 14 ITF titles in the United States. Lepchenko has a career-high WTA singles ranking of 19, achieved October 2012.
She was provisionally suspended from the WTA Tour in 2016 after testing positive for the heart medication meldonium, although she was found to "bear no fault or negligence" by the International Tennis Federation. In 2022, Lepchenko was suspended from tennis for four years, after testing positive for the stimulant adrafinil, and its metabolite, modafinil. In February 2023, her suspension was reduced to 21 months, and she started playing again in May of that year.
Early life and junior career
Lepchenko was born May 21, 1986, in Tashkent in the former Soviet Union in present-day Uzbekistan. She is of Ukrainian descent. She began playing tennis at age seven; her father Petr was her first coach. She turned pro in 2001, and reached a junior career-high of 244 on 5 January 2004.Professional
2006–2012: Major and Olympics debuts
In 2006 on her Grand Slam debut, Lepchenko reached the second round of the US Open. In October 2006, she was ranked No. 84 in the world.In the 2009 Amelia Island Championships, as a lucky loser, she upset fourth seed Patty Schnyder in the first round. She also reached the final of an ITF tournament in Cuneo this year.
In 2010, Lepchenko reached the second rounds of the French Open and Wimbledon. She lost to Dominika Cibulková and Alona Bondarenko, respectively.
At the 2011 French Open, Lepchenko defeated 18th seed Flavia Pennetta, in the first round.
Lepchenko started the year at the 2012 Auckland Open where she lost in the second round of qualifying to Anne Keothavong. At the Sydney International, she was defeated in the first round of qualifying by Maria Kirilenko. Coming through qualifying at the Australian Open, she lost in the first round to 20th seed Daniela Hantuchová.
Seeded No. 7 for qualifying at the Open GdF Suez, Lepchenko lost in the final round of qualifying to top seed Mona Barthel, in straight sets. However, she received entry as a lucky loser into the main draw, but was defeated in the first round by compatriot Christina McHale. At the Qatar Open, Lepchenko advanced to the third round where she lost to world No. 6, Agnieszka Radwańska, after holding set points in the first set. Her next tournament was the Memphis International where she made the quarterfinals and lost to Alberta Brianti, in two sets.
After qualifying for the main draw at the 2012 Madrid Open, she recorded the biggest win of her career by defeating 2010 French Open champion and 11th seed Francesca Schiavone in three sets in the first round. After defeating Shahar Pe'er and Anabel Medina Garrigues, her run was ended in the quarterfinals by Agnieszka Radwańska. Nevertheless, she rose to a career-high No. 59.
She began the French Open with a three-set win over also unseeded Ksenia Pervak, before she upset 19th seed and former world No. 1, Jelena Janković. In round three, she defeated 14th seed 2010 French Open champion and defending finalist Francesca Schiavone, also in three sets. She lost in round four to fourth seed and 2011 Wimbledon Champion Petra Kvitová, 2–6, 1–6. However, it was a breakthrough tournament for Lepchenko as she had never advanced further than the second round of a Grand Slam tournament previously.
Her next tournament was the Wimbledon Championships, where she defeated Austrian Patricia Mayr-Achleitner, and in the second round, 31st seed and former top-15 player, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova before she lost against defending champion, Petra Kvitová, 1–6, 0–6.
She then advanced to the second round of the Carlsbad Open by defeating Nicole Gibbs, 6–3, 6–1. She lost in the quarterfinals to Nadia Petrova, 4–6, 6–2, 6–7.
Lepchenko reached the third round of the US Open, where she was defeated in straight sets by defending champion Samantha Stosur.
2013: Second French Open third round
Lepchenko began the year by playing at the Brisbane International. She lost in the first round to third seed and eventual champion, Serena Williams. At the Sydney International, Lepchenko was defeated in the first round by Ekaterina Makarova. Seeded 21st at the Australian Open, she lost in the second round to Elena Vesnina. However, in doubles, she and her partner, Zheng Saisai, reached the semifinals where they lost to Australian wildcards Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua.Playing in the Fed Cup tie against Italy, Lepchenko won both of her matches over Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani. However, Lepchenko's two wins were not enough as the USA fell to Italy 2-3. At the Qatar Open, she retired in her first-round match against Klára Zakopalová due to an upper respiratory illness. In Dubai, Lepchenko lost in the first round to Hsieh Su-wei. Seeded 22nd at Indian Wells, she received a bye into the second round where she was defeated by Lara Arruabarrena. Seeded 25th at the Miami Open, Lepchenko again received a bye to the second round, and defeated Irina-Camelia Begu before losing to fifth seed Li Na.
She began her clay-court season at the Charleston Open. Seeded 12th, she was defeated in the third round by fifth seed Venus Williams. Seeded sixth at the Portugal Open, Lepchenko lost in the first round to Svetlana Kuznetsova. At the Madrid Open, she upset 12th seed Roberta Vinci in the first round. After she was handed a walkover when Julia Görges withdrew due to illness, she was defeated in the third round by seventh seed Sara Errani, in two sets. At the Italian Open, Lepchenko lost in the second round to 12th seed Maria Kirilenko, 3–6, 1–6. Seeded No. 7 at the Brussels Open, Lepchenko advanced to the quarterfinals defeating Bojana Jovanovski and wildcard Elena Baltacha. She was defeated then by eventual champion Kaia Kanepi, in third set tie-breaker. Seeded 29 at the French Open, she reached the third round with wins over Mirjana Lučić-Baroni and Elina Svitolina. She lost there to eighth seed and last year quarterfinalist Angelique Kerber.
Lepchenko played only one grass-court tournament before Wimbledon. At the Eastbourne International, she lost in the first round to Heather Watson, in straight sets. Seeded 26 at Wimbledon, she was defeated by Czech qualifier Eva Birnerová, 6–2, 4–6, 6–4.
Lepchenko began US Open Series at the Stanford Classic. Seeded No. 6, and after beating qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito and Tamira Paszek, she lost in the quarterfinals to top seed and eventual finalist, Agnieszka Radwańska. At the Carlsbad Open, she was defeated in the first round by fifth seed and eventual champion, Sam Stosur. At the Rogers Cup, Lepchenko lost in the second round to Magdaléna Rybáriková. At her final tournament before the US Open, the Cincinnati Open, she won over Flavia Pennetta, 6–2, 2–6, 6–2, and lost in the second round to fourth seed Agnieszka Radwańska, 4–6, 0–6. Ranked 35 at the US Open, Lepchenko was defeated in the first round by world No. 214, Alexandra Dulgheru in a close three-setter.
Seeded seventh at the Guangzhou International Open, Lepchenko was defeated in the first round by world No. 105, Tímea Babos, 7–6, 7–5. Lepchenko lost her first-round match at the Pan Pacific Open to Japanese wildcard Misaki Doi. She had her first win since Cincinnati at the China Open when she beat wildcard Heather Watson in the first round, 1–6, 6–3, 6–3. In the second round, she lost to ninth seed Petra Kvitová, 6–2, 2–6, 0–6. At the HP Open, Lepchenko lost in the first round to fifth seed and eventual finalist Eugenie Bouchard, 3–6, 0–6. She played her final tournament of the year at the Kremlin Cup where she lost in the first round to wildcard Alisa Kleybanova, in three sets.
Lepchenko ended the year ranked No. 53.
2014: First WTA Tour final
Lepchenko began new season at the Brisbane International where she lost in the first round to Elina Svitolina. In Sydney, Lepchenko was defeated in the final round of qualifying by compatriot Victoria Duval. However, due to her compatriot, Sloane Stephens, pulling out of the tournament due to a left wrist injury, Lepchenko got herself a lucky loser spot into the main draw. She beat Svetlana Kuznetsova in the first round. She was defeated in the second round by qualifier and eventual champion Tsvetana Pironkova. At the Australian Open, she lost in the second round to 11th seed Simona Halep.In Doha, Lepchenko was defeated in the first round by Kaia Kanepi. At Dubai, she lost in the first round of qualifying to Maryna Zanevska. Playing in Indian Wells, Lepchenko reached the third round after wins over qualifier Alison Van Uytvanck and 29th seed Daniela Hantuchová. She was defeated in her third-round match by Lauren Davis. At the Miami Open, she stunned seventh seed Jelena Janković in the second round; Janković led 5–1 in the third set before Lepchenko made a comeback to win the match. She lost in the fourth round to 11th seed Caroline Wozniacki.
Lepchenko started her clay-court season at the Charleston Open. She was defeated in the first round by Petra Cetkovská. At Madrid, Lepchenko lost in the second round to fifth seed Petra Kvitová. Playing at the Italian Open, she was defeated in the third round by top seed, defending and eventual champion, Serena Williams. Competing at the French Open, she lost in the second round to eighth seed Angelique Kerber.
Beginning her grass-court season at the Birmingham Classic, Lepchenko was defeated in the second round by 16th seed Casey Dellacqua. At the Eastbourne International, she lost in the second round to second seed Petra Kvitová. At the Wimbledon Championships, Lepchenko beat 2010 Wimbledon semifinalist, Tsvetana Pironkova, in the first round before she was defeated by Caroline Garcia.
Lepchenko got her US Open Series underway at the Stanford Classic. She advanced to the semifinals defeating Caroline Garcia, second seed and last year finalist Agnieszka Radwańska, and qualifier and compatriot Sachia Vickery. She lost her semifinal match to third seed Angelique Kerber. Lepchenko was playing well against Kerber; after winning the first set, she led 5–2 in the second before Kerber came back to not only win the second set but also the match. Coming through qualifying at the Western & Southern Open, Lepchenko was defeated in the first round by Sam Stosur. In Connecticut, she lost in the first round of qualifying to Aleksandra Wozniak. At the US Open, she reached the third round where she was defeated by top seed, two-time defending champion, and eventual champion Serena Williams.
Seeded fifth at the Korea Open, and defeating Olivia Rogowska, Han Na-lae, top seed and defending champion, Agnieszka Radwańska, and Christina McHale, Lepchenko reached her first WTA Tour tournament final. However, she lost to second seed Karolína Plíšková, but after the tournament, her ranking improved from 43 to 35. At the China Open, Lepchenko was defeated in the final round of qualifying by Sílvia Soler Espinosa. Seeded fourth at the first edition of the Tianjin Open, Lepchenko made it to the quarterfinal round where she lost to sixth seed and eventual champion Alison Riske. Lepchenko competed in her final tournament of the year at the Luxembourg Open. Seeded fifth, she advanced to the quarterfinals after beating Julia Görges and Jana Čepelová. She was defeated in her quarterfinal match by qualifier Denisa Allertová.
Lepchenko ended the year ranked 36.